Emma caught Damian's wrist. "Let others handle it." He shook his head, voice low and steady. "Trust me, Ms. Tibarn. I'm not dying that easily." The fear in her eyes hit him hard. He was eager to leave the cave and face the battle, ready to tear into that level 8 beast as if it owed him money. He slipped from her grasp, pivoted, and vanished—just a flash at the cave's entrance. He moved so quickly that she hardly noticed him before he disappeared. A sharp ding cut through the silence. Her lightcore flared to life with an incoming message. 'Ms. Tibarn, I'm here, but I can't spot the cave entrance.' Edric arrives! Relief flooded her chest, sharp and bright. Finally, backup! She waved the others forward. "Edric's here. Move out!" They spilled from the cave and froze on the ledge. A dark-purple serpent towered over the valley, as tall as a downtown high-rise. It cut through the beast herd like a tidal wave. One sweep of its tail sent bodies skidding and crumpling, dozens at a time. Cores burst free in the dirt, and that same tail coiled with eerie precision, scooping them up like loose change. The three Interstellar Hunter Alliance males broke ranks, shouting in disbelief, "Mr. Lachman! That's Mr. Lachman!" Emma recognized him immediately. Laura and her mate stood slack-jawed. A real Rank 9 male Etherian—Violet Obsidian lineage from the Central Planet—was a rare sight. Then a streak of white heat sliced through the chaos. Laura pointed, breath catching. "No way... is that an Ashenflame Fox?"An Ashenflame Fox? Emma's heart jumped. Those people swim in money. Why the hell would one of them come to F-268 to hunt? Her gaze locked on the creature. A nine-tailed fox, hill-sized and lethal, wove through the chaos. Its snow-white fur shimmered in the carnage, each tail tipped in a sharp crimson glow. Those nine tails wrapped, squeezed, and snapped bones with ruthless tempo. Each movement landed like choreography, clean and final. The serpent and the fox hunted like rivals on a scoreboard, racking kills in a deadly race. Damian. Her pulse kicked. That has to be him. The speed rattled her. He nearly kept pace with Edric. Several level 7 beasts folded in seconds under his assault. No way a Rank 5 Etherian could do that. So he's been holding back this whole time. The thought barely formed when the serpent's tail sliced the air and swept toward her. The coils narrowed as they reached her, smoothing into a gentle loop that cinched her waist. She lifted off the ground with a startled breath. "Ah—" The battlefield dropped away. Wind roared past her ears. In one clean arc, she landed in a cool, iron-hard embrace—Edric, bare-chested, arms solid around her. His tail flicked once more and swatted a rush of beasts aside like flies. "Ms. Tibarn," he muttered, voice quiet with a rough edge. "Finally, face to face." His bangs hung low, framing eyes that burned with dark purple light. She'd seen those eyes countless times on-screen, but this was different—alive, warm, and unfiltered. Joy lit them from within, chased by a flicker of nervous tension, like he was afraid she'd vanish if he blinked. Pressed close against his chest, she could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat through her thin suit. The calm firmness beneath her palms felt unreal, every breath tracing the hard lines of his body."Edric." She cupped his brow, traced down between his eyes, and pressed a light kiss there. "Good to finally meet you." Oh hell yes! His heartbeat thundered against her forearm. She kissed me! Ms. Tibarnactually kissed me! She doesn't hate me—she likes me. She really likes me. "I'm thrilled to meet you, too," he managed, trying not to grin like a fool. Emma smiled and pinched his cheek, playful but light. "Hey... remember what we talked about? Say my name." Her touch didn't sting; it ignited his nerves. His pulse thundered through his body, each beat louder than the last. He looked at her, throat tight. His Adam's apple bobbed once, the sound deafening in the silent space between them. His lips parted, voice steady but thick with meaning. "Emma." That name meant trust. It meant she'd let him in.His arms tightened by instinct. If the world weren't burning down around them, he'd have claimed that bond right then and there. Across the churned earth, the nine-tailed fox halted for half a beat. Damian's eyes went wide. You've got to be kidding me. Days. I've been right beside her for days before that slick snake slithered in, and not a single kiss, not even a hint. Now he slithers in, flashes a grin, and she's all over him? Unbelievable. Totally unfair. Edric ignored the heat of that stare. He hoisted Emma onto his shoulder with effortless strength, joy still crackling through every scale and nerve.