"Hey Cynthia, are you done yet?"

The woman looked up as her boss eyed her from behind her cubicle's divider. She adjusted her medical mask, trying to get past the man's irritated glare so that she could remain understanding of his situation. 

Everyone was on edge today. Thanks to Covid, the work atmosphere coming back to physical offices after so long was tense at best. Nobody was eager to really get close to one another, and the board of directors were being jerks to the workers who actually felt strongly about it. Fact of the matter was, even during the recent Tokyo Olympics, the return to society was a Government supported issue, but not a public supported issue, with many being against the olympics taking place in general. 

The girl understood this and therefore continued to look at the glaring manager with as cheerful a smile that could be translated over from under her mask as she could muster. "Yes, I'll have those reports to you as soon as possible senpai! "

The man's gaze softened and turned apologetic. "S-sorry for snapping, you do good work Cynthia-chan."

Cynthia nodded, and continued typing on her computer. 

Cynthia was not her actual name of course, but she had long learned by now the name Dragfeld of the Demon Realm was not a name you wanted to utter out here unless you wanted to be put into a rubber room or declared a Chuuni. 

In all honesty, it was VERY difficult. She was still unskilled in the blending of this type of human society, where magic didn't exist on paper.  As soon as she found herself in this world, unlike the other Contestents of the Radiant War,  Dragfeld had found herself with all her old memories, and no false ones, just her own house.

It was her immense Mana Resistance that made her mind immune to tinkering of any sort, and as a result the gods just had to live with the fact that Dragfeld knew who she was, and now had NO experience in talking to humans due to a lack of implanted memories to teach her as it had been with someone like the Killer Hanzo.

But at the very least, her Backer had taught her to get a job and act properly at work where socializing wasn't required if you kept things strictly business.

Well it helped that she was extremely beautiful. 

In reality, Dragfeld was only 16 in age, but her unusually beautiful form, along with her rather large chest helped sell her as an older woman who was far more mature than what Dragfeld really was.  She suspected her Demonic blood affected her human side's appearance.

Dragfeld continued to type away on her keyboard as the sun started to sink more and more on the horizon. 

Then..

Dragfeld's eyes went wide.. 

She sensed it. The sensation. She had felt it before, but not in such a fashion  like this.

"One Radiance, Two Radiances, both activated at once, in one location!?" Dragfeld whispered to herself. "Th-that's impossible. What kind of devilry is this?"

Dragfeld's blue eyes turned yellow as red tinted around the edges.

She stood up from her chair, now incredibly silent. 

"Cy-Cynthia, what are you-!?" Her boss stammered.

"I'm sorry sir, this won't take but a moment.." Dragfeld murmured as she walked into the elevator.

Moments before the door completely closed, her boss gave a start, as he could've sworn that the girl had just grown a pair of ram-like horns, one of the horns being broken near the base.

____________________________________

"So you're here."

Clint turned around in his staffroom chair, his clasped hands settling onto the desk. "Ben Tennyson."

Ben stared down at Clint from the door, standing next to him was none other than Ophelia, the pair of them holding hands.

"How cute, are you both dating?" Clint said, smiling. "Oh my Tennyson honey, you're getting me jeaaaaalous. "

"Its nothing like that." said Ben. 

Ophelia merely went pink, but continued to give Clint her death stare.

"So this is it isn't it?" asked Clint. "The two of you really think you can both subvert the will of the gods? You really think I won't press the button and detonate Ophelia's planet into nothing just because you two tell me? Or because you have this dumb notion in your minds that you can fight me."

"You never know." said Ben. "if you couldn't control our Radiances, or if we were never nerfed in the first place, maybe we could. That's WHY you nerfed us isn't it? We heroes who surpassed gods, if that is the definition of what we are, then that means without nerfing us the gods couldn't hope to control us."

Clint's eyes glinted. "What an outlandish idea."

"And yet you're not denying it." said Ben. "Are you?"

Clint remained silent, but continued to smile, however Ben could see the nerves emerging in the man's eyes. 

Ben smirked right back. "You're afraid of me aren't you Clint? I can't deny, there's something really familiar about you, and the familiar thing about you is that you seem like somebody who KNOWS that if he couldn't restrain me, I'd be able to rip him to shreds with little to no effort the same way I transformed into Way Big back there. You know that guy isn't even CLOSE to my most powerful form."

"Oho?" said Clint. "Indeed, I am quite familiar to you because it so happens my brother is a zombie you know.. a man named Zombozo, not that you'd remember him now. But yes, you are quite dangerous to me.. But not to the gods who back me."

