The Damned Demon

The moment Arthur left, a tall vampire with long silver hair emerged from the darkness, her presence as chilling as it was scornful.

Cloaked in a long black gown that draped elegantly to the floor, her attire was both a statement of power and provocation, the plunging neckline boldly accentuating her voluptuous figure. She watched with narrowed eyes as Arthur departed, her disdain palpable in the chilly air.

"You think you are so clever, but you have no idea that you are crafting your own coffin. You are no bigger fool than that foolish Hunter brat that walked out," Rebecca scoffed, her voice dripping with contempt. She clicked her tongue condescendingly, her gaze piercing as she added, "I waited on purpose to see if you are as smart as you pretend to be, but…it seems like I overestimated you."

Asher, unfazed by her cutting words, began to close the distance between them with measured steps, "Are you sure about that? If it was something that bad, why do I not look worried?" he retorted, his voice calm and imposing.

Rebecca's laughter echoed down the corridor, cold and contemptuous, "Ignorance can't give you bliss for long. Since you only like to use your so-called little dragon instead of your head, let this senior enlighten you. Now that you revealed to the humans that you can attack any place without entering a quest, you just alerted my brother that you somehow got your hands on one of the most guarded secrets of my House. He will know Esther gave it to you, and then he will come for you. My House never ever spared our own blood if they did something similar to this since exposing any of our secrets is the worst crime one can do in the eyes of my House. So what do you think is going to happen to you?"

"Hahahaha…" Asher stopped in his tracks, his laughter booming through the hallway, unsettling yet mocking.

Rebecca's expression darkened as she failed to understand why he didn't seem worried, "I don't think I cracked a joke here, did I? Or is it that you are too scared already? Just because you are the king doesn't mean you can afford to offend my brother, especially when you can't rival the power of my House on your own. He can cripple your influence in ways you can't imagine, and you won't even find any proof of him doing it. You can also forget about your dear Isola's kingdom. My brother will make sure she won't feel like swimming in the seas after seeing her people suffer again without letting them know it was my House. Your biggest mistake was snatching one of our secrets and underestimating the power of my House. Did you seriously think we survived thousands of years by simply sitting still? You better free me if you want me to negotiate for you."

Asher continued to nod, his smirk widening into a mocking smile, "Is that all? And here I thought, you or your House had something more to deal with me."

Rebecca huffed, her face contorted with a mix of disbelief and scorn, "Hah," she uttered before her expression shifted to a calculated smirk, "We will see how long you can pretend to be brave."

But before she could say anything further, Asher's sudden movement was a blur—a swift, predacious strike that closed the space between them.

His hand shot out, gripping Rebecca's hair, pulling her head back with a firm, unyielding grasp. "Unn!" Rebecca let out a grunt, her eyes flashing with fury and pain as she struggled against his hold, her efforts fruitless.

"I never knew you would be so concerned about me getting in trouble," Asher whispered, his voice a dangerous murmur close to her ear. His grip tightened, ensuring she couldn't turn away, forcing her to face him directly.

"Ugh! Get your dirty hand off me, you alien beast! The only thing I would concern myself with would be when I end you," Rebecca spat, her teeth gritted as a shiver ran through her at the proximity of his breath on her skin.

"You just seem to be asking for trouble, which makes me wonder if you want me to punish you?" Asher's lips curved into a knowing smile, his tone teasing yet threatening.

Rebecca's eyes widened with a mix of anger and disbelief, "What nonsense are you spouting? When did pointing out your foolishness become a troubling matter unless your ego is that fragile, pfft. Just admit it. You just want an excuse to torment a defenseless woman."

Without a word, Asher's expression darkened, and he abruptly slammed her back against the wall. The impact made her grimace, the cold, hard surface thumping against her back, "A poisonous snake like you is far from being a defenseless thing. Don't pretend as if I didn't hear you calling Amelia a 'bitch' and digging your dirty nails into her skin," he derided, his hand shifting to clutch her face firmly, his fingers framing her jaw in an iron grip.

