Elsewhere in New York, night deepened.
Ray F Stein, as usual, stopped by a nearby bar for a drink after work. He sat for a bit before heading out. Although he didn't need to sleep, he was very cautious, always ensuring he acted as human as possible—maintaining a normal routine—to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
However, he felt that the native creatures of this world were too fragile. Coupled with the need to stay under the radar to avoid attracting the attention of the government, relying on consuming humans to regain his power seemed like a distant dream. As Ray contemplated his plans, he took a detour into an alley and suddenly halted.
Not far ahead in a shadowy corner stood a tall figure, motionless.
A robber? Ray thought for a moment but dismissed the idea. He faintly sensed a somewhat familiar presence. Could it be one of his kind hunting here? Ray chuckled at the thought. Another one without a sense of territory, he mused.
"This is my territory. Leave now," Ray thought. However, he didn't stop walking. Among the lower-tier demons who gained strength by consuming others, there weren't many he needed to be wary of. If this intruder didn't get the hint, they might end up as his next meal.
"Ray F Stein?" The shadowy figure spoke.
"You've got the wrong guy. Don't look for trouble, buddy." With Ray's enhanced vision, he had already discerned a very tall man. But why did he know Ray's name? Why was he waiting here specifically for him? Ray grew cautious and decided to probe the stranger's intent.
"Come with me. A higher-up wishes to see you," the man said in Demonic tongue. Slowly stepping out of the shadows, his black Armani suit couldn't conceal his powerful physique. Even the area around his neck, which was typically challenging for ordinary people to develop, was covered with pronounced muscles. Like a volcano brimming with terrifying power, this was Marcus, sent on Bruce's orders.
And Ray F Stein was the blonde man previously seen with Peter Russell. He would never have imagined that a mere chance encounter would make Bruce remember him and associate him with Peter's disappearance. If Ray knew the reasons behind all this, he would deeply regret attending that party.
Indeed, this guy spoke in Demonic! A higher-up? Only high-ranking demons earned such respect. Why was Ray being targeted by such powerful entities? He began to panic slightly but tried to remain calm, continuing in English. "Hey, buddy, what are you saying? I don't understand."
Though Ray hid his unease well, Marcus was running out of patience. He had finally managed to corner his target in a secluded spot and didn't want to mess up on his first mission, risking the wrath of Lord Mephisto. Anyway, he was just instructed to bring this guy in—if it turned out he wasn't one of their kind, then bad luck for him.
"Boom!" With a speed that belied his massive stature, Marcus lunged forward, reaching Ray almost instantly. Ray barely had time to raise his arms in defense when the unexpected force from Marcus sent him tumbling backward. Ray was thrust several meters into the air, tracing a clear arc, quickly reaching the peak of his trajectory.
If it were an ordinary person, given the trajectory, they'd likely be critically injured or even crippled from the sheer force of Marcus's blow, combined with momentum, when falling onto the solid concrete ground.
But something strange happened. As Ray was about to hit the ground after being thrown into a parabolic arc, his body suddenly dispersed like smoke just inches above the ground, vanishing without a trace.
Yes, there was no sign of him, as if he had never existed in the first place. He simply disappeared into thin air.
However, this bizarre event only made Marcus pause for a second, showing no extreme shock. He stopped himself from lunging forward. His legs planted firmly on the ground, his mouth opened wider and wider, stretching beyond its limit, forming a massive maw, large enough to fit an entire basketball!
An indescribably pungent and searing heat filled the air, the strong odor permeating the entire alley, almost suffocating anyone who inhaled it.
Endless waves of fiery red brilliance spewed from Marcus's grotesque mouth. Starting from where he stood, the red light engulfed the alley's exit, spreading rapidly across the entire area.
The red glow was blindingly bright when it first appeared, as if even the nearby air was ignited, and the light itself seemed to warp. However, it quickly dimmed, revealing a viscous liquid mixed with countless fragments, sparks flying. It was molten lava.
In just a few moments, most of the alley had turned into a sea of red light, everything within sight was aflame, burning with "crackling" sounds. Even the old iron staircase on the side of a house was severed and consumed by the surging, scalding lava.
Suddenly, a human figure emerged from the lava. It was Ray, the one who had disappeared earlier! Now, he no longer looked human. Not only did he have tiny horns growing from his forehead, but his head was now an upside-down triangle, and his entire body was covered in a strange, jet-black scale armor, showcasing extraordinary toughness and heat resistance, keeping the all-consuming lava at bay.
Lava eruption! In the demon world, it's considered a common power, but for Ray at the moment, it felt like a deadly curse. Although in his shadow form, he could hide without leaving any traces, he became especially vulnerable. With his newfound, weak power, he couldn't withstand the lava. Had he not shown his true form and relied on his scales for protection, he might've already been melted.
However, Ray had no time to feel relieved. Struggling to break free from the lava's grasp, he leaped high, using both hands and feet to embed himself into the wall. The brick wall crumbled like powder under his sharp, black claws, anchoring him securely.
As soon as he emerged, Marcus, not too far away, ceased his spewing. With his highly swollen right hand, he grabbed the escape ladder above him. With a few "clank" sounds, he snapped off half of the metal stairs and hurled them at Ray's location.
Ray, freshly anchored to the wall, had no choice but to leap upwards to dodge. This gave Marcus the opportunity to chase. Marcus's shoes had long since burst open, revealing his swollen legs. Astonishingly, he defied gravity, rushing upwards on the wall with his sharp claws.
With every step, the brick wall would depress as if made of foam, showcasing the incredible power in his legs.
Ray only managed to climb twice before the overpowering Marcus caught him, pinning him down as they both plummeted into the lava below.
The lava that had filled the alley cooled at a visibly rapid rate, vanishing in mere moments, leaving behind scorched walls, ground, and various unidentifiable remnants.
Ray was in a sorry state, pinned to the ground with Marcus's massive claw pressing his head. Even his tough demonic body creaked under the strain. Marcus, his mouth full of sharp teeth, drew close to Ray's head and growled, "Demon, submit or perish!"
The stench mixed with a pungent smell surrounded Ray. With a glimpse from the corner of his eye, he recognized his captor—a Hellguard demon. This lowly creature must've gained favor from some higher power, granted strength that surpassed Ray's in every aspect. The once-infamous Shadow Demon was now the vulnerable human, Ray, who could only recover his power by slowly consuming humans. And he was now bullied by a Hellguard demon.
"I'll go with you," Ray Stein wisely surrendered, knowing that survival was paramount.
By the time the shrill sirens echoed through the night, the alley was empty, leaving only destruction and a few lingering flames.