Time returns to the present.
Luna blinked in the dim glimmer of the campfire, gradually sorting through the chaotic and thrilling memories from before she lost consciousness.
From being bound by T’s scheme to V’s eerie arrival, and then to that bone-chilling massacre… The images flashed through her mind one by one, making her breathing hitch slightly.
However, as her thoughts finally settled on the man wearing the “V” mask in front of her, a question more important and urgent than ‘What happened?’ surfaced at the forefront of her consciousness.
The doubt was so strong that Luna temporarily forgot the reality of being tied up like a captured bug, lying on her side on the ground in an extremely awkward and humiliating position.
The cold, hard concrete floor made her body ache, and the numbness and stinging sensation from the ropes tightening around her wrists and ankles remained. However, her attention was completely captured by the figure sitting quietly on the other side of the fire.
Luna struggled to lift her neck, her pale gold eyes locking onto the man not far away who seemed focused on the roasted meat in his hand through the leaping halo of the campfire.
“Why… why did you save me?”
The girl’s voice rang out in the empty, silent warehouse, carrying a hint of hoarseness from surviving a disaster, but more so an unconcealed doubt and vigilance. She stared at him, trying to catch even the slightest emotional change, but everything was tightly hidden behind that white mask.
This question circled endlessly in Luna’s heart.
She could not understand it—weren’t the man in front of her and that bastard codenamed T both Adjudicators of the Eternal Night Gospel?
According to common sense, they belonged to the same organization and carried out similar dark missions. Even if they weren’t close, they should at least be colleagues or “companions” in some sense.
Why would this V appear so abruptly and slaughter T along with all his subordinates in such an inconceivable and heartless manner?
It did not fit logic, nor did it fit her understanding of the mad organization known as the Eternal Night Gospel. Had the relationship between Adjudicators deteriorated to the point where they could kill each other in internal strife at will?
Hell did not seem to have any intention of answering immediately. He did not even look at the questioning Luna; all his attention seemed concentrated on the grill in front of him. Holding the end of a wooden skewer, he flipped the meat over the fire with practiced and steady movements.
The succulent chunks of meat sizzled under the heat of the flames. Hot grease dripped down, splashing tiny sparks, and the rich, charred aroma diffused even more recklessly.
A few seconds passed before he asked back in an almost casual tone without turning his head.
“Who said I was saving you?”
His voice came through the mask, sounding somewhat muffled yet clearly carrying a faint trace of mockery.
“If I were saving you, would I still have you tied up like this?”
These words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly waking Luna from the unrealistic, flickering hope that had risen in her heart because he had killed T.
That was right… She only realized in hindsight that no matter what this V had done, he was still a member of the Eternal Night Gospel. The iconic black trench coat he wore and the eerie “V” mask on his face were the most undeniable proof.
The Eternal Night Gospel Church… that name itself represented evil and chaos.
They possessed the forbidden power to control Crystal Husks and frequently attacked human cities, causing countless tragedies and despair. They were mortal enemies of the Goddess Angels and had to be eradicated. They were a quintessential villainous organization.
People in a villainous organization were naturally villains themselves. He indeed had no reason to save a Goddess Angel, who stood as his absolute opposite. Her question just now had been so naive and ridiculous.
In an instant, a mixture of shame and a deeper chill surged into Luna’s heart.
So, she took a deep breath, suppressed her tumbling emotions, and tried a more direct way of asking.
“Then why did you kill those guys? Why kill T and his subordinates?”
The moment the question was thrown out, the warehouse seemed to fall silent for a heartbeat, with only the crackle of the burning campfire and the sizzle of dripping grease echoing.
Hell’s movement of flipping the meat skewers paused almost imperceptibly. That pause was so brief it was nearly a hallucination caused by the flickering firelight. But he had indeed hesitated.
After a moment of silence, he still did not look back.
His gaze seemed to remain on the skewer of meat that was gradually becoming golden and oily.
Then, in a tone that held no discernible ripples but made Luna’s heart tighten for some reason, he spoke slowly.
“Because of you.”
Luna felt it was nonsensical, her pale gold eyes filled with confusion.
‘What does that mean?’ He had just categorically denied any intention of “saving” her, and now he answered that he killed T and the others because of her?
The logic was complete nonsense and entirely contradictory. What exactly was he trying to express? Was he mocking her, or was there some other hidden reason?
This man’s short and vague answer was like a tangled mess, making Luna’s already cluttered thoughts even more confused. She frowned, trying hard to think of the clues that might be hidden in his words.
Suddenly, she remembered the sentence V had said to T when he first appeared on the battlefield—”I’ll take this Goddess Angel.”
