Rory’s fingers snapped shut around Dax’s wrist the mont he shifted forward. Her grip was firm, instinctive.
"Let the others handle it," she said, her voice tight with urgency.
Dax turned back to her, dark eyes steady and unflinching. He shook his head once, slow and deliberate.
"Trust , Female Master," he replied quietly. "I’m not dying that easily."
The fear in her eyes struck him harder than any beast ever could. It twisted sothing deep in his chest. He wanted to leave the cave—no, he needed to. The urge to charge headfirst into the chaos, to tear into that level-eight monster like it owed him blood and interest, burned through his veins.
Before Rory could tighten her hold, he slipped free.
One pivot. One step.
Then he was gone—nothing more than a blur at the cave’s mouth before vanishing into the storm of roars and shaking earth outside. The speed was so terrifyingly fast that Rory barely registered his departure.
A sharp ding sliced through the tense silence.
Her light-brain flared to life, projecting a ssage across her vision.
"Female Master, I’ve arrived, but I can’t locate the cave entrance. Jasper is here."
Relief crashed through her chest in a bright, almost painful wave.
Finally.
Backup had arrived.
"Jasper’s here," Rory said quickly, already moving. "Everyone—out. Now!"
They poured from the cave and froze at the ledge, the sight before them stealing the air from their lungs.
A colossal dark-purple serpent towered over the valley, its massive body rising like a living skyscraper. It tore through the beast horde with overwhelming force. Each sweep of its tail sent dozens of creatures flying, bodies smashing into the ground as cores burst free in flashes of light. The serpent’s tail moved with eerie precision, curling and collecting those cores as casually as loose coins.
The three mbers of the Interstellar Hunter Alliance broke formation, voices ringing with awe and disbelief.
"Mr. Mandian!"
"That’s Jasper Mandian!"
Rory recognized him instantly.
Gina and her mate stood frozen, mouths open. A true Rank Nine male Etherian—Violet Obsidian bloodline, straight from the Central District—wasn’t sothing you saw outside of legends or recorded archives.
Then a streak of white heat ripped through the battlefield.
Gina gasped and pointed. "Wait—no way... is that a Blood Moon Fox?"
A Blood Moon Fox?
Rory’s heart jolted violently. Those clans swim in star coins. What kind of lunatic wealth or power would bring one of them to a place like Veridan City?
Her gaze locked onto the figure.
A nine-tailed fox the size of a small hill carved through the chaos, its snow-white fur gleaming amid blood and shattered earth. Each tail was tipped with a sharp crimson glow, snapping, coiling, and crushing with ruthless efficiency. Bones broke. Beasts fell. Every movent was precise, almost elegant—deadly choreography perford at impossible speed.
The serpent and the fox moved like rivals in a silent competition, tearing through the horde side by side, kill counts rising with every second.
Rory’s pulse spiked.
Dax.
It had to be him.
The realization hit her like a shockwave. His speed—his power—was unreal. He was nearly keeping pace with Jasper himself. Level Seven beasts collapsed under his assault in re seconds.
No Rank Five Etherian could do this.
So he’d been holding back all along.
The thought had barely finished forming when the serpent’s tail cut through the air toward her. Panic flared—but instead of striking, the massive coils softened, narrowing into a controlled loop that wrapped gently around her waist.
She gasped as her feet left the ground.
"Ah—!"
The battlefield dropped away beneath her. Wind roared past her ears as she was lifted in one smooth, effortless arc—then suddenly, she was caught.
Strong arms. Iron-solid.
She landed against a bare, powerful chest.
Jasper.
His arms locked around her with instinctive certainty as his tail lashed out again, swatting aside a rushing wave of beasts like insects.
"Female Master," he murmured, his voice low and rough with restrained emotion. "We finally et—face to face."
His bangs hung low, shadowing eyes that burned with deep violet light. Rory had seen those eyes countless tis through screens and calls, but this was different. This was real—warm, alive, and terrifyingly close.
Joy shone in them, bright and unguarded, chased by a flicker of nervous tension, as though he feared she might vanish if he blinked.
Pressed against him, Rory could feel the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat through her thin combat suit. The calm strength beneath her palms felt unreal, each breath tracing the hard lines of his body.
"Jasper," she said softly.
She lifted a hand, cupped his brow, traced down between his eyes—and pressed a gentle kiss there.
"It’s good to finally et you."
His heart slamd so hard she felt it through her forearm.
She kissed .
His mind reeled.
Female Master actually kissed . She doesn’t hate . She likes —she really does.
"I’m... I’m thrilled to et you too," Jasper managed, fighting the urge to grin like a fool.
Rory smiled and lightly pinched his cheek, playful but warm.
"Hey—rember what we talked about?" she teased. "Say my na."
Her touch sent electricity racing through his nerves. His pulse thundered, loud in his ears.
He swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing as he looked at her. The space between them felt impossibly intimate, even with the world burning around them.
"Rory," he said at last.
That na ant trust. Acceptance. Permission.
His arms tightened instinctively. If the battlefield weren’t erupting around them, he would have sealed that bond without hesitation.
Across the shattered ground, the nine-tailed fox froze for half a second.
Dax’s eyes went wide.
You’ve got to be kidding .
Days. He’d been beside her for days. Not a single kiss. Not even a hint.
And now this slick serpent shows up, flashes those eyes—and she’s kissing him?
Unbelievable.
Completely unfair.
Jasper ignored the burning glare aid at his back. Joy crackled through every nerve and scale as he effortlessly hoisted Rory up onto his shoulder, already moving her out of danger—protective, decisive, and insanely proud.
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