The Damned Demon
chapter-716

Anna pulled herself together, masking her wariness with an awkward chuckle, "I—Sorry, I'm just surprised to see Arthur's combat advisor suddenly show up. Did something happen?"

"Not exactly. But I want to talk about Arthur. Shall we do that inside?" Asher kept his subtle smile, watching her carefully.

Anna's stomach twisted, a faint prickle of unease settling in. The timing of his visit felt too strange and sudden. It was not as if they were acquainted earlier.

But with little choice, she managed a polite smile, nodding toward the doorway, "Of course. Please come in." She wheeled herself back to let him step inside, closing the door slowly as Asher's footsteps echoed in the cozy, dimly lit space.

She rolled into the kitchen, motioning to the kettle, "Do you want some tea? I was in the middle of cooking."

"If you don't mind," Asher replied with a nod, "Thanks."

Anna didn't expect him to actually agree and regretted asking, even if she did it to look polite and welcoming.

"You have a nice, cozy home here," he remarked, his gaze lingering on the surroundings before settling on her. "Arthur must feel warm when he comes here each time."

Anna gave a quick side glance, her lips curving into a soft chuckle, "It's not much, but thank you. So…what about Arthur did you want to talk about?" She handed him the cup, only to feel her heart skip a beat upon realizing he was standing right behind her, leaning casually against the kitchen table.

Asher took the cup from her, his gaze steady, "Oh, there's that," he said smoothly, "But I also wanted to know more about the mysterious woman supporting Arthur from the shadows…the one he wants to keep as a secret. I wonder why when he should be proud to announce you as his girl to everyone. I wonder if even the president knows…"

Anna forced a soft chuckle, carefully maintaining her composure, "It's not actually him. I asked him to keep our relationship a secret because I didn't want him to attract any unnecessary attention. As you can see…I'm just an ordinary human who can't even walk. People might ridicule him for having a girlfriend like me despite being so powerful and an Elite."

Asher raised a brow slightly, the faintest hint of skepticism in his gaze, "An ordinary human? Hmm…I guess I can see where you're coming from."

Anna's pulse briefly quickened at her slight slip as she realized she addressed herself as an ordinary 'human' instead of a 'person'. She didn't know why this man's presence was making it hard for her to stay calm.

"I heard from Arthur that you two met in an orphanage as kids," Asher continued, his tone conversational but probing, "Which orphanage did you two grow up in again?"

Anna's chest tightened, her mind skimming through thoughts. Was this idle curiosity…or something more? Yet she answered with a light smile, "We were from the New Hope orphanage. But it's been shut down for a long time now. It wasn't a good place, but…I'm glad I got to at least meet him like that."

"Oh…" Asher tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly as if evaluating her words, "You two must have known each other for a long time then. That means…you really care about him a lot, hm?" He took another sip of his tea, his gaze piercing.

Anna's expression softened, her eyes momentarily flickering with something genuine as she looked away, "Yes…I care about him a lot."

Asher furrowed his brows, his gaze steady, "Then you must feel very worried each time he goes on a quest. Even for that New York quest…he almost died…You know that, right?"

Anna's lips pressed together, her head inclining in a slow nod. She avoided his gaze, a faint tremor in her heart as she gripped the edge of the counter.

Asher sighed, his tone laced with a mix of weariness and concern, "And now he's hellbent on catching the Thundering Reaper. He already came close twice."

A tightness gripped Anna's chest, her heart threatening to beat faster as Asher continued.

"But as his advisor, I'm worried because he isn't ready yet to face someone like her. And yet, I also know he won't stop just because I tell him to. He feels responsible for all the deaths caused by her. He thinks he let all those people die because he failed to catch her. But if he does catch her…how do you think it will end?" Asher's gaze bore into her, his question hanging heavy in the air.

Anna's hand instinctively tightened on the counter as she kept her expression carefully neutral, her mind racing to mask the apprehension she could feel twisting in her stomach.

Anna's composure wavered as she let out a sigh, masking the tension building inside her, "I know what you're trying to say. That's why I did warn him not to go after someone like her and to let the senior Hunters handle her. But I doubt he would listen to me as well. He's headstrong, even if he doesn't appear to be."

Asher gave a slow nod, "That I can agree. But you probably don't have to worry. We are getting really close to catching her, and soon, we can expose them and put an end to her for good. Then Arthur will feel at ease. Don't you think?"

