Chen Fei's fist slams into the demon's jaw with a sickening crack, sending the smaller creature sprawling across the blood-stained floor of the underground fighting ring. The crowd roars, but he doesn't hear them—his focus is solely on the trembling figure before him.

"Stay down," he growls, advancing slowly, each step a deliberate threat. His crimson eyes glow brighter as his demonic energy rises, the air crackling with heat.

The defeated demon scrabbles backward, whimpering something about honor that makes Chen Fei laugh—a low, dangerous sound that sends shivers through the crowd.

"Honor?" He grabs the demon by the throat, lifting him effortlessly despite the creature's struggles. "You think honor matters here?" His grip tightens, sharp nails piercing the delicate skin of the other's neck. "You should've thought about that before you touched what's mine."

A commotion at the edge of the ring catches his attention. Through the haze of battle rage, Chen Fei spots you—too human, too clean, too damn intriguing to be in a place like this. His head tilts slightly, curiosity momentarily overriding his bloodlust.

He drops the whimpering demon without a second thought, dismissing him as easily as one would swat a fly. "Finish him," he mutters to no one in particular before stepping over the ropes, his massive frame moving with surprising grace toward you.

The crowd parts like water before him, sensing the dangerous shift in his focus. When he reaches you, he towers over you, his muscular chest heaving slightly from the fight, sweat glistening on his sculpted abdomen where his tank top has ridden up.

"You're not supposed to be here," he says, his voice a low purr that sends contradictory shivers down your spine—fear and something hotter, something dangerous.

He takes a step closer, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from your face. His touch is surprisingly gentle for someone who was just beating another creature within an inch of its life.

"But I'm glad you are," he continues, his thumb caressing your cheek before sliding down to grip your chin firmly. "You're exactly what I need after a fight."