The Damned Demon

Chapter 715  The Thundering Reaper's Identity

Remy's face drained of color as he stammered, "The President…he's planning to commit genocide?"

Grace, Emiko, and Yui shared dark, troubled expressions. Never in their lives did they imagine he would turn out to be someone so evil, without any bottomline. It was as if he wasn't even human at heart or soul.

Rebecca scoffed, "Oh, good. Can't believe he's making it easy for—" She stopped short, her words drying up under the weight of their stares, the irritation flickering in her eyes as she felt the judgment radiating from these humans.

She clicked her tongue in frustration, annoyed why these days she was feeling bothered by what they were thinking about her.

Asher looked at each of them, his gaze steady, "If anyone had any doubts before, now you know the kind of man Derek really is. This isn't someone we can afford to hold back against. I'll need to return to my world to handle some things there first while you guys make sure the bomb we have planned to use to destroy the Nexus Tower is ready to be deployed."

"Wait!" a voice called out, making them all turn. Amelia rushed into the room, catching her breath as she looked around, her expression urgent, "I heard everything from Rachel, but there's something else important I have to say. I think I know who the Thundering Reaper is. It's a long shot, but… it's worth a guess."

Everyone's attention sharpened, curiosity and tension thickening the air. Remy, Emiko, and Yui exchanged glances, eager for the revelation.

"Who is she?" Asher asked, his frown deepening, "She must have a human disguise to roam undetected. But that makes it harder to guess."

Amelia nodded, holding up a small memory card between her fingers, "I'll show you. This footage was captured by the cameras in the public library where Arthur chased the Thundering Reaper, only for her to magically 'disappear.' Let's see if my hunch is wrong."

Asher's brow furrowed as he mumbled, "It always struck me as odd that she slipped away so easily. Arthur's still inexperienced, but I trained him well enough to know he wouldn't lose a trail that easily."

Grace's lips curled into a knowing smile, "You finally got it? Let me put it up," She took the memory card from Amelia and plugged it into a nearby console, her fingers tapping with a practiced ease.

Rebecca narrowed her eyes, leaning forward with keen interest, eager to finally see the identity of this Unseen bitch.

The large screen flickered to life, displaying the footage. Grace explained, "Since it's a public library, the cameras they use are decent enough to even capture objects moving at inhuman speeds. That's why I asked Amelia to procure the footage, even though it wasn't easy since the WHA had arrived on the site that day. Of course, it can't capture the figure of someone as fast as the Thundering Reaper. But..." Grace suddenly slowed down the video at a certain point and paused where the screen was showing a faint, dark yellow lightning trail speeding into the hall of the public library. She then added with a smile, "...it can capture the lightning trail she leaves behind. This is proof that she did enter the public library but..." Grace fast forwarded the entire footage until nobody was left in the hall, "...there is no lightning trail seen leaving the building. It means she had evacuated with the others as I suspected."

"Oh..." Remy blinked his eyes and was amazed at how his grandmother knew how to do these things when others of her age wouldn't even know how to operate a computer. At the same time, he was intrigued by her findings.

"So, she used a human disguise and walked out with the others?" Yui asked, her brows raised.

"Exactly," Amelia confirmed, her gaze intense. "Now, here's what I really want to show you." She rewound the footage, stopping at the moment when Arthur was helping people evacuate. Her finger hovered over the screen as she paused at a specific moment: a girl in a wheelchair moving past Arthur.

"Recognize her?" Amelia asked, her eyes scanning the room.

Yui tilted her head, "That's Arthur's girlfriend, right? Anna. I heard she lives in Germany."

"Of course. Since she lives in Germany and is a teacher, it's normal to see her in a place like that. But...do you know the strange part?" She tapped a few more buttons, bringing up multiple camera feeds from different areas in the library. "She was never in the building until Arthur arrived. None of the cameras caught her entering or exiting. So, how did she 'magically' appear?"

Asher's gaze darkened as he processed this new information, "So Arthur's girlfriend, Anna, is the Thundering Reaper? A cripple who can't walk? I have sent Rebecca to observe her before. She really can't walk, nor does she have any mana. But you are right...This is very strange." Rebecca crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing with deep suspicion, "That human cripple doesn't have a speck of mana, and yet she's supposedly moving at lightning speed? It's ridiculous."

