The night was deep.
Academy City Eden’s West District—a quiet residential area lay silently at the edge of the city.
Far from the downtown bustle, only a few streetlights cast dim yellow light on both sides of the road. Occasionally, a distant dog barked, making the night even more serene.
A black figure descended silently from the sky.
It was a man wearing a white mask—the bright red “V” on the mask slowly flowed in the night, emitting an ominous glow.
His black trench coat flapped behind him, gently swaying as he landed. In his arms, he carried a young girl.
The girl had soft pink hair that cascaded like a waterfall over his arm, gently fluttering in the night breeze.
She was wrapped in a gray blanket, the edges revealing fair, rounded shoulders and a slender, smooth calf.
Her fair feet were bare, toes slightly curled, feeling the chill of the night wind.
At that moment, Luna nestled in Hell’s arms, her face buried in his chest, only the pink hair fluttering outside.
Hell landed steadily on the concrete pavement common in the residential area. He looked up at the surrounding buildings—a few ordinary apartment blocks.
Only a few windows still had lights on; most were already dark.
The girl in his arms stirred.
Luna poked her little head out from Hell’s arms, her face still flushed, emerging from the blanket. She blinked her pale golden eyes, looked around, and recognized the familiar streets and buildings.
She was already near her home.
So, the girl reached out and gently tugged at Hell’s clothes.
“Y-you can put me down here.”
Luna’s voice was very soft, carrying a hint of hesitation and tension.
“Since we’re here, why not take you all the way home?”
Hell looked down at her, tilting his head slightly. His voice came from behind the mask, with a hint of inquiry.
“Uh…”
Luna’s expression froze for a moment. She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.
In truth, she still wanted to harbor a shred of resistance.
She didn’t want this Arbiter to know the exact address of her home, nor did she want him to know which building or which room she lived in, let alone let him grasp any more information about her.
So Luna intended to go back on her own once they were nearby—even if she was wrapped in a blanket and barefoot, even if passersby might see her, she would accept it.
But how could she say these reasons out loud?
The pink-haired girl could only stammer “uh,” her gaze wandering, not daring to look at Hell.
Seeing her hesitant expression, Hell quickly understood what this girl was worried about.
He chuckled softly. There was a hint of nonchalance in that laugh, and also a trace of “you underestimate me” meaning.
“Your home is in that building ahead, room 701, isn’t it?”
Luna was stunned. Her pale golden eyes widened suddenly, a glimmer of disbelief flashing deep in her pupils.
‘He… how does he know?’
‘Her home was in that building, seventh floor, room 701—he even knew which room?’
For a moment, countless thoughts flashed through Luna’s mind.
‘How did this guy know the exact address of her home, right down to the room number?’
‘He really investigated me this thoroughly.’
‘When did it start?’
‘From the first time I met him?’
‘Or even earlier?’
The more Luna thought about it, the more scared she became, the more she thought about it, the more horrifying it seemed.
The light in her pale golden eyes dimmed little by little.
She suddenly felt that the future was pitch black.
Obviously, this guy had been targeting her from very early on. And he had made ample preparations.
He knew her identity, knew her address, knew her weaknesses and soft spots, knew the companions she cared about most, knew how to threaten her, knew how to control her.
Now, she was firmly in his grasp, with no hope of resistance.
Luna lowered her head, her face filled with despair and helplessness, and was silent for a few seconds. Then she looked up at Hell.
In her pale golden eyes, complex emotions surged—helplessness, reluctance, resignation, and a hint of… a self-indulgent abandon she didn’t even notice herself.
“Then…”
The pink-haired girl’s voice was very soft, as light as a sigh.
“I’ll trouble… Master.”
Luna paused, bit her lower lip, and forced out the last few words.
“Take me back.”
After saying that, she quickly buried her face in his chest, not daring to look at him again.
Hell looked down at the girl burying herself in his arms, and a light laugh came from behind the mask.
He held Luna, stood in front of the apartment building, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up under the mask.
