The Damned Demon

Chapter 612  Do You Really Want To Stop Her?

Within the next 24 hours,

The WHA headquarters, situated on a sprawling, secluded island, buzzed with an unprecedented flurry of activity, the sky above was dotted with an impressive array of aircraft. Helicopters and private jets, adorned with the flags of various nations, cut through the azure expanse, descending toward the island with a purpose that was both urgent and somber. The powerful dignitaries aboard—presidents, prime ministers, and other global leaders—were drawn here by a crisis that transcended borders.

On the ground, students of the WHA academy gathered in clusters, their gazes locked upward in awe at the sight of such a large fleet. Their usual routine was forgotten as they watched this rare gathering of the world's elite.

"Look at them all! They must be terrified. Bet they've come to beg President Derek to help them out," one student remarked, his voice carrying a mix of wonder and cynicism.

"After pretending to be helpless about their citizens protesting, they now seemed to have magically got it under their control."

"Hey, how hard could it be when their own citizens are now desperate for our president's help? The Thundering Reaper could strike their cities any second, and I bet they must have stayed awake at night, fearing for their lives."

"I see a lot of country flags, but I still don't see Russia, China, and a few more I think are missing."

"Who cares. They will fall in line soon. Our president has already started the work for Project Guardian in the few countries that had previously given him the green signal. They should be grateful and thanking him for doing so much to secure our world."

"That's right. Our agency could just keep laying down the ley-lines in the countries that allow the development of the project while we wait for the rest of the countries to give in. And soon, demons like the Thundering Reaper wouldn't dare to show their head in public, haha. But how do they keep-"

"He could have still helped them without putting forth any conditions." The unexpected interjection came from a young man approaching from behind, his voice calm yet carrying an edge of criticism. The group turned, their expressions shifting from curiosity to recognition. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Oh, it's you, Senior Remi," one of the boys greeted, his smile awkward, caught off guard by the senior's sudden appearance.

"Isn't he the A Ranker genius who came top in our senior Jermy's class?" whispered one of the girls to another, her eyes wide with admiration.

The atmosphere tensed as a stout and tall young man from the group stepped forward, his height towering over Remi. Looking down at him, he said pointedly, "You should be careful with your words, Remy Eleanor. You are talking about our esteemed President, and as a Hunter, you should know that there are no free meals in our world."

"A Hunter like us is supposed to unconditionally protect our world without asking for anything in return. We should be ready to lay down our lives to save a soul no matter their power or status. Isn't that why the angels bestowed us with the power to do so? I would be disappointed if you think otherwise, Jeremy," Remi responded, his tone firm yet imbued with a calm authority. With a brief, knowing smile, he then turned and walked away, leaving a lingering silence in his wake.

"Waaah, he's so cool and charming," sighed one of the girls, her eyes following Remi as he departed.

"And strong too. I heard his Willforce is so powerful that he took down 5 mid-level Soul Purgers on his own!"

"How can he not be? Other than being the descendant of the destroyed elite Eleanor Family, I heard he grinds quests like hell without even caring for his life. It's as if he's trying to prove something or to maybe impress a girl."

"That pretentious orphan..." Jeremy muttered under his breath, his jaw clenched in irritation, especially upon hearing his juniors praising that little fucker. However, he kept his voice low enough to remain unheard by the others, especially him.

Remy stopped walking as he saw all those powerful people entering the headquarters. He then looked up at the skies and mumbled, "Grandma…am I in the right place? I wish I could just talk to you. Without you, I feel so lost…"

—

Few weeks later,

The air was heavy with the scent of scorched earth and despair as Asher and his team surveyed the grim aftermath of Thundering Reaper's latest assault. A city in Egypt, now a scene of ruin and sorrow, bore the tragic hallmarks of her destruction: buildings reduced to rubble, streets littered with debris, and the air filled with the somber murmur of grief and shock. Amidst this devastation, figures in Hunter armor moved deliberately, their presence a contradiction to the chaos around them.

"Rachel, see and track her signature before it dissipates," Asher commanded, his deep frown reflecting the weight of their repeated failures.

Rachel, her expression tight with frustration, looked at the experts who accompanied her, shaking their heads in disappointment upon inspecting the airea, her hope dwindling with each passing second, "Is there any point? We have done this in every country she has attacked, and every time her mana signature just seems to vanish into thin air as if she was never here," she replied, her voice a mix of anger and exhaustion.

Asher rubbed his chin, his mind racing for explanations, "I don't understand. How can that be possible? The only way that can happen is if she enters a teleportation portal, but none are in this area. Even if she could teleport on her own, the mana signature shouldn't vanish but only diffuse," he mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief.

As they spoke, Emiko, Yui, and Amelia, along with a team of WHA healers and specialists, tended to the injured, their actions a small beacon of hope amid the despair. Their efforts, however, could not mask the scale of the tragedy that unfolded around them.

Rebecca walked around with a bored look, though out of her own curiosity and Asher's orders, she interrogated those who were sane enough to speak about what happened.

"I know. Even Aunty Grace is puzzled. Not even the expert mana trackers I brought were able to track her. The only relief is that the frequency of her attacks has lessened, probably because most countries, including Egypt now, have succumbed to the WHA. He-They must not be feeling that desperate anymore," Rachel said as her jaw clenched.

