SSS-Ranked Demon Hunter: The Prodigy
Chapter 89: Aruya, Part 3

Chapter 89: Aruya, Part 3

The Next Evening

Aruya walked down the street at a calm, unhurried pace.

The wind pulled her hair back like in a slow-motion scene.

No hood. No sunglasses. No attempt to hide.

Even though she probably should have.

Behind her — fights, corpses, burning clubs, and security cameras.

And yet, there was no fear. No guilt in her steps.

People turned to look.

Some pulled out phones. Others simply stared in awe.

Among teens, she was already a legend: "the girl with the white tiger."

As if stepping out from a movie screen, she strode down the center of the street in a short skirt, a bomber jacket, and an ice-cold expression.

Beside her walked Yuma — a snow-white tiger cub, majestic even in his youthful size. His eyes scanned every corner. His ears were always alert.

The weather was clear, the sky glassy and pale.

But the forecast promised rain.

At that very moment, across the road, a man stepped out of a tall office building — tall, sharply dressed in a fine suit. He looked proper. But tired.

CEO of a major holding. A man who no longer had the luxury of mistakes.

He reached for his phone — but froze.

Their eyes met.

His heart skipped a beat.

Who is this girl?

A second passed — and he looked away, pretending it was nothing.

"Just a passerby. Just a coincidence. Don’t look. Don’t think."

But it didn’t work.

"Hey, old man. I’m talking to you," she called out. "Why’d you freeze up?"

He turned around slowly.

There was no one behind him — but the voice rang clear.

"...Sorry? Maybe you’ve mistaken me for someone else?" he said, his voice almost trembling.

Aruya was now only a meter away from him. She wasn’t rushing.

Yuma sat silently by her side.

"Hell no," she said, staring him down. "You’re exactly the one I was looking for."

The man swallowed hard.

"...And what do you want from me?"

Aruya stood before him, looking up but losing none of her pressure.

Yuma — now visibly larger than before — stood beside her, his tail slowly swaying across the asphalt.

"I’ve got business," she said calmly. "I won’t take much of your time. Not that you have any left."

"Business? With me?.."

Aruya rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Who else? I’m talking to you, aren’t I? Let’s get to it. We both know the same person. The name Dmitriy Volkov ring a bell?"

Her voice didn’t get louder — but it hit like a bullet.

The man twitched slightly. His face tightened in anxiety.

"Uh... I’m sorry, what?"

"Oh, don’t play dumb. Your face says it all. You’re definitely the one I was looking for. I’m trying to find that bastard. My family fell victim to the same filth as yours did."

He tried to turn away, feigning ignorance. His voice turned defensive.

"Sorry, but I don’t know who you’re talking about. If you’ve got nothing else—"

"Nope," she cut him off, stepping forward. "You know exactly what I’m talking about. And right now, you’re in danger. I want to help you—"

Suddenly, the man lunged — awkward, desperate, more of a flinch than an attack.

He tried to grab her by the throat — but Yuma reacted instantly.

The white tiger pinned him to the ground before he could move.

"What the hell is wrong with you, old man?! I’m trying to help here!"

He struggled under the weight of the beast, unable to move. His voice trembled.

"I know who you people are! You won’t trick me... Thought I’d spill everything at the first chance? Mafia... this is what you’ve sunk to!"

Aruya clenched her fists.

"God damn it. I’m not your enemy. I’m not Mafia. This isn’t some kind of test.

You’re just a pathetic, paranoid wreck."

"Y-you think I’d believe you?! I’ve memorized all your tricks!"

"Oh, for fuck’s sake... Yuma, off him."

Yuma obeyed, stepping back — and unexpectedly, licked the man’s face.

He froze.

"Wh-what...?"

Aruya turned away, brushing a lock of hair from her face, and walked off.

"Listen, old man. I’ve been through the same shit. My family — wiped out by the same scum that threatened yours. I know who did it. And I can help. Help your family survive too. Believe me or don’t — that’s your call."

She didn’t look back, but she knew he was watching her walk away.

He lay on the asphalt, breathing heavily.

Confused. His eyes trembled — hovering somewhere between fear and hope.

He knew: either he follows her...

...or he waits for a miracle that would probably never come.

