In the space void between dimensions, the crimson giant collapsed to his knees with devastating finality, his massive form crashing against the fractured substrate like a fallen mountain.
Waves of superheated air rose from Ben's charred body in visible distortions, creating the illusion of a fire slowly burning itself out from within. Steam and smoke poured from countless wounds across his To'kustar frame, each injury telling the story of an energy clash that had shaken the very foundations of reality.
The gap in raw power between the combatants was simply too enormous to overcome through determination alone. The devastating energy fluctuations released by the Sword Vigor possessed sufficient force to destabilize entire universal structures, making resistance seem futile.
The cosmic rays that Way Big had generated in desperation were like grains of sand attempting to stop a tidal wave. The moment they made contact with the Sword Vigor's divine radiance, they were instantly vaporized without offering even momentary protection or deflection.
However, even this pathetic showing was enough to surprise Morlun and capture his predatory attention.
The simple fact that Ben remained alive after absorbing such overwhelming energy was sufficient proof of Way Big's exceptional durability and space heritage. Few beings in the multiverse could survive direct contact with Takuya Yamashiro's legendary blade.
"But that's the extent of your capabilities," Morlun declared with dismissive finality.
He retracted the massive sword with casual ease, grasping the ornate hilt in a reverse grip as he regarded Ben with the same expression a hunter might show toward wounded prey caught in a carefully laid trap. His mechanical features couldn't entirely conceal the satisfaction radiating from his corrupted form.
No rational being would fear a half-dead beast that could barely move, especially when it had fallen into a snare and was reduced to desperate thrashing.
"From the very beginning, you insects have been appearing one after another, causing us considerable inconvenience and frustration," Morlun observed with growing amusement.
"But now, no one will come to rescue you from your fate."
A cruel smile spread across his transformed features as he approached Ben's fallen form with deliberate, measured steps. His massive mechanical body moved with predatory grace despite its size, each footstep causing minor tremors in the already destabilized dimensional space.
The area surrounding them had long since been shattered and annihilated by their clash, even the Web of Life and Destiny had been severed in multiple places. No Spider-hero would ever be able to reach this isolated pocket of broken reality again.
The Sword Vigor in Morlun's grasp released an ominous cold light as he pointed the blade toward Ben's chest from several meters away. Even at this distance, the razor-sharp edge somehow managed to penetrate Way Big's extraordinarily tough hide, causing Ben to flinch as the mystical metal drew traces of silver blood.
The stinging pain from his chest helped Ben regain a measure of consciousness and focus through the haze of agony that had been clouding his thoughts.
He opened his mouth to speak, perhaps to deliver some final defiant statement, but the moment his lips parted, a substantial amount of blood gushed forth instead of words.
The truth was that his condition was far worse than external appearances suggested.
This Ultimatrix possessed none of the safety protocols built into the Omnitrix. Ben had relied entirely on Way Big's cosmic physiology to absorb the Sword Vigor's assault through brute force, and it was genuinely miraculous that he hadn't been killed instantly. Even so, his internal organs had been liquefied by the energy transfer, leaving him functioning on borrowed time.
I really miss having access to the Celestials Way Big, Ben thought with bitter regret. A true space god wouldn't be reduced to this pathetic state.
However, if Morlun truly believed that Ben had been completely stripped of his ability to resist and counter-attack, then the Shapeshifter was being dangerously naive.
Ben raised his head with tremendous effort, his vision swimming as he focused on Morlun's arrogantly confident expression. The Sword Vigor had already penetrated halfway through his torso, and based on the Inheritor's body language, it seemed he was planning to use the blade to surgically remove the Ultimatrix core embedded in Ben's chest.
But Morlun wasn't rushing toward this ultimate prize with the urgency Ben had expected.
Most members of the Inheritor family were sophisticated yet fundamentally barbaric perverts who possessed a twisted sense of etiquette and ceremony around their feeding rituals.
Before achieving their objectives, they made no attempt to conceal their ferocious, predatory nature. But when their food was finally placed before them, they would suddenly adopt elegant facades and consume their prey slowly, like twisted gentlemen savoring a fine meal.
Of course, Morlun's true motivation was to torture Ben extensively and watch his victim struggle in exquisite pain before claiming his prize.
The Sword Vigor advanced another inch deeper into Ben's chest cavity. Ben clenched his teeth and endured the sensation of his sternum being slowly sawed apart, the mystical blade feeling like white-hot iron burning through flesh and vital organs with surgical precision.
But even under these agonizing circumstances, Ben had yet to activate his Ultimate Evolution capability.
