When that familiar voice came from behind her without any warning, Luna froze instantly.
She was still in the middle of stomping her foot in a complaint, one foot not even back on the ground, frozen abruptly atop the clock tower.
Her pale gold eyes contracted sharply, the expression on her face shifting rapidly from annoyance and indignation to extreme shock.
The surrounding air seemed to grow stagnant and heavy in that moment.
The girl turned around extremely slowly, her movements as stiff as rusted machinery. Every muscle was tense, prepared to respond to an attack or flee at any second.
However, when she fully turned around and saw the figure behind her, that tension mixed with an indescribably complex emotion.
It really was him.
The mysterious man wearing a pure white mask, with a striking “V” outlined in a bright red liquid that seemed to possess a life of its own.
He leaned casually against the metal railing on one side of the clock tower, arms crossed and body slightly tilted. The hem of his long black trench coat fluttered in the strong winds of the high altitude.
The red “V” on the mask was like a living thing, flowing and circulating slowly, emitting an ominous faint glow.
Although she couldn’t see his expression or eyes, Luna could clearly feel that behind those flowing red letters, a pair of interested eyes was piercing through the mask, fixed steadily on her.
Luna forced herself to take a deep breath.
Once.
Twice.
The heart in her chest was still beating violently, but at the very least, her excessive panic and trembling were suppressed.
She fought to keep her expression calm, even though her fingers were still curling slightly in an unconscious reflex.
Even though the moment she heard the voice, Luna had a vague guess as to who it was.
However, when this Adjudicator, “V,” actually appeared before her eyes — at such a close distance and at a moment when she was completely off guard — the overwhelming pressure still made even a battle-hardened Goddess Angel like her feel an intense sense of unease and oppression.
The indescribable aura about him was mysterious, eerie, and inscrutable, as if he coexisted with the shadows. Every move he made was unexpected. This unknown pressure was far more difficult to deal with than yesterday’s straightforward weapons of the Crystal Husks, or even T’s blatant malice.
The girl composed her emotions, trying to make her voice sound steady and strong. Her pale gold eyes stared directly at the expressionless mask.
“You… why are you here?”
“What? You’re allowed to curse me out, but I’m not allowed to show up?”
Hell heard this question, but his posture of crossing his arms didn’t change at all. He just tilted his head slightly. The flowing “V” on the mask seemed to flicker for a moment, and then he shrugged dismissively.
The youth’s processed voice came through the mask, carrying a hint of playfulness and a sense of entitlement. He repeated Luna’s complaints from just a moment ago as if reciting a list of treasures. Then, his tone paused. That flowing red “V” seemed to flicker again, carrying a somewhat meaningful gaze.
“I told you, didn’t I? I’ll be watching you.”
Hearing her complaints repeated word for word, an uncontrollable flush of shame and annoyance rose to Luna’s cheeks. But what made her feel even more dissatisfied and frustrated was his matter-of-fact attitude, which even carried an implication that he was “clinging to her.”
It was him.
He was the one who appeared suddenly like a ghost, leaving that creepy, threatening message that made her restless and unable to accept her companion’s kindness with an easy mind.
She had only grumbled a few words because she couldn’t hold it in any longer, just venting her emotions. Why did it feel like she was the one who had done something wrong and was being “caught red-handed” and questioned?
At the thought, a wave of indignation welled up in her heart. Luna couldn’t help but shoot back.
“That’s all because of you! Who told you to leave me that nonsensical note? ‘Watching you from the shadows,’ ‘until the end of time’… Who could read something like that and act like nothing happened?!”
The more the girl spoke, the angrier she became. A fire of annoyance burned in her pale gold eyes, and her voice unconsciously rose.
“Just what is your goal? Why are you monitoring me like this? What benefit is there for you to monitor a Goddess Angel?!”
Luna stared fixedly at the white mask, trying to see through that expressionless surface to his true intentions.
Hell listened quietly to the girl’s questioning without interrupting or making a move. Only after she finished speaking, her chest rising and falling slightly from her excitement, did he speak unhurriedly. His voice remained calm, showing no sign of annoyance or guilt from being questioned.
“To prevent you from falling into another trap.”
He paused and tilted his head slightly. A very faint trace of admiration seemed to enter his tone.
“However, judging by your performance in battle just now… you did take my words to heart.”
There were no extra flourishes, no explanation of motives — just a plain statement of fact.
Yet, it left Luna momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
The girl found herself speechless for a moment. It felt as if her throat were blocked by something. Words of rebuttal surged to her lips but got stuck right there.
Because… he was telling the truth.
