The Damned Demon

Asher enveloped in dark green flames, seemed almost to pause, his flames flickering momentarily upon hearing Ray's confession.

It was as if he finally heard what he was expecting to hear. He knew there was no way someone as fierce and powerful as Irina would get ambushed by some trash guild.

But yet the fact that she was killed in cold blood made his flames flare up with the intensity of his emotions.

Throughout his entire life as Cedric she stood by him and even sacrificed a lot of things for his sake, including her family. And yet when she needed him the most, he wasn't there for her. If only he had not ignored his own heart...

"The Blazing Slayers guild? The Legendary Tier guild operating under Lenny Stan?" Asher's voice was low and menacing, the flames around his bones casting ghostly shadows against the walls as he absorbed the information.

Ray, his body trembling not just from fear but from the pain of his injuries, nodded vigorously, "Y-Yes! And some other Elite guild who gave support for those guys. I-It was very difficult to deal with her even if we all prepared ourselves as much as we can," he gasped, the effort evident in his voice as his complexion turned even paler, a strange phenomenon slowing his bleeding.

He didn't even care that he was revealing information he wasn't supposed to since he had no choice but to focus on surviving first.

"Who exactly killed her?" Asher's voice tightened, and his bony fingertips pressed slightly into Ray's neck, a threatening gesture that made Ray's next words come out in a desperate rush.

"I-I don't know! I swear! I-I was only standing guard with my men and everyone was wearing masks...It's the truth...I only bragged about dealing the killing blow...to raise my guild rankings...." Ray choked out the confession, his face wet with snot and saliva, an image of complete despair and degradation.

Upstairs, Stacy, who had nearly escaped the building earlier, found herself wrinkling her nose in disgust and contempt upon hearing Ray's voice that echoed through the empty lobby.

She didn't get the full idea of what they were talking about, but she did hear Ray confessing that he bragged about doing something to raise his guild rankings.

Crouched behind a collapsed wall, her heart hammered in her chest as she watched the terrifying scene unfold.

The sight of Ray, her boss who kept harassing her since day 1, now groveling for his life and getting dismembered by Hellbringer, elicited a mix of emotions — fear, curiosity, but strangely, a sense of satisfaction and relief. She was this close to leaving the building. But the moment her panic and survival instincts gave way to her thoughts, she found herself inexplicably drawn back to the first floor. Crouched behind a collapsed wall, her heart hammered in her chest as she watched the terrifying scene unfold.

The sight of Ray, her boss who kept harassing her since day 1, now groveling for his life and getting dismembered by Hellbringer, elicited a mix of emotions — fear, curiosity, but strangely, a sense of satisfaction and relief. Why had this ruthless Hellbringer spared her? And why did she find a dark comfort in seeing Ray reduced to such a state?

She knew she shouldn't be dumb enough to stay here, but she couldn't find herself leaving.

"You are even more pathetic than I thought. It annoys me to say that even my bitch is better than you. But now...." Asher's voice trailed off as he slowly raised his bony hand, his hollow sockets seething with a promise of finality. Ray's eyes bulged, sheer terror overtaking him as he stammered, "N-No...Please, don't!"

"Don't you do it!"

The sudden shout interrupted the tense moment. Both Asher and Ray turned toward the source of the voice. They saw 3 women and a man rushing in, their Hunter uniforms glinting under the lights.

Arthur, clad in golden armor and a flowing white cape, held an elegant staff, his presence calming the air. The air around him hinted at the raw, radiant power he wielded, a stark contrast to the dark, skeletal figure of Hellbringer.

"Let him go. You have killed enough innocent people," Arthur stated firmly, his gaze locked on Hellbringer, challenging the demon's actions openly.

Ray let out a sigh of relief since he knew this Evangelion kid was a peak S Ranker and insanely strong. He even had three other Hunters to back him up, especially the Elemental Maiden. Hellbringer can't just do whatever he liked unless he wanted to get caught.

However, Arthur, standing poised and unflinching, was internally shocked at the situation. The lack of any quest alarm or warning was disturbing. The appearance of a figure as notorious as Hellbringer should have triggered alerts across every possible system. For him to show up here, at least a Catastrophe Category quest should pop up and yet nothing of that sort ever came up.

It was as if he merely walked in here without anybody's knowledge, which should be impossible and a grave anomaly.

How can anyone not spot a demon like him the moment he showed up in this world? Even if he came here through some other quest, it should be impossible for him to stay here and attack other places.

Asher, with a sharp scoff, dragged a half-dismembered Ray, who was nearly limp with fear, toward Arthur while still clutching his neck, "Innocent? You want me to spare this pathetic dog who has killed and destroyed the lives of innocent people more than I did?" he challenged, his voice harsh, echoing off the walls, his hollow eye sockets burning into Arthur.

Stacy, watching hidden and overwhelmed, found herself lost in the unfolding scene. Her mind raced, trying to decipher this demon's intentions and how he knew that Ray was a vile man.

Ray, despite his dire situation, felt anger surge within him. His thoughts were a mix of fear and indignation, wondering why this motherfucker even cared who he killed or not?

