A weary smile spread across Max's face as he looked at the opponents standing before him.
Dipter was no longer alone. Hugo, Dud and Popper had moved to stand beside him, making it clear that they intended to fight together.
Although Max had managed to handle Dipter with relative ease once he stopped holding back, Dipter was still highly skilled. Max had landed a powerful attack on him, but it hadn't been enough to remove him from the fight entirely.
The other three were unknown factors.
Max had fought Dud before, but he couldn't judge the man based only on what he remembered. Dud wouldn't have called him out or willingly stepped forward unless he believed he had grown stronger since their last meeting.
I hurt Dipter, but not enough, Max thought. He's still in good enough condition to fight if he gets a little time to recover.
