"Max! Behind you!" Jasmine shouted in pure horror, causing the dragon to spin around in pure dread as the demon's sword was now just an inch away from slicing through him.

"I said get the fuck away from my brother!" Jake roared as he blitzed forward like a phantom, appearing directly behind the demon just as its sword was on Max's neck.

BAM!

Jake swung all eight fists forward, smashing them into the demon's side and sending it skidding just two metres away. A thin mark appeared on the dragon's neck, but luckily, no blood dripped out.

"You all are beginning to piss me off a lot!" the demon thundered in rage as it began frantically scratching its body as if it were itching all over.

Most especially its face, as it stared at the hunters while pointing its sword toward them. The blade glinted coldly in the dimly lit sky, its edge humming with malevolent energy.

"Jake, Max, you both seem to know what's going on. What the fuck do you mean it's a demon? What the hell is going on here?" Lana, who was airborne, demanded. Her eyes never left the creature, her feathers twitching with tension.

"The association—it wasn't founded just to hunt beasts," Jake began, his tone grim as steam seeped out of his nostrils. "It was primarily created to take down these guys… the demons!

Our main function is to eliminate them. But since it's been ages since one last appeared, everyone forgot. They stopped training us for it, stopped even mentioning them. I had to dig deep, really deep, before I found out the truth."

"Demons are beings from the underworld realm," Max added, his claws glinting menacingly as his draconic eyes burned. "They're ancient, powerful, and feared across every realm."

"How do you both know all this? Especially you, Max! Who the hell are you really?" Lana asked with a scowl, her wings slightly flaring in agitation.

"He is a dragon… well, a half one, because he's too weak to be a full dragon," the demon hissed with a grin that revealed razor-like fangs. Its otherworldly voice sounded deep, distorted, and menacing. "And we have been tasked to eliminate all dragons—and he's on my list!"

It thundered forward like a blur.

But Max, thanks to his dragon eyes, had already seen the movement before it even began. He quickly leaped into the air just in time as the demon's sword sliced through the air, producing a loud whooshing sound that tore through the silence.

[Fireball]

Max instantly hurled several fireballs from midair toward the demon. They whizzed down like fiery meteors, lighting up the entire street.

But with astounding speed, the demon weaved through every single one, causing the fireballs to crash and explode violently on impact. The ground cracked and flames erupted, sending waves of heat that made the air shimmer.

Max landed back down with a heavy huff, his body tense. But right on cue, the demon was upon him again, descending from above with its sword streaking toward his face. Just at the last second, Lana swooped down, her talons gripping Max tightly as she yanked him out of harm's way.

In his place, Jake charged in, ducking low to avoid the swing aimed at his head. Without hesitation, he drove all eight fists straight into the demon's gut with everything he had. The impact was thunderous—BOOOOM! and the ground quaked beneath them. Dust and debris flew as the demon was pushed several metres back, though still unhurt.

"I don't care what Max really is—dragon, hybrid, or human," Lana said as she landed on the cracked ground, her talons digging in so deep that the earth splintered beneath her.

Her gaze hardened, her feathers trembling slightly as her wings spread wide, ready for another strike. "Whatever he is, he's one of us. And I'm not letting some ugly freak from the underworld touch my team."

"Yes, I kind of dislike him a lot, but he is part of the hunter association, part of our squad and according to Jake, our squad is a lil family and I hate those that want to harm my family more!" The female hybrid roared as she exploded from where she stood with immense speed. Chunks of the ground shattered under her explosive takeoff.

She leaped into the air and, without missing a beat, her wing shot toward the demon diagonally at astonishing velocity. The being simply lifted its sword and blocked the strike. Steel clanged on steel as wing met blade, the sound ringing off the alley walls.

Lana kicked off the ground and spun like a wheel, sending her second wing slicing toward the demon's face. In a quick burst of movement, it avoided the wing, letting it cut through the air harmlessly. In a flash, it appeared directly behind the female hunter, its sword hovering an inch from her neck.

Max's hand shot up.

[Ruler's hand Activated]

He lifted a waste bin with a flick and hurled it straight at the demon. The thrown metal screamed through the air. The demon sensed the incoming object, spun, and sliced the bin in half; its contents sprayed everywhere, clinking and scattering across the pavement.

"Lana said it all!" Jake shouted from above. In a split second he crashed down in front of the demon. He gathered every ounce of force and swung his fists. The impact dispelled the dust from his descent and sent a pressure wave outwards.

The demon did not flinch. It waited, eyes cold, and sidestepped in a blur. Jake's fists smashed through empty air, producing a deafening bang as they met nothing but wind.

"Max is part of our squad, my squad, and therefore he is a part of my family!" Jake roared, adrenaline hardening his voice. He spun and launched a flurry of blows the demon had not expected. One connected, slamming into its jaw and sending it skidding backward a few paces.

"And to reach Max, you have to get through us first!" Lana barked, swooping in from the side. Her wing carved through the air like a blade while Jake attacked from the opposite flank, fists pumping in a coordinated assault.

"All right then. To complete my mission, I will have to take you all down." The demon said, calm and cold. It lifted its sword to block Lana's wing strike, and at the same time it grabbed its weapon with the other hand.

With a brutal wrench, the sword snapped. The broken half flipped and became a sickle. The demon used that curved edge to block Jake's incoming fist in one fluid motion.

"So then, prepare to die," it sneered.

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