Damian felt uneasy with the black car trailing him all the way to his house. Things were spiraling out of control.
That car had seen where he went. If it was a hunter—more specifically Troy—it could mean trouble. The meetings with the demons might be compromised.
With no other option, Damian called Leo again.
"Is something wrong?" Leo asked as he answered.
"There's a black car following me. Could be Troy, could be another hunter. Can you take care of it? Don't kill—just kidnap and stash him somewhere," Damian said.
"Why not handle it yourself?" Leo asked.
"This guy saw the café, which means he could know about future meetings. And I can't deal with him—I've got more important things to do with those demon parts you gave me."
Leo had long accepted Damian's strange personality, shaped by centuries of existence. His obsession with demon parts was one of those eccentricities.
"Alright, I'll handle it. Just head home—I'll meet you there and take care of this stalker myself."
After the solid work Damian had done in the meeting, Leo wanted to repay him. So, instead of sending one of his lackeys, he went himself. That was how much he appreciated Damian's efforts.
Damian's only task was to keep walking toward his apartment. The black car followed him just like the days before.
It parked across the street, watching as he entered.
Inside the car sat Troy. It was truly him. He'd been assigned to track Damian's movements.
"What was he doing in that building?" Troy wondered.
Then, a shadow appeared next to the car window—it was Leo.
There was no contest: Leo was far stronger than Troy. They weren't even in the same league.
Troy didn't immediately recognize him as a demon. At first, he thought Leo was just a man coming to beg for change.
"I don't have any money to give you, I'm sorry," Troy said.
Leo chuckled at the misunderstanding. "You can pay with your life. Why are you following my new friend? Looking to die?"
Troy's instincts flared. Danger. He braced himself for a fight, trying to channel his mana—but nothing happened.
Something was blocking him. His power was completely suppressed.
Troy panicked. Leo seized him by the neck—his strength was overwhelming. No matter how hard Troy struggled, there was no escaping that grip.
Leo choked him until he passed out. He didn't kill him, of course. Damian watched it all from his apartment window.
He didn't interfere. He trusted Leo to keep his word and spare Troy's life.
*
The next morning, Damian was back at work, faced with yet another crime scene to clean.
He still wanted to follow the thread of the hunter massacre, to uncover what had really happened—but he and Agatha were no longer part of that investigation.
This scene was nothing out of the ordinary. Just another random demon attack. This time, the hunters had chased the demon down quickly and killed it.
But everything changed around 5 p.m.
That's when someone important arrived at the hunter building.
Everyone spilled outside to await their arrival. It was a big moment for them.
The visitor was the S-rank hunter Nataly had called in the other day.
A limousine pulled up in front of the hunter building. All eyes turned as someone stepped out.
A man. And he was nothing like Damian had imagined.
No fine clothes, no polished shoes, no regal presence.
He wore plain, weathered clothing. His beard was long and tangled, his hair just as wild. A horizontal scar stretched across his nose, a remnant of some forgotten battle.
But what truly turned heads was his size.
He towered at an astonishing three meters tall, with monstrous muscles that made him look almost unnatural—like a myth carved out of flesh. A brute forged by wars.
Agatha stood beside Damian, frozen. Her lips parted, her eyes wide.
"This is… This is…"
Damian looked at her, confused. Was it just the man's grotesque form that had her so rattled?
"What's wrong, Agatha? Do you know this man?" Damian asked.
She took a breath, struggling to steady herself.
"That man is no S-rank hunter," she said.
Damian's brow furrowed.
"That… is an SS-rank hunter. A legend among us."
The SS-rank hunter stared at each of the hunters waiting for him, and when his gaze fell on Damian, it felt like he was naked. Like that hunter could see through all of his secrets.
Nataly stepped forward to speak with the man, and he was surprised to see such a legend there.
The man was known by the nickname Lion Beast.
"Lion Beast, I never thought you'd be the one coming here to help us," Nataly said, bowing. "Your presence means a lot to us."
Lion Beast laughed out loud. "Nataly, right? Relax, no need to be so polite with me. I'm a hunter, just like you. Treat me as an equal."
It was easy for him to say that, but no one treated Lion Beast like just another hunter. The number of S-rank hunters wasn't high, but still decent.
But an SS-rank hunter? That was an entirely different level. Damian knew that too. He wasn't stupid.
Damian was scared. Something deep inside warned him to stay away from that Lion Beast guy.
Lion Beast spent most of his time talking with Nataly, trying to get a sense of the situation. They spoke for about thirty minutes in her office.
It was almost time for Damian to head home when, to his surprise, Nataly came to speak with him.
Seeing her approach made Damian anxious. She wasn't someone who spoke to him often—especially not after having just met with an SS-rank hunter.
"Damian," Nataly said, "can you come with me for a moment?"
"What for?" Damian asked.
Deep down, Damian knew the reason—but he wanted to be sure.
"Lion Beast wants to speak with you."
There was no running from someone that powerful. He followed Nataly. She led him to her office, then left without a word.
Now, only Damian and Lion Beast were inside. The SS-rank hunter stood by the window, staring down at the streets below.
"Sir," Damian said, "did you want to speak with me?"
Lion Beast turned. His face wasn't the friendly one from before.
"I can sniff you from miles away," he said, fists clenched.
"Sniff me? What do you mean? I haven't showered yet—maybe that's it?"
Lion Beast shook his head. "I can smell the demon in you from miles away, you bastard."
Damian didn't even have time to blink.
In a flash, Lion Beast was in front of him, gripping his head—his massive hand engulfed Damian's skull like it was nothing.
Then he tossed him straight through the window.
Glass shattered. Damian flew across the street, slamming into another building with bone-rattling force.