"Huh?! You were the one who told me I could have some leeway to make it look convincing. If you didn't want me to do that, do you think I would be able to do it?" Rebecca retorted sharply, her glare spiteful. But despite her precarious situation, she felt a twisted satisfaction upon remembering the look on that elemental harlot's face and the feeling of squeezing her juicy neck.

How long has it been since she got a good smell of such tasty blood? Since she wasn't in her original body, her senses were far from being sharp, and she could only smell blood that was present before her eyes. She also missed feeling the dizzying thirst for blood, though she still could feel it.

"I know, but that doesn't change the fact that you still offended a slave whose rank is higher than you, and Amelia asked that you be punished for it. So, as her Master, I am going to do that small favor for her," Asher stated, his smile unsettling an aggrieved Rebecca while his hands fondled her heavy breasts, enjoying their sheer softness and weight.

"Unngh!" Rebecca's face flushed red, and she grimaced as she grappled against his physical dominance, pushing at his chest as she protested, "You can't just punish me for some ridiculous reason like that! I am the one who helped you with everything today."

Asher scoffed, a sound of utter derision, as he tightened his grip around her breast momentarily, "You mean forcing you to help me? No, no. Pets are supposed to do everything their master wants without expecting anything back. But...I am willing to postpone the punishment if you have something solid to say about Arthur. I believe I did tell you to get some information on him. So, how did it go?"

Rebecca, still feeling the shivers under his touch, brushed away a stray lock of silver hair that had fallen into her eyes and responded with a hint of smugness, "O-Obviously, I got information on him...unnnh~...H-How else do you think I was able to strike terror into this world almost a century ago?"

Asher suddenly released her and stepped back, crossing his arms across his chest, and maintaining a cool, dismissive demeanor, "Whatever. Just tell me where he lives, what his usual schedule is in a day, which people he stays in touch with, and more."

Rebecca felt like her poor breasts were on fire after he groped them so roughly, though she didn't expect him to really back down.

But she wrinkled her nose and couldn't understand why he was so interested in this Hunter. Still, she didn't bother to ask since he would just say that a pet has no right to question him in his annoying, condescending tone.

And so she reported with a hint of disdain, "He spends most of his day outside, either doing quests or mingling with other humans and even doing stupid things like helping a cat get down a tree. Can you believe that? A peak S Rank Hunter, and he wastes time with such things, pfft. Maybe we have no reason to worry about him at all."

Asher's eyes briefly flickered before his expression remained impassive as he prompted for more details, "What else?"

Narrowing her eyes, Rebecca continued, "He seems to interact with some people over the device in his ear. I couldn't hear for obvious reasons. If I get more time, then I can find out more. But I do know—"

"I can make some guesses already. But where does he live?" Asher interrupted, his patience wearing thin.

Rebecca clicked her tongue, her frustration clear, "You should just let me finish. I was going to tell you that he stays in an ugly, small house with a woman. He spends the night there. She must be his woman. I have no doubt about it since he seems to disguise himself as an ordinary human before going into that house."

"He has a secret girlfriend? Who is she?" Asher inquired, his interest piqued as he raised an eyebrow.

Rebecca scoffed as she said, "You are not going to believe what she is…"

—

The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, casting a dark yet beautiful glow of the moonlight over a peaceful neighborhood. The laughter of children playing late in the playgrounds filled the air, creating a scene of idyllic domestic tranquility.

Arthur, donned in a nondescript hoodie and baggy pants, his identity obscured behind round spectacles, walked down the quiet street with a gentle stride that matched the calm of the night.

As he approached a modest-looking house, nestled between similarly unassuming homes, his face softened.

Reaching the front door, he pressed on the doorbell, and moments later, the door swung open.

Arthur's lips arched into a warm smile, "I am back," he announced, his voice filled with warmth and contentment.