His entire body was composed of purple crystal. A pink horn rose from his forehead, pink crystal spikes jutted from his shoulders and back, and his palms were formed from solid pink crystal.
A single emerald eye sat in the center of his face.
His frame was slender, yet packed with immense strength.
Chromastone sprang forward, shielding Grandpa Max.
"Grandpa, you and Gwen get behind me. These two Beast Gods aren't simple."
Whether it was Feathered Serpent God or Zuko, the aura pouring off them was terrifying.
Far beyond what an ordinary person could withstand.
Grandpa Max raised a brow, then let out a quiet sigh and stepped behind Chromastone.
Gwen began chanting, magic swirling in her palms, ready to strike at any moment.
"Roar!"
Zuko swung his massive club, smashing the ground beneath his feet as he charged with a thunderous roar.
Chromastone didn't hesitate. He met the attack head-on, and the two clashed fiercely.
In a corner of the grand hall, the enormous Feathered Serpent God churned like a raging dragon. Every beat of its wings whipped up violent gusts of wind.
The flame crown atop Heatblast's head flickered wildly, like a spark trapped in the eye of a storm, on the verge of being snuffed out.
"Big talk! Fine, I'll treat you to some barbecue!"
As he spoke, Heatblast brought his hands together, condensing a blazing fireball. With a sharp motion, he hurled it straight at the Feathered Serpent God.
The Feathered Serpent God let out a piercing screech and spat forth a violent gale. The fireball was instantly extinguished, erased midair.
"…You've gotta be kidding me?" Heatblast stared in disbelief.
With a single powerful flap of its iron wings, the Feathered Serpent God encircled Heatblast before he could react.
Then it tightened.
Its more-than-ten-meter-long body coiled around Heatblast like a monstrous python, locking him in place.
"Ah!" Heatblast cried out.
Overwhelming pressure crushed in from all directions, nearly grinding his bones to pieces.
A multicolored beam packed with dense energy suddenly slammed into the Feathered Serpent God.
It shrieked in pain and loosened its coils, releasing Heatblast.
In the next instant, it darted aside, glaring viciously at the one who had attacked it.
"What? You want to fight too?" Chromastone spread his hands casually, staring back at the enraged Feathered Serpent God without a hint of concern.
Furious, the Feathered Serpent God beat its wings violently, stirring up waves of howling wind.
Gold, silver, and countless treasures were swept into the air, glittering brilliantly throughout the hall.
"Don't even think about running!"
Heatblast rushed in from behind and unleashed a flurry of attacks on the Feathered Serpent God.
The two resumed their fierce battle, shaking the entire hall.
Seeing this, Chromastone turned back toward the divine monkey sprawled on the ground.
He had just knocked Zuko down, which gave him the chance to save Ben.
But Zuko's vitality was far greater than he'd expected.
Zuko slowly rose. His blood-red fur burst into roaring flames.
In an instant, he became a blazing Divine Monkey, gripping his staff, sharp fangs bared, looking savage and ferocious.
"Looks like you've got some control over fire," Chromastone said calmly. "But it's rough."
Though flames covered Zuko's body, they were unstable—blazing intensely in some places, weak and thin in others.
The imbalance was obvious.
As if understanding the taunt, Zuko flew into a rage. He opened his jaws wide and fired a massive pillar of flame.
Chromastone didn't move. He simply opened his chest.
Boom!
The scorching fire crashed down on him like a towering column.
Yet Chromastone stood there, unfazed—almost enjoying it.
The blazing flames were completely absorbed into his purple crystal body, converted into his own energy.
"That's a decent amount of energy," Chromastone said with a faint smile. His gaze turned cold. "Here—have it back."
Whoosh!
A multicolored beam shot from his horn.
The crystal beam struck with overwhelming force, blasting Zuko backward. He slammed into the wall, leaving behind a deep humanoid crater.
"Wow, that's so cool!" Gwen exclaimed from behind. "This alien hero's ability feels just like Feedback's!"
"Exactly," Grandpa Max nodded. "They both absorb enemy energy and send it right back."
However, Chromastone's absorption had limits—and he couldn't absorb energy substances like water.
Thud!
A flaming giant staff suddenly shot out from the darkened wall, spinning wildly like a wheel of fire as it smashed down.
Chromastone sidestepped lightly, landing atop a glowing night pearl.
Boom!
The blazing staff slammed into the floor, flames roaring as rocks scattered in every direction. The ground sizzled, white smoke curling upward.
Zuko let out a cold snort and extended his broad palm, grasping at the air.
The staff embedded in the floor shot back up instantly and flew into his hand.
"Got anything else? Show me," Chromastone said, settling into a fighting stance.
Zuko growled low in his throat. His fingers formed intricate seals as an obscure chant echoed through the hall.
Chromastone's eye sharpened. He raised both hands, firing streams of multicolored crystal beams.
The flaming staff beside Zuko trembled violently before shooting forward, blocking the incoming beams.
Seeing this, Grandpa Max drew his pistol, aimed at Zuko's head, and pulled the trigger in quick succession.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Several blue laser shots struck Zuko directly.
Not a single mark appeared.
Zuko's eyes burned crimson as he continued chanting.
"His defense is too strong. My weapon's useless." Grandpa Max shook his head and looked at Gwen. "Gwen, try your magic!"
"Okay!"
Gwen nodded, closed her eyes, and carefully gathered her energy.
Water molecules in the air condensed into sharp blades—dozens of them—rotating slowly as they circled her, gleaming with cold light.
"Ten Thousand Swords Piercing the Heart!"
At her command, all the azure water blades shot forward at once, surging toward Zuko in a torrent of vapor.
At that very moment, Zuko's eyes flared with blazing red light.
A fiery-red figure leapt out from behind him, swinging a blood-red staff and sweeping through the incoming blades.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Metallic collisions rang out as every water sword was shattered, dissolving into mist that drifted lightly across the two divine monkeys.
"Hm?" Chromastone paused.
The figure that had leapt out from behind Zuko… was another divine monkey.
"H-How is that possible?" Gwen's face went pale as she staggered back.
She stared at the two towering figures in disbelief.
Two Zukos.
He could create a duplicate?
Both stood over three meters tall, identical in appearance, each gripping a flaming staff, their presence fierce and oppressive.
But the original Zuko's aura was clearly stronger.
About twice as strong.
Which meant the duplicate possessed only half his power.
Chromastone punched forward, knocking aside a flaming staff.
"Roar!"
"Roar! Roar!"
The two powerful Zukos smashed the ground beneath their feet. Wielding their blazing staffs, they leapt into the air at the same time—
And brought them crashing down toward Chromastone below...