Arthur's brows knitted together in confusion and a hint of anger, "What are you talking about? He is a respected Hunter and the guildmaster of the Black Knights. Slandering a man like him won't relieve you of your evil deeds," Arthur retorted, defending Ray despite the unsettling accusations thrown his way.

"Hahaha…" Asher's laugh reverberated through the space, unsettling and cold before he spoke, "Pathetic Hunters like you are the reason your world is rotting with dogs like him. People like you only care about licking the feet of your master and play dumb as long as it's convenient," Asher sneered, his tone dripping with disdain.

Arthur, his confusion quickly turning into anger, clenched his jaw, especially since he was hearing all this from a demon, "What? I don't know what you are trying to—"

"See. You already proved my words, and now I am going to let you have a front-row seat to see me executing this dog and make this world better by a fraction," Asher interrupted, his words harsh as he menacingly dangled Ray before Arthur.

"If you kill him, then I won't let you leave. He is under my protection, and you can't easily leave on time if you deal with us. You will soon be surrounded by the rest of the WHA's forces," Arthur declared, his voice firm, pointing his staff directly at Hellbringer, his stance resolute against the threat.

"You and what army?" Asher taunted with a scoff, making Arthur furrow his brows.

"AH!"

"Ugh!"

"Let me go!"

Suddenly, the air filled with distressing cries, making Arthur frown as his head snapped around, his eyes widening in horror at the sight of Amelia, Emiko, and Yui encased in thick, blood-colored ice, their bodies immobilized up to their necks. But what unsettled him even more was the sight of a demoness with chilling red eyes and wearing a black cloak with a plunging neckline that revealed her deep cleavage standing menacingly among them.

Her elegant black mask covered the lower half of her face, and her sharp fingernails pierced Amelia's neck while dragging her away towards Hellbringer, "You move an inch, and this little bitch will die," she threatened coldly, her frightening red eyes glowing with a hint of glee.

Arthur's mind raced, trying to comprehend how he had failed to detect this demoness's presence or the trap she had laid. But then the realization hit him like a cold wave as he noticed glowing demonic runes on the floor and realized she must have laid out a trap even before he entered. He now realized even more the importance of his combat advisor's advice about having a plan before barging in and regretted not keeping it in mind no matter how much of a hurry he was in to save the guild master.

"Arthur, don't worry about us. Just focus on saving the guildmaster!" Amelia called out, her voice strained with pain, yet determined while glaring at the demoness clutching her neck a bit too tightly.

Arthur's expression became grave upon seeing Amelia getting taken hostage, and he could see that they were planning to use her until they could leave safely.

But he didn't know whether they would spare her or not. "Don't do this, please...Let them go, and I promise that you two can return to your world safely," Arthur said with a hint of desperation in his voice since he could sense that this mysterious demoness was a peak Soul Devourer, and he couldn't make any quick moves without risking Amelia's life.

Asher sneered at Arthur's plea, his voice dripping with disdain, "Look at you...pathetically begging us to spare a dirty dog. I wonder if your family is as pathetic as you to raise you like this," he taunted, trying to provoke Arthur further.

Arthur's jaw clenched tightly, his fists balled in anger as he remembered his father and sister, "Leave my family out of this. You know nothing about heroes like them—not that an evil thing like you has the right to judge them," he retorted, standing his ground despite the overwhelming odds.

"Right. So you won't mind if this evil thing does this," Asher replied coldly. With a malicious chuckle, he unleashed his dark green flames more ferociously, engulfing Ray in a torturous blaze. "YARRGHHHH!!" Ray's chilling howls of agony filled the lobby as his body horrifically began to burn.

"NO!!" Arthur's roar of anguish echoed through the space as his staff glowed with a radiant white light, ready to intervene.

"You dare?!" Rebecca tightened her grip on Amelia, her sharp fingernails digging deeper into her neck. In response, Arthur's mana receded instantly, his hand raised in a halting gesture, "Please don't! I won't attack you..." he said hastily, the agony in his voice palpable as he was forced to witness Ray's flesh and bones slowly burn away into ashes until his howls were silenced by death.

"Tsk, tsk, this is the golden boy of the Evangelion Family? What a joke. Let's leave," Asher scoffed dismissively, making Arthur's expression harden with pain and shame.

Asher threw a small metallic disc onto the floor, which expanded into a teleportation portal. Arthur watched tensely, his grip on his staff firm, prepared to act should they attempt to harm Amelia further or take her with them.

However, to Arthur's immense relief, the demoness released Amelia as she and Hellbringer stepped back into the portal, disappearing from the scene.

"Amelia! Are you alright??" Arthur rushed to her side immediately, his staff glowing as he shattered the icy prison that encased her. Quickly, he turned his attention to Emiko and Yui, freeing them from their binds as well.

Amelia, clutching her neck and wincing in pain, nodded weakly, "Yeah... But I am sorry... We failed to protect the guildmaster because of me," she said, her voice laden with guilt.

Arthur's gaze fell on the ashes of what was once Ray, a respected guildmaster, and dozens of other men and women who sacrificed their lives in vain to protect the guildmaster.

He grimaced, his heart heavy with the weight of their loss.

Thinking that their deaths were on him, his hand trembled as it formed into a fist, his voice barely a whisper, "No... I failed you all."