The Damned Demon
chapter-644

"You have to be kidding me…" Asher mumbled and blinked, taken aback by Arthur's request. Even if it wasn't their actual mission, what infuriated Asher was that they could have caught the Thundering Reaper if not for Arthur butting in at the wrong time. After all, they had been struggling to track and find her when she suddenly showed up before them.

And Arthur could not have intervened if not for what happened during that quest in New York, making Asher regret teaching him those things. So why would he teach him more and invite more trouble for himself?

And so his present request only made Asher scoff as he said,

"Teach you? You can't be serious. My job is to advise you and your team during combat, not to school you from scratch. That's above my pay grade. If you think you lack so much, you should ask the teachers at the WHA or, hell, even your own decorated father. I'm just a mere combat advisor compared to an ex-member of the Guardian Council."

Arthur's expression fell further, a mix of embarrassment and disappointment clouding his features as he scratched the back of his head, "I suppose it was too much to ask. I'm sorry. I didn't feel confident about asking anyone else, and my father always said that there was nothing more he could teach me."

Asher raised an eyebrow, pondering the strange comment from Edward, Arthur's father. It seemed peculiar that such a seasoned Hunter would claim there was nothing more to teach his son, especially when Arthur clearly lacked so much.

He still found it absurd that Arthur managed to become a peak S Ranker so quickly with his present skillset. He had the power, talent, and potential but not the experience clearly.

But before he could voice his thoughts, Amelia intervened with a gentle smile, trying to ease the tension.

"Don't worry, Arthur. Some things you learn through experience. The best thing you can do is keep challenging yourself through quests, but nothing too hard. One step at a time," Amelia suggested kindly.

"Thank you, Amelia. I suppose that is the right way," Arthur responded, managing a light smile as he processed her advice.

Asher let out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of the day's failures and frustrations, "Let's disperse. Today was a fucking disaster, and there's no point in wasting more time here," he declared, eager to move on from the fruitless discussion and think of what to do next.

The others nodded in agreement, bidding Arthur farewell before dispersing into the sky, each lost in their own thoughts about the day's events.

Arthur, however, lingered at the scene a moment longer, his gaze settling on the pool of blood left behind by the Thundering Reaper. His eyes glazed over, reflective and distant, as he pondered certain things that happened.

Meanwhile, a few hours later, Asher entered his culthold, the serene glow of radiant green light bathing the room. Emiko and Yui were focused intently on healing Grace, whose aged face bore signs of exhaustion despite the visible recovery of her injuries.

"Are you alright?" Asher asked as he stepped closer, his tone softening with genuine concern.

Grace looked up at him, a tired smile crossing her features, "Yes, thanks to these two," she replied, nodding towards Emiko and Yui, who paused to acknowledge Asher with respectful nods.

Rachel and Amelia walked in after him, their expressions lined with concern as they observed the healing session.

"This is enough, girls. I am feeling fine now. Take some rest now. You two have been working tirelessly on this old woman for too long," Grace said as she made them lower their hands, their faces riddled with drops of sweat.

However, Yui's expression was still worried as she said in a soft voice, "But your mana circuit is still not in a…good state…" Yui felt guilty since she knew one of the main reasons things became this worse was because Grace helped them take revenge on those bad people who tried to sell them and then went on to destroy other organizations that did the same.

They couldn't have done it without her doing the heavy lifting.

Emiko tightly pressed her lips together, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she knew Yui's words were her attempt to not make it sound as bad as possible. But the reality…

Grace gently touched Emiko and Yui's cheeks, her smile soft and protective despite the weariness in her eyes, "It's always been like this, my dears. Don't fret over today's mishaps. We should be more concerned about what happened with the Thundering Reaper. It's my fault. If only I had performed better, we might have captured her."

Asher observed Grace, a pang of sadness and guilt tightening in his chest. He knew each time he sent her on missions, her condition deteriorated even faster.

With a heavy heart, he interjected, "That's not what's important now. You did the job you were assigned today, and we can always try to catch her later. But...Grace, maybe you should take a break until we need you for an emergency."

Grace turned towards Asher, her expression resolute as she stood up slowly, "Please don't sideline me, Master. My time is already running out, and I want to make sure it's not wasted. Idling away would be the real waste of what time I have left."

