A cloud of dust was kicked up where Max crashed, rising in a thick swirl that hung in the air for a few seconds before slowly drifting back down.

As it settled, Clint stood frozen, genuinely stunned at how the dragon had slipped away from his attack a moment ago.

He had gauged the strike perfectly. He knew Max should not have been able to dodge in time.

Yet now, the acidic blast had burrowed a deep pit into the ground, disintegrating everything it touched, while there was no trace of the dragon anywhere near the impact.

The haze finally thinned enough for everyone to see clearly, and Max appeared standing tall, that familiar grin still carved on his face. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, and then, to everyone's surprise, another figure stood directly in front of him.

A woman.

She wore a tight, sleek black outfit that clung to her frame like a second skin.

It resembled both a dress and combat wear at the same time, fitting her curves with a bold confidence that made her look both dangerous and beautiful.

She was stunning in the most effortless way imaginable.

Beauty that didn't need effort.

Her long golden-blonde hair flowed smoothly down her back, strands catching the faint light with every slight movement.

Her eyes were a fierce blue, bright yet soothing, calm yet sharp, holding an allure that immediately stole attention.

Her build carried a natural fullness, elegant and balanced, her posture straight and powerful.

From her back, a pair of vivid blue wings flapped gently. Lightning flickered across them in thin streaks, making the wings look as if they were pulsing with life.

Her lips curled slightly, revealing a pair of razor sharp fangs. Two long horns rose from her head, curving backward, glowing faintly as little sparks danced across their edges.

Her visible skin, especially her arms and cheeks, was lined with light blue scales arranged like natural armour, gleaming softly. The scales looked smooth yet sturdy, as if they could deflect steel.

Electricity rippled around her feet. Light crackled across her claws as she stared at the demon standing a few metres away.

"Ava?" Clint muttered, shocked. Her gang members echoed the demon's confusion, whispering nervously as they stared at their leader appearing beside the man they had been fighting earlier. She looked nothing like the Ava they knew.

She resembled a hybrid at first glance, but what they didn't know was simple. She was no hybrid anymore. She was a dragon. A real one.

Max was still smiling. His grin widened until he couldn't hold it in, and he burst into loud laughter that rolled through the air.

His bare chest rose and fell as he held his stomach, laughing so hard his shoulders shook.

The civilians who had tried escaping earlier felt an odd pull.

Fear and curiosity tangled together, drawing them closer even though they kept a cautious distance. Clint, now looking far more terrifying than before, watched the dragon with narrowed, void-filled eyes.

'I can feel it. Ava is a dragon like these two… but how? She was human. I sensed it. She was human, so how in the world is she now a dragon?' Clint thought, confusion etched deeply into his mind.

"Man, it's been so much fun," Max said with a bright grin. Without hesitation, he began walking toward Jim, who lay flat on his abdomen, exhausted and bleeding.

Max crouched beside him, slipped an arm under his torso, and hoisted him up easily. Jim groaned faintly but didn't resist.

Max then turned away from the battlefield and began walking toward the establishment in the background, lightning and dust swirling behind him as Ava remained standing guard.

Then he laid him on his backside with his back resting against the wall of the building, letting him watch everything that was about to unfold.

Ava's gang members all stirred, their confusion sharp on their faces as they stared at their leader who remained locked on Clint.

Her glare did not waver for a second, filled with enough killing intent to rip his head off the moment the chance appeared.

"You thought you had a chance against me all this while?" Max asked, bursting into another round of loud laughter while strolling forward slowly.

The blood on his face dripped down in lazy trails, sliding over his jaw before falling to the ground.

"Let me tell you something," the dragon continued. His hand glowed with a fierce blue light and with a single smooth gesture, the blood covering his face rose into the air.

His skin became clean again, untouched and flawless. He flicked his wrist and the red liquid shot away from him like a wave forced aside.

"For the entire time we have been fighting back, I have actually been toying with you. You never pushed me to use half of my strength or even half of my skills.

I did not even bother using everything I have. I was holding back the entire time. Why?" Max asked as he finally stopped walking, his hands tucked into his pockets while he stared ahead at the screen flashing in front of him.

[Family added: 2 | 3]

[Ava Blue has successfully been turned and added to the Crimson Wings family]

[Calculating class…]

[Class calculated: Dragon Hybrid]

[Ability: Lightning]

"I have been waiting for her," Max answered calmly, his voice low. "If I had decided to go all out, I would have killed you already and that would have ruined everything.

If you died early, how would Ava have taken her revenge for her younger brother and the people you massacred from her gang?"

"So that is why you turned her into a dragon?" Clint asked with a tight frown, his eyes hardened as he stared at Max.

"She wanted power, so I gave it to her. She wanted revenge, so I offered her a path.

Now she finally has her chance. I am just going to stand here and let her do whatever she wants with you." Max replied with a slow smirk growing on his face.

Tring!

[Unfortunately, family members created by host cannot surpass host in stats whatsoever. Ava Blue has been restricted slightly. To lift this, host must grow stronger and evolve. Always remain above your subordinates.]

'Interesting. Now I want to see how strong she actually is.' Max thought as he read the message.

'Why did she even become a dragon hybrid? There were so many possible outcomes. Is it because she was already at the peak of a human before her transformation?'

"And you think that will scare me?!" Clint roared, his voice shaking the area. "Fuck her new look. I will kill her and then eat her at the same time!"

"I would not be so sure about that." Max grinned.

"I will make sure you pay for all your wrongs!" Ava finally snapped, her voice vibrating with rage.

The emotion she had been holding back erupted in a single burst. A sound like thunder cracked through the air as she shot forward with frightening speed.

She looked like a streak of pure living lightning, appearing in front of Clint before he could even brace himself.

'Shoot.'

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