Clint grinned widely as he held his hands out. "You think by my power alone Ophelia's world is close to being destroyed? No.. it is my Mistress who put it there. It is The Goddess who holds it in her palm."

"Not goddesses? Not gods? No plural?" Ben asked.

Clint blinked then nodded. "Ohohoho! Did you figure it out? Or did Ophelia tell you?"

"A combination." said Ophelia. "He's smarter than he looks you damn clown."

"Indeed, I miscalculated on that front, I admit I always thought of Ben Tennyson to be an idiot due to the immature actions of a version of him from a certain timeline.. however, I see that idiocy is a selective trait. When it comes to normal life he is a dunce, but when it comes to fighting your enemies, it should be a given considering how effectively you use the Omnitrix. Very well done indeed. But that doesn't change my statement of this one fact. My Mistress holds all the cards."

"She does, but she doesn't do what you want unless it aligns with her wish, and that's for entertainment."  said Ben.  "You enjoy listening to your mistress not because you admire her, but because you love the control she gives you. You're addicted to control, you crave it. All in the name of making things more entertaining for your Goddess, but in reality in the name of your love of being the man pulling the strings in this War. "

"Well right now our interests align. I get to control as you so lovingly put it, and my Goddess gets to be entertained by you two ripping each other's throats out, which isn't happening right now.. oh I do feel slighted." Clint twirled a finger in the air. "Though I am merciful. I won't destroy your world Ophelia, if you do it now, kill Tennyson."

Ophelia continued to glare forward. "Ben Tennyson is my light in the darkness Clint. I'd sooner rip my own heart out then allow you to have your way with him. Go fuck yourself."

Clint's eyes went wide with anger as he gritted his teeth furiously. "You.. well then, I'll enjoy destroying your wor-."

"About that." said Ben. "I'm afraid that issue's been taken care of already Clint. The doomsday device you placed inside Ophelia's world has already been removed."

"REMOVED!? What!?" Clint growled. 

"By your own boss. Shub Niggurath am I right? That's the name of the deity who controls the Radiant War." said Ben with a crafty smile. "We talked to her, she told us she decided that watching us killing each other wasn't something she found entertaining anymore."

"YOU LIE!" Clint whirled around, leaping out of his chair. "SHOW DIMENSION 235 NOW!"

A holographic image shimmered into being to show Ophelia's world, a News Report was being displayed..

"In other news, our glorious Queen seems to have saved us quietly without our even knowing as the tremors and doomsday signs have stopped.. "

"RAAAAAHHHHH!" Clint swept his hand through the image, dissipating it. "YOU.. YOU.. I ALWAYS KNEW YOU WERE A STUPID SHITHEAD! YOU USELESS FOOL OF A GODDESS! I TOLD YOU THIS WOULD BE FAR MORE ENTERTAINING!! BUT NOOOO! YOU ONCE MORE HAVE TO THINK THAT YOU'RE SMART ENOUGH TO EVEN THINK FOR A SECOND THAT YOU KNOW BETTER!! FUCK YOU!! FUCK Y-."

Clint stopped talking and narrowed his eyes. "PolyFog..."

Ben smirked. "Finally figured it out have you? Too late."

Ben's body suddenly turned into a column of puffy smoke-like clouds.. The room also shimmered, revealing that clouds, camouflaged as part of the room had been covering up numerous cameras and recording equipment, plugged and strewn all over the place, 

The Solid Illusion Fog Clouds all continued to slither away until they revealed a frog like alien standing next to Ophelia, his height reaching up her shoulder. 

He had large amphibious eyes and a salamender-like finned tail, and wore a black and white jumpsuit. His cheeks seemed to be viscous sacs in which under the transparent surface, more fog could be seen swirling around. 

"Surprise!" PolyFog said, waving one of his webbed hands and winking at the angry teacher. 

"You dare-..." Clint began.

Polyfog's cheeks inflated and he blew a large spout of fog from his mouth. The fog solidified into an exact replica of Clint who began dancing in a dumb immature manner. "Oh look at me, I'm Clint, I think I know everything and everyone, there's no way that my puppets could turn the tables and start puppeteering me."

"SHUT IT!" Clint slashed a hand at the illusion version of himself, only for the illusionary Clint's arm to suddenly turn into a large cinderblock and slam Clint back into his chair. 

"Solid Illusions, remember? Gotta remember all your research on my powers." said PolyFog as Ophelia giggled in appreciation. 

