The Damned Demon

Chapter 731  What Have I Become?

"I…I feel like I can…" She raised her gaze, her eyes glinting with killing intent, "…finally kill the Thundering Reaper by myself."

Yui gasped in shock, her eyes widening as she looked between Grace and Asher. Rebecca, however, just let out a cold smirk, her gaze filled with amusement and a certain amount of approval. Asher raised an eyebrow, his expression betraying some surprise. "Grace?" he asked, his voice filled with a mixture of concern and curiosity. "Is that why you took Eternum?"

Grace didn't flinch. She nodded once, the confidence in her posture unwavering. "I can't just let her leave like that after what she did to Emiko. I will put an end to her and make sure she can't kill anyone else. How much more should we lose while trying to save others but not our own?"

The question hung in the air, charged with the weight of everything they had lost. Yui lowered her head in sorrow, feeling the weight of Grace's words hit her heart like a physical blow.

"Damn right you are," Rebecca muttered, a cold scoff escaping her lips as she crossed her arms. Her eyes narrowed with the sharpness of someone who understood the cost of letting someone like Anna live.

Asher's expression softened, but a heaviness lingered in his gaze, "Okay, but... are you really sure you're feeling strong enough? I don't know how much Eternum will exactly help."

Grace's lips curled into a smirk. She didn't answer with words, but rather, with an action. She slowly raised her hand, and the air seemed to crackle with energy. A dark vermillion light burst from her palm, the glow so intense that it felt like it could burn through the very air.

The ground beneath them trembled. At first, it was a slight vibration, but soon, not only the room but the entire underground building began to shake.

The floor cracked as if the very earth itself was reacting to her power. Asher, Rebecca, and Yui's eyes widened as they felt the sheer force of Grace's command.

Yui stumbled back, her heart racing in awe and fear of the power Grace had just expressed.

Asher's eyes sharpened, the weight of the situation fully sinking in. She was not just moving the floor but moving the entire earth within a radius of a few kilometers. She was using her Willforce to literally cause a mini earthquake!

Rebecca's eyes were wide as well. She had seen Grace's power before, but nothing like this. She had no idea Grace had this much terrifying potential all this time.

Grace slowly lowered her hand, the earth's rumble subsiding as she took a steadying breath. Her expression was fierce, determined, and cold, "I'm going to make her realize that in the face of Willforce, her Mindforce won't do a damn thing in a face-to-face battle."

Asher, still processing the full scope of Grace's strength, felt his doubts melt away. He had seen glimpses of her potential before, but now, there was no question. This was the Grace he had been waiting for—the Grace who had been held back by her injuries for too long, the Grace who was now ready to fight, ready to take what she believed was hers to take.

He now understood why Grace was so bitter about having her career as a Hunter hindered due to her injury all those years ago. She had so much potential but never got the chance to achieve it.

"But I have yet to hear back from Arthur. It could only mean he's still engaged with her, or maybe she knocked him out. Either way, how are you going to find her?" Asher asked with furrowed brows.

A cold smirk spread across Grace's face as she started walking past Asher, her steps confident, "Leave that to me," she said, her voice icy. "Now that we know who she truly is, it's a piece of cake."

Yui watched her go, a nervous knot forming in her stomach, "Will Aunty Grace really be alright?" she asked, her voice trembling with concern.

Rebecca shot her a glance, her arms still crossed, "Tch, brat. You should have more faith in your mentor. With the power she holds now, she's easily among the top five strongest from both worlds combined," Rebecca said dismissively, though there was a hint of admiration in her voice.

Yui bit her lip, still unsure, but feeling a little reassured by Rebecca's words. Asher, on the other hand, looked more serious than ever. His gaze lingered on Grace's departing figure. "Rebecca and I can't follow Grace because our shells have run out of mana. So you should go and keep an eye on her. She might not be thinking straight at this moment. So, you're the only one who can help her out if she needs it. So get going now."

Yui nodded quickly, her face set with determination. "Mn." She rushed out of the room, her footsteps echoing in the silence left behind.

Asher watched her go, his brow furrowed. Rebecca, seeing his expression, raised an eyebrow. "What are you brooding so deeply about? It can't be just because that girl died."

Asher slowly shook his head, his eyes darkening, "Derek knows who I am now, and he will start targeting our allies here."

Asher remembered Amelia and her parents, Rachel and Cecilia. They were in grave danger now. He had already sent warning messages to them, but that didn't stop him from worrying about them.

He didn't know how to get them all to safety since they were either stuck in this world or on Mars.

It was not like he could bring them over to his world, and the Culthold would no longer be a safe haven if he brought them here. At best, he would only be able to bring Amelia here.

Rebecca's expression softened upon seeing how worried he seemed, "I am sure they can handle it. But even if you think they can't let's first power up our human shell before you further brood about it."

Asher's eyes narrowed, his resolve solidifying, "Right. Let's head back to our world quickly."

