(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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As they left the costume shop Charlotte asks him why he didn't buy any costume.
Ben only grinned at Charlotte's question.
Grin~
"...."
"Didn't you buy one for yourself?"
Before she could even finish,
He tapped the Omnitrix on his wrist.
The dial spun—
shhk-shhk-shhk—
Each silhouette of transformation sliding past like pages of a spellbook flipping themselves.
Charlotte blinked.
"...."
Dorothy leaned forward slightly.
The witches nearby paused mid-step, sensing the surge of mana-like pressure radiating from the strange device.
Ben's finger stopped on one particular slithole.
A heartbeat of silence.
Then—
Click.
Charlotte froze mid-step.
Dorothy's masked eyes widened.
"...."
"...."
"...."
And every witch within ten meters—
Shopkeepers, travelers, festival-goers—
Stopped dead in their tracks like someone had hit pause on the world.
FLASHHHH!!!
The green brilliance of the transformation still shimmered in the air when the last of the light faded…
…and there he stood.
A towering figure of flawless emerald crystal,
Sharp edges catching the sunlight,
Refracting it into dozens of shimmering rays that scattered across the street like dancing stars.
Ben had become Diamondhead.
Charlotte whispered, breath shaken by awe.
"…Ben?"
No matter how much she saw him transform it still awed her.
Dorothy slowly lowered her hand from her mouth.
"…Oh stars… you're a walking gemstone…"
A group of witches who had been gossiping at a nearby stall turned at the flash of light—
"...."
"...."
"...."
And immediately screamed in excitement.
"LOOK AT HIM!"
"Is he made of mana crystal?!"
"No, idiot, he's PURE JEWEL!!"
"He's sparkling—SPARKLING!!"
One witch fainted.
"...."
Another witch ran up with her broom and almost crashed into him.
A third squinted so hard at him her eyes watered.
"H-Hey… if we chip off a tiny bit, will it grow back—?"
Charlotte blocked her instantly,
Stepping forward like a knight guarding the kingdom's treasury.
"No."
Dorothy also stepped up, her voice unusually serious.
"Absolutely not. He's not a mining zone."
Diamondhead chuckled, the sound reverberating like chimes inside a crystal cavern.
CHUCKLE~
"DON'T WORRY. NO ONE'S CHIPPING ANYTHING."
More witches gathered around, drawn like moths to a shimmering green flame.
"Oh my gods… look how he shines!"
"He's glittering—H-he's literally glittering—"
"Is this… is this the man the Queen invited?!"
"HER TASTE IS IMMACULATE."
Ben, in Diamondhead form, raised a crystalline hand and awkwardly waved.
"HELLO. NO TOUCHING, PLEASE."
Charlotte grabbed his other hand possessively with a glare that could burn the whole forest down.
Glare~
"...."
"Absolutely no touching."
Dorothy nodded in agreement.
Nod~
"Unless you want to lose a finger."
The crowd collectively gulped.
Gulps~
Yet none of them moved away—
They just continued staring with stars in their eyes.
Diamondhead glanced at Charlotte and Dorothy.
"SO… DOES THIS COUNT AS A COSTUME?"
Charlotte let out a breathless laugh.
Fufu~
"It counts—and you win."
Dorothy smirked.
Smirk~
"Yeah. There's no topping that."
Ben shifted his stance,
The sunlight scattering off his crystal body like shards of emerald fire.
And with dozens of witches whispering, swooning, and trembling around them,
The trio finally walked forward—
Ben glittering like a treasure straight out of a legend,
Charlotte walking proudly at his side,
Dorothy rolling her eyes but smirking the entire time—
Smirk~
And the festival truly began to revolve around them.
Black Bulls Secret Base...
Inside the Black Bulls' eccentric base,
Vanessa lounged on a sofa with a massive barrel of wine leaning casually against her hip.
She took a long drink—
Enough to wobble a normal person for a week—
When suddenly—
FWIP—
SHOOOM!
A shimmering spatial tear opened in the middle of the hall,
Swirling with green and silver mana.
Fineral emerged first, wobbling as usual.
"Urrggh… Captain could've warned me he was going to land on a roof first—"
A second later Yami stepped out behind him, brushing dust off his shoulders.
"Alright, ladies, I'm takin' a dump. Nobody bother me unless the base explodes."
He left.
Fineral collapsed onto the couch next to Vanessa with a defeated groan,
Staring dramatically at the ceiling.
"Lucky… so—so lucky… I swear, if I were the king, I'd be living like a dream…"
Vanessa, mid-sip, narrowed an eye.
Frown~
"Hmm? What are you rambling about now?"
Fineral flopped sideways.
"The king, Vanessa! H-he got invited to the Witch Forest! By the Witch Queen herself! Can you imagine? Surrounded by all those gorgeous witches at the spring festival… hnngggh… that man is too blessed…"
Vanessa's ear twitched.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Her hand froze mid-drink.
"Witch… Queen?"
She repeated.
Fineral nodded dramatically.
Nod~
"Yep! heard about it at the wizard king palace. When captain Fuegoleon and captain Yami talke about it when wizard king's assistant informed them. Said the queen personally asked for King Ben! What I wouldn't GIVE to be invited by the Witches—"
PFFFFFTTTT!!!
Vanessa spat out her entire mouthful of wine—
"...."
Straight across the room, splattering a passing Gordon,
Who accepted it silently as though it were his bad luck.
"What—WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!?"
Fineral blinked.
