In the next instant, thick vines burst from the ground, twisting and weaving together. Laden with immense force, they tore through the hardened mud and rose to stand tall in the center of the arena.
Muddragon was left in a miserable state, suspended midair and bound tightly by countless vines. He struggled with all his might, but it was completely futile.
Once separated from the ground, his combat strength dropped sharply.
Muddragon tried to use his tail to soften the tough vines, but they wrapped around him even tighter, locking down his limbs and tail until he couldn't move at all.
"The battle is over."
Swampfire launched a fireball that slammed straight into Muddragon's body. It exploded on impact, releasing an overwhelming wave of scorching heat.
Muddragon let out a miserable scream, his eyes rolling back before he completely lost consciousness.
Swampfire leapt through the air and landed back on the ground, raising his palm toward the vines.
"Retract!"
In an instant, all the vines withdrew like a receding tide, sinking back into the earth and vanishing without a trace.
Only Muddragon remained, barely alive. His entire body was charred black by the flames, teetering on the brink of death.
Swampfire did not finish him off. He still needed to record Muddragon's DNA.
He tapped the Omnitrix on his chest, reverting to his original form, then walked toward Muddragon.
The moment he drew close, the Omnitrix lit up again and emitted a prompt.
"Undocumented DNA detected. Proceed with acquisition?"
Lucian pressed the watch. A beam of light shot out immediately, enveloping Muddragon on the ground.
Two seconds later, the Omnitrix retracted the beam.
"Unknown DNA sample acquired. Scan complete."
"That's a wrap." Lucian took a deep breath.
"Why… didn't you kill me?" Muddragon forced his eyes open and spoke weakly.
By the rules of the Interstellar Arena, losing a match had always meant one thing: death.
So why hadn't this Earthling killed him?
"Don't get emotional. Keeping you alive serves a purpose." Lucian shrugged indifferently.
"But if we meet again, I might not let you off so easily."
Muddragon lay sprawled on the ground, eyes filled with confusion. He couldn't understand a word the other man was saying.
"The victor of this battle is the Earthling contestant."
A cold, mechanical voice echoed from above.
The packed stands fell into stunned silence. Every spectator froze, eyes wide enough they looked ready to pop out.
"Muddragon… Muddragon actually lost? He was the undefeated champion here!"
"Ahhh! I lost all my money!"
"What kind of disaster is this?! I even lost my underwear, waaah!" The rabbit-eared alien covered her face and burst into tears.
"Ah! My Taydenite! It's gone just like that!! Muddragon, you useless disgrace!" The one-eyed alien clutched his head, completely breaking down.
"Hahaha! I won ten thousand bucks! Yes!" The tiny alien giggled, then shouted toward Lucian, "Thanks, Earthling! I'm betting on you again next time!"
"Hmph. If that Earthling ran into Technorg, would you still bet on him?" someone sneered.
"Uh… well…" The tiny alien's face turned pale as he stammered. "Then… I'd just bet another dollar. Gambling's just for fun, right?"
Whoosh!
A crimson light flared beneath Lucian's feet, wrapping around him before he vanished.
...
Meanwhile,
Piglord raised his slaughter knife high, his long tongue hanging out as he panted heavily, chasing the fleeing Kevin like a madman.
"You freak! You're seriously disgusting!" Kevin roared as he stopped running and turned to face Piglord head-on.
This fat pig not only had terrifying defensive power, but his saliva was also poisonous. Once it made contact, it caused paralysis throughout the body.
At first, Kevin hadn't realized it. He'd been sprayed in the face early on, and as the fight dragged on, his strength steadily drained away. Only then did he realize Piglord's drool was toxic.
"Heh heh, big monster, I'm going to kill you and turn you into my new toy," Piglord said with a wicked grin, disgusting saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth. "Hope you… don't break too easily."
"Shut up! You stupid pig, your mouth reeks! Shut it!" Kevin was so furious his fists clenched with loud cracks.
Crackle!
In his rage, Kevin's left arm burst into roaring flames, like a rising fire dragon letting out a low growl.
The terrifying heat made Piglord's expression change instantly, forcing him to stagger back two or three steps.
He couldn't understand it at all. Why had the other man's flames suddenly grown so much stronger?
"Die! I'll turn you into a roasted suckling pig!"
Kevin's fury exploded, driving him into a frenzy. He clenched his massive, flame-wreathed arm and slammed it toward Piglord with unstoppable force.
...
Meanwhile, Ben was locked in a grueling battle.
Diamondhead's expression was grim as he stared intently at the Dragon Crocodile standing opposite him.
It was a massive humanoid crocodile with traits of a Western dragon. Its huge frame was nearly on par with Four Arms.
Thick dragon scales covered its entire body, gleaming with golden light and granting it tremendous defensive power.
Its claws were especially sharp, capable of ripping through steel walls and leaving behind terrifying gouges.
If Diamondhead weren't durable enough, he would have been torn apart long ago.
"Hmph… There has to be a way to break through those dragon scales…" Diamondhead's gaze grew increasingly focused.
"You're dead, Stone Monster!"
The Dragon Crocodile roared, raising its sinister claws. Like a savage beast charging out of its cage, it rushed straight at Diamondhead.
Diamondhead assumed a defensive stance, preparing to meet the attack. Suddenly, his eyes flickered, as if he had noticed something.
The Dragon Crocodile didn't notice a thing. Thinking Diamondhead had been scared stiff, its arrogance only grew. It poured all its strength into its golden claws and thrust forward violently…