Her heart clenched with unease at his words, and she forced herself to keep her expression calm as she raised her brows. "You're close to catching her? You guys know where she is?"

He gave a light shrug. "Well, we know for sure she has a human disguise to escape undetected after causing disasters each time. People have already seen her in her human form. I doubt it's a simple disguise for her to elude us all for so long and hide. It must be very convincing to fool those around her."

His golden eyes seemed to burrow into her, searching her face with unsettling intensity, and she felt as if he was peeling away every layer of her facade, seeing things she'd hidden carefully. Could he know? Her pulse quickened, but she managed to keep her voice steady.

"You must be right… But what makes you think she's not hiding in the demon world?" she asked quietly, her gaze meeting his, cautious and guarded.

Asher's eyes narrowed, his smile faint. "I never said that she's not hiding in the demon world. What makes you think she's hiding in our world?"

Her eyes flickered with a split second of panic, and she forced a quick, awkward chuckle, "Oh, I just assumed that because you said you were close to finding her. You wouldn't have said that if she wasn't hiding in our world."

Asher held her gaze for a moment longer before nodding slightly, "I see. But you assumed right. She's hiding in our world like a rat waiting to be caught. Maybe she's closer than we expected... The first thing I'm going to do after catching her is expose her face to the world and let the families of her victims know who caused them such suffering. And then we'll uncover every evil she's committed for her master. If she doesn't stay low, I'm confident we'll catch her. You agree, right?"

His words felt like ice trickling down her spine, a subtle warning cloaked in civility. Her fists clenched in her lap, a storm of unease building within her.

Who was this man, really? Why did he seem so assured and unfazed, despite being a manaless?

*Ting!*

The doorbell's sharp ring cut through her thoughts, and she quickly masked her relief with a soft chuckle, "That must be Arthur. I am sorry. Let me quickly get the door for him."

As she moved to wheel herself toward the door, Asher placed a gentle yet firm hand on the handle of her wheelchair, stopping her in her tracks, briefly startling her.

He gave her a polite smile, "Don't worry about it. I'll get it on my way out. Thanks for the tea."

Anna nodded slowly, forcing a polite smile as he made his way to the door. She watched his back, feeling half-relieved that he was finally leaving but also half-uneasy about everything they'd discussed.

When Arthur opened the door, he froze in surprise at the sight of Ash, "Advisor Ash? How…"

Asher gave Arthur a friendly pat on the shoulder as he stepped outside, glancing back with a composed smile, "Don't mind me. I came here as part of an investigation regarding the Thundering Reaper being spotted in this city. Since your girlfriend was in the library that day, I just had a few questions for her."

From a few feet away, Anna heard his words clearly, her hands tightening around the handles of her wheelchair, her pulse racing.

Arthur's brows lifted, "Oh… You could have let me know. I could have helped you out."

Asher shook his head, still smiling, "You're her boyfriend. So by protocol, I had to do it alone. I should head back now."

Arthur nodded, offering an appreciative smile, "Oh, okay. Um, but thanks for taking up the task. I'm sure this investigation will help us catch her faster."

Asher nodded, returning the smile before he turned and walked down the path. Arthur, still smiling, stepped into the house and immediately turned to Anna, excitement in his voice. "Hey, you must have been surprised. What did he say? Did he say anything about me?"

Anna mustered a soft smile, the strain barely noticeable as she replied, "Nothing much, except about that day in the library. He also had some good things to say about you."

"Really?" Arthur's eyes lit up upon hearing her last sentence.

Anna nodded and smiled, "You should take a quick shower, and we can eat dinner while watching a movie."

Outside, Asher stopped and turned, glancing back at Anna's house, now only a few meters away.

His expression shifted, the friendly smile gone, replaced with a serious intensity.

He didn't want it to be true, but now it was clear…Anna was the Thundering Reaper. He didn't know how Derek was keeping someone as powerful as her under control and with such perfect disguise. But that didn't really matter anymore.

He hoped his warning had been clear enough for Anna to take it seriously and lay low; he didn't have time to deal with her, nor could he risk exposing himself now. But if she was hellbent on causing trouble for him or his cult because of Derek's orders...then he will have no choice but to deal with her. However, he can't help but think how Arthur would fit in this equation and didn't know why he was even feeling this concerned in the first place.

After a long pause, he turned and walked away, his mind set on the next steps ahead.