The Damned Demon
chapter-620

"What... What happened? Are the…people safe?" Arthur mumbled weakly, trying to sit up, his voice a hoarse whisper that carried with it the weight of his ordeal and pain, his body still rapidly restoring his body to its healthy state.

But instead of focusing on the pain, his eyes were busy scanning his surroundings.

"What the hell were you thinking? By some luck and all, you did save the city, but do you have any idea that if you were even a second slower, the entire city would have been reduced to ashes, let alone losing your own life?" Asher's voice was sharp, feeling this urge to rebuke him as if to make sure he wouldn't repeat it again.

Arthur's face clouded with guilt and shame. He averted his eyes, his voice barely above a whisper as he responded, "I am sorry...I thought I could do it because I have completed Catastrophe Level quests before."

Asher shook his head dismissively, the lines of his face hardening, "No. You didn't. The way you became helpless there, not knowing what to do... That didn't seem like a Hunter who completed even a single Catastrophe Level quest on their own."

Confusion and doubt flickered across Arthur's features as he tried to remember his past Catastrophe Level quests. But why was it hard to remember the details and yet at the same time, he felt as if he had completed them only yesterday.

Amelia, sensing the tension, stepped in with a supportive smile, trying to lighten the mood, "Okay, let's take a breather. What's important is that millions of lives were saved, and the city still stands. So even if we danced with death, you saved the day, Arthur, and of course…" Amelia looked at Asher with a soft smile and added, "...we couldn't have done it without our combat advisor as well."

Asher remained silent, his stern demeanor softening slightly as Arthur looked at Amelia, gratitude shimmering in his eyes, "Thank you, Amelia and…" He shifted his gaze towards Ash, "Thank you, sir, for guiding me. Without you, I couldn't have done it," Arthur's eyes sparkled with respect and awe despite the rebuke he received from his combat advisor.

When it came down to the important things, his combat advisor ended up truly saving the day. Without his advice and instructions, he couldn't have broken down the barrier without killing those people and then saving the city in time.

Just imagining what would have happened without his combat advisor sent chills down his spine. He could never have lived with himself.

Asher found it hard to remain frustrated and angry upon feeling Arthur's earnest gaze. He simply gave a brief nod as he said, "Well, that's my job."

"But..." Arthur's voice trailed off, concern creeping back into his tone as he stood and surveyed the surroundings, "Where are the people who got taken as hostages? Did they..."

"They are safe. Somebody somehow rescued them," Asher replied, gesturing towards the groups of civilians huddled together a distance away from the crater, his voice carrying a mix of confusion and bewilderment.

Amelia raised her eyebrows in surprise, her curiosity piqued, "Who could have saved them in the middle of all this? Within that time... only a really powerful speedster Hunter could have saved them, and yet no such Hunter is here."

"Maybe they wanted to silently save them?" Yui suggested, her voice tinged with wonder and hopeful speculation.

"They must be very brave and not fear death to save those people like that. They could have died too..." Emiko mumbled.

Rebecca stood somewhat apart from the group, her arms crossed, her gaze fixed on Arthur with a mix of suspicion and intrigue.

Her mind churned with questions about his miraculous recovery. Was it some residual radiant mana that kickstarted his mana circuit and saved him? No, that couldn't be... He should have died.

Caught in her thoughts, Rebecca barely noticed Yui approaching until her soft voice broke through the silence, "Uhmm…What are you thinking deeply about?" Yui asked, her tone gentle yet curious.

Rebecca, startled, quickly turned to face Yui, her expression briefly slipping into one of irritation before an idea struck her. Grasping Yui by the shoulders with a suddenness that made Yui gasp, Rebecca demanded, "Tell me... when you tried to heal him, did he even have a wisp of radiant mana left in his body?"

Yui, taken aback by the intensity of the question, hugged her staff closer, her voice timid as she replied, "No... I don't think so."

"Then how... he should have died..." Rebecca murmured to herself, the puzzle gnawing at her. The thought crossed her mind that perhaps this was a troubling development for Oberon's plans. Yet, this Hunter brat's evident inexperience offered a silver lining. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise.

"It's bad to wish death on a good soul. Others might not think so but I know you can be better," Yui interjected, her words soft yet carrying a weight of gentle admonishment yet with sincerity. Rebecca blinked her eyes but then she scoffed, her disdain clear as she retorted, "Pfft, what if I don't want to be? Since you know who I truly am, you should know I wish death on every soul on this planet, including that..." she lowered her voice, adding, "...despicable Master of yours." With those words, Rebecca turned and walked away, eager to distance herself from the icky feelings this lowly human was always making her feel.