Blink~
"...."
"That the King was invited? And he actually went? To the Witch Forest? To meet the Witch Qu—"
Vanessa grabbed him by the collar so fast he choked.
"...."
"BENJAMIN SALVADOR KIRA OUR KING WENT INTO THE WITCH QUEEN'S TERRITORY!?"
Her aura flared—
Threads of red mana swirling around her like angry serpents.
Fineral raised both hands.
"H-hey! I'm just repeating what the Captain said!"
Vanessa's face twisted in panic,
Frustration, and pure disbelief.
"That idiot—! How could he—!? She—She's not someone you just visit! That woman—!"
Grey peeked out from behind a pillar.
"U-um… Vanessa… are you okay?"
Vanessa didn't hear her.
"...."
She started pacing, wine barrel forgotten, hair flaring wildly.
"Oh goddess above, if that Queen lays a finger on him—! I knew this would happen! There will be a big fight or even a war will start between them—!"
Fineral watched her spiral with mild fascination.
"Ah… yeah. Should've guessed. Vanessa has history with the Witch Que—"
A shoe hit him square in the face.
"...."
"SHUT IT!"
The entire base fell silent.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Then, quietly, Charmy leaned toward Magna.
"…King is not dead, isn't he?"
Magna nodded solemnly.
Nod~
"Either dead—or kidnapped forever."
Luck grinned.
Grin~
"Oooh! If he's kidnapped, we get to go on a rescue mission!"
"WE ARE NOT RESCUING THE KING FROM THE WITCH QUEEN!"
Fineral wailed.
Asta pushed open the door to the Black Bulls' base,
Drenched in sweat, a log thrown over his shoulder like it weighed nothing.
"HAAAA—TRAINING COMPLETE!"
He beamed, stretching his sore muscles.
Then he froze.
"...."
Everyone inside was in absolute panic mode.
Vanessa was pacing like a lioness ready to burn down a kingdom.
Fineral was clinging to the sofa for dear life.
Magna and Luck were whispering like conspirators.
Charmy was stuffing her face calmly amid the chaos.
Asta blinked.
"Uh… guys? Why does it look like someone died?"
Charmy lazily raised a forkful of cake.
"Oh, Asta! You came just in time."
Chomp.
"The King got kidnapped."
The cake dropped out of Asta's hand.
"...."
"WHAAAAAAT!?"
From the staircase above,
Noelle stomped down,
Arms crossed over her chest in her usual proud-but-panicked posture.
"Charmy,"
Noelle hissed, cheeks puffing in annoyance, "stop exaggerating! What you mean by kidnap—"
Charmy interrupted with another mouthful.
"Well, they said he went to the Witch Forest which is basically the same as being kidnapped."
THUD.
Asta collapsed to his knees.
"BEN-NII-SAN WAS KIDNAPPED!?"
He screamed, shaking the entire base with his panic.
Noelle's expression—
Previously annoyed—
Switched instantly to horrified worry.
"W-wait—did something happen to Sensie!?"
She gasped, hands trembling slightly.
She tried to hide her concern behind formality,
But her eyes betrayed her.
"...."
Vanessa spun around, hair whipping like a furious crimson wave.
"That IDIOT walked straight into the Witch Queen's territory!"
She pointed at the floor as if Ben were standing right there.
Asta grabbed Vanessa by the shoulders.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE WITCH QUEEN!? What is it? Where it is?"
His face was paler than a ghost.
"The Witch Forest Witch Queen!? T-That scary one!? You Don't Know?"
Luck, completely unbothered, leaned against the wall with a grin.
"Uh-huh. The super strong, super dangerous, super scary lady! If anyone goes in without permission, she'll tear them apart!"
He said cheerfully.
Asta screamed again.
"...."
"...."
Noelle gripped the railing so hard it cracked beneath her fingers.
Magna clapped Asta's back, nearly knocking him over.
"Well, Kid, looks like your brother's got a talent for trouble!"
Asta shook violently.
"That's not a TALENT!!!"
Gordon silently walked up behind them.
"...."
"…If he dies… we'll avenge him…"
Asta shrieked.
Vanessa finally dragged her hands down her face.
"NO ONE IS AVENGING ANYONE! The King isn't dead—yet. But if the Witch Queen has her eyes on him… then he's in REAL danger."
Noelle's face turned crimson.
"...."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HER EYES ON HIM!?"
Vanessa groaned.
"Don't ask. Even I don't know..."
Asta slammed his fists together.
"WE HAVE TO GO SAVE BEN-NII-SAN!!"
Fineral screamed in despair.
"NO WE DO NOT! The Witch Forest is suicide! SUICIDE!!"
Luck's eyes sparkled.
Sparkle~
"Oooh, a dangerous mission…"
"NO!"
Vanessa snapped.
A long, heavy silence followed.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Then Asta stood, flames of determination blazing behind him.
"Okay. We don't have permission. We don't have a plan. We don't even know what's happening."
He clenched his fist.
"But I'm gonna save Ben-niisan anyway—!!"
Vanessa grabbed his collar mid-sentence.
"...."
"You're NOT leaving this base."
Asta dangled helplessly.
"Nooooooo!"
Even Noelle sighed, pressing her palm to her forehead.
Sigh~
"Why is everyone around that man so chaotic…"
And somewhere far away, inside the Witch Forest…
Ben probably sneezed.
Sneeze!
"...."
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review on this Fanfic.
Don't forget to send your power stones!!!