Victor found himself consigned to a horrifying, fiery purgatory, entrapped within a realm that defied logic and mercy alike.
A barren wasteland of jagged rocks and molten dark green lava lay sprawled in every direction, the air saturated with the bitter stench of death.
"ARGHHHHH!! CEDRIC!!!!"
But he didn't have the luxury to take a look around as the heat was insufferable, pressing into him from all sides, searing his skin, melting his flesh, but refusing to grant him the release of death.
His guttural screams reverberated through the desolation, a harrowing sound of pure, undiluted agony.
As lava converged upon him, it began to envelop him, to build a cocoon of molten rock around him that imprisoned his charred form, yet his screams – persistent and haunting – permeated through the infernal prison until they were forever silenced.
Back in the mini-dungeon, Asher approached the scene where Rachel and Amelia were being tended to by Emiko and Yui.
The tense silence was punctuated only by the eerie wails of the wind as it whispered through the fallen leaves, wildly caressing the lifeless forms strewn upon the soil.
He made sure to tuck away his Deviar into his Damned Dimension the moment he came here. Ever since Rachel and Amelia left, he was always just a step behind them.
Rachel, though weakened and marred by both physical and emotional wounds, managed to pull herself to a shaky stance.
Her eyes, once vibrant with determination, now harboured a hollow grief as they flitted over the bodies of all these Hunters whom she had put her faith in only to be betrayed.
Upon laying eyes on Asher, she closed her eyes, a single tear escaping to trail down her dirt-streaked cheek, "Kill me," she uttered, her voice barely a whisper yet laden with a heaviness that betrayed the turmoil within, "and get it over with."
Asher, his eyes reflecting an abyss of darkness, chuckled softly.
Stepping forward, he stood before Rachel, whose eyes were trained on the ground beneath them, her gaze vacant.
He tilted his head slightly, an air of malevolent mirth playing across his features, "I just saved you from your fellow Hunters, and the first thing you do instead of thanking me is asking me to kill you?" He asked, the disappointment in his voice melding seamlessly with mocking undertones.
Rachel pressed her lips together, her brows furrowing. She slowly lifted her head, her eyes, now fierce and unyielding, locking onto Asher's, "Haven't you had enough fun with me?" Her voice was cold, a blade thinly veiled by velvet, "I never thought you would use Victor to do this to us. You are so despicable."
Nodding almost imperceptibly, Asher leaned in slightly, "Maybe, but because of what I did, you were able to see the reality of what your own people are like. They didn't even hesitate much to betray you. Hell, they were ready to kill you just for some personal gain. It must suck to realize that you put your life at risk for these kinds of people as well."
Rachel's lips quivered, barely perceptible, yet revealing the hairline fractures in her composed exterior. Her voice, scarcely above a whisper, eked out, "Why do you care..."
Asher sighed before his arm shot out and wrapped around her waist as he pulled her into a tight embrace, making her body press against his.
"Let me go..." Rachel winced as she weakly struggled to push him off.
"Now is not the time to be angry at your Master. But I do care, as I promised you before our relationship started. Why else would you think I used Victor to open your eyes to the darkness of your own people? I didn't want you to get hurt in the future," Asher softly whispered without letting go of her.
Rachel stopped squirming, finding her strength waning under his searing yet gentle embrace.
"Stop lying...I am just a slave you want to use for some evil plan..." Rachel mumbled in a fragile voice as her blue eyes glistened.
Asher's eyes flickered momentarily, a shadow of something inscrutable flitting across them, "If that was the case, then I would have let all these Hunters either capture you or kill you. Wouldn't it be truly evil if I watched the world crucify you for something that wasn't completely your fault? A evil person might find that quite entertaining."
"Then why me..." Rachel asked while finding the warmth from his rock-hard body oddly comforting, especially his steady heartbeat. After spending so many weeks sharing the warmth of his body in every way, she had grown strangely familiar with it despite not wanting to.
Even his smell and his touch was something she could feel even without his presence. And now having him in such close proximity was making her feel even more weird.
"Because you are special, Rachel. You have the power to end this corruption among Hunters. You think demons are the worst?" Asher scoffed, stepping back, "You have no idea—or maybe you have some idea now. But don't you want to find out how low they can go, especially your father?"
At the mention of her father, a spark ignited in Rachel's eyes, a volatile mix of pain, rage yet at the same time doubt, "Stop talking about my father like that…" She weakly said, though this time her voice didn't have the strength unlike previous times she said it to him.
A disbelieving scoff escaped Asher, breaking the tension wrought silence, his eyes holding Rachel's with a dark intensity, "Even after everything that happened, you still want to believe your father is the honorable and upright man everyone believes him to be?" He inquired, his tone heavy with mockery, "If someone like you were willing to kill their best friend, then can't he do the same?"
Rachel's fists clenched, her nails digging into his shirt as the unbidden image of Golden Prince, whom her father treated like a good friend despite being his senior, flashed in her mind.
A torrent of emotions collided within her, causing her to clutch her head as she shook it violently, her voice no more than a whisper amidst the chaos of her mind, "No...no...it can't be..."
Tears hung on the precipice, threatening to spill from her eyes, which were now a maelstrom of confusion, despair, and a flicker of growing determination.
Seizing the opportunity, Asher leaned in, whispering a venomous hiss in her ear, "It's not only him but the entire WHA might not be the epitome of justice and morals as you believe. You don't have to believe me. Go home and do your own homework on all of them. Then you will see for yourself."