As she stepped away, the distant sound of helicopters and small planes grew louder, drawing the group's attention skyward. Most of the approaching aircraft bore the insignia of the WHA, leading Asher to comment dryly, "Looks like some want to join the after-party." However, his tone shifted as he spotted two figures darting through the air toward them at a breakneck pace, landing with a precision that spoke of their powerful abilities.

One of them was a middle aged man and the other, a woman looking in her mid forties. Both had hazel eyes and dark brown hair.

Asher's expression transformed from suspicion to shock as he recognized the newcomers: Edward and Alice Evangelion, the parents of that 'woman'.

Their presence alone shifted the dynamic, drawing eyes and stirring a mix of emotions among the gathered Hunters and bystanders. For Asher, however, the sight of these two figures he had known almost his entire life evoked a complex swirl of memories and emotions.

He watched them with a dry chuckle echoing silently within him, a sound born not of amusement but of a deep, ironic realization. As Cedric, he had lived almost like family with the Evangelions, yet they had always looked down on him and kept him at arm's length, especially from their daughter. He could still remember each and every thing they did to keep him away from her.

Now, seeing them here, he scoffed inwardly, wondering if he should thank them for trying to do him a favor though he knew they did it for other obvious reasons.

Rebecca deeply frowned upon seeing these Evangelions. She had lived long enough to know how powerful they were, feared in her world and that they were the oldest Hunter family to still exist.

She had always wanted to kill one to add another achievement to her endless list of one. But she will just have to satisfy herself with letting her dear son take care of that young and inexperienced Evangelion in the future.

Edward rushed to Arthur, concern etched on his features, and called out, "Arthur, son. Are you alright?"

Asher's thoughts were abruptly pulled back to the present upon hearing his voice. Alice, meanwhile, maintained her distance, her eyes fixed on Arthur with an unreadable expression, though her eyes seemed to be scanning him from top to bottom.

Around them, Amelia, Emiko, and Yui looked on with respect and a hint of awe. The Evangelion couple who were leaders of their family were legends in their own right, and rarely made an appearance in public ever since their daughter disappeared. This only made it feel even more surreal to see them so close like this.

Arthur, visibly relieved to see his parents, embraced his father warmly, "I am alright, father. You don't have to worry," he assured, though his voice felt burdened by what happened.

Edward sighed, stepping back with a mixture of relief and reprimand, "Why did you take such a dangerous quest? You should have at least consulted me. All teleportation portals were deactivated in this country. So we flew as fast as we could the moment we saw that things weren't looking good," he chided, his hands still trembling from the fear that he could have lost him today.

He couldn't help but inspect Arthur's condition again and again, his expression heavy with untold emotions upon seeing that he was perfectly alright.

Asher, feeling increasingly out of place amidst this family reunion, scoffed lightly, a sound tinged with a mix of resignation and bitterness, "Let's go. We are done here," he murmured to Amelia, turning to leave, his steps heavy.

Edward, catching the sound of a man's scoff, turned sharply, his brow furrowing as his gaze landed on the young man.

Even though he knew about Arthur's combat advisor, a shock passed through him as he, with his own eyes, recognized the subtle glow of golden eyes—eyes he knew all too well, yet seeing them here, now, unsettled him deeply.

But even if those eyes looked familiar, he knew it couldn't be the same man.

"That's my combat advisor, father. He was an S Ranker in the past and is really knowledgeable and a good teacher. Without him, I couldn't have saved the city," Arthur explained quietly with a light smile.

"Is that so..." Edward mumbled, his thoughts racing as he tried to reconcile the past with the present, his eyes lingering on that man.

Amelia, sensing the growing discomfort, cleared her throat and offered a polite smile to Edward to silently greet him before she gestured for Emiko and Yui to follow Asher.

Just as they began to walk away,

"You...wait over there," A cold, commanding voice stopped them in their tracks.

Alice, having been silent until now, stepped forward, her demeanor authoritative.

Asher raised an eyebrow, turning to face her fully. Alice's gaze was piercing, her arms crossed as she scrutinized him, "Who are you really? Do you share the same bloodline as the...Corrupted Prince?" she demanded, her voice carrying a blend of suspicion and scrutiny.