Outside the hatch, a tall figure suddenly appeared behind Kevin.
"Technorg?" Ben froze, stunned that he hadn't left yet.
Kevin's whole body jolted. He slowly turned around and looked up at the towering, imposing Technorg, fear rising in his eyes.
"Y-you… why are you still here?"
Technorg's brilliant golden eyes flared with killing intent. "He saved me. Now I'm saving him!"
"He? Who?" Kevin snapped.
Technorg lifted a hand and pointed at Ben, who was still staring in disbelief. "Back in the arena, if he hadn't stepped in, you might've killed me already."
"Again with you, Ben Tennyson!" Kevin's anger surged. He clenched his fists and moved as if to storm in and settle the score.
But Technorg moved first.
He reached out with a rough, massive hand, grabbed Kevin by the head, and yanked him back. The sheer force dragged Kevin out through the hatch in an instant.
"You two get going," Technorg said, standing outside. "I'll handle this."
He pressed the red button beside the door.
Click.
The escape pod hatch began to close, inch by inch.
Ben rushed up, shouting, "Then we're even now!"
"Good," Technorg said with a nod. "Nobody owes anyone."
Boom!
With a heavy thud, the hatch sealed completely. The emergency escape pod ejected from the Megacruiser, streaking away toward Earth with a blazing tail of fire.
Technorg's gaze burned as he turned back to the panicked Kevin. He clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking loudly.
"Now… it's gladiator time…"
Kevin's face went ashen. Even the big chandelier-like lump on his head drooped, fear and dread twisting together in his gut.
...
In the dark of space, a silver escape pod shot forward at full speed, leaving a long trail of flame behind it.
Yenji's injuries were severe. Blood kept seeping from her waist, running down and staining her pale legs red.
Her red fox ears twitched faintly as she forced a smile. "Don't worry… big sis is tough. I'm not dying…"
Lucian looked at the barely-hanging-on Yenji and didn't know what to do. There was no medical equipment here, and no doctor. Even if he wanted to help, where was he supposed to start?
"Oh, come on… if only we had an alien with healing powers," Ben blurted out, frantic.
He could tell Yenji wasn't a bad person. She'd taken wounds this serious because she jumped in to save them.
Lucian's deep eyes were unreadable. After a moment, he asked hoarsely, no longer as cold as before, "Is there any way to stop the bleeding?"
"Yeah… help me make a whole bunch of little foxes… cough, cough!"
Before she could even finish, Yenji started coughing up blood. Her lips were already stained dark red, and her breathing turned thin and ragged.
Kevin 11 was simply too strong. Someone as lean as her couldn't withstand that kind of power.
"Stop joking around," Lucian said, fed up. "Tell me. If you don't, I'll leave you here and let you fend for yourself."
Even now, she still had the nerve to tease him.
"Heh… so you can't bear to lose me~" A flicker of delight flashed through Yenji's alluring eyes, then she coughed again. "Quick… come closer… just let me take a bite and I'll be fine."
Lucian hesitated for half a second, then sighed. "I don't like owing people. You saved me. This is a one-time exception."
He held out his arm.
Yenji looked a little disappointed. That wasn't where she wanted to bite.
But she didn't have the luxury of being picky. If she didn't take in energy now, she really would die.
"My little brother is so good," Yenji said with a weak giggle. "Big sis really likes you."
She revealed two small fangs and bit down on Lucian's arm, starting to draw out his energy.
Her warm breath brushed his skin, leaving a tingling, itchy sensation.
"Mmm…" Yenji closed her eyes and let out a faint, breathy sound, like she was actually enjoying it.
The fox-people of Fox Star weren't just naturally beautiful. They could also absorb others' energy to strengthen themselves, heal injuries, or store that energy in their bodies to replace food, letting them go a long time without eating.
After a little over ten seconds, Yenji finally released him. Color returned to her face, the earlier pallor fading into a faint flush.
"Is that enough?" Lucian asked. He didn't feel particularly drained.
Yenji wiped at the corner of her mouth. "Not even close, my champion."
"Then why did you—"
"Hmph. Because I felt sorry for you," Yenji said with a light snort. She wiped at the blood on her leg and muttered, "If I kept going, it would've affected your health…"
Lucian nodded, thinking it over. "So your injury's not serious anymore?"
"I'm fine!" Yenji straightened up proudly. "I'm the noble Empress of Fox Star, hahaha—"
She immediately started coughing again, making Ben struggle not to laugh.
"As long as you're okay." Lucian finally breathed out.
"But seriously… your energy tastes so good." Yenji pursed her lips, still craving more. "I've never tasted anything like it. It even felt like there was a tiny bit of… magic in it…"
"Magic?" Lucian asked.
"N-no, nothing," Yenji said quickly, shaking her head. She figured she was imagining it. He was just an Earthling. How could he possibly have magic?
There were still dried bloodstains on her legs. Holding her injured waist, Yenji took a couple steps and sat down beside Lucian.
"So… are you still going to stop me from going back to Earth with you?"
As she spoke, she rested her head on Lucian's shoulder. Her fox ears swayed slightly, and her fluffy tail flicked now and then.
"Whoa! This is, like, the craziest thing I've seen all summer!" Ben shouted, thrilled.
Lucian felt her fragrance wash over him and almost pushed her away, but after thinking it through, he let it go.
This time, he'd let her be stubborn, just once, considering she had saved him.
Honestly, Yenji really was beautiful. Aside from the red fox ears and tail, she looked almost the same as a human.
Of course, there were some places Lucian hadn't seen, so he wasn't about to make any bold claims. That would need… further investigation.
In that red dress, Yenji was striking: pale skin, bright eyes, a dazzling smile. Her scarlet eyes carried a rippling, seductive charm, and her long, attractive figure paired with that fair complexion gave her an unmistakable mature, confident air.
"If you come with me," Lucian said, "aren't you afraid you'll starve?"
Yenji frowned, clearly unhappy. "I told you already, big sis eats very little. I won't waste much of your money. I just need you to help me every night—"
"Stop."
"Huh?" Yenji blinked, then continued quickly, "What are you even thinking? I mean, if you help me replenish my energy every night, I won't need to eat much."
"So that's what you meant." Lucian wiped at his forehead, embarrassed.
Suddenly, as if she'd remembered something, Yenji reached out and grabbed his arm with her soft hand.
"If you came back to Fox Star with me," she said gently, rare softness in her voice, "you could become king…"
Lucian's eyes shifted, about to answer.
Then the Omnitrix Calibration Edition began to flash.
"Detecting unregistered DNA…"