The Damned Demon

A week had passed since the disastrous bombing, and Cecilia was now in Algeria, meticulously overseeing the completion of another Junction Tower. This time, however, the atmosphere was charged with a palpable tension, the security protocols intensified exponentially. Her gaze swept across the construction site, sharp and focused, scrutinizing every movement, every shadow.

The guards stationed around the perimeter moved with mechanical precision, their orders clear and their purpose singular—ensure the safety of the tower at all costs. The air was thick with the electric hum of heightened alertness.

*BEEEEEEEP!!!*

The sudden clamor of a loud sensor pierced the air, sending a wave of alert through the site. Cecilia's reaction was instantaneous; her figure blurred into motion, swiftly followed by a cadre of heavily armed guards.

They converged on the source of the alert where Asher stood, his grip iron-tight on the collar of a man who was dressed impeccably like a guard, "Mrs. Sterling, we caught this cult member trying to slip in a bomb," Asher reported with a disdainful scoff.

Cecilia approached, her eyes wide with disbelief, "You? Isn't he one of the security heads?" she murmured, remembering interacting with this face just yesterday regarding the project.

"A perfect disguise," Asher replied. With a swift motion, he removed a device from the man's wrist, and the facade melted away to reveal a completely different person—shabby hair and tattoos sprawled across his skin, a stark contrast to the polished official they had seen moments before.

The crowd of officials and other staff gathered around gasped in unison, taken aback by the transformation. Asher continued, "Thanks to his device, the security system I had your people install caught him in time."

Cecilia's fists clenched at her sides, her aura getting heavier as she glared at the captured man. "How dare you... Which cult are you from, and who is your Master?" she demanded, her voice ice-cold.

The man lifted his head to meet her gaze, but his expression twisted in pain. Before he could respond, agony overtook him; he coughed up blood, his body convulsing slightly.

Cecilia's frown deepened, "Something is wrong with his body. I need a healer here. Now!" she called out urgently. Her assistants scrambled to respond, but it was too late. The man's eyelids drooped, his body went limp, and his breathing ceased.

"Did he just die?" Cecilia uttered in disbelief, her eyes searching the man's still form for any sign of life.

Asher gently laid the man's body down on the ground and checked for a pulse. After a moment, he shook his head and sighed, "It seems so. It looks like he ingested something to kill himself, probably for a situation where he gets caught like this."

Cecilia closed her eyes briefly, a mixture of frustration and resignation washing over her, "These cunning demons," she muttered under her breath. Opening her eyes, she looked at Asher and asked urgently, "Where's the bomb?"

Asher casually snapped his fingers, summoning a curvy figure from the crowd. A tall, alluring, yet cold-faced woman with voluptuous curves stepped forward.

Her white hair was neatly tied up, and her subtly radiant red eyes scanned the surroundings behind rectangular spectacles. Dressed in a neat black coat with a white shirt underneath and black pants, she exuded an aura of both authority and mystery.

Silently, Rebecca revealed a glass box. Inside was a rectangular device adorned with dark red runes shimmering ominously on its stony surface. The runes pulsed faintly, as if holding back a malevolent force.

Asher gestured towards the glass box and explained, "This was the bomb we retrieved from him. After a quick analysis, its payload seems to be enough to destroy the tower."

Cecilia's frown deepened, her concern evident, "I can't believe the demons are getting bolder... bold enough to even try something like this with all of us present here. Take it away for further analysis to see if they implemented anything else to make the bomb more effective."

Rebecca silently nodded, though a fleeting smug glint flashed through her red eyes as she walked away with the box, her steps measured and silent.

Turning back to Asher, Cecilia's expression softened into one of gratitude, "Even if the perpetrator ended up dying, we were able to stop him before it was too late because of you, Advisor Ash. Thank you for being so vigilant about this," she expressed, her voice laden with relief and appreciation for the young advisor's quick action.

She knew if another disaster had happened here, it would have caused another major setback to this project.

Asher offered a subtle smile, his demeanor humble, "Please don't thank me, Mrs. Sterling. I was only doing my job. If I may, can I accompany you to every site whenever you make an inspection? I can help implement all the necessary protocols to make sure this project proceeds smoothly."

