In a room was a massive expanse of polished steel and glass, an ultra-modern command center with large digital displays lining the walls. At its heart, standing tall and commanding, was Rachel Sterling, her arms crossed over her chest.
The blue light from the large display washed over her, lending an ethereal glow to her already radiant features.
On one side of the room, leaning against the wall, stood Victor. His gaze was fixed on his phone, his face impassive.
The other side of the room was occupied by a slender figure with refined beauty.
Her hair was a cascade of chestnut strands, neatly tied in a high ponytail. She possessed a slender, graceful form, adorned in a tight-fitting hunter suit that accentuated her curves and a generous bosom.
Her light brown eyes were brimming with a flurry of frustration. This was Amelia von Alder, Rachel's closest confidant, and her countenance was marred by a frown of disapproval.
"How dare those two Japanese girls keep us waiting," Amelia grumbled, her pink lips curling into a sneer.
She turned to Rachel, her disgruntled gaze softening slightly, "Is it really a good thing to have them in our team, Rachel? We've only known them for a little over a year. They practically have non-existent backgrounds."
Rachel sighed, her gaze resting on her, "I know you're worried for me, Amelia," she began, her voice steady, "But let this be. Emiko and Yui have proved their worth, and their metamagic powers are too valuable for this quest. The two will be excellent Spelldancers, having our backs and supporting us. And their background...it doesn't matter. They're orphans, raised in a decent facility in Switzerland. If we just focus only on a person's background, we definitely will miss out on a lot of raw potentials like Emiko and Yui. The two of them complement each other very well and our team as well. On the day they first showed up here, the two of them defeated 5 low-level B Rank Hunters on their own. And their strength has been rising at an incredible pace, and they are already at the peak of B Rank. It only shows they completed almost every quest they took within this year and proves their dedication and courage."
"Not all geniuses hail from prestigious families like ours or yours, Amelia," Victor suddenly spoke, his tone mirthful as he stepped forward while putting away his phone in his pocket.
He added, "It's akin to finding mana shards buried in some wasteland. It's a good thing we have the chance to dig them out, polish them, and help them realize their potential. In doing so, we also benefit ourselves."
Amelia took a deep, slow breath, a visible sign of her attempt at maintaining composure. The disapproval still lingered in her eyes, but she held her tongue, choosing not to counter Victor's argument.
The subtle tension in her stance gave away her thoughts, however.
Rachel nodded with a look of approval, "Victor is right. Sometimes the Angels bless unfortunate ones other than lineages of Elite Hunters like us. As my mother once said, our bloodlines were once born from nothing."
Just as the room was once again enveloped in silence, a soft knock echoed through the room, snapping everyone's attention towards the door, "Come in," Rachel announced without missing a beat.
The door slid open, revealing the sight of Emiko and Yui. They stepped in, their movements synchronized, and offered a short, respectful bow, "We apologize for our tardiness," Yui began, her tone both apologetic and a touch anxious, "Our flight was delayed..."
Rachel waved off the apology, her gaze softening slightly, "It's alright," she reassured, "We understand these things happen."
A sharp glare darted from Amelia's direction towards the two latecomers. She huffed and turned her attention away, her displeasure evident.
Meanwhile, Victor flashed a friendly smile at the two, welcoming them, "It's all good," he chimed in, a chuckle punctuating his words, "Maybe next time I can arrange a teleportation chamber at your orphanage for your exclusive use."
Yui gasped softly at Victor's suggestion, shaking her head, "That... that would be too much," she stammered, a polite smile creeping up her face, "We'll be fine."
From the corner, Amelia harrumphed without turning around, a caustic edge to her voice, "Indeed, you will be."
Emiko furrowed her brows and shot a subtle glance at Amelia's back.
But before anyone else could say anything, Rachel clicked a button on the remote she held in her hand, "Everyone," she began, her voice echoing in the silence of the room, "Let's start. Look at the screen."
As the huge screen flickered to life, it displayed the image of a striking figure. A dove-grey skinned demon, tall and well-built, graced the screen. His devilish charm was enhanced by his long silver-white hair, intense yellow eyes, and a smirk that oozed cold dominance. He was unsettlingly handsome, a sight to behold.
Rachel's blue eyes flared with a mixture of anger and an unseen loathing as she stared at the image. She turned to face her team, pointing at the image, "This..." she began, her voice thick with fury, "is the demon known as Hellbringer, or Asher Drake as he is known amongst his own kind. He is the consort of the Demon Queen. By now, I am sure you are all well aware of how much of a danger he is to most Hunters of our age. None of them who faced him ever survived. He wouldn't even let them escape and only leave behind his mark. That is why whenever we had our training, I always let you guys know how dangerous he is even though you all are stronger than him."
