A moment ago, Max had been standing about five metres away from the chaotic battlefield, arms crossed as he observed, refusing to intervene and letting Ava have her moment to shine.

But when the tide seemed to shift, as Clint smashed the female dragon into the ground, the frown on Max's face deepened.

His previously crossed arms unclenched, tension radiating from his muscles as he watched the demon leap back in confusion.

Seeing Ava lying unmoving, possibly unconscious, though he knew she was still alive, made his chest tighten. His worst fear was confirmed.

Clint, fueled by rage, moved to finish her off.

His massive wing coiled around his hand, forming a jagged gauntlet tipped with razor-sharp points, and he darted toward the prone dragon with lethal intent.

Max's calves bulged as golden light ignited in his eyes, his aura flaring fiercely.

He surged forward with tremendous force, unleashing a booming bang.

The ground beneath him trembled as he appeared before the demon just in time, catching the demonic gauntlet midair and halting its strike with a metallic screech.

"Now, it's my turn," Max muttered, his voice low and steady.

In a blink, he unleashed a punishing punch that smashed into the demon's body.

The sheer force lifted it off the ground, sending it hurtling several metres away as if it were weightless.

Calmly, Max walked toward Ava's inert form, his back to her, eyes locked on the recovering demon.

His face was taut with focused intensity as he watched Clint regain balance, his body snapping back into control like a coiled spring.

"You puny humans, get your leader out of here now," Max commanded without taking his eyes off the demon.

"And make sure she wakes up in time to exact her revenge." The Pincer gang didn't hesitate.

They rushed forward, lifting Ava's unconscious body with careful precision, retreating several metres to maintain safety from the looming threat.

The demon's glare sharpened, teeth grinding in suppressed fury, hands trembling—not from fear, but raw, unbridled anger.

"You know what? I've had enough of holding back. It's time you ate your earlier words," Max stated calmly, edging forward, his weight concentrated on his dominant foot.

In the next instant, he shot forward like a bullet, moving so rapidly that the humans couldn't even track him.

His fist blurred through the air, a straight, unstoppable strike aimed at the demon's face.

Clint instinctively raised his forearm to block but the punch never arrived where he expected.

Moments stretched as the demon lifted its head in bewilderment, only for Max's strike to slam into its lower jaw with brutal force.

Teeth collided violently, a pained snap echoing through the battlefield, and the demon's eyes nearly rolled back.

Its body was hurled upward, spinning uncontrollably, suspended in midair by the impact, leaving nothing but dust and tension in its wake.

"You go nowhere." Max muttered icily as he crouched low, draconic energy coursing violently through him.

In an instant, he exploded into the air.

The spot where he had stood moments ago shattered into a flash of dust and stone.

A deep dent formed, smoke rising from the scorched ground as he streaked like an arrow through the sky.

In a heartbeat, he hovered directly above the demon.

"So go back down!" he thundered, hammering his fists straight into the demon's face.

A clamorous bang reverberated through the area as the demon shot backward with blistering speed.

Rocketing down in a blur, he slammed into the ground with such force that the earth itself split apart.

A massive cavity yawned beneath him, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth as he struggled to rise, his breath ragged and harsh.

"What? I can already sense your demon rank. You're an Arch-fiend, a rank just below the proto-echelon, and you think you can do anything to me at my current level?" Max asked, shaking his head in disappointed amusement.

"Kids, kids, kids. Just a little powerup, and they think they can challenge elders? Who does that?" he added, letting out a low, slight chuckle that sent a chill down the spine of anyone watching.

"How dare you call me a kid?! I will destroy you!" Clint roared, shooting upright.

Without hesitation, he pounced forward like a greased lightning, moving so fast that in a split second he was directly in front of Max.

"Eat goo!" the demon shouted, gaping wide.

From his maw erupted a thick, viscous stream of goo, rocketing toward Max's face at terrifying speed.

[Adrenaline Rush Activated]

{Adrenaline Rush {Lv1}: Temporarily increases speed and agility by 4 percent for 4 minutes. Cooldown timer: 45 minutes.}

A ringing sound filled the air as Max's form blurred, zipping out of the goo's path.

It crashed into the spot where he had just been, scorching the ground and leaving a smoldering crater.

He was now nowhere to be seen.

"Wh…where is he?" Clint muttered, spinning frantically as he tried to locate Max.

But no matter how he searched, the dragon had vanished.

Tap. Tap.

A light touch on his shoulder made Clint whip around, fists shooting forward, striking nothing but air.

"Looking for me?" a voice taunted from behind, sending a shiver down the demon's spine.

BAM!

A devastating punch smashed into his face with bone-crushing force.

A tooth and blood flew from his mouth as his body was flung several meters backward.

The air itself seemed to split from the impact, and Jim could only watch in stunned silence.

'Mehn! How strong is Max really now?' he wondered inwardly, eyes wide.

The demon's body tumbled violently across the scorched battlefield, bouncing and skidding before coming to a halt.

Max's fist still glowed faintly, as if surrounded by invisible smoke, his sheer power radiating from the blow.

__

{A/N}

Hey guys! Just want to thank Drakesama— my only reader for the continuous support, comments and power stones. I appreciate them a lot.

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