‘Could it be… his purpose really is to “get” me?’ It wasn’t for salvation, nor was it pure slaughter, but… some kind of more specific, selfish “possession”? Just like T had attempted to do, only his methods were colder and more direct, not even giving others a chance to wait in line?
‘As expected… a villain is a villain. Selfishness and plunder flow through their very bones.’
Even when facing the “results” obtained by a fellow organization member, they would not hesitate to snatch them away, even to the point of completely wiping that member out.
The girl’s heart sank at this moment. The vigilance that had slightly calmed when he denied saving her was once again replaced by a strong sense of humiliation and hostility.
So, Luna took a deep breath to calm herself down slightly. Lying on her side on the ground, she struggled to straighten her neck and looked at the figure still focused on the roast meat with eyes as tough and unyielding as possible.
“I will never yield to you. Do whatever you want with me!”
Hell shook his head slightly. He did not even change his posture because of Luna’s seemingly resolute declaration; his gaze remained on the roasted meat.
“Although that guy T spoke a lot of nonsense, there was one thing… he was quite right about.”
He spoke slowly, his voice coming through the mask, calm and devoid of emotion.
“A Goddess Angel like you… it would indeed be a waste of God’s gifts to kill you.”
Luna understood instantly. Those words were like a key, unlocking all the doubts and lingering hopes in her heart.
‘As expected.’ This man’s so-called “because of you,” his motive for killing T, and his declaration of taking her all pointed to the same filthy purpose. There was no essential difference between him and T, except that this V was perhaps better at disguising himself and more patient.
An emotion mixed with anger, shame, and extreme contempt surged into the girl’s heart, causing a flush of excitement to appear on her pale cheeks. A mocking smile appeared on her face, her pale gold eyes full of disdain as she stared at the back of the black trench coat.
“Heh. You pretend to be so cold and different… but in reality, you aren’t above it either.”
Luna let out a short, cold sneer. She took a breath, suppressing the trembling of her body, and tried to make her voice sound more firm.
“I miscalculated today and fell into the hands of you insidious cowards. I deserve to bear the consequences of defeat. Do whatever filthy things you want. I won’t beg for mercy, nor will I let out a single cry.”
Then, she gritted her teeth and added word by word, as if each one were squeezed from between her teeth.
“But remember this. As long as I am alive, as long as I have a single breath left… one day, I will definitely wipe all of you despicable, world-threatening villains… completely out, leaving not a single one behind!”
Hell calmly flipped the meat skewer again. Grease dripped onto the charcoal, making a louder sizzle.
He seemed indifferent to Luna’s declaration full of hatred and determination, only giving a quiet evaluation.
“Good spirit.”
Then, he tilted his head slightly and continued.
“Too bad your strength is lacking.”
This casual evaluation was like a needle, accurately piercing the most sensitive and unwilling part of Luna’s heart. She grew anxious, struggling to sit up, but was firmly restricted by the ropes and could only twist her shoulders in vain.
“Who are you calling weak?! I only… I only didn’t expect you people would use such despicable and shameless methods! If you have the ability, fight me fair and square! What kind of skill is winning through schemes and ambushes?!”
Hell showed no emotional fluctuation. He remained focused on the roasted meat in front of him, answering in a voice so steady it was infuriating.
“It was only because that guy T was too weak that he thought of those crooked methods.”
Halfway through, he paused, seemingly thinking of his wording, and then continued in a very natural tone.
“But I am different. Even if I gave you the chance to recover to your peak state and face me in a formal duel… you would still be no match for me.”
Luna was about to open her mouth to argue, to use her past glorious battle achievements and the power of a Goddess Angel to refute his arrogance, but the words suddenly choked in her throat.
She suddenly remembered—the inconceivable ability this guy had used earlier, which she still could not understand even now.
There was no chanting and no obvious omen. With just a single phrase, “MUTUAL SLAUGHTER OF ALL THINGS,” more than twenty well-trained and fully armed combatants, along with an Adjudicator, had slaughtered each other in an instant, resulting in total annihilation.
That kind of ability… was too eerie, too far beyond common sense. Luna could not even be sure if it was magic, or some kind of unseen special ability or curse.
Under the circumstances of being completely unaware of the truth behind his ability and its activation conditions, if she were to face him recklessly… she indeed had no certainty of victory. She might even end up like T, not even knowing how she lost.
This realization cleared her mind and made the rebuttal at the tip of her tongue turn pale and weak.
She opened her mouth, but in the end, she just tightly pursed her lips and forced herself to swallow those indignant arguments.
In an instant, a deeper sense of powerlessness, mixed with dread toward his unknown ability, quietly spread through her.