The Damned Demon

"Anna, don't say that. I am sure whatever her situation might have been, you tried your best. You are the kindest woman I know, and you would go to great lengths for the ones you care about. That is why I fell in love with you."

Anna's eyes flickered with a tumult of emotions, her hands trembling as she struggled to grasp Arthur's words. Why does he have to keep making her feel like this?

Her gaze lifted to meet his, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, "I am not as good as you think I am. I... I..." Her voice faltered, torn between the urge to confess and the instinct to keep her secrets hidden.

Arthur shook his head firmly, his expression resolute, "This won't do. Let me take you somewhere," he said. Before Anna could react, he swept her into his arms with a surprising ease. Her eyes widened in shock as she instinctively clung to him, "Arthur, what are you—"

"Shh, allow me please..." Arthur whispered softly, his voice a soothing balm against the chaos of her thoughts. He carried her out through the backdoor and into the open air. With a powerful leap, he soared into the sky, the wind howling around them as they ascended.

The journey was brief, and soon Arthur descended onto a secluded island. The beach was pristine, the sand a soft, golden hue under the rising sun.

Anna looked around in astonishment, the serene beauty of the place contrasting sharply with the turmoil she felt inside, "Where is this place?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder.

Arthur smiled, a warm, reassuring expression on his face. He retrieved her electric wheelchair from his storage, carefully setting it up on the sand, "This is a small island I found hidden deep within the mist we flew through," he explained, "Apparently, there isn't enough vegetation or resources here for people to settle, so it's remained abandoned. But I find it beautiful. Sometimes, when I'm troubled, I come here to clear my mind. I thought maybe the fresh air might help you feel better."

Anna settled into her wheelchair, her eyes scanning the tranquil surroundings. She looked up at Arthur, who stood beside her, his gaze fixed on the sun's early rays, "Will you still love me if I end up doing something bad?" she asked softly, her voice trembling with vulnerability.

Arthur blinked, taken aback by her question, "Why would you say that? You would never do anything like that."

Anna chuckled wistfully, a sad smile curving her lips, "But what if... like, I end up transforming into a monster or get corrupted?"

Arthur's heart ached at her words, but he responded with gentle reassurance. He embraced her head, his touch warm and comforting, "Even if something impossible like that happens, I would still hold onto you and do everything I can to save you. I will never nor can I ever stop loving you, no matter who or what you become."

The sincerity in Arthur's voice and the warmth of his embrace made Anna's heart clench even more.

Arthur, feeling the weight of Anna's strange questions, guessed they must be tied to her sister's death. He watched her closely, his concern deepening. Gently, he said, "You don't have to feel like you're a monster for what happened to your sister. I'm sure you did everything you could to help her. And when you're ready, you can tell me what's troubling you. I feel like you wouldn't want to be alone in this."

Anna lowered her gaze, her fingers clenching into tight fists as she absorbed his words. After a moment, she put up a soft, grateful smile, "Thank you... I'm feeling better now. You don't have to worry anymore."

Arthur returned her smile, sitting down beside her wheelchair, "Then let's admire the sunrise and head back home."

"You like watching the sunrise?" Anna asked, squinting as the early rays of the sun filtered through the gentle mist.

Arthur nodded slowly, "Hm. I don't know why, but whenever I bathe in its rays, I feel better even when feeling down."

"I see..." Anna murmured, her smile softening as she observed his deep, contemplative expression, "Are you now feeling troubled by something? I'm sorry I got so caught up in my own thoughts that I couldn't ask you earlier. I remember you mentioned over the phone yesterday that you had something to talk about."

Arthur sighed, a look of frustration and guilt crossing his face, "It's just that I... I failed to catch both the Thundering Reaper and Hellbringer, even when they were right in front of me. I was so close, and yet I failed. If only I had captured at least one of them, I could have potentially saved a lot of lives in the future. I've never felt so disappointed at myself," he admitted, clenching his fists.

Anna's expression grew heavy, her heart aching even more.

She gently placed her hand on his shoulder, her touch a soothing balm, "You can't blame yourself. You did your best, and remember, you've already saved millions of lives, especially during that New York quest. Not every Hunter could have done that."

Arthur's gaze turned inward, his thoughts drifting to Advisor Ash, "That... was only because of him..." he mumbled, Ash's face flashing across his mind.

Anna's fingers curled slightly before she spoke with a gentle resolve, "And you too. But above all, we should be grateful you're here, safe and sound. I was so worried when I heard you fought Hellbringer. The demon king never leaves any survivors. Anyone who faced him has only faced defeat. It might sound selfish, but I'd rather you step back for a while and not face them until you're confident you can take down all monsters, no matter how powerful they are. I want you to be safe and stronger so that nobody can bully you, even if they have an entire army behind them."

Arthur's brow furrowed as he slowly nodded, the weight of his thoughts evident in his gaze, "I know... I know that I'm far from ready and that I have a lot to learn. But nobody wants to teach me, or they think I'm already too good. I really wanted Advisor Ash to teach me because I learned so much from just a short interaction with him. He seems more knowledgeable than anyone I've met. He must have been very skilled back when he had powers. Maybe that's why he's reluctant to teach me. It might remind him of some bad things. Or maybe it could be something else... I really don't know."

Anna gave him a reassuring smile, her eyes filled with understanding, "I can see why you'd want him to teach you—he helped you save New York. But I'm sure you'll find a better teacher than someone who's rude and unwilling to help."

Arthur managed a light smile in return, appreciating her support. Then, Anna's curiosity piqued, and she narrowed her eyes, "But... how did you end up facing Hellbringer and the Thundering Reaper? I heard you weren't there when the bombing happened. Don't they travel too fast to be tracked?" Anna remembered what Arthur mumbled when he arrived in that place while she was on the ground, bleeding. It still was making her feel uneasy.

Arthur's expression grew contemplative as he responded, "Thanks to Advisor Ash, I learned how to use my mana to project a field that detects anomalies in the air or anything that disrupts the nature of radiant mana."

"You mean tracking demonic mana?" Anna asked, her brows lifting slightly.

Arthur nodded, "You could say that. I'm still getting used to it, but it seems to work. I also..." His eyes drifted off as if recalling a distant memory.

Anna's curiosity was piqued, "What is it?"

Arthur's voice grew thoughtful, tinged with a hint of uncertainty, "It's strange, but I think the Thundering Reaper was there during the New York quest."

Anna's breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening, "Why would you think that?"

Arthur continued, "When I was trying to stop that bomb from going off at the last second, I projected a restorative field to protect the hostages. At that moment, I felt a very dark and powerful aura zooming past behind me... an aura that was wild and crackling with darkness. It was the Thundering Reaper. She was definitely there."

Anna's fingers rubbed together nervously, her demeanor tense, "But what shocked me more is that she saved those people. Why do you think someone as evil as her would do that?"

"I…" Anna's words got stuck in her throat as she didn't know what to say or think. All she could feel was her heart skipping beats here and there.

"There must be some reason. It doesn't make sense but I want to ask her something myself before I take her in…in case I manage to catch her. It should be easier for me to find her next time," Arthur said with a determined gaze while Anna slowly closed her eyes, her fists clenched.

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