"This... this is impossible," Kraab stammered, his mechanical pincers lowering as he began to spark. "How did he drain my core? I'm running on emergency reserves!"
"INSUFFICIENT POWER. CRITICAL SYSTEM FAILURE," the Vilgaxian Drones droned in unison, their chassis swaying as if they were intoxicated.
Tyler, in the form of The Volt-Siphon, raised a plugged hand. Arcs of red-black lightning danced between his fingers, shattering the nearby diamond shards into dust. "You seem to be lacking voltage? Here—have mine back."
He slammed his palms together.
BOOM!
A concentrated beam of deep golden electricity lanced out, piercing through Kraab's reinforced chest plate. The golden cyborg didn't even have time to scream. His internal systems overloaded, his armor plating glowing white-hot before he shattered into a heap of useless, molten scrap metal.
"And the rest of you!"
Tyler swept his palms in a wide arc. The golden lightning followed his movement like a great sword of energy, slicing through all seven drones simultaneously. A series of deafening explosions rocked the quarry, filling the air with the acrid scent of ozone and burnt oil.
"Such raw destructive power," Tetrax whispered, his eyes wide behind his helmet.
"That form is incredible," Ben yelled, pumping a fist. "He looks like a living battery! I'm calling him the Electric Lizard!"
"Keep that name for your own list, Ben," Tyler rasped, the static in his voice sounding like grinding metal. He retracted the surplus energy into his body. The blinding arcs dimmed, but his presence remained suffocating.
"You've peaked," Tetrax said, leaping off his hoverboard. He retracted his helmet, revealing his stony, determined face. "You're running on fumes now, brat."
"Fumes are enough to finish you," Tyler countered. He raised his clawed fists, shifting into a low, predatory combat stance.
Tetrax's jaw tightened. "Arrogant child." He lunged forward, his fist morphing into a massive diamond boulder that hurtled toward Tyler's head.
Tyler took a sharp breath, channeling the remaining current into his legs. With a thunderous crack, he propelled himself into the air, soaring over the diamond fist and diving toward Tetrax from above.
CLANG!
Tetrax raised both arms, morphing them into heavy diamond hammers. He swung upward, meeting Tyler's descending strike. Tyler's fist, wreathed in violent electricity, collided with the hammers.
The two warriors froze—one above, one below—in a desperate stalemate.
"He's actually matching my strength?" Tetrax thought, his feet sinking into the dirt under the pressure.
CRACK!
A spiderweb of fractures began to spread across Tetrax's diamond hammers. His face filled with disbelief as the pressure increased.
BOOM!
Tetrax was the one sent skidding backward, his hammers crumbling into dust. Tyler landed gracefully, his tail twitching behind him.
"It wasn't a draw," Tyler said, massaging his knuckles. "I'm just better."
"How is he doing this?" Gwen whispered. "He didn't absorb any more lasers!"
Max watched the dissipating smoke with a knowing look. "He used his tail to absorb the kinetic energy from the drone explosions earlier. That alien isn't just a battery; it's a parasite. It eats everything—heat, motion, light."
Tetrax roared in frustration, striking the ground. Jagged crystals erupted around him, forming a protective dome. In the next heartbeat, Tyler's foot, heavy with electric weight, split the dome like a battle-axe.
Tetrax rolled out of the debris, throwing a punch toward Tyler's jaw. "You lack discipline, boy! Combat isn't just power!"
Tyler's tail lashed out like a whip, striking Tetrax across the temple with the force of a wrecking ball. The hunter's head buzzed as he hit the ground. "His technique... it's as if he's fought a thousand wars..."
They blurred into a flurry of hand-to-hand combat. Tyler's claws left deep gouges in Tetrax's crystalline armor. Every strike from Tyler carried a stinging electrical discharge that bypassed Tetrax's natural defenses.
Finally, Tetrax retreated, whistling for his hoverboard. He ascended, raining down a hail of diamond shards from the sky. "Let's see you handle a long-range bombardment!"
Tyler didn't dodge. He raised his fingers, shooting precision bolts of lightning that intercepted every single crystal shard mid-air.
"Even at range?!" Tetrax gasped. Suddenly, his hoverboard jerked violently. The thrusters sputtered and died, sending the hunter plummeting to the ground.
Tyler stepped over him, his palm crackling with the final surge of current as he pressed it against Tetrax's throat.
"I didn't just block your shards," Tyler said coldly. "I sent a micro-pulse into your board's motherboard. You're grounded."
Tetrax let out a bitter laugh, closing his eyes. "In every aspect... I was outclassed by a human child. This is embarrassing."
[Ding! Host has neutralized 7 Drones, terminated Kraab, and defeated Tetrax. Progress: +1%]
[Template Mastery: 15/100. Critical Node Reached.]
[Unlocking Carnitrix Authority: THE KILLING INTENT!]
Tyler's victory high vanished instantly. A cold, oily sensation slid down his spine.
System, explain, Tyler demanded mentally. What is "Killing Intent"?
[Ding. The Carnitrix's latent self-awareness has AWAKENED.]
The System's voice, usually cold and mechanical, now sounded hauntingly sharp. The red dial on Tyler's wrist began to pulse—not like a machine, but like a heartbeat. The watch was no longer just a tool. It was hungry.