Gap in Power

Dominic found himself in a dilemma.

A middle-rank demon was not an opponent he could handle for long.

In his prime, perhaps he would have stood a chance, but now, with age catching up to him, his stamina wasn't what it used to be.

And even if he wanted to end the battle, he found himself unable to get near her.

The blood tendrils could attack from any direction, leaving him no opportunity to strike back.

His full focus was on blocking and dodging, leaving him unable to mount any offense.

CLANG

CLANG

CLANG

His swords continued to block and burn the blood tendrils. It was the only action he could take for now.

As for escaping, he would be an idiot to turn his back on a demon with long-distance abilities like hers.

Normally, if she were a low-rank demon, he could have either defeated her before becoming exhausted or waited for her to tire first.

Demons often had explosive power but lacked stamina in prolonged combat. 

This was why Demon Hunters like him relied on efficient breathing techniques to overcome demons.

"Grandpa, feeling tired?" Anna grinned manically, noticing Dominic's struggle to block and his gradual slowdown.

"Don't call me grandpa, you wretched demon!" he sneered in contempt. He detested the fact that Anna was using the innocent face of a human girl to manipulate his emotions.

"But we're just playing, right?" Her voice held a hint of innocence, tinged with mischief.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she spoke. With each move, she exuded a childlike joy, thoroughly enjoying the battle and testing her skills.

Before, she had merely practiced moving the blood tendrils in their basement, making it her routine until they felt like an extension of her body.

She might act childish and spoiled from time to time, but she was dedicated in her own personal training .

This was the reason why she was able to become so strong despite not having killed too many humans.

'I can't hold on any longer. I didn't want to resort to this technique, but I have no choice. I'll die either way,' Dominic mused inwardly.

"Demon, you'll accompany me to hell," he declared, fixing his stance and beginning to inhale deeply.

Anna, on the other hand, sensed something amiss. Her intuition was heightened, and she could tell that her opponent was planning something. 

But at the same time, her curiosity overcame her. She wanted to know how her power stacked up against his.

"Come," she smiled widely, pausing her attack to give him time.

Dominic noticed this and was glad to know that his enemy was an arrogant demon.

This technique would cripple him, even leading to his death.

But he had no choice if he wanted to win.

"Salamander Breathing Technique - Final Breath" He inhaled an unnatural amount of air into his lungs, drawing in the tremendous power of the oxygen with a deep breath.

Concentrating this power on his stomach, he allowed it to flow through every vein and muscle in his body.

The energy was so powerful that the old man's muscles began to tremble, and his eyes turned red from the intense blood pressure.

His breathing tempo shifted again, causing his skin to flush red and grow hotter. Hot air also began to seep from the pores of his skin.

"You asked for it, demon!!!" The old man stepped forward, and the air around him began to distort from the intense heat he emitted.

'Damn. This old man is changing gears,' Reign felt conflicted after witnessing the old man's transformation.

He had been observing the entire battle from the sidelines. He realized that the old man could probably kill him multiple times over, but Anna just toyed with him.

How powerful was she to show such dominance?

"Begone, demon!" Dominic's voice rang out .

SWOOOOSH!

His first step left a trail of flame in his wake, using it to generate more speed as he moved towards Anna.

There was no timing involved; it was simply his raw speed after using his breathing technique.

He was so fast that even Reign couldn't keep track of his movements.

It was over; that was the only thought in Reign's mind. There was no way Anna could dodge this attack.

SPLAT!

"Blueeh..." The old man's throat convulsed as he vomited a mouthful of blood, the metallic taste flooding his tongue .

Before he could reach her, blood tendrils erupted from the ground, their sinister forms slicing through and directly hitting his abdomen, tearing through his flesh.

As the tendrils burrowed deeper into his body, agony surged through his nerves, overwhelming his senses.

"AGHHH," he groaned in agony, fully aware that the majority of his internal organs had been ruptured.

The moment Anna pulled the blood tendrils, he would instantly bleed.

"Is that it?" Anna shook her head in disappointment. She had expected too much from him.

"Y--You... be hunted .... by .... others," Dominic spoke up amidst his rugged breathing.

His eyes were slowly losing their vision, and at any moment, he could breathe his last.

He came here to hunt a demon, but what happened was not even a fight.

It was a one-sided massacre. He realized that Anna could have ended the battle whenever she wanted. She had been playing with him all along.

"Anna is innocent, right, Reign," she spoke up, turning towards him.

She had detected him from the very beginning and had intentionally prolonged the battle to show off.

'Fuck my luck,' Reign sighed to himself. He felt like this girl wouldn't let him go easily. 

'Why am I always getting kidnapped?' he added .

He just wanted to grow stronger at his own pace, but Anna's presence made that impossible.

"Reign, eat him right away so you can grow stronger," Anna smiled widely as she controlled her blood tendrils, carrying Dominic's dying body to him.

"This..." he was speechless.

She was treating him like a child.