The Damned Demon

The night was dense, only pierced by the low, silver hue of the moon up in the sky.

Silence blanketed the landscape, punctuated by the occasional howl and the distant cries of pain.

Amidst the settling dust and lingering cries, the silhouettes of Axton and his group stood out, their faces illuminated by victorious smirks.

Finally, as the echoes of the battle outside faded, the ground beneath them trembled.

*Boom!*

Suddenly, like a wave rushing to shore, stones and boulders shattered, propelled upwards in a symphony of chaos. Through the mist of the settling debris, four figures emerged.

Axton initiated a slow clap, the sound echoing eerily across the open expanse, "Bravo! Bravo, princess! You surely are stronger and tenacious than you appear to be, and should I add…so fucking hot. I don't think even the president's daughter is as pretty as you. Look, me and my friends are already hard," he jeered, his grin wolfish.

Isola's response was not verbal, and her face looked as if their words fell on deaf ears.

Her sapphire blue eyes burned with icy fire and simmering killing intent.

Ceti and Merina, their expressions equally murderous, flanked her on either side, their stances tense and ready to tear them apart. Their faces were twisted with disgust upon hearing such vile words from them.

"Ooooh, look at the way these sizzling thick and juicy beauties are looking at us. I am already drooling, slurrpp," Rourke chuckled as he licked his lips with a lusty gaze.

"Enjoy drooling while you still have your filthy mouth…" A contemptuous voice echoed from behind.

Asher's entrance was silent, but his presence was dominating, every inch of him radiated a chilling aura.

His unsettling smile was a clear threat, "The so-called Demon Rippers…A bunch of street rats picked up by a not-so Elite family for doing their dirty jobs. I guess you all wouldn't mind dying like one too, right?"

Axton and the others had their smirks fade upon seeing this tall, dove gray skin demon with long silver-white hair walking forward, his dark yellow eyes seemingly cutting through their souls.

Ceti and Merina glanced at each other, wondering if Asher had met them before to know about their background, and the way their expressions suddenly shifted made them realize they didn't like what they heard at all.

"How the fuck does he know…" Cain whispered with a low growl.

But it was Axton's voice, dripping with derision, that echoed back, "So, you must be Hell—"

*SCREEEEE!!!*

Before he could finish his sentence, Isola's face contorted with rage and released a screech that seemed to pierce the very fabric of the night, the very ground they stood upon convulsed.

Rocks erupted, the earth disintegrated beneath them, and the atmosphere itself seemed to quiver in terror.

Everyone, including Asher, was expecting the force of Isola's screech to obliterate everything in its path.

*Rinnnnn!*

But to their dismay, it was met with an unseen resistance.

An invisible barrier pulsated in front of Axton and his group, ripples of energy spreading outwards like water in a pond.

Ceti's and Merina's eyes widened in alarm as the shield absorbed every ounce of Isola's power while letting out subtle vibrations and humming sounds.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

As realization struck, a chorus of mocking laughter emanated from Axton's group.

The air grew thick with their contempt, "Did you really think that would work, princess?" Axton sneered, an arrogant glint in his eyes, "You might be powerful, but this is an Epic Grade shield made to protect people from bounties for a while. Not even you can shatter it…at least not in time. And guess what? By the time the bounty timer runs out, we will be totally fine."

Gildon, clearly relishing the moment, chimed in, his voice dripping with condescension, "Sucks, doesn't it? Traveling this far, with such high hopes, only to watch us enjoy ourselves while you can do nothing."

"These vile bastards…" Ceti clenched her teeth as her eyes glowed with anger, while Merina was also angry and sad to see that these disgusting humans were far too cunning than they expected.

Rourke, licking his lips, added more fuel to the fire, his tone grotesquely playful, "Mmm, I do regret not saving a piece of your sisters to snack on. They were truly delectable," He exaggeratedly burped, eliciting more chuckles from the group.

Asher remained in the same spot as he continued to watch in silence, his eyes dangerously narrowed.

Isola's eyes seethed with cold fury, the very air around her charged with her rage. In a defiant display of her power, she released another deafening screech, the ground trembling beneath their feet.

Ceti and Merina had their eyes on the impenetrable shield, waiting to see if this time it would crack under the weight of her anger.

