Chapter 83: Aerial Battle Between Two Rank SS Hunters

"Kei! Give Kei back!"

As soon as Kai finished speaking, his body immediately began to transform.

Black scales spread rapidly from his neck down to his forearms. Two curved horns protruded from his black hair, and his golden eyes blazed like twin flames. Behind Kai, a pair of massive dragon wings tore through the air, while his scale-covered tail slammed hard into the rubble below.

Boom!

The ground shook. Fragments of stone scattered everywhere.

In just a few seconds, the man who had moments ago borne a human appearance had transformed into a terrifying half-human, half-dragon creature. His body retained its human shape, but his skin was covered in black scales, sharp claws had grown long, and his wide wings blocked out the light behind him.

Kei looked at him, his expression shifting instantly. Kai’s current form looked no different from a demon, and it made Kei feel deeply uneasy.

"Kai, calm down!"

"I can’t calm down!" Kai roared. "That guy is holding him! I don’t like this!"

Kang Ian hovered in midair, one arm wrapped around Kei’s waist while the other rested casually behind the boy to keep him from falling. His black coat flapped violently in the wind, and his hair was tousled by the powerful gusts.

He looked at Kai with cold indifference, as if staring at a giant lizard.

"He’s in my arms right now. Is there a problem?"

"No!"

Kai beat his wings hard, his body shooting skyward.

"Kei is mine!"

"That statement is rather annoying. Why don’t you shut your mouth, you black lizard?"

Kang Ian lightly raised his hand.

In an instant, gravity around him and Kei warped. The two immediately slid to the side, dodging Kai’s claws. Kai lunged past them, the wind from his strike so powerful that the large rocks below were crushed to pieces.

"Stay still!" Kai turned his head, his golden eyes blazing. "Don’t use your ability to run away!"

"That’s called dodging."

Kang Ian replied, his tone infuriatingly calm.

He twisted his body in midair. A massive gravitational field suddenly pressed down on Kai’s frame. Kai’s dragon wings faltered, and his body was yanked downward several meters.

"Urgh...!"

Kai gritted his teeth, the scales on his shoulders standing on end. The black dragon beat his wings fiercely, resisting the invisible pull before letting out a roar and charging forward once more.

Kei was held tightly in Kang Ian’s embrace, unable to move freely. He glared angrily at the man behind him.

"Let me down now!"

"No."

"Why not?"

Kang Ian gently patted Kei’s rear, signaling for him to sit still for a moment.

"It’s dangerous down there."

"You’re the one making this place even more dangerous!"

Kei muttered in frustration.

"Not wrong."

After saying that, Kang Ian not only refused to release Kei but tightened his hold even more. Kei’s back pressed flush against his chest, leaving almost no gap between the two.

Kai charged again, aiming his sharp claws straight at Kang Ian’s face.

"Give Kei back to me!"

"No."

Kang Ian leaned aside, letting Kai’s claws graze past his shoulder. Immediately after, he spun Kei around in midair while bending the gravity beneath Kai’s feet. The half-dragon’s body instantly lost its balance and was hurled sideways.

Kai tumbled several times before steadying his wings. He stared at Kang Ian in disbelief.

"Why do you keep dodging?!"

Kang Ian clicked his tongue, replying casually.

"Because your attacks are too predictable."

"I’m not predictable!"

"You just shouted and charged straight at me. That’s the most predictable kind of attack."

Kai was so furious that even the scales on his face turned red.

"I will never forgive you!"

Kang Ian raised an eyebrow. Talking to this foolish dragon made him feel like he was bullying a child.

"You’ve said that seven times already. Say something different."

"I’ll keep saying it until you return Kei!"

Kang Ian curled his lips slightly. Perhaps because he had just gotten some sleep, his mood was far better than usual, and he wasn’t easily provoked by a dim-witted dragon. He lowered his head to look at Kei, whom he was holding, then suddenly leaned down and gently bit the boy’s cheek.

"Mmph!"

Kei’s eyes went wide.

A clear bite mark was immediately imprinted on his soft, pale skin.Kang Ian raised his head, casually looked at Kai, then curled his lips into a smug smile. The soft sensation on his lips from just a moment ago made Kang Ian feel like he had just been fed.

"See that? He’s right next to me. Anything I want to do to him is easy."

The space fell utterly silent.

Kai stared at the teeth marks on Kei’s cheek, looked at Kang Ian’s smug expression, then glanced at the arm of the other man wrapped tightly around Kei.

His eyes gradually turned red.

"You..."

Kei raised a hand to hold his cheek, turning his head angrily to look at Kang Ian.

"Why did you bite me?"

"To mark you so that dragon over there knows who you’re with."

Kang Ian apparently thought that wasn’t enough, so he lowered his head and pressed one more gentle kiss onto Kei’s soft forehead.

"Kang Ian!"

Kei gritted his teeth, but Kang Ian had already turned his face away as if he hadn’t heard anything at all.

Kai let out a roar that shook the sky.

"I’ll tear you apart!"

He beat his wings and charged forward at a speed many times faster than before. His black claws continuously slashed through the air, each missed strike producing a loud boom.

But Kang Ian still dodged them all.

He pulled Kei upward, dropped low, slid left, then abruptly reversed direction. Every time Kai thought he had caught Kei, Kang Ian used gravity to alter his trajectory, causing Kai’s attack to hit nothing but empty space.

The more Kai fought, the more he lost his composure, while the more Kang Ian dodged, the calmer he became. That disparity drove Kai nearly insane.