"Aunty Grace, please," Amelia pleaded, her eyes reflecting her concern, "It's already a miracle that you've stood strong as a Soul Servant for so many years. Nobody else would have survived this long, especially with how much you've used your powers. But now, you must focus on living as long as possible."

Rachel chimed in, supporting Amelia's plea, "She's right. You could live longer if you just take a break." Rachel hadn't known Grace as long as the others but from what little time she interacted with her, she came to learn what an impressive and kind woman she was despite the hardships she suffered. And so, she wished someone like her would stay with them as long as possible.

Asher stepped closer, his expression softening as he faced Grace, "You have served me well, way better than I ever expected for the past few years. But now, seeing your condition makes me regret pushing you too hard. If you had lived normally, you could have easily lived another decade in peace. None of us can really understand it, but we know you are in constant pain because your mana circuit is getting corrupted. Even if you never complain or tell us about it, it won't go away."

Grace chuckled softly, her voice tinged with warmth, "I never imagined a moment where the demon king himself would worry so much about an old human like me…" Her smile grew more affectionate as she continued, "But I appreciate that you are concerned about this old thing. But what I feel even more grateful for is the fact that you gave me a second chance to get rid of my regrets. You gave me the power to take my revenge and ensure a better future for my grandson. So now, please let me help you ensure that you won't have really bad regrets in the future like I had and ensure a better future for not only you but everyone standing in this room," Saying so, she glanced at Emiko, Yui, Amelia and Rachel who all exchanged heavy looks with her.

Asher's eyes softened, "Grace... I will always be glad that you are a part of us," Asher murmured, his voice soft as he pulled her into a warm embrace. This gesture, rare and heartfelt, caught Grace slightly off guard, her brows raising while the others softly smiled, touched by the sight.

Grace's expression softened further as she returned the embrace, her arm wrapping gently around Asher's back. With a soft chuckle and tears glimmering in her eyes, she whispered, "For a demon, you feel warmer than I thought… And I'm glad that you consider us a part of you."

In that moment, Asher realized his words had come from a place deeper than he had anticipated. The realization that he genuinely cared about them more than he had expected flickered through his mind, making him wonder if he had opened up his heart to them.

*BANG!*

Everyone was startled upon hearing the sound of Rebecca's coffin in the room, opening with a loud bang.

The abrupt interruption and blunt demeanor shifted the mood in the room instantly. As she stepped out of the coffin, brushing off the residual energy of her restoration, her eyes swept the group, her tone dismissive of the emotional scene she had interrupted, "What's with all this mushy drama going on here? It's not like she will drop dead today, and that Unseen bitch is still out there. Did everyone forget that?"

Grace softly chuckled, shaking her head and looking amused.

Asher, still close to Grace, straightened up and folded his arms, his gaze hardening as he turned to face Rebecca,"For a slave, you have quite the balls to talk so loudly after messing up before her," he rebuked sharply, his voice carrying a chill that matched his glare.

Rebecca snorted dismissively, unabashed, "I would have had her bleeding at my feet in no time if I was in my original body and not this weak human shell. But it's not as if I didn't try. My avatar almost got destroyed, and I had to go back to restore it with mana."

"That's enough bullshit for today," Asher exhaled a frustrated sigh, turning to address the others who had been watching the exchange silently, "Even if we failed to catch her today, we learned some things. One, she definitely works for Derek. The fact that Rachel's mother conveniently got spared just cements that fact."

Rachel, upon hearing her mother mentioned, pressed her lips together, her expression growing somber as she lowered her head. Beside her, Amelia reached out, squeezing her hand in a silent gesture of support.

"Two," Asher continued, his tone reflecting deep contemplation, "even if the Thundering Reaper is an Unseen, she somehow looks like a human and was probably raised to be Derek's weapon from birth. According to our pet here, she must have been kidnapped as a baby. Otherwise, Derek and his WHA cronies couldn't have gotten their hands on her. But what baffles me is that she looks like a human, and that must be how she is probably living in this world undetected and without getting killed by the radiant mana in the air."

Rachel, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, drawing the group's attention, "She probably has the M.A.M tech installed in her body," she suggested, making everyone shift their attention towards her.