Ben 10 Radiant War, Volume 4

Losing The Way.

A large water orb erupted from the ocean, throwing Shi-Jian's body onto the beach as Erice frantically used her power in an instant. 

Ben immediately leaped away from Ophelia as she landed, having recently caught Ben before he could fall. 

"SHI-JIAN!!" Ben roared, sliding to his knees in front of the white coated boy who wasn't breathing, and whose blood was quickly staining the sand red. "GODDAMN IT! ANYTHING! ANYONE!!"

Ben dialed the Omnitrix. "Some.. Somebody.. any alien.. th.. that can.. that can.. I.. I.. "

"OPHELIA!!" Erice cried out frantically. 

"I KNOW I KNOW!!" Ophelia cried out, her vampiric red eyes active as she slid over next to Ben and pressed her hands into Shi-jian's chest, red magic pouring its vitality into the blood. 

"What are our chances!?" growed Hanzo as he ran over. 

"NOT GOOD!" Ophelia growled. "He's bled out a ton, and he fell into the salt water before I could catch him!! ERICE! How good are you at controlling blood!?"

"It's.. it's doable!" Erice stammered. "I.. I haven't done it since.. FUCK IT! I'll try!!"

Erice held out her hands, and the red liquid began seeping back into Shi-Jian's body, but as she tried, her eyes went wider and she shrieked, grabbing her head as the blood began seeping out again.

"Wh-what-!?" Ben began. 

"NO MOM NO MOMMY I'M-!!" Erice shook herself. "S-sorry.. I.. I haven't done this.. since.. since mom was.."

"Erice.. I know this is hard, but Shi-Jian is DYING.. he's NOT a vampire nor is he connected to the Omnitrix like Ben, I can't repair him on Vampire Magic alone.. if I even TRY higher regeneration magic I risk turning him into an Eldritch Horror by morphing is very genetic structure!!" Ophelia exclaimed. "PLEASE.. for his sake!"

"URRAAH I GET IT!!" Erice gritted her teeth fiercely, sweating hard as she willed the blood back into Shi-Jian again, looking frantic as she did so. 

Ben could only stare, his lips trembling. 

He had done this.

Shi-Jian had put himself between him and Black Ronin.

Ben was responsible for what happened here.

Ben fiercely looked at where the Irreverent Seven were before, but they had already disappeared from the beach, apparently making their getaway as soon as they had succeeding in picking off one of their number. 

"COWAAAAARRRDS!!" Ben screamed as he frantically stumbled through the sand, only to go straight into Dragfeld's arms. 

"My Lord.. calm yourself.."

"L.. let me go Dragfeld. "

"My Lord you must-."

"DRAGFELD LET GO OF ME!!"

"This will not help him! You must calm yourself!" Dragfeld looked fiercely into Ben's eyes. "Please, for my sake as much as his. We are the Radiant Seven, we look after our own. Do not leave him here."

"I.. I don't deserve to be-." Ben stammered, his entire body shaking uncontrollably. 

"Ben." Ophelia's voice came in strong and filled with compassion. "Listen closely. There will be a time to sort out what has happened, but if we want to see Shi-Jian alive and well again, I need you to be focused. "

Ben turned to Ophelia. "WH-what do you need?"

"I need you to transform into Swampfire and use little vines to stitch Shi-Jian's wound together. , Erice can control his blood and make sure it continues to flow, but she's got some sort of trauma associated with controlling it.. if she keeps doing this.."