'Hmm, this is truly a dilemma.' Max thought as he began scratching his hair in frustration and confusion, the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

"Not just any dilemma, but a truly troubling one." Jim mumbled as he rubbed his temples in deep thought. "I wonder if the association actually has a tracker to locate where demon vessels are hiding."

"Unfortunately, it's only able to track demons, not vessels. I doubt they even know anything about demon vessels," Max replied with a deep sigh, shaking his head slightly.

"Association? What are you guys even talking about?" Ava asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"No need to concern yourself with what we are saying," Jim snapped, glaring at her furiously, his patience thinning.

"Come on Jim, forget about our earlier brawl. We are allies now, with a common enemy and a shared goal. Let's work together to figure out what to do," Max interjected, cutting through the tension. With a resigned sigh, Jim nodded and turned away, muttering under his breath.

"I wonder if demon vessels can actually sense dragons from afar," Pix suddenly mumbled in Max's mind, causing him to freeze instantly as his eyes widened and a grin slowly crept across his face.

"That's it! Thank you, Pix!" he exclaimed, his excitement barely contained.

"Pix? Who's that?" Jim asked in confusion, turning to stare at Max, who quickly shook his head.

"Don't worry about that," Max replied, shaking his head with a small smirk. "I have a plan."

"Well, let's hear it," Ava said, staggering forward weakly but curious.

"Instead of searching blindly for the demon vessels, how about we draw them out? Force them to come looking for us instead, make them reveal themselves," Max replied with a wide smile as he looked at both of them.

"Okay? But how?" Ava asked, raising an eyebrow as her curiosity grew.

"I have a plan," Max repeated, his voice calm but confident. He proceeded to explain everything to them, detailing the strategy plainly and honestly. After a minute, he took a deep breath, ensuring they understood the concept fully.

"Okay? That could work, but will it be enough?" Jim asked, his brow furrowed as he rubbed his temples, still doubtful.

"No, I don't think it will be enough, which is why I need Ava's help," Max replied, turning his attention to the young woman.

"Wait! Me? Why my help?" Ava asked, confusion clear in her tone as she stared at the dragon in front of her.

"From your story and our earlier fight, I realized something," Max said, fixing her with a steady gaze. "Despite having such a powerful ability, it feels weak in your hands. You haven't cultivated it to its full potential, and now, I think I understand why."

"Why is that? What do you mean?" Ava asked, raising her eyebrow in further confusion.

"You said the clans were created to carry on the dragons' wishes, to eliminate demons?" Max asked carefully, watching her reaction.

"Yes?" Ava replied.

"Tell me one thing. I have a theory, but first, answer me this. Where do you think the clans actually got their abilities from? How did they obtain them?" Max asked, crossing his arms across his chest and waiting for her response.

"Our clan had a book, passed down from generation to generation to be kept safely. Only those truly interested in our past, our abilities, and our heritage could access it," Ava began, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "And in the book, it was written as a theory, actually, that our abilities might have originated from dragons themselves.

"It suggests that the powers we possess, the lightning, the elemental mastery, could all be fragments of the dragons' essence, passed down to ensure their will is carried on through us. That is why the clans were created, to preserve these abilities and use them against demons, as the dragons intended."

Because in the great war, dragons displayed elemental and magical abilities similar to ours and after they fell, it seems like their abilities were scattered across the world.

A year later, some humans began developing and showing signs of awakening those abilities. They gathered, formed a clan and decided to carry out the dragons' last mission, which was to eliminate the remaining demons in the world."

"Figured." Max nodded along as a relieved breath escaped his lips, a satisfied one with a small smile. "Which is why my plan depends on you becoming stronger than you currently are. We need your abilities to surpass their current limits."

"Meaning? How can I do that?" Ava asked.

"You need to become a dragon. I have the power to turn you, the same way I turned Jim here. If you are willing, I can turn you and through that, your ability will grow stronger.

Since the abilities came from dragons, if you become one, I am sure it will reach a new peak. And you can finally take your revenge, avenge your brother and reclaim your town from the clutches of the dark forces." Max proposed as he stared at the woman in front of him.

"Become a dragon?" Ava repeated like the words tasted absurd. "But how is that even possible? And if that is possible, can clan members really turn into one? I have so many questions."

"No need to doubt," Jim cut in with a tired sigh. "I was once a human, a weak one without any so-called ability, but Max turned me into a dragon a few hours ago. You saw the result yourself later on."

Ava's eyes widened as she looked up at Jim, replaying their recent fight, remembering how he stood toe to toe with her and even managed to injure her badly.

'Impossible. He was turned a few hours ago? What kind of madness is this?' she exclaimed inwardly.

'Come on, just accept,' Max hyped himself inwardly as he clenched his hands. 'If someone as weak as Jim, practically the weakest hunter out there, could become this strong after being turned, then someone like her, someone with awakened abilities and already at her peak, will be on a completely different level. So accept.'

'Should I accept or not?' Ava wondered, her hands tightly clenched as she shifted her gaze between Max and Jim. Her heart raced as she stared up at the ceiling for a moment, desperate for clarity.

That was when her brother's smile flashed in her mind, soft and warm, almost as if he was standing right above her. A single tear slipped down her cheek. She clenched her fists harder, her chest tightening in pain as she lowered her gaze and released a shaky sigh.

'I need to take revenge.'

"Fine. I accept." Ava replied through gritted teeth, her voice trembling with determination.

"Great. No need to waste time, let us get down to business." Max muttered as his eyes glowed a fierce yellow.

[Draconic Ritual Activated]

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