—

The evening sun hung low in the sky over a lively, modest orphanage nestled in the heart of Germany. The children were filled with joy, their laughter echoing through the hallways as they followed their teachers to their rooms after a long day of lessons.

The warm glow of the evening sun filtered through the windows, casting a soft light across their faces.

But the cheerful atmosphere faltered as the air seemed to shift, the temperature dropping suddenly, sending a chill through the building. The laughter and chatter grew hushed as the children paused in place, looking toward the entrance.

Standing at the far end of the main hall was a figure. Tall, imposing, and clad in a full-body metal suit, the woman's dark yellow lightning streaks danced across her body, crackling ominously in the dim light.

Her presence alone made the air feel heavy, suffocating, as if the very walls of the orphanage were closing in on them.

One of the teachers, a woman who had been guiding the children, turned pale as she stumbled back. "I-I-It's the Thundering Reaper!" she gasped, her voice a terrified whisper that sent a wave of panic through the others.

The children, sensing the danger, began to cry, their voices rising in a collective chorus of fear and confusion. Their small bodies trembled, unsure of what was happening or why the very air around them seemed to crackle with menace.

But it wasn't just the children who were paralyzed by fear. The teachers stood frozen, rooted to the spot, too terrified to move, too stunned to react. The name of the legendary Thundering Reaper—one of the most feared figures in all of their world—had struck fear into their hearts like nothing else could. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Anna, moved forward slowly, her footsteps echoing ominously across the floor as she approached them. Each step she took sent a ripple of dread through the room, the sheer force of her presence leaving an unshakable chill in its wake.

The lightning that crackled around her body seemed to pulse with every movement, the air thick with a demonic energy that suffocated the very life out of the space.

Anna's breath was shallow, her fists clenched at her sides as her thoughts fought against each other, a battlefield of her past and her present. The faces of the children, those innocent faces she had taught and grown to love, stared at her with a mix of confusion and terror.

I've failed them, Anna thought, her heart aching with every passing second. I've failed them just like I've failed everyone I've ever cared for.

Her hands trembled uncontrollably, the sharp crackles of her lightning amplifying the dissonance in her soul. She had once been their protector, their teacher. They had looked at her with affection, admiration even. Now, those same eyes were filled with fear and distrust.

Yet, the command—the cold, unforgiving command from the blue-eyed monster, echoed relentlessly in her mind. Kill them all. It was a command she had heard far too many times. Each time, it became harder to resist. But it didn't matter anymore, did it? She had no choice. She was the weapon now, the monster they had made her. She was never meant to have a life of her own. She was only meant to carry out the destruction others ordered.

Slowly, she staggered forward, her steps unsteady as if each movement took every ounce of willpower she had left. The children shrank back, the teachers too terrified to move, their eyes wide with horror, unable to process what was happening. Their hearts thundered in their chests, the sound deafening in Anna's ears as the distance between them closed.

I can't do this. I can't do this to them.

As she reached the middle of the room, Anna stopped. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked into the eyes of the children—those innocent, scared eyes that once looked at her with trust, with love. The faces she had grown to care for, to protect, now filled her with a crushing weight of despair. What have I become?

Her mind was a cacophony of memories and emotions. Arthur... His face flashed in her mind—his eyes, once filled with warmth, now shattered with disbelief, as if he had just learned the truth of who she truly was. That was the look that pierced her soul more deeply than any weapon ever could. She couldn't bear it. Would Cila and the others look at me the same way once I return? Would they see the same monster that she had become? The realization crushed her chest like a vice.

Hellbringer's voice echoed in her mind. Is it all truly worthless?

Anna closed her eyes, her body shaking violently. The pain was unbearable. Her thoughts spiraled into a never-ending cycle of self-loathing and regret.

She didn't want to be this—this thing. She didn't want to live like this anymore. She didn't want to hurt anyone anymore. But her fate had already been sealed long ago.

Yet in this moment, she wanted to be relieved of her cursed fate.

"I... I don't want this," Anna whispered, her voice barely a murmur, breaking through the storm of her thoughts, "Get away from me..." She could barely hear her own words, but they were loud enough to make the air feel heavier, as if the world itself were holding its breath.

The dark yellow lightning that had surrounded her began to flicker and die down, the once-violent energy slowly fading away as she took a step back, her body trembling. The teachers and children, frozen in place, looked at her with confused expressions, unsure of what they had just heard. Was she...?

*Thrashk!*

The silence that hung in the air shattered with the deafening sound of the front door being slammed down.

The loud crash sent brief shockwaves through the room, making everyone flinch, their heads whipping toward the source.

A figure gracefully descended from the air and into the building—a tall woman, cloaked in a red leather jacket, a red hood shadowing her face. Her eyes gleamed with an icy determination, and her lips curled into a cold, knowing smile.

"So killing thousands wasn't enough?" Grace's voice was cold, cutting through the tension like a blade, "Was it?"