The Damned Demon - Chapter 821

Chapter 821: Just A Feeling
The Court Hall, not far from the Infinity Tower, loomed above them like an unbreakable fortress, its grand architecture blending the majesty of Earth’s world with the unrelenting modernity of Mars.

Inside, the air was thick with tension. The walls, lined with intricate steel engravings of justice and balance, bore silent witness to the fate of those who passed through its halls.

Rows of WHA guards stood at attention, their weapons primed, their expressions cold.

And in the middle of it all, Arthur stood in his full Hunter regalia.

His golden armor gleamed under the artificial lights, the pristine white cape billowing behind him as he led his prisoners forward.

Grace. Amelia. Yui. Remy.

Each of them bound in mana-restricting cuffs, their faces unreadable.

Arthur could feel the eyes of everyone in the chamber digging into him and the “prisoners”.

Amelia, Remy and Grace could feel the mocking, scornful glances at them, especially since they were coming from Elite families.

Yui’s heart was pounding, but she willed her heart to remain strong and brave. She had full faith in Grace’s belief that the Judge wasn’t a bad man.

Nevertheless, she was still anxious about what the future held for them.

He forced himself to keep walking, ignoring the gnawing uncertainty within him.

The Judge sat in an elevated seat of authority, overseeing the court proceedings with a quiet, unshakable presence.

The man looked frail—old and fragile, his wrinkled skin telling the story of nearly a century of life. Yet, the moment Arthur’s eyes met his, he felt it.

An undeniable weight.

This was no ordinary old man, and meeting him for the second time only sealed that fact.

The Judge’s dark, sharp eyes held an intellect and power that Arthur couldn’t quite define, yet it made him cautious. His presence alone commanded the room with an air of absolute neutrality.

He was a retired Hunter but was said to be the most knowledgeable and powerful man alive.

It wasn’t surprising to hear from Grace that the Judge still commanded some authority in the WHA despite Derek’s hold over it.

Arthur’s heart pounded in his chest.

Would he truly uphold justice?

Or had Derek already poisoned his verdict?

With a measured breath, he bowed slightly and declared, “Your Honor, I present before you four captured cultists, arrested for their association with the cult named the Coven of the Damned. They were found guilty of conspiring against the WHA and aiding in the destruction of Nexus Tower.”

Heated whispers rippled through the room at his words.

Everyone knew about the Nexus Tower bombing. It had been one of the greatest attacks in Mars’ history.

The Judge studied the four prisoners before glancing at the council members seated beside him.

Seated beside him were Max Thorn and Evelyn St. Clair, both council members. The only other council member who seemed to be not here was Albert Hart.

Max Thorn, looking around in his late sixties, who had a muscular build and military demeanor was looking at Arthur with a creepy smile, making Arthur feel uncomfortable and feel that something about him was very wrong.

However, the old woman with tied up silver hair seated beside the Judge and dressed in her tailored suit impeccable and looking authoritative gave him a impressed look.

Max cleared his throat and asked in a skeptical tone, “Star Prince, given that these individuals have clear affiliations with criminal activity, why were they not executed on the spot? That would have been the standard procedure.”

Arthur fought back the urge to clench his fists.

He had anticipated this.

There were those who wanted them dead immediately.

“They deserve a fair trial,” Arthur answered firmly. “Execution without due process would contradict everything the WHA stands for. If we abandon justice, we become no better than the demons we fight.”

Max clicked his tongue in annoyance but before he could say anything, Evelyn gave a nod of approval, “The young man is right. Justice should not be abandoned no matter who we are dealing it.”

Max narrowed his eyes in displeasure but said nothing more.

The Judge finally spoke, his voice a slow, deliberate weight against the room.

“I see. Let the accused step forward.”

Grace, Amelia, Yui, and Remy were escorted forward by the guards.

Arthur prayed he would judge fairly.

He had done everything he could to buy them time, but if the Judge was on Derek’s side, their sentence would be sealed in blood.

“Do any of you wish to contest the charges?” The Judge asked.

A heavy silence followed.

Arthur felt a cold sweat on his back.

But then, Grace stepped forward, smirking slightly.

“No, Your Honor. I have nothing to say in my defense,” she said, her voice laced with amusement. “Except that the WHA should learn how to build better towers.”

Arthur barely contained a groan.

He wished he could call out to her be careful.

Amelia knew this wasn’t the time to feel amused, but she found it hard to suppress a smile.

The guards bristled, hands tightening on their weapons.

The Judge, however, showed no reaction.

Instead, he turned to Arthur.

“Do you believe they should be executed, Arthur?” he asked, his keen gaze piercing.

Arthur hesitated.

A dangerous question.

Too dangerous.

The wrong answer could mean the end of everything. Derek could also be watching this from afar.

Finally, he shook his head. “I am not qualified to decide that, Your Honor. But I have to add that we have yet to investigate the true depth of their crimes. Death should not be given lightly. Let justice decide their fate, not vengeance.”

The Judge’s lips pressed into a thin line.

Then, he nodded.

“Then justice shall be served.”

Arthur’s breath hitched.

Was this it?

Would he—

“The accused shall be sentenced to imprisonment indefinitely until further investigation into their crimes takes place.”

A collective murmur spread through the hall.

Arthur exhaled slowly, relief washing over him.

It wasn’t freedom, but it was life.

He was glad to know that the Judge had more authority than he thought, to the point Derek didn’t even seem to bother to manipulate this turn of events.

But since the Judge was not openly going against Derek then it could only mean that Derek was far more terrifying to bring down.

The guards moved forward to escort Grace and the others away.

Before she was taken, Grace turned her head slightly, just enough to meet Arthur’s gaze.

And she gave a knowing glance, telling him he did well and not to worry.

