"Elijah! Just remember. The Human Dragon isn’t at fault. The demons were already making a move before he appeared.
So having a dragon back in our world means we still have a chance to win, so don’t kill him. Help him, and bring him back to us safe and sound."
The figure on the alleyway roof thought back to the instructions he had been given and couldn’t help but scoff as he looked down at Max beneath him.
’We now have a chance at winning with him here? How absurd! We have the kings, we have hybrids, and even us! And the master thinks we can’t win the war with a puny race like the demons?! Tch! Fine! I won’t kill him, but I won’t help him either.
If we are really going to win this war with his help, then he has to prove he is strong enough.’ Elijah relaxed his tense body, leaned forward slightly, and proceeded to watch the battle that was about to unfold below him.
"Die!" The demon howled as it finally opened its mouth to reveal jagged fangs and a huge green goo, which it shot towards Max at neck-breaking speed.
’What the fuck?! It can fly?’ Max thought in shock, completely forgetting about the goo heading straight for him.
It was only at the last moment that he snapped out of his daze and quickly activated one of his Draconic skills.
’Damn it! I now only have one use left before it goes on cooldown,’ Max thought as a wall of flames erupted right in front of him, appearing just in time.
On cue, the goo slammed into the wall with a loud bam that shook the air.
’Thank goodness that it he...’
The goo tore through the flame wall, dissipating it in an instant. Max quickly pivoted to the side, narrowly avoiding the goo’s path as it slammed into the ground where he had been standing earlier, melting the asphalt to bits.
’Acid?’ he muttered in shock.
"Oh oh! Here it comes," Elijah chuckled silently from above, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Max’s ears immediately perked up as he spun around. His eyes widened as heading straight for his head were none other than the demon’s elongated claws.
’Shit!’ he thought, leaning backward to avoid the attack, but the claws grazed his face, drawing blood.
A solid kick landed in his abdomen, sending him skidding several metres backward while blood sprayed from his mouth.
"I already gave you a chance. But you decided to toss it away. Now suffer!" the demon howled as it hovered effortlessly in the air, then zipped forward while still airborne.
’Of course it can fly. How unfair,’ Max groaned inwardly.
{Adrenaline Rush Activated}
’Four minutes.’ He thought as he bolted away with a deafening bang that shook the ground beneath him, narrowly avoiding a claw swinging from above.
A gunshot-like sound echoed as he leapt into the air, aiming to strike the demon, but it spun around effortlessly, avoiding his hit before swinging its leg in a wide arc at him.
Max reacted just in time, crossing his hands in front of him. The impact sent him hurling out of the air and slamming into the ground.
Before his body could make full contact, he flipped once, landing smoothly on the ground, though a slight stumble reminded him of the pain coursing through his body.
His eyes reverted back to yellow as he stared up at the demon, still hovering above him without a care in the world.
’I need to go for its head. But how can I when it’s in the sky and refusing to let me get close? What can I do?’ Max thought, scanning the alleyway and analyzing his options. Then a spark of inspiration hit him.
"Guess this should work," he mumbled under his breath, his hands igniting with fierce flames that crackled and danced, illuminating the dark alley as he prepared his next move.
"Hey freak, catch!" Max roared as he began hurling fireballs one after the other toward the airborne demon. The demon swiveled and spun around countless times, narrowly avoiding each fiery projectile.
The ones it couldn’t dodge, it would swat away with its elongated claws. Max didn’t stand rooted in one place while doing this. He moved—left, right, back, and to the sides—all while continuously hurling fireballs at the demon above.
"Huh?" Elijah muttered from the roof, lifting an eyebrow in confusion. His yellow eyes studied the battle below intently. "Why do the same thing over and over without any tangible result? Is he brain dead or what?"
’Almost there.’ Max roared inwardly, keeping the relentless barrage of fireballs coming, even though none seemed to truly harm the demon.
"Are you stupid or what? Why do the same thing over and over? Fight like you mean it!" the demon howled, dashing aside to avoid one fireball, only for another to smash into it. The impact caused only a slight burning sensation on its arms but nothing more.
’Huh? It didn’t even hurt,’ the demon thought, glancing at its hands before suddenly realizing something above it...
"Catch!" Max’s voice bellowed as the demon looked up to see something that was not a fireball hurtling at it.
It was a body. Not just any body, but the one the demon had killed and was devouring when Max had interrupted it earlier.
The demon swung its claws, aiming to slice the body in half.
’I’m sorry I’m using your body . Really sorry, but this is my only way to kill your murderer. I hope you rest in peace,’ Max thought as his hands lit up even brighter.
He swung them out with force, unleashing twin fireballs that merged into a massive orb. The orb collided with the body and exploded in a roaring inferno, stunning the demon and creating a dense smokescreen that filled the alley.
"Bingo." Max muttered as he crouched slightly, calves bulging, pressing hard against the cracked ground beneath him. Then...
He exploded upward with tremendous force, rocketing into the air. Not wasting a moment, he kicked off the air and burst through the smokescreen, appearing directly in front of the demon, which was caught off guard and unable to react.
"Go back down!" Max roared, clamping his hands together and smashing them into the demon with every ounce of strength he could muster, amplified further by ’Strength Surge.’
The earth-shattering impact echoed through the alleyway, producing a massive wave of shock that hurled the demon through the air. Black ichor sprayed from its mouth as it plummeted, breaking the sound barrier.
Then, with a deafening boom, it smashed into the ground, creating a wide, deep crater. Dust and debris exploded in every direction, showering the surrounding walls and scattering loose stones as the force reverberated across the alley.