"But it will continue until all of them give in. It's strange. Even when countries set up barriers to prevent her from escaping or detecting her presence in case she attacked, it still didn't prove to be useful. No demon can get out of such barriers without alerting everyone. Only ordinary people or those with radiant mana can walk past such barriers without triggering any alarms."

Rachel's eyes widened and quivered as she mumbled, "She is definitely not a Hunter but a demon. Maybe she found some way to mask her identity as one even if it just seems impossible. Then does this mean…she could be any one among the billions of people living among us and we wouldn't know?"

Asher's expression became grim as he nodded, "That is what makes me feel confused as hell. From what Rebecca also gathered from people, this Unseen just looked like a human, but that could be her disguise. Still...How could she remain undetected despite-"

The conversation paused as a figure descended from the sky, his white cape billowing like a flag of hope against the backdrop of destruction. Arthur landed softly, his face etched with sorrow, "I have aided and healed everyone I could. But I couldn't save them all," he said, his voice heavy with regret as he looked at Ash and added, "I am sorry, sir."

"It's fine, Arthur. We were too late in the first place," Rachel replied, her voice gentle, trying to offer solace despite her own evident despair.

Arthur's frustration was palpable as he looked between Ash and Rachel, his youthful features hardened by the sights he'd witnessed, "Is there nothing we can do to stop her? If we can't, she will continue to kill so many innocent people," he implored, seeking answers or perhaps solace in their shared struggle.

Asher scoffed, "Do you really mean that, Arthur? Do you really want to stop this demoness?" Asher's voice cut through the quiet, sharp, and challenging as he turned to Arthur with a skeptical look.

Rachel let out a low sigh while Arthur, momentarily taken aback by the intensity of the question, blinked before his confusion gave way to resolve, "Of course I do. Isn't that—"

"Then how could you never ask why the WHA, with all its infinite resources, is unable to catch a lone demoness? Even if she's the fastest out there, it doesn't mean it's impossible for our agency," Asher interrupted, his tone laced with a hint of provocation as he shrugged dismissively.

Arthur's stance stiffened, his brow furrowing, "No, it's because of our agency that she's not attacking the countries where they have our protection. She's targeting those that refused our agency's protection."

Asher's gaze narrowed, his eyes sharp as he countered, "As if any country would refuse free help. No. These countries refused our agency's influence and not our help. You must already know why they are refusing. So, as a Hunter, do you feel it's wrong or right?" His question hung heavily in the air, challenging Arthur's perceptions and moral compass.

"I…"Caught off-guard, Arthur's expression clouded with uncertainty. He had never considered the political intricacies behind their mission.

"Do you trust people so blindly or anything they say without thinking for yourself?" Asher asked with a shake of his head.

"What are you-"

"Have you ever bothered to ask who your real mother is, why she left you in an orphanage, or why a proud man like your father would take you in without any questions, especially under his equally or more proud wife's nose? It's not like he knew you would grow up to be a genius," Asher asked directly without blinking.

Arthur's expression flickered as his jaw clenched, "Sir, that is…"

Rachel winced and wanted to ask Asher to stop with such hurtful and personal questions. But it was too late.

Unable to refute Asher's pointed questions, he finally nodded, a troubled look crossing his features, "I will personally ask the president's help regarding this matter. He will help if he understands how much our people are suffering. I will be back soon," he declared with a determined, yet pained look in his eyes. With that, he soared into the sky, his white cape a solitary figure against the sprawling devastation.

As Arthur disappeared into the distance, Rachel turned to Asher, her eyes reflecting a mix of concern and curiosity, "That was a bit unnecessary...Why are you antagonizing him like that? What if he gets suspicious or angry at you and does something because of that?"

Asher's response was calculated, his voice steady as his gaze met Rachel's, "He can't do anything on his own. If he's as innocent as he seems, then we can use him against Derek. But if he isn't and he is working with your dad to play the fool before us, we will just have to add his name under Thundering Reaper's. Besides, I only asked something any righteous combat advisor would. Nobody can blame me for that. And..." He paused, his expression hardening for a moment, "That question regarding his family…How can I not ask that when he is…"

Rachel's eyes narrowed as she asked, "He is what?" "Nothing," Asher casually shrugged as he tried to forget that woman's face and wondered why he always seemed to find it hard to keep calm before Arthur.

However, feeling Rachel's inquisitive gaze, he gathered few other thoughts and added, "It's just I find it odd that he is only exhibiting the Evangelion bloodline. The only way it's possible is if his father slept with an ordinary woman. But I find it hard to believe that the proudest man in the Evangelion Family would sleep with a manaless one. He never struck me as someone who would cheat on his wife."

Rachel blinked her eyes, wondering why he was talking as if he knew the patriarch of the Evangelion Family. "Maybe he fell in love, and it could be someone with a weak bloodline. That's why some people call Arthur a love child..." Rachel said with a shake of her head.

"And yet...he turned out to be so strong. The chances of that happening despite the bloodlines mixing like that are near zero. Why do you think the Elite Families create such fuss about bloodlines? Hell, even ordinary manaborn families do," Asher mumbled as he narrowed his eyes while Rachel also fell into contemplation, knowing it was indeed not usual.

However, unbeknownst to all, a minute ago, a solitary figure was hiding far behind a broken building with a black mask covering her face and dark brown sunglasses covering her eyes.

She briefly lifted her cap as she saw Arthur taking off into the skies. Not long after, she also disappeared from the place.