"H-how did you-?" Clint stammered. "I know PolyFog can create solid illusions with his specialized Mist, even simulating the hologram of Ophelia's supposedly saved planet to sell the bit, but.. to know my secrets to such an extent.."

"Ophelia's a VAMPIRE Clint, you seem to have forgotten that part cause you were so sure she'd never defect back to my side." said PolyFog.  "She can read minds, including yours. She told me all about your memories on what your employment under Shub's like. All the upsides, and the downsides."

"Indeed." said Ophelia, her voice was now back to her old sly Vampire self, smirking deviously as she sat casually on Clint's desk and leaned over her former oppressor. "Including the fact that your boss doesn't exactly LIKE her employees speaking ill of her..  and speak of the devil.."

A shadowy portal emerged, the size of a door, made of swirling hissing black smoke, imbued with Eldritch magic. 

A woman emerged from the portal. Her beauty was of an incredible dark sort. Her figure pleasing to the eye, as was her revealing dress which was open on the sides to reveal the edges of her stomach and the sides of her dress, and open around her legs to reveal her gorgeous thighs.. 

However further down her thighs was matted fur that ended in Goat's hooves. And her skin was pale, almost white, and her eyes were cold and dark, her irises having no other color than pitch black like the creepiest doll imaginable.. her hair matted and unkempt like the woman from the Ring horror movie... and her nails were long and equally unkempt and chipped.. 

Seductive beauty combined with rampant insanity, that was the Goddess Shub Niggurath.

The Goddess mentioned in Lovecraftian books as the deity of Sex and Reproduction as well as the one who spawned monsters, wife of Yog Sothoth, possibly the grandmother of Cthulhu. 

PolyFog and Ophelia both stepped back quickly, chills going down their spines, their hearts quickening in fear. 

This had been part of the plan.. no doubt..

But there was no person who could ever be prepared for being in the presence of a real Outer God. 

"N-no master, y-you know it was all a performance, all just a show you see? W-what I said.. an act! For your entertainment.. f-for.." Clint squealed, getting on his knees and immediately bowing his head. 

"Enough.." Shub Niggurath spoke in her ancient, yet seductive voice. She smiled. "An idiot hmm? You think yourself more intelligent than the one who gave you power? Such arrogance befitting that of the insignificant human ants. But I'll admit, you've always given me such glorious entertainment, so I won't kill you.."

"OH THANK YOU MISTRESS! YOU ARE MOST KIND-!"

"In fact, I think instead I shall invite you to my bed chamber.."

Clint's eyes turned to utmost horror as his jaw dropped speechlessly. "N.... no.."

"Oh don't be coy, to be able to pleasure such a beautiful lady such as myself.. you should be thrilled." said Shub Niggurath as she grabbed Clint by the throat and pulled him close, putting her leg up to feel his crotch. "Heheheheheheh." 

"NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOO!" Clint screamed. "PLEASE KILL ME!! PLEEASEEE KILL ME!!!!!"

As Clint continued to scream and beg for forgiveness, Shub Niggurath turned her face to look straight at PolyFog... and then at Ophelia

"Azmuth's  boy.. and the bearer of the Raven Dragon's blood.." Shub murmured. "Not bad.. very clever. I know it was just a ploy to get me to punish Clint here, but all the same, you two work well together. Maybe it truly is more entertaining to let you work together.. heheheheh. Very well.. I'm rooting for you both. Continue to truly  entertain me.."

"Y-you know we intend to take you down right?" PolyFog gasped, barely able to keep his composure in the presence of a being who was so powerful that the planet itself was but a mere speck before her presence. 

"Truly, and whether or not you manage to meet me in the end.. I look forward to your possible progress.." said Shub. "Now I have this sexy gorgeous man to attend to.. I've been craving a physical pursuit for a while now.."

Shub Niggurath walked back through the portal, continuing to drag the screaming and struggling Clint with her... 

The portal swirled into a single point.. closing into an ordinary bare wall.. 

For a moment the duo were silent, staring at the  point where the portal had only been moments before. 

"Death.. by Snu Snu?" Ben muttered as he returned to human form in a flash of green light. "Did that actually just happen!?"

"Shub Niggurath is an Outer God, the most abominable of abominations, the grandmother of Cthulhu." said Ophelia, disgust apparent on her face. "If he dies, he'll be lucky.  More likely he'll be driven insane and then give birth to a new Outer God."

"Ewwwwww.." Ben said.

