CHAPTER 42: AN ALLEYWAY CLASH!

Chapter 41

{Sin: Wrath activated!}

BANG!

Max exploded from where he stood, bolting forward at a crazy amount of speed that cracked the ground beneath his feet.

The moment he surged forward, so did the demon. Its claws swung from the side, aiming to tear Max apart in a single swipe.

The young dragon pivoted on one foot, leapt into the air, twirled mid-air with fluid grace, and then slammed his foot directly into the claws, sending them recoiling away with a bone-shaking thud.

{Draconic Form Palm activated}

CLAP!

BOOM!

A terrifying clap echoed throughout the alleyway, followed by a booming shockwave that rattled windows and sent the demon hurling backward. It crashed into a wall with such force that the bricks dented inward, spiderwebbing with deep cracks.

Max straightened his stance, his glowing red eyes burning brighter than ever. He didn’t waste even a second—already dashing toward the demon. The creature snarled in rage, planting its feet against the cracked wall and kicking off with explosive strength.

The wall behind it shattered further, raining chunks of stone as its speed skyrocketed. In a blink, the demon slammed into Max with its horns lowered, piercing deep into his shoulders as he twisted too late to fully avoid the strike.

"Shit!" Max hissed through clenched teeth, blood spilling as his body was pushed backward, boots skidding across the ground.

"You should just die!" the demon roared, swinging its claws upward at full speed, the strike aimed to split Max’s skull in half.

’Fuck!’

With no hesitation, Max smashed his elbow into the demon’s skull with all the strength his body could muster. The brutal impact forced the horns to rip free from his flesh, blood spraying out as pain lanced through him.

He followed up instantly, planting a savage kick into the demon’s chest. The blow sent it tumbling backward as Max flipped away, landing cleanly just in time to avoid the claws that carved deep trenches into the ground.

The demon skidded across the alley, dirt and rubble spraying around it.

’How do I defeat this thing? Where the hell do I even start?’ Max thought frantically, scanning his surroundings.

The alleyway, though narrow, wasn’t cramped. There was plenty of room to move, dodge, and slam each other into the walls. The demon had the cracked wall at its back, while a rusty dumpster overflowing with trash sat nearby, reeking of decay. The mutilated body of its earlier victim lay slumped to the side, unmoving.

Behind Max, only two metres away, was the exit leading back into the open streets.

’I doubt it’ll let me escape so easily,’ he thought grimly, exhaling a shaky breath. ’Pix! You clearly know more about demons than you’re letting on. Tell me what you know about this one, right now!’

"Dragon Vessel!" the demon bellowed, its voice booming as it stomped the ground. The earth caved inward beneath its feet, forming a crater as it propelled itself at Max with a burst of unnatural speed.

The creature leapt high, claws raised above its head, intent on slicing Max clean in two.

Max’s eyes flickered as he instantly selected a skill through sheer willpower.

{Firewall activated}

The moment the notification appeared, the air around them shifted violently. The temperature spiked, heat surging in suffocating waves as the atmosphere shimmered.

A torrent of bright orange flames erupted in front of Max, blazing into existence. In seconds, the inferno molded into a towering wall of fire, nearly two metres tall and stretching wide, cutting the alley in two. The heat alone was enough to scorch the surrounding bricks and make the air shimmer like glass.

The demon’s claws crashed down a heartbeat later.

Instead of rending the wall apart, its strike froze mid-motion. No sound, no breakthrough—its claws simply refused to penetrate. No matter how much strength the demon poured in, the fire did not yield, holding firm as though it were solid steel.

"Gotcha," Max muttered, already gone from behind the blazing wall.

In the same instant, he appeared above the demon, twisting in mid-air before hammering his leg down in a vicious kick.

The strike connected cleanly with the side of the demon’s head, sending it flying out of the air. It tumbled across the alley, smashing into the ground and rolling violently.

Screech!

Its claws extended, tearing furrows into the earth like a hot knife through butter. Sparks flew as stone and dirt scattered, until the beast finally came to a screeching, skidding halt, its glowing eyes locked back on Max with venomous hatred.

"You should have stayed back where you came from!" Max roared as he appeared in front of the demon and unleashed a powerful punch. His fist connected with its jaws, the impact sending the demon’s head hurling backward, its body violently following in a distorted arc.

’This dragon... he feels weak and strong at the same time. Just how much strength and skill has he unlocked? No... this is dangerous. If I don’t eliminate him now, we will be wiped out.’ The demon thought, grim determination blazing within as its eyes locked on Max, who was already dashing toward it again with frightening speed.

"Don’t mess with my life, damn it!" Max howled, leaping into the air with explosive force. The ground beneath cracked as a deafening bang rang out, and like a thunderbolt, he came crashing down toward the demon.

"For the sake of our entire race!" the demon shouted as it flipped backward, narrowly avoiding Max’s descending leg. His strike smashed into the ground where it had stood, carving out a massive crater as sharp rocks and debris flew in every direction.

"You need to die." The demon’s cold voice cut through the thick smoke caused by the crash. Emerging from the haze, it lunged forward with terrifying speed, smashing its foot directly into Max’s abdomen.

BANG!

The impact sent Max’s body hurtling backward with such force that it broke the sound barrier. In the blink of an eye, he was flung across the battlefield and slammed violently into the same wall the demon had been smashed into earlier.

The wall shattered instantly. Rubbles and jagged stones rained down, burying Max beneath a heavy pile of debris.

{-10 HP}

{HP: 73/100}

"I have been tasked with eliminating you from this world so that we demons can finally live in peace," the demon declared, its tone sharp yet almost casual as it began striding slowly toward Max. The man still lay on his back, chest heaving beneath scattered stones and rubble.

"We want to rule, and we can’t do that with dragons around, can we? Once I’m done with you," it continued with a chilling grin, "we will trickle back into this world, spreading one by one until there’s no force capable of stopping us. And when that time comes, we will reign supreme."

"Oh, and one more thing," the demon added, lifting its claws high into the air. Its wicked smile twisted further as a dark aura rippled off its frame.

"I will personally take care of the ones you love."

It cackled as its claws descended with blinding speed, so sharp and fast that the air itself seemed to tear apart.

"I would love to see you try that."

Max’s voice came low but firm as his eyes snapped open, glowing a fierce crimson. With raw determination, he surged upward, seizing the demon’s claws in his grip and holding them still with sheer strength. His burning gaze locked onto the demon’s face.

{Strength Surge activated}

In one smooth motion, his leg shot upward. His foot smashed brutally into the demon’s face, the strike sending the monster flying several metres away. Max exhaled sharply, his body trembling yet unbroken, and with steady resolve he rose out of the rubble that had buried him.