The Damned Demon
chapter-682

"No! Stop!" Lenny roared, his face pale with a mixture of fear and fury as he lunged forward, but the crystal had already begun its work.

The students gasped and took a collective step back as the hall transformed around them. Shadows twisted and elongated, forming the shapes of warriors in enchanted armor, their forms shimmering with ethereal light.

The air crackled with tension as a dark figure emerged, hovering above them with a terrifying presence that sent shivers down their spines.

The Corrupted Prince's Echo stood before them, his figure blurred and yet unmistakably powerful, his eyes glowing with a malevolent golden light.

The 25 Hunters materialized around him, their faces determined, weapons at the ready.

Out of the 25, the faces they easily recognized the most were the Bulwark of Justice, the Supreme Commander, the Gale Mistress, who was none other than Lena Hart, Rhino King, and the legendary Spell Dancer, Aira Evangelion. All were some of the strongest S Rankers in the world.

However, Rhino King was no longer alive, and he succumbed to his injuries later on. And Aira Evangelion mysteriously disappeared.

Lenny gritted his teeth as it was too late and Arthur was blocking the console by standing in front of him.

He wanted to use force but he didn't want to make a scene in front of Rachel or…lose face before these pesky kids.

He could only helplessly look on with horror as the simulation didn't waste time.

It was as if someone had hit the fast-forward button on reality. The clash of weapons, the surge of mana, and the roar of the battle filled the hall in a deafening cacophony.

Flashes of light and bursts of radiant energy illuminated the space as the Hunters fought valiantly, but the Corrupted Prince moved with an almost supernatural grace, his power overwhelming and relentless.

The simulation blurred into a chaotic blur of violence and power, fast-forwarding through the visceral clash of titanic forces.

Blood spilled and vaporized in midair, golden lightning crackled and streaked across the battlefield, and shockwaves rippled through the very fabric of the space, distorting everything in their wake.

It was a maelstrom of devastation that left the students wide-eyed, their jaws slack as they struggled to comprehend the sheer scale and ferocity of the battle unfolding before them.

One moment, the sky was filled with the explosive clashes of weapons and the terrifying roars of Hunters giving their all.

The next, it was consumed by the raw, destructive force of the Corrupted Prince. Everything was happening too fast for their eyes to follow—a terrifying ballet of death and power, a dance where every step could annihilate a city.

And then, abruptly, everything slowed to a crawl. The simulation dialed back to normal speed, the chaotic whirlwind of combat freezing into sharp clarity.

High above, amidst the dark clouds lit by occasional flashes of lightning, the Echo of the Corrupted Prince interlocked his hands together, muscles tensing as he drew in his power. With a thunderous roar that seemed to split the heavens, he delivered a devastating blow to Derek's Echo's solar plexus.

The force of the impact was cataclysmic, the shockwave shattering the clouds around them and sending Derek's Echo hurtling toward the ground like a meteor. His body plummeted through the air, the momentum carrying him with terrifying speed toward a glaive embedded in the ground far below. The students watched, breathless, their hearts pounding in their chests as Derek's body struck the glaive.

There was a sickening crunch as steel met flesh, and the blade pierced through Derek's back, erupting from his chest with a gruesome spray of blood, making even Rachel unconsciously flinch. The shock of the sight left a collective gasp hanging in the air, the echo of horror spreading through the students like a wave. Derek's Echo hung there, suspended on the blade, a crimson fountain gushing forth, staining the ground beneath in a pool of death.

Gracefully, the Corrupted Prince's Echo descended, his figure ethereal and ominous as he floated beside the impaled body, the golden rays of the sun bathing him from behind. His arms were crossed over his chest, his gaze serene and detached, as if he were merely observing an expected outcome, his presence alone casting a shadow over the scene of carnage that held whatever was left of the corpses of the other 24 Hunters.

A massive message appeared before the stunned students, the words hanging in the air like a grim proclamation:

[ The Corrupted Prince Wins ]

[ Time Taken - 4 minutes 59 seconds ]

The students stood frozen, their eyes wide and quivering, struggling to process what they had just witnessed. Horror and awe warred within them, leaving their minds reeling. They had heard stories of that legendary battle, but to see even a simulated version of it end like this—to see the strongest Hunters, including the President himself, fall so swiftly and brutally—was something that defied belief.

How could it be possible? Didn't the original battle take more than an hour to beat not only the Corrupted Prince but also the Demon King? Then how could the simulation show that the Corrupted Prince obliterated all 25 Elite Hunters within 5 minutes?!! He couldn't have been a mortal!

Arthur's breath caught in his throat, his gaze locked on the message, his mind unable to imagine the Corrupted Prince was this strong. If that was the case…why didn't he cause large-scale destruction earlier? Beside him, Lenny's face had gone ashen, the color drained from his cheeks as he stared at the screen. He looked as if he had seen a ghost, his eyes wide and unfocused, his body trembling with an emotion that could only be described as fear—a fear he hadn't felt since that very day, the day they tried to destroy the man who possessed strength no mortal should have.