Yet as the heavy doors of the courtroom closed behind him, Arthur’s golden armor felt heavier than ever.

The moment he stepped into the grand hallway, his steps faltered.

Because waiting outside, standing with his arms crossed, was Derek himself.

The man who had orchestrated everything.

Arthur’s jaw tightened.

Derek’s usual warm, fatherly smile was nowhere to be seen. His eye was calculating, cold.

But then he smiled softly,

“That was quite the gamble, but it was impressive that you helped us finally capture the most elusive cult. I am surprised you didn’t have to kill any one of them,” Derek finally said, his deep voice rumbling through the air.

Arthur took a slow breath before meeting his gaze. “I followed protocol. They surrendered the moment they knew that we had them surrounded. They must love their lives more than we thought.”

Derek’s hand landed lightly on Arthur’s shoulder, a familiar, almost fatherly gesture.

“Of course they do. Nevertheless, you did an excellent job,” Derek said, his voice smooth, his smile unwavering. “You accomplished something so many had failed to do.”

Arthur forced himself to nod, his lips curling into something that resembled gratitude—but inside, his blood boiled.

How could he stand here, face to face with the very man who had orchestrated so many horrors?

The man who had destroyed his family.

The man who had manipulated his life, shaping it like a sculptor molding clay.

Arthur had thought himself a hunter of demons, but now he realized—he had been hunting the wrong monsters.

And the worst part?

Derek was still smiling.

That same, damnable smile.

Like he was proud of Arthur. Like he still saw him as his pawn.

Arthur inhaled sharply through his nose, forcing his anger to stay buried beneath a carefully crafted facade. He had to play along—at least for now.

But amid all his thoughts, one name surfaced.

Anna.

Despite what she did, he had to know if she was still alright.

Because in the end…she was a helpless victim, forced to become a monster by this man.

“I wanted to ask… can I see the Thundering Reaper?” Arthur said, keeping his tone steady, masking the tension coiling in his gut.

Derek’s brows lifted slightly, but his expression remained neutral.

“Oh?” he hummed, as if considering it. “Why?”

Arthur exhaled, feigning hesitation before he clenched his fists and spoke, “I want to see if I can make her tell me why she did it. Who she was working for. She killed so many innocent people, and yet… I can’t shake off the fact that I am to blame as well.”

His voice wavered just enough—just enough to make it convincing.

Derek sighed, as though the weight of leadership was suddenly pressing down upon his shoulders.

“Alright,” he said with a reluctant nod. “I understand how you must be feeling.”

Arthur remained still, waiting.

Derek continued, “You can go and see her in her holding cell. But I doubt she will tell you anything useful. Her mind has fail-safes that prevented us from learning who she served. It’s no surprise, considering she’s a powerful Mindforce demon… as well as being fast.”

Arthur’s fingers curled behind his back. Fail-safes? Or did he mean that they toyed with her mind for all these years? Even now?

Was she still whole?

He forced a tight smile, “Thank you, Uncle Derek. I shall not take more of your time.”

Turning on his heel, Arthur walked away.

Each step felt heavier than the last.

There was some relief in the fact that Anna was still alive… but at the same time, an unease crept into his chest.

Why were they keeping her alive?

What were they doing to her?

Derek’s smile slowly faded as he watched Arthur’s figure disappear down the corridor.

The device on his wrist vibrated. A call.

He pressed a button, inserting an earpiece into his ear.

“Albert?”

A deep, mechanical voice responded from the other end,

“So… does he know?”

Derek’s eye narrowed slightly, though his tone remained casual. “Of course he knows something. The fact that he found them so quickly just makes it obvious that they sought him out.”

A brief silence. Then—

“Then do you think we should only wait and watch?” Albert asked, his voice cold, calculating. “It’s a pity we can’t install the M.A.M device in Arthur yet.”

Derek exhaled through his nose, his fingers tapping lightly against his forearm.

“It is,” he admitted. “But we always knew this was a risky play. Trying to forcibly control him won’t help us get what we want. It has to happen naturally. If we push too hard, we might lose everything we worked for.”

Albert was silent for a moment before he said, “Even if he knows everything, he can’t do anything on his own. We just have to wait until the time is ripe.”

Derek’s lips curled slightly, but his eye remained sharp.

“Exactly. That day in New York, where he almost died… it proves that we are close.”

Albert’s voice hummed lowly through the earpiece. “And if he fights back prematurely?”

Derek’s expression darkened. “Then we will just handle him like we dealt with his mother. We can’t deal with him like we did with his father. Either way, we can use her as Plan B if that happens.”

A soft chuckle from Albert.

“Then wait we shall. But the Judge seems to be protecting the cultists from the Coven of the Damned. What do you have to say about that?”

Derek narrowed his eye as he said, “Nothing. It doesn’t matter what the Judge is planning but we can’t afford to waste time dealing with him now. He won’t be easy to get rid of as of now. We will handle him anyway after things are ready. But in the meantime, maybe Hellbringer will come out of hiding to rescue his servants. He seems to have a unusual fondness for them. Any other demon would have killed them to get rid of loose ends.”

“That’s an apt observation. He is quite an interesting and peculiar demon. We shouldn’t analyze him as a conventional demon. But why do you still seem worried about him? He no longer has a kingdom or any resources to do anything to us,” Albert said with a hint of confidence in his deep voice.

Derek’s radiant blue eye flashed with a light of uncertainty, “I have a feeling we have to worry about him until he is dead.”

“Is this the ‘voice’ making you feel that?”

“Just a feeling,” Derek casually responded.

“Hmm, it wouldn’t hurt to not ignore that feeling. Let’s discuss later.”

Derek ended the call, his gaze shifting toward the doors Arthur had disappeared through.