"Go to hell!" The Null-Entity roared, releasing Tyler from its starlight-grip. Boundless Ontological Pressure rippled from its body, intending to flatten the local dimension into a single point of nothingness.
"REWIND!" Professor Paradox screamed, thrusting his second cane into the air.
A sun-like brilliance erupted, catching the Null-Entity in a temporal loop. The god-like alien's face twisted as its reality was forcibly pulled back a few seconds. CRACK! Paradox's iron hand slammed onto the starlight-dial on the Entity's chest, twisting it with every ounce of his remaining strength.
A spray of blood-red light flashed, and the God vanished.
"Hoo... I did it," Paradox gasped, collapsing to his knees. "I've temporarily locked the Celestialsapien's timeline. He can't switch back for now."
"Nice one, Paradox!" Tyler shouted. His own Carnitrix dial locked onto a figure. He slammed it, red light erupting to meet the enemy's flare.
Two versions of The Fallout-Forge (NRG) stood in the clearing. The Prime Carnitrix NRG glared at Tyler. "You dare mimic me? DIE!"
They punched simultaneously. BOOM! The moment their fists met, the Prime NRG was launched backward, his iron suit cracking.
"I'll tell you one more time," Tyler rasped, his voice a low radioactive hum. "I'm not like you. You're just a pathetic echo."
The Prime NRG roared, ejecting his true energy body to attack Tyler. Tyler did the same, his energy form significantly more robust and blinding. The Prime NRG froze. The threat level... he's higher rank!
Tyler didn't wait. He integrated nuclear bursts into close-quarters combat, suppressing the Prime Carnitrix unilaterally. Even though the Prime NRG could "predict" the attacks, Tyler's speed and power were so high that the AI's body simply couldn't react in time.
Desperate, the Prime Carnitrix tried to rotate back to Alien X.
"NOT ON MY WATCH!" Paradox struck his cane, banishing the transformation. "Tyler, keep him busy! I'll hold the lockout!"
With Paradox acting as the "Controller," Tyler acted as the "DPS." They pinned the AI into a corner. Until—the Prime Carnitrix bypassed its own cooldown logic.
WHOOSH!
The blood-red light didn't just flash; it exploded. A massive, mechanical warrior wreathed in crimson radiation landed on the ground. Its presence made Tyler's Fallout-Forge feel like a flickering candle.
"You forced me to delete the DNA safety locks..." the warrior boomed. "Fine. I'll use The Nuclear Sovereign to end this."
Tyler's blood ran cold. "Paradox! It's one of the Doom-Trio... Atomix!"
The Sovereign raised a hand. A blast of energy far exceeding standard nuclear fusion vaporized the clouds above. Tyler narrowly dodged, but the shockwave alone cracked his ribs. The Sovereign began to cycle the dial again, trying to force the Alien X transformation through Paradox's interference.
"It's too much!" Paradox cried, his hands trembling as he fought the Sovereign's temporal weight. "Tyler! I can't hold him forever! Do something!"
Tyler looked at his own watch. The dial was spinning like a gambling wheel. "I don't know what I have left... but I'll trust the calibration!" He slammed the watch unconditionally.
The red light consumed the clearing. The Nuclear Sovereign laughed, charging an extinction-level beam. "No matter what you become, you are nothing!"
The beam struck Tyler's new form. The Sovereign's laughter stopped.
He looked at Tyler. His mechanical body began to move backward, inch by inch. A sound like a dying engine escaped his throat.
"Ghost... AHHH! NO! GET IT AWAY!"
The Nuclear Sovereign—the ultimate mechanical executioner—turned and fled into the sky, his mind completely shattered by the sight of Tyler's new form. He didn't just run; he vanished into a rift of space-time, screaming in pure, unadulterated terror.
"Great job, Tyler!" Paradox cheered, still looking at the fleeing Sovereign. "Now, let's chase him down before—"
Paradox turned to look at Tyler.
The Professor's voice died. His body stiffened. His cane clattered to the ground, and he didn't even notice. He tried to pick it up, but his hands were shaking so violently his fingers wouldn't close. Finally, the Great Professor Paradox—a man who had seen the birth and death of stars—collapsed into a heap on the floor.
"Paradox? What's wrong?" Tyler asked, concerned. He couldn't see himself. He had become Toby.
"Nothing," Paradox gasped, his voice thin with terror. "Just... give me a moment. I can't look at you. I can't look at you."
In the distance, the Prime Carnitrix Alien X reappeared, intending to return to the fight. It caught a glimpse of Tyler's silhouette.
"THAT MONSTER!" the God-alien screamed, its voice breaking. "I CAN'T FACE IT! I WON'T!" The starlight entity tore open a hole in the Multiverse and threw itself through it, fleeing the very concept of Tyler's existence.
"I understand," Paradox said, his head still bowed, refusing to meet Tyler's gaze. "I'll track the Carnitrix. You go back. Now. Do not let anyone—human or alien—see you until this transformation wears off."
"Why are you acting like this?" Tyler began, but Paradox didn't wait.
WHOOSH!
A deep golden light carried Tyler away. Only then did Professor Paradox stand up, his legs still weak. "I have sent the Demon God away... Good. Now, to hunt the AI."
Paradox finally had his excuse. The Carnitrix had violentely interfered with other timelines. The laws of the Multiverse had been broken. It was war.
[Ding! Host severely traumatized the Prime Carnitrix with 'Toby' and broke the spirit of Professor Paradox. Progress +1%]
[Template Mastery: 35/100. CRITICAL NODE REACHED.]
[EVOLUTION: Slaughter Protocol has mutated into the GLITCH-SLAUGHTER PROTOCOL!]
Tyler was in transit, the System's voice sounding more distorted and powerful than ever before. He was heading home.
New Evolution: Glitch-Slaughter Protocol
Description: The advanced form of the Killing Intent. It no longer just targets biological weaknesses; it targets the "Logic" of reality.
Effect: When active, Tyler can ignore the physical laws of his opponents (e.g., hitting intangible enemies or ignoring armor) by "glitching" his attacks through their defenses.
Side Effect: Reality flickers around Tyler during use, causing minor temporal distortions.
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