The moment Lenny gave the order, the remaining men who hadn’t been hurled away by Jake’s clap immediately bolted forward with full speed, charging straight for Max, who was still cradled tightly in Jim’s clutch.
Zach and his friends stood rooted in place, watching with sharp eyes to see how the men would handle things. On the outside he looked calm, but deep down Zach was slightly worried about his brother. He tilted his head and glanced at the fight for a brief moment.
’I know brother is strong, but something about Jake just seems to tick me off. He has this aura... like someone meant to rule or something. I just hope brother is o...’ his thoughts trailed off the instant his eyes widened at the sight of his brother tossing and hurling Jake around like a ragdoll.
’Nvm! Brother will do just fine. Now where were we?’ Zach smirked inwardly, turning back just in time to see the fifty remaining men only metres away from Max.
Their hands clutched several dangerous weapons—iron pipes, rusted machetes, spiked bats and the glint in their eyes showed intent to kill. Max’s squad members stood frozen in place, staring helplessly as everything unfolded too fast for them to process.
’I...I...I need to move!’ Max roared inwardly, his voice trembling in his own mind as he coughed out a speck of blood.
Just as the system had warned him, every two minutes his HP was dropping by 5. He could already feel his strength draining away, and the cold grip of death edging closer.
’Move body, move! Don’t tell me this damned poison has a paralysis effect too!’ Max screamed within himself. His fingers twitched as he tried to force his limbs into motion, when suddenly, he felt a shift in his body.
"Never," Jim mumbled. He slowly rose to his feet, letting Max slide gently to the ground, his body trembling but his resolve burning bright. He clenched his teeth tight, his jaw muscles straining as his eyes locked on the men charging forward.
"He doesn’t deserve this. Not any of it. And I’ll make sure I protect him with my own body," Jim declared. Without hesitation, he stepped directly in front of Max, planting his feet firmly in the dirt, standing like a wall against the incoming tide.
"No! What are you doing?! Get the fuck away from me! You’re too weak! You’re just an E ranked hunter, there’s nothing you can do! Leave!" Max roared, his throat burning before his words broke into a violent coughing fit.
"I know I’m just an E ranked hunter and nowhere near as powerful as you are," Jim replied, his voice trembling yet filled with conviction.
"But it doesn’t change the fact that you’re my idol. You saved me twice, and now I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you’re okay." He turned, flashing Max a wide grin despite the danger closing in.
’No, you motherfucking idiot! I didn’t really save you! For fuck’s sake, I only acted because Zach messed with me. I had no intention of helping you! Back at the gate raid, you were already about to die, that’s the only reason I dove in.
I couldn’t afford to let someone who can extract beast crystals die! I wanted to use you, damn it! Don’t you dare throw your life away for me!’ Max screamed inwardly, rage and panic boiling within him. But it was already too late.
The first man reached Jim, swinging his metal bat forward with brutal speed. The strike whistled through the air, aimed directly for Jim’s head.
Caught off guard, the E ranked hunter froze, his instincts betraying him as his eyes shut tight in fright. Yet his feet refused to move. He would not abandon Max.
"And look at the one who dares to protect someone."
The cold, feminine voice drifted into Jim’s ears.
The man with the bat howled in pain, his scream sharp enough to pierce the chaos. Jim’s eyes snapped open. What he saw made him freeze in shock.
Several razor-sharp feathers jutted out of the man’s flesh, each embedded deep into his body. He collapsed slowly, sliding to the ground with a dull thud, his weapon slipping from his grasp. Blood pooled beneath him, though the feathers had not killed him outright. His body twitched as he groaned in pain.
From the shadows, a figure emerged. Slowly stepping forward was Lana. Her cold expression remained etched onto her face, her eyes sharp and merciless as they locked onto the remaining men. Her presence froze them all where they stood.
Because they knew what she was.
She was a hybrid, and it was evident by the wings folded tightly against her back, the sharp talons gleaming in the dim light, and the deadly stare she pinned on them. The sheer killing intent that radiated from her froze the blood in their veins.
Meanwhile, they were nothing more than ordinary humans armed with crude weapons—metal bats, rusted pipes, and bike chains clutched tightly in their sweaty hands. Their knees shook slightly as they faced the hybrid standing before them.
"Now, I will give you all two options. Run away or come face death. Actually, scratch that... just die!" Lana’s voice was icy, every word like a blade drawn across their nerves. Without giving them time to think, she shot forward with immense speed, the ground cracking from the force of her launch.
The men froze in shock. Their bodies felt like lead, their fear rooting them in place as their minds struggled to process what they were seeing.
"Why are you all scared?! She’s just one hybrid, and you’re half a hundred men! Take her down!" Zach’s roar split through the tension.
His command snapped them back into motion, and with renewed desperation, they charged, swinging their weapons wildly at the winged figure.
Lana didn’t even flinch. In a heartbeat, she shot upward, soaring into the sky as the wave of bats and chains crashed into nothing but air. Gasps of confusion erupted among the men as they craned their necks, watching her rise higher and higher.
Then, without warning, she spun. Her wings coiled tightly around her body like a protective cocoon, feathers rattling as the air screamed against her frame.
She kicked against the wind and nosedived at breakneck speed, slicing down through the air like a meteor.
The sight alone sent waves of panic through the gang. Instinct screamed at them to run, and they obeyed. Screams and curses filled the air as the men scrambled in every direction, abandoning formation in blind fear.
But it was already too late. Fresh chapters posted on NoveIꜰire.net
Just as Lana neared the ground, she spread her wings wide in a violent uncoil. The impact of her landing shook the battlefield with a loud boom, dust exploding outward in a suffocating cloud.
One unlucky man wasn’t fast enough. Her wing caught him mid-stride, and before he could scream, his foot was cleaved clean off. He crashed into the dirt, writhing in agony as blood poured from the stump.
Lana’s eyes gleamed coldly. With a single flap of her wings, razor-sharp feathers launched forward like bullets.
They tore through the air with deadly precision, slamming into the men’s non-lethal spots—knees, shoulders, and ankles. Screams of pain echoed as they dropped, crippled but alive.
Some of them, however, managed to escape the initial volley. Or at least, they thought they had.
The sharp whistle of something cutting through the air was heard. A man screamed as his body was suddenly hurled upward.
"ARGH!" he cried out, blood spraying as his knee was pierced clean through. A whip with a pointed, spear-like tip had coiled around his leg, dragging him off balance before slamming him into the ground with bone-crunching force. He writhed in pain, clutching his bleeding wound.
The dust cloud still hung heavy in the air, providing cover for the chaos that followed. From within the haze, another figure darted out like a ghost.
She moved with cold precision, her grip tight on her sword, though she didn’t slash. Instead, the hilt smashed into the sides of men’s necks one by one, each strike perfectly placed. With every blow, another body collapsed unconscious, limbs twitching as they hit the dirt limply.
Then came Daki, emerging like a predator in the storm of dust. She joined the assault without hesitation, weaving through the panicked crowd with ruthless efficiency, striking men down and leaving them unable to rise again.
Together, the three hybrids carved through the battlefield like a storm. In less than a minute, the carnage was over.
The dust settled at last, revealing a field of broken enemies—fifty men sprawled across the ground, either writhing in pain, bleeding, or lying unconscious, completely unable to stand.
The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by groans of the fallen.