Hell swept his gaze calmly over the line of instructions, his face showing no surprise or emotion. His fingers moved quickly across the screen, confirming receipt of the mission instructions. He then decisively exited the app, turned off the display, and tucked the phone back into his uniform pocket.
As S had just revealed, the organization’s orders arrived quickly. T’s death — especially dying at the hands of Annihilation Angel Artemis — had clearly rattled the nerves of some high-level executives. They were impatient to remove this threat and naturally assigned the task to V, who was responsible for this area.
Hell put his phone away and subconsciously turned his gaze toward the figure on the other side of the aisle — the target of this mission, Luna Florea.
At this moment, Luna seemed unaware of the cold gaze from V. The girl’s head was slightly lowered, her light pink hair cascading from her shoulders and covering half of her profile. She rested her chin on one hand while her other hand was hidden under the desk, her fingertips sliding quickly across her phone screen. An effortless, pleasant curve tugged at the corners of her mouth, as if she were happily chatting with someone.
Sunlight spilled through the window onto the young girl, plating her in a soft halo. Her profile was delicate and beautiful, brimming with the unique vibrancy of a teenage girl.
Hell watched Luna in her defenseless state, immersed in daily conversation, and his eyes flickered slightly.
Just then, the magic theory professor, who was pacing the podium like a patrol, seemed to notice a “little movement” in the back corner. He turned and walked toward the aisle where Hell and Luna sat, his sharp gaze still scanning the area.
“Ahem.”
Hell noticed the teacher’s movement almost immediately. His brow furrowed imperceptibly, and he raised a hand to cover his mouth. He let out a suppressed cough, just loud enough for Luna on the other side of the aisle to hear.
The sound was sudden.
Startled by the cough, Luna, who had been chatting excitedly, froze. She subconsciously looked up, her light pink eyes first looking at Hell in confusion. Following his slight glance toward the aisle, she immediately spotted the professor walking their way.
The relaxed expression on the pink-haired girl’s face froze instantly, replaced by a flash of panic. She hurriedly turned off her screen and shoved the phone deep into her desk drawer. Then, she grabbed her textbook and pen, straightened her back, and put on an expression of intense focus as if she were seriously studying the runes on the blackboard. Her gaze was so concentrated it was as if the person secretly playing on their phone just now hadn’t been her at all.
The professor walked by, his gaze lingering on her and Hell for a moment. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he paced away.
Once the professor’s back was in the distance, Luna’s tense shoulders finally relaxed. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief and then turned her head toward Hell. Her face held a cute expression, a mix of relief, gratitude, and a hint of playfulness.
The girl pressed her hands together under the desk in a silent gesture toward Hell. With a smile, she mouthed the words, “Thank — you — !”
Her pale gold eyes curved into crescents, and her smile was clean and pure, like a flower covered in dew in the morning light.
As Hell watched Luna’s sneaky way of saying thanks, something flickered rapidly deep within those eyes that were usually filled with weariness.
‘No wonder… the original Hell fell hopelessly in love with this girl.’
Luna indeed possessed an indescribable charm — sun-drenched, kind, and sincere, yet with a touch of girlish cunning and cuteness. When everyone else avoided him, only she would take the initiative to greet him and express gratitude for such small things. Her smile was clean, without a hint of impurity.
To the twisted and lonely soul of the original owner, this was undoubtedly a fatal attraction.
‘Kill her?’
Hell silently repeated the organization’s cold and heartless command in his mind.
‘That would be… a bit too cruel.’
‘Or rather, a waste.’
‘For such a high-quality, dazzling target with immense potential and a special identity… wouldn’t clearing her out directly be a waste of a heavenly gift?’
The corners of Hell’s mouth curled up into a minuscule arc.
‘Rather than simply killing her… it would naturally be more interesting to PUA her, control her, and gradually transform her from a Goddess Angel into a pawn I can use. She might even play a key role in the future against the Eternal Night Gospel or other threats.’
‘And then… I WILL MAKE HER SERVE ME!’
Seeing the teacher walk away, Luna immediately acted like a clever little animal, secretly fishing out the phone she had just stuffed into the depths of her drawer.
She first peeked warily to the left and right to confirm it was safe for the time being. Then she lowered her head and swiped her fingertip across the screen to unlock it.
Similar to the Eternal Night Snare communication software used by the Eternal Night Gospel Church where Hell belonged, Luna — a Goddess Angel — and her companions also had a special internal communication app with a completely opposite style.
The app icon featured a pure white background with a simple and holy pattern outlined in soft gold thread — a blurry female figure shrouded in a halo, head slightly lowered, hands clasped to her chest as if praying or bestowing a blessing.
The entire design was filled with a sense of peace, divinity, and hope, forming a sharp contrast with the blood and shadows of the Eternal Night Snare.
The name of this software was the Starlight Covenant.
The Goddess Angels did not all live in the same city. They were scattered across various fortress cities, and some might even be hidden among ordinary people, living seemingly mundane lives. Because of this, the Starlight Covenant became an important channel for their daily contact, communication, and sharing of intelligence and feelings.
If an incident occurred somewhere that required the intervention of a Goddess Angel — such as a Crystal Husk invasion alert — the relevant information would immediately appear in a specific channel within the app for members in the nearby area to view and respond to.
Completely different from the rigid, hierarchical structure of the Eternal Night Gospel Church, which was full of control and fear, there were no clear superior-subordinate relationships among the Goddess Angels. They were more like a special group linked by a common belief and mission. What maintained their relationship was primarily the bond between seniors and juniors.
Those who had been chosen for a longer time, were older, and were more experienced naturally took on the role of seniors to guide, care for, and teach the new girls who had just gained their power and were still ignorant and anxious.
The teaching included not only combat techniques and power usage but also how to balance their dual identities, deal with internal confusion and pressure, and even provide life experience. This relationship was closer to that of a mentor and student or intimate sisters.
When a Crystal Husk invasion occurred, the Goddess Angels usually did not wait for an order from a superior.
They would quickly contact each other through the Starlight Covenant and organize themselves spontaneously. Based on their abilities and locations, they would coordinate and head to the incident site together to clear the threat. Their driving force came from their inner sense of responsibility, the desire to protect others, and mutual support among companions.
In Hell’s words, they were unorganized and undisciplined.
They were driven entirely by self-awareness and “love,” lacking unified command, strict discipline, and efficient resource allocation. It was no wonder that even though the internal affairs of the Eternal Night Gospel were so incompetent that everyone was “showing off their unique skills” in a riddled mess, this group of powerful Goddess Angels had failed to completely eradicate them after over 100 years.
However, according to the Author’s logic and the values shown in the original plot, it seemed as if “love” was all these Goddess Angels needed.
Love represented friendship, bonds, and faith.
In Hell’s view, dismantling such a joke of an organization would be as easy as turning over his hand.