279 Don't Let Ghosts Distract Us
Victor met Axton's words with a knowing smile, "I must admit, it's surprising. The renowned Demon Rippers seeking an alliance? Rumor has it you folks prefer to work solo."
Axton's mouth curled into a brief grin, "Never set such a hard rule, Sir Victor. In situations like these, it's always better to make friends, don't you think?"
"Just give me a moment," Victor said as he gestured with his forefinger.
His smile never wavered as he turned to his team, "We could benefit greatly from this," he murmured to Rachel, "The Demon Rippers may be a bit unorthodox, yes, but also powerful."
Rachel crossed her arms as her expression became hesitant and contemplative. It seemed like she was struggling to weigh the pros and cons.
Amelia was quick to voice her dissent, her eyes briefly shooting daggers at the group of men, "We shouldn't align ourselves with these...savages. They are as disgusting and monstrous as the demons they hunt."
Victor's smile faltered, a slight frown etching its way onto his face that only lingered for a brief second.
His hand then found Amelia's shoulder, the slight tightening of his grip making her wince, "Amelia," he said, his voice gentle, "we can't judge a book by its cover. Their methods may be questionable, but we can't ignore their contributions to humanity. They've punished countless demons, and our world is a lot safer because of them as well."
Amelia's eyes trembled as she curled her lips as if wanting to say something while Yui and Emiko glanced at each other with a silent understanding.
With that, he released her shoulder, his attention turning back to Rachel. "But, you don't have to deal with them if you don't want to," he reassured her, his smile returning, "I can manage them. They are all powerful A Rank Hunters, with Axton being a peak A Rank Hunter. They all have great skills in tracking, stealth, and sensing abilities. If we have them, we could easily pick out the demons we can handle. It would make the rest of our journey a lot smoother."
The glint in his eyes was strategic, already mapping out the potential benefits. But Amelia's look of disapproval lingered while looking at Rachel with a hopeful gaze that she would make the right choice.
Rachel, a look of uncertainty still painted on her face, stammered, "I...I think we should vot—"
She was cut off as Victor suddenly interjected, "The Demon Rippers can sniff out Hellbringer faster than any of us can."
Rachel's eyes snapped wide open at the mention of Hellbringer. Her gaze trembled as it darted from the Demon Rippers to Victor. A long silence ensued as her expression slowly hardened.
Finally, she gave a silent nod, "Okay... As Hunters, it's our duty to exterminate monstrosities like Hellbringer at any opportunity we can. I will leave them to you, Victor. But tell them they can't take their 'pets' inside. I don't want the others to be uncomfortable."
With those words, Rachel turned on her heel, making her way toward the shelter.
Amelia's eyes shot daggers at Victor, her body rigid with indignation. The subtle smile on Victor's face seemed to only fuel her ire.
Refusing to spend another moment seeing his face, Amelia turned and bolted after Rachel. Her voice echoed around the lava structures as she called out, "Rachel!"
Yui and Emiko exchanged apprehensive looks and slowly walked towards the shelter while Victor turned around as the Demon Rippers gathered around him.
Axton, with a small grin, initiated the conversation, "I hope we didn't give you any trouble, especially from Miss Haughton."
A chuckle escaped from Victor's lips. He waved a dismissive hand, "Don't worry about that pretentious thing. I am going easy on her just because she is my fiance's childhood friend."
Axton let out a subtle laugh, the malicious glint in his eyes reflecting his amusement, "As expected from our Sir Victor. We already know you are more than capable enough to handle bitches like them without even lifting a finger."
Victor nodded, his lips curving into a smile, "And I take it your Marlowe Family is doing well in the Middle East after shifting there?"
"Of course," Axton replied, his smile never leaving his face, "My people will be pleased to know you asked about them. And we are honored that you are giving us another opportunity to work with you. It seems like the president's daughter is hellbent on finding this Hellbringer? I am surprised and ashamed at the incapability of our juniors to kill him despite the bounty hunt. They have surely been living an easier life than ours."
Gildon clicked his tongue, frustration visible in his playful eyes, "I could've skinned him alive easily if only we were close to Hellbringer during the Bounty Hunt."
Elias, always the calm one, flashed a quick, silver smile and chimed in, "We needn't get restless. There's plenty of time ahead, and by then, we'll surely get to Hellbringer, if he manages to stay alive till then."
"Why don't we just place another bounty and make it easy to hunt that demon rat? The demonesses in his group can make fine pets for us," Cain suggested with a sinister glint in his eyes while caressing the hair of his 'pet', who began to tremble upon feeling his hand.
Victor, wearing a casual air about him, lifted his hand, "There's no need to try hard, nor does Rachel want others to find him, which could happen if we place a bounty. Other than that…We shouldn't forget the real prize of this quest."
Axton, relishing in the shared understanding, nodded with a menacing grin, "Of course...We understand that only Sir Victor deserves it. We are going to have a great time together, and perhaps we can find some fine demon pussy and meat for Sir Victor on the way. I'm sure it can satisfy you even more after surviving on the tasteless food of these dungeons and the beauties you may not have had an opportunity to taste."