Amelia pressed her lips together, her voice low and measured, "Ridiculous, yes. But it's the only explanation. If she can appear out of nowhere and disguise herself, then there's no reason she couldn't hide her mana. Maybe her being crippled is also a part of her cover to fool us. She is backed by Derek, and since we suspect she already has the M.A.M tech inside her, we don't know what other tech she might be using to conceal her true identity."

Emiko furrowed her brow. "It does seem possible she's masking her true self to stay hidden…"

Grace's gaze hardened as she continued reviewing the footage, "Amelia is right. If she can conceal her mana, her disability may be just as false. This entire facade could be a ruse to keep us off her trail. Remember how the hostages Arthur rescued didn't die in the blast?"

Yui nodded and said, "Of course. But weren't they rescued by a speedster Hunter?"

Grace nodded and said, "That's what I initially believed until I took Amelia's help to gather the surrounding footage before the bomb went off. Again, there was no Hunter within a thousand-mile radius who could have saved them in time."

"But why did she save them?" Emiko asked with a confused look. She added, "Doesn't she kill people instead?"

"What if she saved them for Arthur? Maybe for some twisted reason or...she really cares about him," Amelia asked with a narrowed gaze.

Asher scoffed, the weight of the revelation sinking in, "Anna, a woman living two lives, one crippled and harmless, the other a demoness, fast and deadly. We'll need to approach her carefully. If she's truly the Thundering Reaper, she's likely more dangerous than we ever anticipated. Derek must have planted her near Arthur to keep an eye on him. No wonder Rebecca caught her out in the open when I was training Arthur."

Rebecca snorted, her expression a mix of irritation and disdain. "Hmph, so that's what it was. She was sniffing around that fool, trying to see if he was up to anything suspicious. If she'd spotted you with him, she'd have reported it straight to her master."

Asher nodded thoughtfully. "Whether or not she knows I'm training Arthur doesn't matter anymore. Now that we're almost certain she's the Thundering Reaper, we can't leave her unchecked. Derek could set her loose on us at any time, and the last thing we need is to be caught off guard."

Amelia frowned, concern evident in her eyes. "But how are we going to deal with her? She's Arthur's girlfriend, and Derek's backing her." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Asher's gaze grew distant, his mind ticking through the options, "We need to understand what kind of relationship she has with Arthur. Is it strictly business—a spy role for Derek? Or… is there something more personal between them? That knowledge could change our approach entirely. I might have to make a detour before heading back."

Rebecca stepped forward, her voice sharp with urgency. "Wait—you're planning to confront her? Just remember, your human avatar isn't strong enough to handle her in combat. That bitch adapts quickly and reads your moves before you even make it. You can't take her by surprise like last time."

Asher smirked, a spark of amusement in his eyes. "Fight her? I'm not foolish enough to start a battle in this form. I only need some answers. Meanwhile, you all focus on the bomb." With that, he turned to leave, his footsteps echoing softly as the others exchanged worried glances.

—

Not long after, Anna was at home, cooking with her crutches resting nearby. Her phone rang, and she glanced down, frowning at the unknown number. She took a steadying breath, answering in an impassive voice. "Yes?"

A cold, detached voice issued an order from the other end, "You are to bring in Ash, Arthur's Combat Advisor, ASAP."

Anna's brows arched in surprise. "Ash? Why?"

"Do as you're told," the voice replied, icy and firm, before the line abruptly disconnected.

Anna lowered her phone, clutching it tightly. Her mind raced—she knew what it meant to bring in someone like Ash. The blue-eyed monster would probably question him and then eliminate him. However, that wasn't her concern.

A pang of discomfort struck her as she imagined Arthur's reaction. Arthur looked up to Ash, trusted him. If Ash were to disappear… Arthur would investigate, and things could unravel quickly.

*Ting!*

The doorbell's sudden chime snapped her from her thoughts. She glanced over her shoulder, puzzled. Arthur had said he'd be home later. Perhaps a neighbor?

Easing herself into her wheelchair, she rolled to the front door and opened it with a polite smile. But her smile faltered as her gaze traveled up, meeting the intense golden eyes of a tall figure casting a shadow over her.

"Hello, Anna," Asher said, a subtle smile playing on his lips. "I've heard a lot about you from Arthur. Mind if I come in?"

Anna's hand tightened on the door handle upon being surprised to see the very man she'd just been ordered to bring in—Ash himself!