The superior hunter who just stepped out of the portal radiated a sense of pure authority, the kind that immediately silenced every whisper on the battlefield. He looked built for command, a man whose very presence was heavy enough to bend the air around him.

His muscular frame looked to be bulging through his uniform, but luckily, the fabric was strong enough to hold. Every movement of his shoulders stretched the material, as though even clothes struggled to contain his overwhelming strength.

His short green hair sprawled behind his neck in uneven locks, glistening faintly under the dim light as he scanned the destroyed battlefield with a long sigh.

His eyes swept across the chaos and destruction before finally settling on the key figures—Lenny's lifeless body lying motionless, Zach weeping on his knees beside him, Jake still kneeling and bloodied yet clinging to consciousness, and Max, barely alive and unconscious, stretched out helplessly on his back.

"I honestly cannot believe that a hunter would want to kill another hunter." The man's voice boomed like rolling thunder, so loud and heavy that Zach's body trembled against his will. His head slowly tilted up, eyes locking onto the terrifying figure before him.

Aside from the standard black hunter uniform, the man wore a distinct band strapped tightly around his arm. That band was not ordinary—it signified that he was a double A-ranked hunter, an AA.

This AA-ranked hunter was recognized as the leader among others of his rank. Whether the title was official or not mattered little, because he carried himself as though born to lead.

His authority wasn't just from strength, it was in the air around him, in the piercing way his eyes assessed every soul present. And to add to his imposing figure, he was a hybrid.

'Wait… how does he already know?' Daki thought nervously, her eyes narrowing as she kept them fixed on the man's every movement.

His aura spilled everywhere like a flood, smothering the battlefield and weighing heavily on everyone.

Even breathing became difficult under his oppressive presence, and Jasmine had to press her lips tightly together to stop herself from gasping. Yet despite the pressure, she stood still, staring at him in utter confusion, unsure of how he had learned so much so quickly.

The medics, however, didn't falter for long. They immediately split into two groups. One rushed to Jake, carefully checking his battered body, while the other hurried to Max, swiftly laying the dragon on a stretcher. Their movements were fast and efficient, practiced in the chaos of emergencies.

"Is he going to be okay?" Jim asked anxiously, his eyes glued to Max's unconscious body. His voice cracked slightly as if he was clinging to hope with everything inside him.

"We will try our possible best," one of the medics replied with a firm tone. "But we need you to step aside first."

Jim quickly obeyed, backing away without hesitation. He clenched his fists tightly, forcing himself not to break down as he watched them begin immediate treatment right there on the battlefield.

"What did you do, Zach?" the AA-ranked hunter demanded in a voice firm enough to rattle bones. His fangs gleamed as they extended, his hybrid blood flaring beneath his skin.

"I… I only wanted to avenge the humiliation I faced," Zach stammered through sobs, his voice breaking as he spoke.

Meanwhile, one of the medics quietly walked over to Lenny's body and solemnly covered it with a white sheet. The battlefield fell quieter, only the crackling sound of shifting energy and distant groans filling the air.

"You wanted to avenge your humiliation," the AA hunter thundered, his tone burning with fury, "by hijacking a mission, ambushing fellow hunters, and nearly killing them? Did you really think you could get away with this? Did you think your father's shadow would protect you?!" His nails dug into his palms as he restrained the rage threatening to erupt.

"I… I…" Zach stuttered again, completely unable to come up with a proper excuse. The only thing that came were more tears cascading freely down his face, his shoulders quaking with regret and fear.

"You have just gone and done it. The master himself sent me here personally, and because of the authority vested in me, I hereby strip you and your friends of your rights as hunters." His declaration shook the ground with finality.

He snapped his fingers. Zach and his friends froze as their pockets suddenly glowed, and in an instant, their hunter IDs zipped out and floated in the air. With another snap, the cards disintegrated into ash, scattering like dust.

"You have ten seconds to remove your hunter comms from your pockets. If you fail, they will blow up inside you," the AA hunter announced coldly.

The threat, combined with the horrifying display of the IDs burning to nothing, left them no choice. Zach and his friends complied, trembling as they yanked the comms from their pockets and tossed them to the ground.

But instead of exploding, the devices remained intact. One of the medics calmly walked over, collected them, and stored them in a secure bag.

"You are no longer hunters of the association," the AA hunter declared with steel in his voice, pointing directly at Zach's friends. "Each of you supported this act. Each of you carries the blame."

Zach's head snapped up, his teeth clenched so tightly that his jaw ached. His hands grabbed onto the fabric of his clothes in rage as he shouted, voice raw with pain.

"What about them?" he demanded, pointing toward Jake and the others. "I got this heavy punishment for attempting to kill them, but they killed my brother!"

"Huh?" the hunter muttered as he tilted his head to stare down at the kids. "You attempted to kill them by ambush, but what they did is called self-defense, you nincompoop. Did you expect they would just give themselves up in the fight and let you kill them?

They had to survive, and they used everything they had to do it which included killing your brother."

"How is this fair?!" Zach roared, springing up from his knees as fresh anger replaced grief. Tears streamed down his face in a choking cascade. "How do I get punished and they don't? They fucking killed someone! My brother was innocent, he had nothing to do with our spat."

"Yet you dragged him into your spat," Lana cut in, her voice flat and cold as ice, the frown on her face a blade.

"There's no use crying over spilled milk. I already declared my verdict, and that's what I'm going to do. Take your brother's body and your useless friends and get the hell out of here now," the hunter ordered, his glare sharp enough to cut.

"Th… this is unfair. This is so unfair. The association shouldn't have done this," Zach sobbed, the words barely worth air as his eyes went red and swollen.

"Well, go cry to your brother about it," the hunter said, then covered his mouth in a faint, almost casual apology. "Oh sorry, he is dead."

Zach's hands clenched into fists until his knuckles whitened. He stared at the hunter with a mix of fury and stunned helplessness.

He knew there was nothing he could do against this man without signing his own death warrant. Instead, he swallowed the rage and tried to steady himself.

"Verily I say to you all, I will be back," Zach spat through clenched teeth, each word trembling with rage. "Jake, Max, all of you—when my dad hears about this, get ready for your ruin.

Today I only attempted to kill you, but next time I come I will eradicate you all. My gang will obliterate you! This was about me, but now it's about my family. I will have my revenge."

He bellowed the last words, raw and trembling, then collapsed into a sob. With the help of his remaining friends, he lifted Lenny's body and staggered away, each step heavy with sorrow and fury. Their silhouettes moved away across the broken ground, small and bitter against the ruined skyline.

"Let's return," the hunter said, snapping his fingers. A portal opened like a hole torn in the air. He paused at the edge and glanced toward the stretcher where Max's limp body had been laid. He squinted, suspicion flickering across his face. 'Hmm. Could he be the dragon we're after? Something feels off about his fight earlier.'

The medics tightened their hold on the stretcher. A few of them exchanged a look and murmured, but the hunter only gave a curt nod.

Then, one by one, every single person began stepping into the portal.

When the last figure crossed, the portal snapped shut with a sharp electric buzz that left the air smelling faintly of ozone.

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