Victor's eyes flickered with a frenzied look, his lips parting as his tongue slowly caressed his upper teeth before he inhaled deeply, his expression returning to normal.
He nodded appreciatively, "Hmm, I might take you up on that offer...But I'm sure you know we have to be discreet. Rachel isn't used to such things. You all have to be on your best behavior whenever she's around us."
With a smug smirk stretching across his face, Rourke nodded in agreement, "Don't you worry, Sir Victor. We'll be good boys for your sake."
The others nodded with a grizzly laugh as Victor slowly nodded with a subtle smile.
-
In the cool confines of the shelter, Rachel stood alone in a room, her gaze focused out the window, her expression glazed.
The soft sound of a door opening behind her broke her reverie as Amelia walked in, the door clicking shut behind her with an echoing finality.
In a hushed tone, Amelia spoke, the trepidation evident in her voice, "Rachel... why didn't you put up a vote like always? About the alliance with those perverts? You know they might cause trouble among the others as well."
Rachel took a deep, calming breath, her eyes never leaving the reddish hue of the magma structures outside the window. Crossing her arms in front of her, she confessed in a voice barely more than a whisper, "I... I also didn't want to, Amelia. But Hellbringer... I can't hold back when it comes to him, even if it means I have to make decisions that might not sit well with me."
Amelia's lips pressed together, her brows knitting in worry as she slowly approached Rachel.
She reached out, placing her hand gently on Rachel's arm. Her voice softened, filled with concern, "Rachel... can you tell me what really happened with Hellbringer? I can't help but feel that there's something more. You've looked so troubled ever since he disrupted your life..."
Rachel's lips quivered, her fists clenching involuntarily. Internally, a battle raged.
She could never let anyone, not even her best friend, know the truth.
Nobody would see her the same way if they knew. And the repercussions could be too dire, no matter how small the chance.
Yet, Amelia's questioning gaze bore into her, seeking answers she was loathe to share.
Choosing to paint a version of the truth, Rachel slowly turned toward Amelia, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
Her voice broke slightly as she began to speak, "Hellbringer... He made me feel so powerless, Amelia. He toyed with me...gave me false hope that I could save my friends, and then... then he just snatched it all away. I felt as though I had lost my dignity, my very identity as a Hunter."
The admission hung in the room, a raw, piercing reflection of her turmoil. Amelia's eyes softened, the pained expression on her face mirroring Rachel's turmoil.
She reached out, gently squeezing Rachel's hands, "Oh, Rachel... I had no idea he was that evil...I understand why you hate him so much now. I...I'm so sorry you had to go through all that alone."
Rachel's features softened at her friend's sympathy, her eyes becoming glazed as they were lost in certain memories of the past.
After a few heart-wrenching moments of silence, she managed to say in a shaky voice, "I... I don't know if I should say this but... the museum visit... it dug up some things I had tried so hard to bury. And now... now I find it even harder to forget 'him', especially with everything that's going on."
Amelia's brows raised in surprise, her gaze holding a multitude of emotions as she mumbled, "You...still think about 'him'? Why?"
Rachel pinched her lips together, mustering a shaky smile as she confessed, "I don't know...it's strange. I want to hate him…make him disappear from my memories. But…thinking about him...it gives me strength in ways I never expected, even though I wish it didn't have to be because of him. I feel like something is wrong with me..." Rachel wryly chuckled.
Amelia slowly shook her head, her expression softening, "There's nothing wrong with you, Rachel. You had feelings for him, and that's perfectly natural. Anyone who knew him then, who saw the man he appeared to be... they would've felt the same," Her expression briefly became glazed as she added, "That is why everybody loved him."
Rachel lowered her gaze, a wry smile on her face as she responded, "Only later did I realize how foolish I was to have a crush on him. Even if he hadn't turned out to be a... you know what, it was always that woman…Aira from the Evangelion Family that only entered his eyes. I don't know if he really loved her, but if he did...then she must have known the truth and ran away to avoid getting in trouble if it came out...But I guess it doesn't matter..." Rachel mumbled in a low voice before looking at Amelia with a bitter smile, "If you hadn't introduced me to him, maybe I wouldn't be feeling like this, not that I am blaming you."
She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts before she continued, "You were also his friend at the time, right? You were the first one he chose to mentor, and I remember how excited you were. So...do you think about him too?"
Amelia's face froze briefly, before it quickly hardened.
Her eyes fell, and she scoffed lightly, shaking her head as if shaking off a distant memory, "Me? Think about that traitor? Rachel, that's ancient history. I've long since forgotten about him. Just like you, I looked up to him once, but that's the past," As she said this, her fingers slowly curled up.
Meeting Rachel's gaze, she continued, her voice firm, "So we shouldn't let old ghosts distract us. The past is the past, and it's better left there. Right now, we have a monster to hunt, a mission to complete. Let's focus on dealing with Hellbringer and put everything else aside."
The room fell silent again as Rachel nodded, feeling that they should focus on what was important now.
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