Clover King's Courtroom...
Fred's grimoire burst open in a flash of mana, its pages fluttering wildly as a cold, silver glow radiated from it.
His breath was uneven, but his posture fierce—
desperation and rage pouring from him.
"I won't let you manipulate me! I'll fight you if I have to!"
Fred yelled, pointing his grimoire toward Ben and Harry.
The mana in the courtroom thickened.
The guards instinctively drew closer, some activating their own magic.
Harry's expression darkened, his grimoire glowing with the searing orange of fire-type mana.
His voice was low and chilling.
"You think a brat like you can even raise your hand against the King and survive?"
Fred faltered, sweat dripping from his forehead.
His grimoire shook in his hands.
His legs were trembling despite his bravado.
Ben watched from his throne, his chin resting on his fingers.
He gave a long sigh—
heavy, disappointed, yet patient.
Sigh~
"Harry,"
He said calmly,
"Stand down."
Harry looked back at Ben, confused and irritated.
"Your Majesty—"
"I said, stand down."
With a frustrated growl, Harry snapped his grimoire shut.
The air eased a little, though the tension remained thick.
Ben stood from the throne and stepped forward again, his voice calm but stern:
"If I wanted to brainwash you, Fred, I wouldn't be standing here trying to reason with you in front of everyone. I'd have already done it."
"I gave you a choice. But if you draw your magic on me or my men again... that choice will be taken from you."
Fred's grimoire dimmed slightly, though it didn't close.
His breath hitched.
Tears welled in his eyes now—
not just from grief or fury, but from fear.
Ben looked him in the eye and added:
"I'll give you one week. You will remain under supervision in the palace. During that time, observe — listen. If, after that, you still believe I'm your enemy… I won't stop you from walking away."
"But if you attack anyone before that, you'll leave me no choice."
The guards immediately understood the signal.
With a respectful bow, two of them approached Fred, who stood frozen, clutching his grimoire tightly.
He glanced around, realising he was being taken seriously—
But not executed or tortured like he expected.
That alone rattled him more than a threat would have.
When he came here, he was prepared to die, comforting the king as a hero who tried to get justice for his fallen father.
Ben spoke one final time before turning away:
"Let him see the world his father helped poison. Let him see the kind of rot we're trying to clean up."
"And make sure he sees everything — the pain of the people, the cowardice of corrupted nobles, and the ruin that greed brings."
The guards nodded.
Nod~
"____"
Fred, still seething but uncertain, was escorted from the courtroom.
He didn't resist, but his eyes didn't leave Ben's until the last moment, burning with confusion and anger —
but also, buried beneath, a flicker of doubt.
As the doors closed behind him, Harry approached Ben.
"You sure this is wise? A week might not be enough to undo the kind of hate he's carrying."
Ben sat back on his throne, his expression firm but thoughtful.
"True. But he's not beyond saving—not yet. If we don't try, then we're no better than those who wrote people like him off."
Soon, Charlotte entered the courtroom.
"____"
Charlotte's eyes narrowed as she watched the guards escort Fred out, his clenched fists and seething eyes betraying his inner turmoil.
As Ben approached her with a softened expression, the tension in the air shifted.
Charlotte met him halfway, offering a small nod that only he could interpret as concern mixed with something more protective.
Nod~
Ben gently took her hand and led her toward the royal dining hall.
Once seated, the servants brought in their breakfast —
warm spiced bread, fresh fruit, and enchanted tea that shimmered faintly with mana.
As they ate, Ben explained everything about Fred —
from the unexpected arrival, to his claim, to the plan to rehabilitate him.
Charlotte's jaw tightened the more she heard.
"So… that boy pointed a finger at you and called you a murderer?"
She asked, setting her cup down a little harder than intended.
Ben gave a slight shrug, smiling faintly.
"He's angry. Misguided. The world he was raised in fed him lies, and now those lies have become his truth."
Charlotte crossed her arms.
"That boy has no idea how much you've done for this kingdom. I don't care how broken he is — if he tries anything again, I'll personally handle him."
Ben looked amused.
"And here I thought I was the king."
She shot him a glare softened by affection.
"You are. But you're my king. And anyone who threatens you… threatens me."