In the battle just now, she had indeed followed this guy’s advice. Keeping two turrets for defense and maintaining irregular movement in the air — these adjustments had made her combat rhythm much more composed. She was no longer like before, where she felt great while going all out with firepower, only to fall into a frantic, passive state once ambushed or breached.
She had to admit that the suggestion… was effective.
But she was a Goddess Angel, and he was an Adjudicator of the Eternal Night Gospel. They were natural enemies, standing on sides that had to kill each other.
Thanking an enemy? That was too strange, too embarrassing, too… too unlike her.
So, Luna stiffened her neck and looked away, refusing to look at that white mask that was making her feel flustered. She tried to make her voice sound confident, as if stating an obvious fact.
“I… I’m not some conceited or arrogant person who can’t listen to others’ opinions.”
Halfway through, she paused and stole a glance at Hell out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that he had no reaction, she raised her volume a bit more.
“I will naturally adopt suggestions that can improve my combat strength. That way… I can better oppose people like you who harm everyone!”
At this point, Luna suddenly felt that these words made it seem like she cared too much about this villain’s evaluation. She quickly added a superfluous comment at the end, fearing Hell would misunderstand and think she felt even a shred of gratitude.
“D—Don’t think I’ll thank you or anything. There’s nothing of the sort!”
Hell still leaned against the railing. After hearing Luna’s transparent attempt at a disclaimer, he just gave a light shrug, his movements casual and nonchalant.
“Whatever. Suit yourself.”
The youth’s voice came through the mask, seemingly completely indifferent to the girl’s words.
“I don’t care about your gratitude.”
Then, his voice lowered slightly.
“I only care about… you not getting into trouble.”
Luna was stunned.
Her pale gold eyes widened slightly, a clear flicker of bewilderment and confusion flashing in the depths of her pupils.
She almost thought she had heard him wrong.
This guy… what did he just say?
“Only care about you not getting into trouble”?
This… this sounded like…
“W—What are you talking about?”
Luna’s voice rose unconsciously, carrying a hint of panic that even she didn’t notice.
“You’re a villain, and you’re worried about me ‘not getting into trouble’? Just what is your goal?”
She stared intently at the white mask, trying to pierce through that cold barrier to see his true intentions. But the flowing red “V” was like an abyss; she couldn’t see through anything.
Hell didn’t avoid Luna’s gaze, nor did he experience any emotional fluctuations because of her questioning. He simply maintained his lazy posture against the railing and answered in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Because the current you… can’t die yet.”
Hell was telling the truth.
This Goddess Angel was the first target he had chosen to groom and control. She was a key pawn in the plan he had designed to escape his fate as a villain.
If she were captured, humiliated, or even killed by someone like T as easily as yesterday, who could he complain to? Wouldn’t his painstakingly designed layout collapse entirely before it even began?
Therefore, nothing could happen to her. At least, not until he completed his plan.
Of course, Luna couldn’t hear Hell’s internal monologue.
She could only hear that cold explanation, devoid of any warmth — “Because the current you can’t die yet.”
‘What kind of reason is that…’
Luna pursed her lips, an indescribably complex emotion welling up in her heart. She murmured a small sentence almost to herself.
‘Calling you a weirdo… you really are a weirdo.’
She lowered her gaze, her pale gold eyelashes trembling slightly in the wind. Her heart was a complete mess right now.
Clearly, everything today had gone smoothly — the Crystal Husk crisis was perfectly resolved, she had tried a new fighting style with significant results, and her strength had increased a little bit.
There was also Hestia, who had so gently invited her to meet in the Surface World, and they had even agreed to go shopping and eat desserts together in the future…
Two happy things overlapping should, by logic, have become an even happier thing.
But now, this V who had suddenly appeared was like an untimely cold wind, blowing her good mood into scattered pieces.
Why would this guy, who was clearly an enemy, say something like “worried about you getting into trouble”? Why did he emphasize that “the current you can’t die yet”?
Could it be… that the “monitoring” he spoke of, those seemingly eerie behaviors, weren’t actually meant to harm her, but… to protect her?
The girl suddenly shook her head, violently casting that absurd thought out of her mind.
‘Luna Florea, what are you thinking?!’
This guy was an Adjudicator of the Eternal Night Gospel, a genuine villain, and an enemy that a Goddess Angel had to eradicate. How could a villain be so kind-hearted? How could he care about an enemy from a completely opposing side without any ulterior motive?
There must be some kind of conspiracy. There must be.
But…
The girl secretly lifted her gaze, glancing at that black figure leaning against the railing as if merging with the shadows.
‘But, if it’s a conspiracy… why hasn’t he harmed me even once from yesterday until now?’