Chapter 123: Decision
The tornado clashed head-on with Reign's sturdy exoskeleton, its powerful swirling winds threatening to devour him completely.
But despite the force of the wind, he stood firm, enduring until he found himself on the eye of the tornado where the wind's force was not that strong.
'Did they made a mistake?' Reign pondered silently.
Surely, this couldn't be the end of that cool sounding attack, could it?
Outside the Tornado
"Let's burn him!" A group of 6 hunters joined the fight, their voices filled with strong determination.
Inhaling deeply, their bodies released a mist, as though evaporating the sweat within.
Their blades heated up, and their skin flushed red from the sudden surge of blood coursing through their veins.
"Salamander Breathing Technique... Fire Breath!" they shouted in unison, slashing their swords to create friction that ignited the air.
Flames erupted from their blades, swirling into the tornado and merging with it.
Usually, the flames would extinguish quickly, but most new hunters using fire-based breathing techniques carried a special type of highly flammable powder.
The powder enhanced and prolonged their flame-related attacks.
Dominic did not have this because he retired way before this technology was implemented.
This collective and coordinated attack demonstrated the immense power hunters could unleash with sufficient time and preparation.
The flames began to scorch the air, causing Reign's bones to redden from the intense heat, though only the surface felt hot.
Reign remained relatively unfazed, knowing that compared to enduring lightning strikes, these flames posed little threat.
Regardless, he still couldn't help but be impressed by the seamless cooperation among the hunters.
He felt grateful that he hadn't acted rashly in the past, realizing that if he had faced these hunters when he was still weak, it would have likely resulted in his pointless death
'Should I attack now?' he pondered to himself.
He had maintained a defensive stance, hoping to uncover any hidden dark horses among the hunters' ranks.
If the hunters had someone powerful like Jayden, it was likely that they would seize the opportunity to strike now, considering his passive stance.
But as time passed, it became evident that there was no such hidden threat, confirming his suspicions.
"Time's up!" Reign's laughter echoed as he propelled his body forward, breaking through the barrier of fire.
With the force of a bulldozer, he charged through the tornado of flames towards the other hunters.
Each step he took resonated with a loud thud due to his increased weight.
However, his slowed speed allowed the hunters to react quickly, leaping backward and continuing to bombard Reign with their attacks.
However —
Crack!
Reign's once heavy and durable exoskeleton shattered like an eggshell, revealing him within.
With astonishing speed, he lunged forward, his claw piercing the nearest hunter's throat before they could even blink.
Blood burst forth from the hunter's head, but he was far from finished.
With another motion, he swung his free hand, slicing through another hunter's body, severing them in half before his overwhelming power.
"Stay away from him!" shouted a bulky hunter, leaping into the air with a sword twice the size of the others, ready to strike.
"DIE!!!" The hunter roared, channeling all his power and momentum into swinging his massive sword downward with lethal force.
Seeing the incoming attack, Reign sneered in contempt.
With a casual gesture, he raised his palm and effortlessly caught the massive sword.
As the sword landed in Reign's hand, it took only a simple squeeze to shatter it.
Next, he delivered a devastating punch to the hunter's head, causing it to explode on impact, scattering brain matter all over the place.
Without pausing to contemplate the carnage, Reign turned and unleashed his claw bullet, dispatching more of the hunters.
Normally, such a bullet could be deflected by the hunters, but with Reign's Dark Red energy coating and lightning enhancement, the projectile met no resistance.
It tore through multiple hunters in a single shot, leaving them scattered like pigs in a slaughterhouse.
At that moment, reality finally sank in for the remaining hunters.
They realized they were utterly outmatched and scattered in a panicked .
This only made it easier for Reign to pick them off one by one, his brutal attacks tearing anyone unlucky enough to be his target.
"Run!
"Retreat!"
"Run!"
This was no longer a hunt; it was a suicidal mission.
They were like mice wandering into the lion's den, facing an adversary far beyond their capabilities.
"C— Commander, I don't think the hunters stand a chance," one of the soldiers spoke, his voice trembling as he witnessed the massacre unfolding in the distance.
Body after body was torn apart as Reign continued his pursuit, leaving a trail of death in his wake.
"My god, what are we facing?" The commander felt as though he aged 20 years from the stress alone.
He had underestimated the threat, thinking they were merely dealing with a demon that could easily be killed by numbers, but he was gravely mistaken.
They needed more.
At least ten times the force was needed to halt this monster from mowing them down like helpless prey.
He had already called for reinforcements, but he knew it would take time for them to arrive.
In the meantime, they were at the mercy of the unstoppable force before them.
"Wait for the hunters to regroup, then resume shooting at that demon!" The commander roared out his orders, hoping to buy some time until reinforcements arrived.
The soldiers nodded in understanding and began to aim their weapons at Reign.
But, with too many hunters still in their range, they had no choice but to wait for the perfect moment to strike.
When the time was right, another series of explosions echoed as the army joined the fray.
Tanks rumbled into action, unleashing their firepower, while helicopters hovered above, bombarding Reign with missiles and gunfire from their Gatling guns.
For a fleeting moment, the entire battlefield erupted in a blinding flash of light.
It resembled a clash between two powerful armies, but in reality, they faced only a single demon.
On the hunters' side, out of the initial sixty, only fifteen managed to escape the carnage.
Their survival was because they were a distance away from Reign when his merciless onslaught began.
However, fear now gripped the hearts of the surviving fifteen hunters so tightly that they dared not even raise their swords.
Only Rudy, the highest-ranking among them, managed to muster a semblance of bravery, though even he was visibly shaken by the sheer horror of the scene before them.
'What should I do?' Rudy gritted his teeth in frustration at his own weakness.
He had always considered himself strong, admired by his peers, but now faced with this overwhelming threat, he felt utterly powerless. .
In the presence of Reign, Rudy felt as insignificant as an ant.
"Rudy, let's get out of here," a woman's voice echoed from behind him.
Turning to see the source, he found his teammate and girlfriend, a woman in her mid-twenties who specialized as a medic hunter.
Rudy felt conflicted.
With his abilities, Rudy knew that if he decided to escape with her and used the others as a distraction, there was a strong likelihood that he and his girlfriend could make their getaway without harm.
But his sense of duty weighed heavily on him.
He couldn't just run away while his peers faced certain death.