Acid Breath's face went pale. In a panic, he stretched out his bony hand, grabbing a shining steel plate nearby and raising it just in time to shield himself.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Dozens of emerald crystal spikes slammed into the steel with explosive force, sending Acid Breath flying. He crashed to the ground, pinned beneath the heavy metal sheet and unable to move.
Even with the steel plate as protection, the shards had still pierced him. His torso was riddled with small holes, thin streams of blood seeping through the gaps.
"Damn rock freak, I'm done holding back!"
Thumbskull snarled, limping forward. His bandage-wrapped fist swung with all his strength, aiming straight at Diamondhead.
Diamondhead met the attack head-on, driving his crystalline fist deep into Thumbskull's abdomen.
A violent surge of nausea hit him like a wave. Thumbskull gagged, spitting up foul liquid as his face twisted in pain.
Without mercy, Diamondhead unleashed another burst of strength, blasting him backward. Thumbskull hit the ground hard, rolling to a stop beside the motionless Acid Breath.
In the same motion, Diamondhead conjured a crystal spear in his hand—its razor-sharp tip glinting menacingly. He was ready to end it, to pierce both of them in one blow.
[Ding~ Host, please release your killing intent. Do not execute the unfortunate circus freaks.]
[Mission successfully completed. Random reward granted.]
A series of mechanical chimes echoed in his mind.
"Again?" Diamondhead muttered, his eyes narrowing. After a moment, he lowered his arm, the deadly spear dissolving back into crystal dust.
So the system didn't allow him to kill—probably because of the world's original logic. Too much bloodshed would break the rules.
[Congratulations, Host. Mission complete. Transformation time extended by three minutes.]
[Previous Duration: Twelve minutes]
[Current Duration: Fifteen minutes]
A faint smile crossed Diamondhead's face. His transformation time had finally increased.
But... what if he didn't listen?
Acting on impulse, he lifted his arm again. It shifted into a mass of gleaming crystal spikes, all aimed squarely at Thumbskull and Acid Breath.
Before he could act, the system's voice rang out once more.
[Host, do not kill the targets.]
[Failure to comply will result in forfeiting the reward, and no similar missions will be issued in the future.]
Diamondhead froze mid-motion, then slowly lowered his arm.
Killing them wasn't worth it. Losing the reward was one thing, but forfeiting future missions like this? The loss far outweighed the gain.
Besides, small-time thugs like these weren't worth dirtying his hands over.
Regaining his composure, Diamondhead turned and began walking toward Frightwig.
"Who... who are you?" she hissed through clenched teeth, fear twisting her expression.
Diamondhead raised his hand, forming a razor-edged crystal sword midair, ready to strike—
When suddenly, a graceful figure stepped out from a side door, positioning herself between him and his target.
Clown Queen Eliza.
Tall, striking, her curves accentuated by her tight outfit. Heavy makeup framed her pale face, and her twin ponytails—one white, one blue—flowed like ribbons. Every movement she made radiated charm and danger in equal measure.
"Step aside. I'll handle him," Eliza said lazily, a lollipop stick resting between her lips as she glanced toward Frightwig.
"Yes," Frightwig replied at once, retreating to check on her injured teammates.
By a wooden crate nearby, Ben caught sight of the newcomer and immediately reached for the Omnitrix, ready to jump into the fight.
But Diamondhead shook his head, motioning for him to stay put.
Ben hesitated for a second, then nodded. He trusted his Cuz—Lucian wouldn't put him in danger.
Now, facing the towering, battle-hardened Diamondhead, Eliza didn't flinch.
Instead, her gaze smoldered—her beautiful, electric-blue eyes locking onto his crystalline form, sparks of mischief dancing within them.
"Diamond, can't we talk this out? No need to get violent..." Eliza's tone dripped with teasing sweetness, every word languid and sultry.
"Tell me where Zombozo and the Psyclown are. Otherwise…" Diamondhead extended his arm, and a crystalline longsword materialized in his grip, its tip gleaming coldly as it leveled at her.
"Oh, how boring." Eliza pouted, pulling the lollipop from her lips. "If Diamond insists on being rough, then I suppose I'll just have to play along~"
She raised one slender, pale finger and snapped crisply.
ROAR!
From the back of the warehouse, a massive white shadow burst out—its presence savage and suffocating, its killing intent thick in the air. In the blink of an eye, it lunged straight for Diamondhead.
Without hesitation, Diamondhead struck out with his palm. The impact sent the creature flying, crashing into the muddy ground with a dull thud.
"A white tiger?" His gaze sharpened.
Its snow-white fur was patterned with black stripes, a "王" symbol marked on its forehead, and its eyes glowed with a strange pink hue.
The white tiger roared furiously, shaking off the dirt. Its muscles tensed like coiled steel springs before it charged forward again with even greater ferocity.
"Careful, Diamond~ Don't let it bite you to death," Eliza teased, stepping back with a smirk.
"Ever heard of a rock getting bitten to death?"
Diamondhead snorted coldly and swung a heavy fist straight into the tiger's snarling face.
But just then, pink light flared from the tiger's body, swirling around it and hardening into a barrier that resisted the blow head-on.
"ROAR!"
The beast slammed both claws down, pinning Diamondhead to the ground. Its jaws opened wide, fangs flashing as it tried to bite down.
Diamondhead didn't panic. He caught its jaws in both hands, sparks skittering off his crystal palms. Then, with a powerful kick, he launched the tiger into the air.
BOOM!
The massive creature flew backward like a kite with its string cut, smashing through a nearby tent.
Turning back, Diamondhead met Eliza's gaze—only to see her eyes glowing with the same eerie pink light, almost spilling out of her pupils.
So the glow on the white tiger's body had come from her. This strange ability of hers not only controlled her targets but also amplified their power.
If the tiger had been in its normal state, it would never have survived a single punch from him.
"Such strength, Diamond I like that." Eliza's voice was soft and playful, her eyes shimmering. "But… there's someone even stronger than you"
MOO!
From a nearby iron cage, a massive elephant suddenly opened its eyes. Its gaze burned with pink light as it reared to its feet and let out a thunderous bellow.
With one violent swing of its tusks, the iron bars crumpled and split apart like paper.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Each step it took made the ground quake, cracks spreading through the earth beneath its weight.
Eliza grinned, controlling the beast as it charged forward like a runaway tank straight at Diamondhead.
And she didn't stop there. Running from cage to cage, she flung every door open—releasing the entire menagerie of circus beasts.
Snarling baboons baring sharp teeth, roaring lions, enraged rhinos, snapping crocodiles...
In the darkness, pairs of glowing pink eyes began to appear one after another, each filled with madness and bloodlust as the horde of beasts surged toward Diamondhead...