"Yep, very much eww." said Ophelia. "Now, lets go home shall we? I admit I'm quite worried about Erice's condition. Hanzo talked about taking her back to your place to keep healing, but my Eldritch magic is potent.. I should be there to drain the magic out just in case... and.. w.. well I said a few things to her, I guess I need to apologize."

Ben grinned. "Sure, come over as often as you like."

Ophelia smiled. "Actually I was thinking of staying over on a more.. permanent basis. Since my territory is now spread over most of the city, there's no disadvantage to me, and it's all the more of an advantage to you as added security against the Contestants we haven't convinced."

"You stay at my place? Well Deca's there already, and I guess it would make it less risky for all of us to meet in one place if two people could do Radiance at once moment." said Ben. "Yeah I'm game.. eh? Ophelia are you okay? You look real red."

"U-um it's nothing!" Ophelia squealed. 

"Well you can have my room for now. My guest rooms don't have many acommodations at the moment.." Ben said. "I'll sleep in the living room."

"Idon'tmindsleepinginthesameroom." Ophelia squealed in a fast tiny voice.

"What?"

"Nothing! Th-thank you for your hospitality!"

At that moment.. Ben's phone started to vibrate..  Ben blinked and pulled the smart phone out, clicking it on and putting it to his ear. "Hanzo? What's going on?"

Outside the school, Hanzo was trembling, sweating fearfully as he held the unconscious Erice on his back. 

"SHE'S COMING!" Hanzo screamed, his eyes wide, sweat pouring down his forehead like a waterfall. "FUCKING GET OUT OF THERE!! SH-SHE'S COMING!!"

"Wh-who!? Shub Niggurath!?" Ben stammered.

"NO!! I can feel her closing in.. closing in FAST.. She must've sensed two Radiances being active at once and felt she couldn't ignore it!!" roared Hanzo. "ITS THE DEMON!! RUN.. DONT EVEN TRY AND FIGHT! DONT EVEN TRY USING ONE OR TWO RADIANCES!! JUST RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!"

At that moment... the ceiling of the classroom was ton asunder... 

Shocked, both Ben and Ophelia stared up at the sky where a being unlike any other they had ever met hovered with her back against the orange setting sun. 

A beautiful woman, flawless in every way, matched only by the natural beauty of Erice herself, perhaps even more beautiful.  Her gaze with her yellow red tinted eyes was like that of a natural disaster itself.. domineering, the most powerful apex predator on the planet. 

She bore a pair of dragon-like horns, one of them was broken near the base, and her flowing pale blonde hair seemed to shimmer like treasure in a cave.   Her large breasts were bound in purple and black armor that was designed like a strange battle unitard, it's plates shaped like dragon-armor scales. 

A large black scaled tail, similar in substance to her horns whipped back and forth behind her.. her armored boots were decorated like monstrous reptilian talons. 

https://youtu.be/NT5iwfD3EGk

This amazing beauty, horrifying to behold, wondrous to look upon, enticing to men, and yet a portent of disaster to those who knew what she was, just stared down upon Ben and Ophelia with a merciless gaze. 

"So you two are the source of those Radiances. Two at once. That is not a risk I can overlook." The Demon murmured.  "My apologies. I know thou art both heroes as well, but I intend to be the one to return alive to my people..  I shall give you five seconds to make peace with thy gods.. it is the least I can do."

The Demon Dragfeld raised a finger to the sky

"Five.." 

Ben moved his hand to the Omnitrix, as Ophelia's bat wings spread out from her shoulders.

"Four.."

A massive burning sphere swirled forth from the finger, becoming larger and larger, exploding with heat... Nuclear Fusion.. The Demon was literally using her power to create a miniature sun..

"Three.."

Ben slammed a hand down on the Omnitrix's faceplate.. however he didn't transform..

"WHAT!?" Ben roared. 

"What's the matter!?" Ophelia yelled.

"New DNA Sample Detected, scanning." The Omnitrix gave off an orange light that shimmered and swept over the surprised Ophelia. 

"Two.."

"ME!?" Ophelia squealed. 

"One.." Dragfeld's eyes glowed as she held the giant sun that was the size of multiple city blocks, possessing an intense gravitational pull that was already pulling shreds of rubble up from the school into it's burning surface.  "Demon Art.. CRUEL GOD'S SUN!!"

With that.. Dragfeld threw the giant burning star down onto Sato City's High School.. 

End of Book 1 of Ben 10 Radiant War. 

The Vampire Queen Ophelia Anderson Arch has Ended.  

Stay Tuned for the Epilogue. And for Book 2, the Time Traveler Shi Jian Arch.