Rachel's heart clenched painfully as she watched the scene fade away, leaving only the cold reality of the simulation's results.

It was as if all the stories, all the history she knew had been shattered, the truth too raw and brutal to comprehend.

She had expected the Corrupted Prince to be strong, but this... This was beyond anything she had imagined.

Under 5 minutes? Then, was it a lie as well that her father and the other Hunters took more than an hour to kill him? No…how did they even manage to kill him in the first place if he was this strong? Did they trap him or something by taking advantage of his trust? She couldn't think of any other way Cedric could have gone down. But this made her realize that she never actually saw Cedric use his powers to the fullest despite knowing that he was ridiculously powerful. He must have been always holding back.

After all, the Echoes in these simulations have no concept of holding back.

But was Cedric's strength the reason her father got rid of him? Was he afraid Cedric would put an end to his plans? She knew Cedric would have definitely tried to do so if he had known. That was the kind of man he was. He knew no fear and wouldn't care about anything but doing the right thing.

The training hall became filled with an electric tension. A hush had fallen over the students, each one lost in their own bewildered thoughts, faces pale with disbelief.

Then, like the crack of a whip, a voice broke the silence.

"Ehhh… how is this possible?" a student mumbled, his eyes wide as if he had just woken from a vivid nightmare. He rubbed his temples, trying to process what he had just witnessed.

His murmur was enough to snap another student out of their daze, "I know, right?" she said, her voice a mixture of confusion and frustration. "If he was this strong, how did those 25 Hunters take more than an hour? And how did they manage to kill him along with the Demon King?"

"It makes no sense at all…" A girl nearby shook her head slowly, her long hair swaying like dark waves in a storm. Her eyes were distant, like she was still seeing the echoes of the impossible scene.

Lenny's eyes narrowed as the whispers spread like wildfire, the students feeding off each other's disbelief. His fists clenched, knuckles turning white as he suddenly barked, "Stop mumbling nonsense! Clearly, this simulation is flawed. Without the sun's light, he's trash!"

"So, did the battle happen after the sunset?" One of the students unconsciously mumbled, making others wonder if the 25 Hunters purposefully attacked the Corrupted Prince when he was at its weakest.

Rachel fought the urge to roll her eyes, her lips twitching with the effort to keep her expression neutral.

She knew Cedric was unbeatable under the sun's light. However, that didn't mean he would become powerless when the sunset happened. He could still use the mana he had stored within his body over the day.

"Our Supreme Commander might be right," she said with an awkward chuckle, knowing she had to pretend, "This cannot be possible. The Corrupted Prince isn't that strong. Maybe the Echoes are flawed and need to be looked at."

Lenny's tight expression relaxed, a small, appreciative smile tugging at his lips. He nodded approvingly at Rachel, his ego appeased by her quick support. Around them, most of the students seemed to buy into their explanation, nodding slowly as if convincing themselves that what they'd seen couldn't possibly be real. It was just a simulation, after all.

But some still looked doubtful, unease etched into their features. The silence stretched, filled with the unsaid questions lingering in the air.

"How can they be flawed?" Arthur's voice cut through the quiet like a blade, sharp and clear. Heads turned, and Lenny's eyes narrowed dangerously as he glared at Arthur, his irritation palpable.

Arthur, however, seemed unfazed, "I heard that this Echo Crystal was forged using the knowledge left behind by the Elder Hunters," he continued, his tone measured but insistent, "It has worked perfectly for centuries and can't be tampered with. So how could the Corrupted Prince win against so many powerful Hunters unless he was truly that powerful? But then that begets the question of how he died, which baffles me."

Arthur said as if he was genuinely confused about the way the events took place. He was also concerned and curious since his sister disappeared because of this battle. That much he could put together.

A few students nodded along, clearly grappling with the same thoughts.

Murmurs of agreement spread through the crowd, a ripple of uncertainty that Lenny could practically feel in his bones.

Rachel watched Arthur with a hidden smile, satisfaction swelling in her chest. He was asking the right questions, pushing the narrative in exactly the way she'd hoped, all without her having to lift a finger.

Lenny's face twisted in annoyance, his authority slipping from his grasp, "You lil—Just stop talking bullshit! How could a junior like you know how this crystal works? Don't run off your mouth mindlessly and mislead the kids."

Arthur tilted his head, his brows furrowing in genuine confusion, "I know I might be wrong. So would you care to explain then?"

Lenny's jaw tightened, the vein on his temple throbbing as he struggled for a response, "Y-You…" he spluttered, words failing him as Arthur's calm gaze held steady, not expecting him to talk back to a senior.

Why was this bastard getting on his nerves so much?!

*Click!*

As if the universe itself had decided to intervene, the heavy doors at the back of the hall suddenly swung open.

A collective silent gasp escaped the students as all eyes turned to the entrance. Derek Sterling, the President himself, strode in with an unreadable expression on his face. His presence was like a cold wind sweeping through the room, silencing every whisper, every thought. His radiant blue eye, piercing and sharp, scanned the room before settling on the large message still projected in the hall