The Forever Knights had escalated their tech game. In a hidden fortress, they had activated a 'Slayer Golem'—a massive construct built from stolen alien technology. It was rampaging through the courtyard, immune to Gwen's magic and tossing Kevin's metal-absorbed form aside like a ragdoll.
"It's adapting to every attack!" Kevin yelled, nursing a bruised shoulder.
"It's a machine," Ben said, eyes narrowing. "And I know how to break machines." He activated the watch. "Upgrade!"
The Galvanic Mechamorph liquefied and launched himself at the Golem, wrapping around its head to merge with its systems. Usually, this was game over. But as Upgrade tried to interface, red electricity surged across the Golem's hull.
*"Access Denied,"* a robotic voice boomed. *"Anti-Mechamorph Firewall active."*
Ben was violently shocked, his liquid body destabilizing. He was thrown backward, pooling on the concrete before reforming. "It's got a firewall specifically for my species? That's new."
The Golem aimed a fusion cannon at Gwen. Ben didn't have time to hack; he needed to overwhelm the system entirely. He needed an upgrade for Upgrade.
"Ultimate Upgrade!"
The transformation reshaped him. He wasn't just a liquid blob anymore. He stood upright, his body a solid holographic projection containing chrome cables and neon-circuit veins that pulsed with blinding light. He didn't just merge with tech; he was a living interface for dimensional energy.
Ben raised a hand. He didn't touch the Golem. Instead, chrome tendrils shot out from the air itself—dimensional rifts opening around the robot.
"You have a firewall?" Ultimate Upgrade's voice sounded like a chorus of synthesizers. "I have a master key."
The chrome cables pierced the Golem's armor, ignoring the physical plating. Ben didn't just hack the software; he physically fused with the Golem's power source from a distance. He channeled the energy of the Ultimatrix into the robot, forcing it to evolve into a form it couldn't sustain.
The Golem grew spikes, its cannon turned into a dimensional rift, and then—unable to handle the advanced code Ben was injecting—it simply shut down, its circuits overloaded by the sheer volume of data.
Ben reverted, catching his breath. "Upgrade complete," he smirked, though a worry line formed on his forehead. The Ultimatrix was taking longer to recharge after these transformations.