Shortly After

They were already sitting in a small café by the window. The place was quiet.

Only the dull murmur of rain beginning to tap against the windows broke the silence.

Aruya slowly sipped her coffee. A dark mask covered her face, her eyes hidden behind black glasses.

The man nervously turned the teacup in his hands before finally speaking:

"...You’re kind of famous, aren’t you? Why hide?"

"Don’t worry about it," she replied calmly. "Strange that you’ve never heard of me."

He nodded and looked away.

"So what do you want from me?"

"From you? Nothing. But with your help, I can track down a certain bastard."

He froze, but didn’t interrupt.

"Dmitriy Volkov. A leech who hides behind charity. His game’s simple: he finds a wealthy family, offers ’help,’ and then drowns them in debt. Bleeds them dry for the Mafia’s coffers."

"And how do you know all this?.."

He squinted, studying her reaction carefully.

"I can guess there are others like me... but how did you get into this?"

"I hate the Mafia," her voice hardened. "They took everything from me. My family. My home. They were innocent. I want to kill Volkov. End this cycle of pain."

The man set down his cup, not taking his eyes off her.

"And I’m just supposed to believe you? You show up with a damn tiger and expect me to spill everything? You’re just a kid."

Aruya sighed and scratched her head.

"I need proof," he said. "You could be anyone — an agent, a vigilante... But right now, you look like a girl chasing fantasies."

"...Heard about the massacre at that club? Or the bar on 34th street? Guess who was behind it? All the victims — Mafia."

The man frowned.

"And how did you know I knew Volkov? What’s your secret? Surveillance? Telepathy? You don’t strike me as the team player type."

Aruya went quiet for a moment.

Then her voice turned cold.

"I killed the head of the Mafia. Before dying, one of his men spilled everything. About Volkov. About his target list. You’re first on that list."

The man let out a quiet sigh.

"...Doesn’t matter if their Don’s dead. Mafia runs on the system. You cut off one head — another grows back. Well... Aruya, thanks for the talk. But I’ve got nothing more to say."

He stood up and started walking toward the exit.

"You think you can do this alone?" her voice cut through the murmur of rain. "Wanna bet? He gave you an impossible deadline. You know you can’t survive without help."

He stopped — but didn’t turn.

"Old man," she added more quietly. "Tomorrow. Same place. Same time. If you show up, we’ll plan our move. And trust me — I mean what I say."

The man stood for a long moment, uncertain. Then, without a word, he stepped into the rain.

Aruya remained seated.

Her eyes, hidden behind her shades, stared at the closed door.

"What a terrible day for rain," she whispered, as if sensing what was to come.

Meanwhile, the man walked under a black umbrella.

Cold droplets struck his shoulders, trailing down his collar like a burden.

His car was nearby, but the path to it felt endless.

His thoughts spun, darker and darker.

"What should I do?.. She’s not lying — I can feel it. But if I say the wrong thing, or take the wrong step... The Mafia will wipe me out. God... all of this mess started just for the money."

The Next Day

He came home early.

The house greeted him with the familiar sounds — children laughing, feet pattering on the floors, soft music playing in the kitchen.

Today felt like the most fragile day of his life — and maybe the most terrifying.

He ran his hand along the wall, as if needing proof that the house was still his.

The children darted through the hallway, their grandmother sat by the TV, and his wife prepared a humble lunch.

"How was work, honey?" she asked with a warm smile.

He froze for a moment.

Being head of the family meant protecting them — even when the world collapsed.

None of them knew what he was involved in.

And he’d long regretted reaching out to the wrong people.

I can’t lose this. I can’t lose her smile.

"Everything’s fine," he replied, forcing a smile. "Can’t wait to taste your cooking."

She said something in return, but her voice felt distant.

Like it was echoing underwater.

"What if I sell the car?.. Ask for one more day. Explain everything. If I steal from the holding... I’m done for. The gold. I’ll give them what’s left of the gold. Yes, maybe that’ll do."

"Honey?" her voice pulled him back. "Do you hear me? Someone’s calling you."

"...Ah? Oh. Right. One second."

He took the phone and stepped into the hallway.

The name on the screen cut like a blade:

[Caller: Dmitriy Volkov]

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.