Just a little closer... Ben thought, his gaze fixed on the approaching sword with calculating intensity.
He had personally experienced the devastating power of the Sword Vigor firsthand. Unless he could neutralize that threat, even Ultimate Evolution would prove meaningless against such overwhelming magical force.
If Morlun managed to activate the blade's full power again, Ultimate Way Big would be vaporized instantly. I'll admit you're incredibly powerful, but if you lose access to that sword, won't you be significantly more vulnerable?
Morlun remained completely unaware of Ben's tactical planning. Having witnessed the Sword Vigor's catastrophic effects personally, he naturally assumed that Ben couldn't possibly retain any meaningful ability to fight back after enduring such terrible punishment.
Simply surviving the initial blast was already an extraordinary miracle.
"How unfortunate for you," Morlun said with elaborate cruelty, clearly savoring each word. "If you had died in that explosion, it might have been considerably easier. You wouldn't be experiencing this prolonged torment at my hands!"
The Sword Vigor pushed forward another measured increment.
Ben could feel every sensation with crystal clarity, the superheated blade slicing through muscle fiber, methodically sawing open his ribcage, and cauterizing his internal organs with each advancement.
"Should I extract your heart first?" Morlun mused aloud, as if examining a piece of meat he was preparing for cooking. "Or would it be more amusing to slowly remove your intestines while you watch?"
He continued pushing the sword deeper into Ben's chest with sadistic deliberation. At this point, the Sword Vigor had completely penetrated his torso, emerging from his back in a spray of silver blood and cosmic energy.
Ben's cloudy, unfocused eyes suddenly blazed with renewed determination as he exploded upward like a lion awakening from deceptive slumber. His massive hands clamped around Morlun's wrists with crushing force, trapping the Shapeshifter in an inescapable grip.
This sudden reversal terrified Morlun, whose first instinct was to retreat and create distance. But then he remembered the legendary weapon in his grasp and planned to activate the Sword Vigor's full power once more to obliterate Ben permanently.
However,
"Too late!" Ben roared with triumphant fury.
"Ultimate Way Big!"
Brilliant light erupted from the Ultimatrix core as transformative energy coursed through Ben's already massive frame. The giant, who had previously measured forty-five meters including his cranial fin, now grew exponentially larger, surpassing even Leopardon's imposing sixty-meter height!
Simultaneously, a pair of massive horn-like protrusions resembling Ultraman's iconic features sprouted from both sides of Ben's head. These organic antennae immediately began absorbing space radiation and raw energy from the deepest layers of the infinite multiverse, drawing power from sources beyond normal comprehension.
Like Ultraman's energy-absorbing horns, Way Big's ultimate evolutionary features served to channel and focus cosmic force on an unprecedented scale.
In this enhanced state, Ben's power level had increased exponentially beyond his previous capabilities, allowing him to overwhelm Morlun with devastating superiority.
The mechanical arms that Morlun was desperately trying to use for escape were crushed inward under Ben's tremendous grip, metal and circuitry crumpling like paper under hydraulic pressure.
"Morlun, the Sword Vigor is indeed incredibly powerful," Ben laughed with savage satisfaction, "but unfortunately it still requires considerable skill to operate effectively. Without access to its full capabilities, can you really defeat me?"
In an instant, Ben's arms erupted with terrifying force sufficient to shatter planetary bodies into space debris.
CRACK!
Leopardon's corrupted arms were torn completely away from the mecha's torso and remained hanging from the sword still embedded in Ben's chest like grisly trophies.
Ben grasped the Sword Vigor with his free hand and yanked it from his own body before immediately slashing it across Morlun's exposed chest section with devastating force.
A deep, smoking gash appeared instantly, sending showers of sparks cascading like metallic blood from the grievous wound.
Unfortunately, ownership of the Sword Vigor appeared to remain locked to Leopardon's original systems, preventing Ben from accessing its full magical damage potential.
But that limitation wasn't particularly problematic under current circumstances.
At this point in the battle, he no longer required the mystical blade's power to achieve victory.
Ben casually slung the Sword Vigor across his back like a trophy before proceeding to pulverize Morlun's armored form with three devastating punches that reduced the Shapeshifter to scattered mechanical debris.
Ultimate Way Big's combat capabilities far exceeded his previous incarnation's performance. While the species' historical battle record might not have been impressive, their raw strength was absolutely genuine when properly utilized.
Ben crossed both massive arms in front of his chest, forming the classic X-shaped configuration that every giant warrior used for their ultimate attack.
The space destruction ray was ready to fire once more, this time, with sufficient power to erase Morlun from existence permanently.