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Not only was it the first time he’d encountered a character that cursed more than him, it was also the first time he had seen someone curse at Xen. Even Zeev had broken character and snapped at him.

But the more Gruu spouted profanity at Xen, the more the twitch in Evan’s eyebrow grew. His fists clenched at his side, jaws tightening, and before he could realize the rise in his temper, he pocketed his hands and strolled over to the trio.

No one sensed him sneaking up in the dark other than Xen.

“My, my, did a dog run rabid around here?” Evan stopped beside Zeev, staring down at Gruu with a disgusted look. “I heard something barking.”

Gruu sneered at him, squinting slightly in the dark. But when his eyes adjusted and saw Evan’s face, the curses rising in his throat died down. The demon looked like he’d seen a ghost.

His bloody mouth hung open. “Car—”

Wham!

Evan flinched as Xen abruptly stood up, jamming his knee squarely in Gruu’s mouth.

With a resoundingcrack, Gruu toppled back, howling as he held onto his mouth, fresh blood oozing from between his fingers. He growled like a wildcat, pointing at Xen with a trembling finger. “You… you…”

Xen only slightly narrowed his eyes, and Gruu closed his bleeding mouth, cursing under his breath.

“Interesting,” Evan tilted his head at Gruu’s sprawled form. “Do you guys know this creature?”

Xen walked over to Evan, robes fluttering. A fine layer of just-absorbed demonic energy thrummed over his body like a second skin. “Unfortunately.”

Evan hummed, glancing back at Gruu. “Say, is he perhaps your illegitimate son?”

Xen blinked at the abrupt, bizarre question. Some color that had been washed to his skin after smacking mouths with Evan faded as he stared at him. “…No.”

“Oh,” Evan pulled the most fake smile he could muster. “If he’s not your illegitimate son, then why thefuckdid you stand there and let him curse you out like that?”

Only I can do that…The thought rose in Evan’s head, but he didn’t voice it, and in his moment of shock, Xen failed to hear it either.

“It’s a waste of breath.”

Evan glared at Gruu. “I have plenty of breath to waste on little bitches who don’t know when to shut the hole in their face.”

Xen dismissed Evan’s threat with a shake of his head. “He’s just an embarrassing acquaintance. Harmless as long as you ignore him.”

Evan continued to shoot daggers at Gruu as he sat up slowly, still holding onto his bleeding mouth. He looked up, as if wanting to curse at Xen again, but then caught Evan’s eyes and ducked his head.

Huh? Do I look that intimidating?

“Don’t,” Zeev muttered in Gruu’s direction.

But as if the only goal in his life was to defy every word anyone ever said to him, Gruu’s eyes snapped up. “Or what, huh? You gonna headbutt me again, you damn doormat?”

Evan was confused for a moment but then realized he was talking about their brawl earlier. The Hellguard at the front whom Zeev had headbutted—that was Gruu.

Suddenly, he pointed at Evan—but didn’t look at him—and started raging at Zeev. “Or are you getting pumped becauseheshowed up? You fucking coward, come at me if you want. I can still take you down bare-fisted!”

Evan frowned, confused.

Was he perhaps such a formidable exorcist that even the demon race felt threatened by his presence? Gruu didn’t seem smart enough to figure out Evan was an exorcist with just one glance. He was the kind of creature with the stature of a grown man but the logic of a newborn. He probably felt it was unfair because three people were ganged up against him.

Evan scoffed but ignored him like Xen had advised.

Xen turned around, and Gruu flinched, holding up his hands in a cross in front of his face, braced for another kick. But it never came. Xen simply crouched in front of him again, grabbed Gruu’s short curly hair in his fist, and yanked his head back.

“Listen well, I don’t like repeating myself…”