She paused, lowering her gaze momentarily, gathering her thoughts before she continued, "I never revealed his image to you all or anyone before because... because I was not ready to face the demon who nearly destroyed me," her voice was softer now, filled with a hidden pain and a flicker of humiliation in her eyes, "But now I had no choice but to show this since you all needed to know. Should we encounter him, I don't want the past to repeat itself."
Emiko and Yui glanced at each other, their gazes filled with curiosity and a certain awe. They had never personally seen their Master's true appearance. Nor did anybody else get to show his image since nobody survived to tell the tale of his appearance except her. Any image that was circulated were just unofficial images from unverified sources because of which they never showed an interest to check out.
Rachel's words and the image of Hellbringer ignited an odd sense of understanding, an admiration of his terrifying, yet alluring charm. As expected of the husband of the demon queen.
The two shared a moment of silent communication, 'So, this is Master's true face…He really is of an alien race...' Yui mumbled in her mind, her eyes never leaving the screen.
Emiko blinked silently. She had to admit, they had never seen a man quite like him before - one who could hold their gaze hostage with such chilling charm.
A snort escaped Amelia's lips as she shook her head, eyeing the demon on the screen, "I wish I had been there for you at that time," she said, her voice filled with a protective fierceness, "Then this demon would have been on his knees, begging for mercy," Her tone softened as she turned her gaze towards Rachel, "Don't worry, Rachel. This time, if we encounter him, he won't get away. We'll make him pay dearly."
Victor stared at the displayed image of the demon, his eyes burning with a dark determination. He took a step forward, wrapping his arms around Rachel in a comforting embrace.
His voice shook slightly as he said, "I promise, Rachel. I won't let the death of this vile demon be an easy one. Not after what he did to you by killing all your teammates before you and leaving you as the sole survivor as a way of mocking you," He pulled back slightly, looking deep into her eyes, "Even if I alone could annihilate him with just a snap of my fingers, I want us all to make him wish he was never born."
A soft, thankful smile spread on Rachel's face at Victor's words.
She took a step back, giving him a small nod of gratitude.
Victor returned her smile, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on her lips.
But just as he was about to comfort her with the sweet gesture, a flash of guilt and complicated emotions crossed Rachel's face.
Certain images, especially one of Hellbringer stealing her first kiss haunted her mind, making her instinctively pull back subtly.
"T-Thank you, Victor," she stammered, her voice trying to regain its clarity while avoiding his eyes, "I…already feel better."
Victor blinked, taken aback for a moment. He cleared his throat, a hint of confusion in his eyes as his brows pulled together before relaxing the next moment, "Of course, Rachel," he said, offering her another warm smile.
Meanwhile, Amelia had moved to Rachel's side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
She looked at her best friend, her gaze filled with unwavering confidence, "Rachel, you shouldn't worry about him anymore," she reassured, "You're much stronger than you were before. He couldn't possibly have caught up to you. Even if we overestimate him, he's probably as strong as a C-rank now. Even our weakest members," she glanced towards Emiko and Yui, who stood silently behind them, "could easily crush this demon."
At Amelia's words, a subtle shift transpired between Emiko and Yui. Their expressions remained polite, their gazes fixed on the floor as Amelia dismissed their strength. However, a flicker of indignant defiance sparked deep within their eyes upon hearing them insult them and their Master.
If not for their Master, they wouldn't have realized their purpose in their previously miserable life.
Emiko, bore the statement with grace. Her back remained straight, her lips tightly drawn into a delicate line as she absorbed the disdain directed at them.
On the other hand, Yui, couldn't entirely stifle her reaction. A small flash of annoyance darted across her face, her fingers briefly tightening around the hem of her shirt.
Her heart pounded in her chest, and she wanted to retort. But she bit back her words, knowing that they couldn't do anything to jeopardize the mission their Master gave.
Rachel nodded upon hearing the assurances of Amelia and Victor.
However, her expression turned serious as she said, "But we shouldn't underestimate him since he not only uses underhanded tricks but also knows how to fight like an expert. And as we all know, a group of Hunters or Demons can have 5 people in total in this quest. So his group will have four others who we have to assume will be very strong since the Demon Queen might send the best to protect him. So even if he isn't a danger, we have to be ready to deal with the ones accompanying him."
Amelia and Victor nodded with focused gazes as they glanced at each other while Rachel clenched her fists, already thinking of the ways she could punish that perverted demon for what he did to her.