There was a moment of silence between them, the weight of their bond stronger than ever.
"____"
"____"
Charlotte took a deep breath and added:
"Still, if you're giving him a chance, I won't interfere. But if he crosses the line… I'll be watching."
Ben smiled and reached over to gently hold her hand.
"That's all I ask."
They continued their breakfast, with Charlotte occasionally glancing toward the window, her mind already turning over how to quietly assign a few Blue Rose members to keep tabs on Fred's journey if he tried to escape—
and to step in if he strayed too far from the path Ben intended.
BOOM!!!
The sudden boom that tore through the peaceful morning sent tremors across the royal palace.
Dishes rattled on the breakfast table as Ben and Charlotte immediately sprang up, alarm sharp in their eyes.
BOOM!!!
Before they could even ask a question, a second explosion followed—
This time, much closer.
A Royal Knight burst through the doors, breathless.
"Your Majesty! Dangerous mana beasts—ten of them—have fallen into the royal garden from the sky!"
Ben and Charlotte didn't wait.
They immediately went to the garden where the loud boom came from—
only to be greeted by chaos.
They Saw:
Ten mana beasts, grouped in five pairs, had already started rampaging across the royal estate:
->Ice Bears (2):
Massive, fur-coated beasts with crystalline spines.
Frost spread with each of their thunderous steps, freezing the ground and shattering trees.
->Speed Panthers (2):
Shadows with eyes—
lightning-fast, muscle-bound, their movement tore up the earth as they darted toward the castle gates.
->Fireball Geese (2):
Towering, flame-spewing monsters honking with madness, spitting orbs of fire that exploded on contact, setting hedges and parts of the palace wall ablaze.
->Water Leopards (2):
Their semi-liquid forms shimmered as they slithered rather than walked, phasing between solid and fluid state, launching water blades that sliced stone.
->Poison-Fire Serpent (2):
A colossal snake with molten eyes, scales oozing venom, its forked tongue flickering flames.
It coiled aggressively, smoke and toxic steam hissing from its body.
Above them, dark carriages pulled by mutated flying beasts zipped across the sky, vanishing in a single direction.
The intention was clear: They wanted to cause chaos in the royal palace or an even more sinister agenda.
Ben's jaw clenched as he watched one of the fireballs hit a tower's side, sending debris raining down.
His voice was cold.
"Someone sent them. They wanted us to see this."
Ben raised his hand.
"Royal Knights! Engage! Protect the civilians. Do not let a single beast out of the royal palace."
The area exploded with movement as royal guards deployed, surrounding the garden.
Ben targeted the giant serpent, already preparing to transform into one of the aliens currently available for him to transform.
Charlotte went after the panthers, knowing their speed could wreak havoc if unchecked.
The Royal Knights split into units, two squads each engaging the bears, geese, and leopards.
As the chaos around the royal gardens raged on and mana beasts clashed with the knights,
Ben calmly raised his left arm, revealing the Omnitrix gleaming on his wrist.
With a swift motion,
he clicked the side button,
Click~
causing the dial to spring up, glowing in vibrant green.
The dial rotated rapidly, flicking through various silhouettes of powerful transformations—
XLR8, Diamondhead, Heatblast—
until it landed on a hunched, bug-like figure with wings.
Ben's eyes narrowed.
"This one's perfect. Not pretty—but perfect."
He slammed the dial down.
FLASH~
A surge of emerald energy exploded around him in a spiral as the transformation engulfed his entire body.
His legs thinned and elongated, his arms twisted and stretched along with several insect-like legs with sharp pointed edges,
Insect-like wings burst from his back, and his face elongated into a grotesque snout with compound eyes.
BUZZ. BUZZ.
His skin turned a sickly mix of green and black, wings flapping eagerly behind him.
Ben had become—
Stinkfly.
When the radiant green light vanishes, the transformation is complete.
Even though he was one of the ugliest forms in Ben's arsenal,
he was the smartest choice for this chaotic battlefield.
His unmatched aerial mobility, sticky slime projectiles, and paralysing stench bombs made him the perfect crowd-control unit in this scenario.
HEHEHE~
"Alright, you smelly freaks. Let's see who stinks more!"
Stinkfly screeched.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N): Thanks for reading the chapter!
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