Isola's unyielding screech resounded again, echoing across the landscape, relentless and charged with sheer determination. But to her dismay, Axton's shield still shimmered imperviously. Their laughter grew even louder, the sound cruel and mocking.

"I never imagined you'd be this persistent," Axton called out, an amused smile playing on his lips, "You're entertaining, I'll give you that!"

Ceti, feeling a surge of determination, shouted, "Isola! We're with you!"

Merina also nodded with grim determination as she joined in.

With that, the trio began an onslaught on the shield, attacking with a synchrony that echoed their rage and pain. Waves of dark energy, earthen spikes, and violent sound waves pelted the shield with raw fury. The ground shook, and the air was charged with a tension that one could almost taste.

The shockwaves of their combined attacks would have traveled far and wide for hundreds of meters if not for the shield absorbing them.

Rourke laughed, "Do you bitches think you can break through? Pathetic. This is almost sad but amusing to watch."

As time went on, it seemed as if Rourke's words were right.

Merina's strength dwindled, and she soon crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath.

Just a few minutes later, Ceti, her energy reserves nearly depleted, leaned forward, trying to muster her last bit of strength.

But then, a miracle. The once seemingly invincible shield began to show signs of strain. Minute cracks started to appear, spreading outwards like spider webs. Axton's eyes widened in surprise, his confident grin now wavering.

Sensing this shift, Ceti managed to muster a weak smile, her voice hoarse, "Seems like your little shield isn't as indestructible as you thought."

Merina, still on the ground but now alert, whispered words of encouragement, "Keep going, Isola... You can do this."

Ten minutes had passed, but now that the shield had weakened this much, they were feeling quite hopeful at last.

With Ceti and Merina's strength drained, Isola was the only one left standing. Ceti looked around to see Asher still standing with crossed arms, wondering what he was doing there by doing nothing. How could he just stand still after convincing Isola to go on this hunt?

However, Ceti's eyes reeled back towards Isola since they were close, and Isola was more than enough to finish this.

Isola was also sweating, though the cold determination in her eyes hadn't faltered in the slightest.

She took a deep, grounding breath. The energy in the atmosphere seemed to shift, everything went silent for a moment.

*SCREEEEEEE!!!!!*

Then, with a roar of defiance, she unleashed a screech so potent that the very earth seemed to quake in resonance.

The shield couldn't hold against this onslaught. The cracks spread more rapidly, consuming the entirety of the barrier.

*CRACKKKK!!*

With one final, resounding note from Isola, the shield shattered into a million fragments, dispersing into the air like dust.

However, Axton's grin only widened as he took out a small glowing pearl in his hand.

"A beacon?" Ceti recognized that item since it was used by people to share locations with each other.

But before any of them could react to this, the eerie stillness was broken only by the synchronized footsteps that began to approach them.

From every direction, shadows formed, slowly revealing the imposing figures of dozens of Hunters!

The moonlight glinted off their weapons, casting a chilling glow over the scene.

But the entrance of one figure was particularly the most prominent. His steps were unhurried, every move radiating power and confidence. He wore a black and silver armored suit, a fancy gleaming prominently on his chest.

His helm, covering most of his face, left only his piercing blue eyes visible. Those eyes assessed the situation in one sweeping glance.

Asher recognized him just by his aura and stance. He was Bodan Egon, coming from a very powerful Elite Family in Germany.

Ceti had her expression become grim with a hint of despair upon feeling the indomitable aura coming off this person. Who would have thought a S Rank would suddenly show up?

Merina pressed her lips together as she felt her heart pounding upon realizing that they were cornered.

Even if they had drunk some mana potion, it would take time until the potion restored their MP completely.

And all of them, especially Isola, were exhausted after trying to break through that shield and killing those 20 Hunters before. If this S Rank wasn't here, then maybe they might have had a sliver of a chance.

But with his presence, it was hopeless…

As Boden walked forward, the other Hunters instinctively parted to make way for him.

He stopped a few feet away, his presence dominating the field. Resting his hands on the hilt of his great sword, its blade gleaming dangerously in the dim light, he addressed Axton without even looking at the group of demons before him, "Victor called in a favor. But I never expected he valued you people this much," His tone was hard while expressing a hint of genuine surprise and contempt.