In that moment, her gaze cut through him, while desperately trying to cling onto her beliefs.
Her voice, a firm, resolute ember amidst the despairing storm, declared, "Fine. I will find out the truth for myself."
Asher's smirk was dark and self-assured as he straightened, "Good," he responded. His gaze lingered on her momentarily before shifting dismissively, "Now be a good slave and stand outside. I have to scold Amelia for stealing my phone while I believe you already got your punishment." He cast a cursory glance around at the sprawled corpses, making Rachel glance at them bitterly.
Rachel's eyes then flickered towards Amelia, who was stirring awake, a low groan escaping her lips. Rachel hesitated; the thought of leaving her friend alone with this villain can't be good.
But the unspoken threat lingered in the air, a silent understanding that defiance could lead to further suffering for Amelia. She had already learned it from her previous experience in doing so.
Whenever she disobeyed, Amelia would be the one getting punished.
"Why the silence? Any objection?"
"N-No, Master..."
And so, with a heavy heart, she silently walked away, her shoulders bowed under the weight of the events that transpired today.
Amelia's face regained some color as her eyes fluttered open fully just in time to watch Rachel's retreating back.
Rachel's departure left a stillness in the air, her steps crunching on the earth a soft echo amidst the somber aftermath.
Emiko and Yui quietly trailed after her, casting worried glances between themselves but respecting her need for solitude in this moment of raw vulnerability.
Amelia, her gaze lingering on the direction Rachel had disappeared, slowly approached Asher, the expression on her face a complex mix of conflicting emotions.
Asher turned to her, a soft smile tracing his lips as he gently caressed her face, his voice tinged with a semblance of concern, "Are you okay? I would have intervened earlier, but-"
His words were cut short as Amelia embraced him, her voice steady yet imbued with warmth, "You should know better that this isn't my first time getting injured. I am already feeling fine, thanks to those two."
Nodding understandingly, Asher allowed the comfort of the hug for a moment before Amelia gently pulled away.
She looked at him, her expression complicated, and hesitantly spoke, "What are you planning to do with Rachel now? I don't know, but I...kind of feel bad for her despite everything that happened. She admitted what she did to me. Maybe she isn't as bad as we thought. What if...she deserves a second chance? I might feel biased because she was my best friend, but..."
A hum emanated from Asher, his gaze contemplative as he considered her words, "Well... I was surprised that she was prepared to sacrifice her own image for the sake of truth. I was expecting her to destroy the phone, and that is one of the reasons I used Victor as a backup. But it seems like she has potential to change."
Hope flickered across Amelia's face, her eyes lighting up as she mumbled, "Then..."
Asher's eyes sharpened, a resolute firmness to his words, "Let's see what she does after going home. But if she disappoints us again, then she will get what she deserves."
Amelia inhaled deeply, determination crystallizing in her expression as she met his gaze squarely, "Don't worry. I will keep an eye on her and help her uncover the truth."
Amelia then asked with a look of longing, "So...are you really going to let us leave today even though there are still a few days left?"
Amelia's question hung delicately in the air, her eyes reflecting a tumult of emotions that seemed to seep into the tranquil atmosphere around them.
A mischievous smile lifted the corners of Asher's lips, his fingers tracing a gentle path across her soft pink lips as he playfully inquired, "Why? You still want more after we both had a good time for all these weeks? Or were you enjoying my punishments more than I thought?"
A blush infused Amelia's cheeks, her gaze dipping downward as she mumbled, timid yet edged with a distinct sincerity, "I just...don't want to leave you. Once I go back...it's not like we can meet up other than seeing you in a doll, which feels strange."
Asher's chuckle was soft, resonating with an unspoken understanding as he responded, "It's not like I want to. But it will be better if you and Rachel leave along with Emiko and Yui and let the other Hunters know that the rumors of you four getting captured were false. I will also setup things from my side so that any rumors about you people getting captured would be rendered useless."
Nodding, Amelia's smile was wistful yet laced with a reluctant acceptance, "Yeah...you are right. We can't afford to make anyone feel suspicious of us."
He then assured her with a warm gaze, "But don't worry. I will keep trying to find a way where we don't have to worry about seeing each other. It might take a while since once I return home then I have a lot of things to deal with."
"Home..." Amelia mumbled, not expecting him to ever speak about the demon realm as his 'home'.
She pressed her lips together before asking, "Do you...really love the demon queen?"
"I do...Without her, I would have been truly lost," Asher said as his dark yellow eyes softened briefly.
Amelia's lips curved into a complicated smile upon hearing his answer without any hesitation. She felt happy that he found someone to fall in love with after what happened with Aira.
But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel envious and curious about this demoness who managed to first capture his heart after what Aira did to him.
"She must be a very exceptional woman then," Amelia said with a smile as she looked up at him.
Asher lightly smiled as he nodded, "She is, and so are you. I wouldn't have trusted you if that was not the case."
"Asher..." Amelia felt her heart warming up, feeling happy to hear his sweet words, and raised her feet in search of his lips.
Asher leaned in, and as their lips met, Amelia's eyes softly fluttered shut, surrendering to the warmth of his affection, momentarily lost amidst the intertwining threads of passion and peril.
Her hands wrapped around his body firmly as if she wanted to hold onto him as long as she could, for their future together was uncertain.
