The Damned Demon

Chapter 668  The Truth And The Prophecy

Rachel took a deep breath, steadying herself as she met her father's intense gaze. Her voice was firm yet laden with remorse as she said, "I'm sorry, Dad... I just wanted to help you."

Derek sighed deeply, his shoulders sagging slightly as he leaned back, "Why? Why did you have to get involved in this? Do you think I'm trying to handle everything alone just to keep you out of it? It's because I want to spare you from the hard things."

Rachel's eyes softened as she responded, "I know you were trying to shield me. But you don't have to worry that I won't understand. I do. Otherwise, why would I be here helping you?"

Derek studied her with a penetrating gaze, searching for any hint of doubt, "So you're alright with everything? You don't question my motives?"

Rachel's voice was resolute, her fists clenched in determination. "Dad, why would I doubt you? I know you're doing all this to annihilate the demons. After everything I've gone through, how could I not want the same? Not a day goes by without me dreaming of demons like Hellbringer being destroyed forever."

Derek's stern expression softened as he reached out, taking her hand in his, "I'm sorry, Rachel. It's my fault that I couldn't protect you from Hellbringer. That's why I wanted to shield you even more. But it makes me happy and relieved to see that you're still my daughter. Since you understand me and what I'm trying to do, I can proceed with a clearer mind."

Rachel's stomach churned with unease, but she maintained a composed exterior. She smiled gently and asked, "I'm glad to be of help. But... all this planning must have taken years, right? When did you start?"

Derek's eye drifted to the distant horizon of the room, lost in thought, "For a very long time... even before you were born."

Rachel's eyes widened in surprise, "I had no idea you'd been working on this for so many years. Does Mom know? She must know since she's already involved."

Derek nodded, a hint of heaviness in his eye, "She has a general idea of what we're doing. But for now, keep everything between us. I am planning to slowly explain things to her. Unlike you, your mom is a bit idealistic. It would be too much for her to process all at once."

Rachel's smile was warm and reassuring, "Don't worry, Dad. I won't tell her anything you wouldn't want her to know. But I'm fascinated by what you're doing with the demons. Lena mentioned there's been only one successful product. Who was that?"

Derek's gaze grew somber as he sighed deeply, "I'm afraid I can't tell you everything just yet, Rachel. It's not that I don't want to trust you with such information. But we have many enemies who would stop at nothing to sabotage our plans. If they got a hold of you, they might use you to extract information. To keep you safe, I need to keep some things to myself until it's secure to share them. Do you understand?"

Rachel nodded, her smile understanding, "It's alright, Dad. You're right. We can't let anyone stop us." However, inwardly, she knew he probably didn't want to trust her with such information.

Derek's face softened with nostalgia, "It feels like a long time since we had a talk like this. I rarely get to see you these days. Aren't you spending too much time with Lenny? He isn't exactly the best company. I hope you know that already."

Rachel chuckled softly, "Of course. I'm only spending time with him to learn the ropes. But why do you have such a low opinion of him? Isn't he your friend?"

Derek shook his head, his expression turning serious, "He's more of an opportunist, Rachel. He wouldn't be around if he didn't benefit from our 'friendship.' I kept him close because I had use for him, but that doesn't mean I trust him completely."

Rachel tilted her head, intrigued, "Still, didn't you and Lenny fight together as a team with Aira and you know…'him'? I remember all of you being quite friendly. Even now, I never expected 'him' to join hands with the now-dead Demon King. Why did he do that? I can't think of any reason why he'd betray us. You know I can't ask anyone else."

Derek's eye grew heavy with the weight of unspoken truths, "I think it's time you knew the truth."

Rachel's eyes widened with apprehension, "Truth? What is it?" She struggled to keep her voice steady.

Derek's tone turned grave, "We couldn't reveal this to the public because not everyone would understand at that time. But the Oracle passed down a prophecy long ago... A prophecy that the man who possesses the immortal blood will bring about the destruction of our world."

Rachel's brow furrowed in confusion. "Immortal blood? But he never had immortal blood, did he? When he was at the academy, his Bloodline Test showed he had a Legendary Bloodline. If I recall correctly, it never indicated anything about immortality."

Derek's expression hardened, "The Bloodline Test was altered. It showed a Legendary Bloodline to keep the truth hidden. We knew about the prophecy, so the council decided to conceal the real results."

Rachel's eyes widened in disbelief, "I can't believe it…"

She took a moment to compose herself, then asked, "But even then, he never did anything bad, did he? He became a Hunter who saved people and protected us."

Derek's gaze was heavy with regret, "Outwardly, he did the right thing, but his true motivations were never clear. The prophecy and the nature of his bloodline made him a ticking time bomb. Sometimes, even the best of intentions can be twisted by such power."

Rachel's voice trembled as she asked, "Twisted by such power? What do you mean? Did he do anything bad?"

Derek's expression darkened, his eye hardening as he spoke. "Did you know there were times he stayed behind in the Shattered Dimension, among demons, even after a quest was over?"

Rachel's eyes widened in shock, "So those rumors were true? But how is that possible? Wouldn't he die?"

"That's the thing," Derek said with a grimace, "He didn't die. Instead, he was empowered by their dark sun. His eyes turned crimson, and dark mana flowed through his veins. He even spared demons. He was a demon all along, plotting with the Russians to destroy the WHA. He was never blessed by the Angels but was a demon in human clothing. The devils planted him among us to bring about our ruin. Thanks to the Oracle's foresight, we managed to prevent him from causing further tragedy."

Rachel's hands clenched into fists as she whispered, "So he was killed because he was planning to take down the WHA? Not just because he joined hands with the Demon King? Did he really do that?"

Derek's eye narrowed with a steely resolve. "It doesn't matter, does it? He had already exposed his intentions to destroy us. I couldn't believe he was capable of such betrayal. I wanted to capture him first, but he resisted fiercely and killed so many Hunters before we had no choice but to put him down. The good eye I lost is a constant reminder of my failures."

Rachel's heart ached as she looked at him.

Derek's gaze softened as he asked, "What is it? Do you regret anything that happened?"

Rachel shook her head, her voice barely audible, "I'm just sad that you had to go through all that alone. It must have been incredibly hard to kill him with your own hands. I remember how much you cared about him."

Derek's sigh was heavy with regret, "It's something I can never forget. I truly wished things had ended differently. I wanted him to be different."

Rachel's brow furrowed as she asked, "Then… what about Aira? Despite her parents' wishes, she seemed to love him more than anything. Where is she now? Did she really just disappear, or is she dead? Did she know who he really was?"

Derek's face grew somber, "I'm afraid she's gone, Rachel. If we can't find her, then perhaps she's no longer with us. If she disappeared, it's possible she felt a deep guilt over everything. She wouldn't have left without a reason, not after everything she went through."

Rachel's head bowed, her heart heavy with the weight of the revelations. A part of her felt there was more to the story, but she kept her silence, not knowing if her father was withholding something or not.

But she felt she couldn't stand his presence any longer, especially after hearing the truth behind Cedric's death. "I…I remembered I had to be somewhere else. Let's talk later…Dad…" Saying so, Rachel suddenly got up and with a brief smile she walked away.

Her chest was heavy and hurting, and she could only think of one person to run towards to stop hurting like this.

Derek's expression turned somber, and he brushed his chin as he looked at her disappearing figure.