Cecilia pulled together her brows as she remembered Derek's words,

[ Don't involve any outsiders; let me handle this. But you can give him one chance just to see if he is as good as he says. ]

Cecilia slightly winced as she said with an apologetic smile, "About that…while I really appreciate your offer and what you have done today, I still need to think since this is a huge project and our agency might not be comfortable with you investing your time in this. But if we feel that you will serve a greater purpose in this project, we will let you know. Okay?" "That's good enough. I completely understand," Asher nodded with a brief smile.

However, he smirked inwardly while Cecilia turned to address the others as he thought, 'As expected…you might need a little more push.'

Unbeknownst to them, a figure cloaked in anonymity—a young woman in a cap and sunglasses dressed in a black jacket and pants—stood at a distance, observing everything intently. After a moment, she turned and walked away, blending seamlessly into the crowd.

—

Asher strode into one of the rooms of the Culthold of the Coven of the Damned. Rachel walked beside him, her expression tense while Rebecca was dragged along on her fours.

They entered a room where Grace, Emiko, and Yui stood around a table, a holographic map floating in the air above it. And upon seeing their Master, all three of them respectfully acknowledged his arrival.

"What happened? Did you manage to get in?" Grace asked eagerly, her eyes scanning Asher and Rachel for any sign of success.

Asher shook his head, a slight grimace forming as Rachel chimed in, "Unfortunately, my mom still gives more importance to what my dad says."

Grace's brows furrowed in frustration, "He must be confident to turn her down like that, or...he must really have great trust issues."

Rachel let out a weary sigh, "It's a mix of both. My mom told me that my dad has taken extra measures to ensure that there won't be a second bombing."

Rebecca, who was sitting on the cold floor, scoffed, "How absurd. What gives him that confidence after we blew up those towers so easily?"

Grace nodded in agreement, her voice laced with skepticism, "I have to agree with our pet here."

Rebecca clicked her tongue in annoyance at the label, but Grace continued unperturbed, "It's not like he would be willing to waste so many resources to protect every Junction Tower he has erected. There are over a hundred such towers already. How will he know which tower will get targeted next?"

"The extra measures include him sealing off the completed Junction Towers. Nobody can enter within a ten-mile radius except for a few trusted employees working under him who are under close observation. So the only way we can get in is whenever a new Junction Tower is nearing completion and gets inspected by my mom. That is the only time we get a window of opportunity," Rachel explained, her tone serious as she outlined their narrow chance.

Asher's eyes gleamed with a cold determination, "This is another important reason why I am trying to get close to her mom. Once I do and get some kind of access to the other completed towers, I can secretly plant bombs near each of them and detonate all of them at once, destroying his plans right before he thinks he is going to succeed. That is how we put a stop to his projects."

"But uhm...how will you get close, Master? Didn't Mrs. Sterling reject your offer?" Yui asked, her voice tinged with worry.

"Should we threaten her?" Emiko suggested bluntly, causing Yui to wince and shake her head, clearly disapproving of the idea, her eyes darting to Rachel. Emiko got the message and awkwardly but stoically lowered her head.

"My mother won't be moved by threats if that's what anyone's planning to do here," Rachel stated firmly, her stance protective.

Rebecca scoffed at the notion, "I don't know about that. She clearly never met me."

"Don't get worked up, Rachel. There is only a simple solution we are already familiar with," Asher said casually, his demeanor relaxed despite the tension in the room.

"And that is?" Rachel pressed, her curiosity piqued despite her concerns.

Asher's smirk widened as he delivered his chilling plan, "We just blow up another tower, and that will force her to choose me no matter what her husband says."

"That sounds like a good plan. But since they tightened up security, we need to be more prepared and even expect the worst. For instance, Derek might plant powerful Hunters in secret whenever a new Junction Tower unveiling ceremony is going on to ambush us," Grace said with a serious look.

"I know. That is why, this time, all four of you will work together to pull off our next bombing," Asher said as he glanced between Grace, Rebecca, Emiko, and Yui.

Grace and the two girls glanced at each other while Rebecca clicked her tongue in frustration, wondering if this bastard was planning to get her killed or something.

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