Of course he knew where Luna lived.
Room 701.
He even knew clearly how many people were in her family, their relationships, and her usual schedule.
After all, he was someone who had read the entire plot of the original work.
The original work had quite a few descriptions of the “Annihilation Angel” Artemis’s daily life.
She lived alone, her parents worked in another city and occasionally called to check in; she liked to go to the dessert shop called “Stardust” on weekends; her neighbors were a retired elderly couple who usually took good care of her; the password to her door lock was her birthday…
These details were clearly written in the original work.
And now, these “details” had become his capital to control her.
Hell withdrew his thoughts, carried Luna, and walked into the apartment building.
The lights in the hallway were motion-activated, turning on one by one as they entered.
Luna reached out from his arms and entered the code on the access control—a soft “beep” sound, and the unit door opened.
The two entered the elevator.
The elevator was empty, only the overhead light casting a pale glow.
Luna still buried herself in his chest, not daring to look up.
The metal walls of the elevator reflected their figures—a man in black with a white mask, carrying a pink-haired girl wrapped in a blanket, a scene indescribably bizarre.
Fortunately, it was very late, almost midnight, and most people had already gone to sleep.
They didn’t encounter anyone along the way.
Luna secretly sighed in relief.
If a neighbor had seen her disheveled late at night, being taken home by a masked man… she would never be able to explain it.
The elevator stopped at the seventh floor. The door opened.
Hell carried her out and walked to the door of room 701.
Luna reached out and pressed her fingerprint on the lock—”beep”—the door opened.
Hell walked into the room.
It was a small single apartment, simply and warmly decorated.
The living room had a sofa, a small coffee table, and a TV opposite.
The bedroom was open-plan, with a double bed by the window and a warm yellow lamp on the nightstand.
Hell walked to the bed, bent down, and gently placed Luna on it. The mattress was soft, and her body sank in.
Once on the bed, Luna instinctively burrowed under the covers.
She threw the gray blanket aside, pulled the quilt over herself, covering herself from head to toe tightly, leaving only the top of her pink hair visible.
As if that thin blanket could give her more security than the gray one.
Hell stood by the bed, looking at the girl who had wrapped herself up like a dumpling, and was silent for a few seconds. Then he spoke.
“Shouldn’t you say thank you?”
His voice was flat, but with a hint of teasing.
The body under the covers stiffened noticeably for a moment.
Then, if her face could be seen, it would definitely be bright red now.
The girl didn’t speak. She just pulled the covers higher, shrinking inside like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
Hell looked at the motionless lump of covers and sighed softly.
It seemed that loyalty and obedience still needed further cultivation.
But no rush.
He had plenty of time.
So he turned and walked toward the door. With a soft click, the door was gently closed.
Luna heard the door close, and her body trembled slightly. But she didn’t move, still curled up under the covers.
She waited for a long time, until she was sure there was no sound outside the door, then cautiously poked her little head out from under the covers.
Her pale golden eyes roamed the dim room, scanning the living room, the sofa, every corner.
No one. That guy really had left.
Luna let out a long sigh of relief, collapsing limply onto the bed.
She sat up on her knees, hugging the quilt, and began to replay everything that had happened tonight—
Those tentacles, that battle, that monster…
And him.
V, the Arbiter of the Eternal Night Gospel.
He saved her, carried her, saw her body, and made her call him Master.
The most shameful thing was that she actually called him that.
Luna’s face burned up instantly, red as if it would bleed.
She covered her face with both hands, curling into a ball.
“I’m finished, I’m finished, I’m finished…”
The girl muttered to herself, her voice filled with despair and shame.
“From now on… I’m that guy’s slave…”
Thinking of this, Luna buried herself in the quilt, letting out a muffled wail.
“Ugh… what do I do…”
Only her voice echoed in the room in the night.
“What do I do, what do I do, what do I do…”
Luna stayed like that, covering her face, curled up on the bed, not moving for a long time.