THIRD PERSON'S POV

Two weeks ago.

---

"WELCOME BACK, NATHAN!"

Everyone congratulated Nathan on his release from the hospital, except for Hyra, who didn't know what was happening.

"He got hurt? When? Where?" Hyra asked, more out of curiosity than concern. She looked Nathan up and down, her mouth twitching at his condition. "That's terrible. You're lucky to be alive," she said as she passed him.

They followed Hyra's gaze and shook their heads in disbelief.

"Ahem!" Jared cleared his throat before speaking again. "Aren't you going to come inside? It's the day of the exam. Why are you still here?" Jared said, his leg shaking nervously.

"It's like you saw Demon with that look on your face," Sky murmured, looking at Jared.

Jared's legs were shaking because he couldn't review for the exam and was thinking about something else.

"There's still an hour before the exam starts. Do you want to review first?" Ice asked, noticing Hyra seemed restless. "Hyra—"

"I have to go. See you before the exam starts," Hyra interrupted, disappearing quickly.

"She looks like she's in a hurry. Do you have any plans later, Master?" Carl asked curiously.

"As far as I know, we have no plans," Ice murmured, wondering where Hyra could be going.

"Could it be that Hyra is seeing another ma—" Jarvis stopped speaking abruptly when he felt a piercing gaze on him.

"Takashi, where is Takashi?" Ice asked.

"As far as I know, he took the exam two days ago and got a perfect score. Now the soccer team has a match at another school, so he's not here," Stanley replied.

"What are you, Takashi's stalker? You know so much about him," Cyrus said.

"As a leader, it's only right that I know everything around me. Takashi is also a mysterious person. I want to keep my eyes on him," Stanley replied, smirking at Cyrus.

Before Cyrus and Stanley could start a fight, Zeke intervened.

"Master and the others are already ahead. Won't you come in?"

They both looked at Zeke before entering. Zeke sighed before following them.

An hour before the exam starts, everyone was nervous except for the top students who were just chilling: Ice, Nathan, Carl, Stanley, Sky, Jarvis, Megumi, and Krystal.

"Stop looking at your phone. You're making me dizzy," Megumi complained.

"Hyra isn't in her class yet," Ice said. It wasn't on his face, but he was worried.

"Do you think even if she takes the exam today, she'll be able to pass? Her brain is the size of a bean," Megumi quipped.

"Pffft—" Jarvis tried not to laugh.

"LISTEN, EVERYONE, THE TEST WILL BE DELAYED FOR A FEW HOURS BECAUSE WE WANT YOU TO SUPPORT OUR SOCCER TEAM IN THEIR MATCH AGAINST OTHER SCHOOLS."

At the same time, the screen in the classroom turned on, showing the soccer team's match.

Cyrus tried to turn it off, but it kept playing.

"You should support them," Mr. Fonacier entered the classroom. "If they win here, they can compete internationally."

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

The girls in the other class screamed when the ball went to Conan.

Conan dribbled the ball towards the center, passed it to his teammate, and within three seconds, it was returned to him. That was his cue to kick the ball towards the goal.

"GOAL!"

And again, he scored a goal after getting past four defenders.

"GOAL!"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"Tsk, only crazy people are interested in him," Ice whispered.

"GIVE ME A L.O.V.E GO CONAN! GO CONAN!"

Everyone, including the camera, focused on the crowd where the loud shouts were coming from.

"Oh, it seems the person you're crazy about is also crazy about others," Jarvis whispered to Ice, so only he could hear.

"What the hell is she doing there?" Nathan stood up, and so did Ice.

"I need to get her out of there."

"Oops—" Mr. Fonacier gently pushed Ice back to his seat. "When the higher-ups find out about your plan, they'll be angry, and that anger will be poured out on Hyra."

Ice stayed quiet and returned to his seat. Even though he wanted to get Hyra, he couldn't do anything because he was worried she might feel the elders' anger.

"The last goal is about to start. Watch," Mr. Fonacier added with a sweet smile.

---

"Heh, what is she doing here?" Conan smiled as he looked at the crowd where Hyra was standing, holding a banner that read "I LOVE YOU NO.11," which was his jersey number. "She's insane," he said with a smile on his face.

---

ZEUS'S POV

"You did it, didn't you?" Cris murmured to me.

I just responded with a smile and left him.

I'm glad I got what I wanted.

After their unsuccessful dinner, Conan always avoided Hyra.

They lived in the same house but never met, not even for meals. Hyra chased him, but Conan was too elusive.

He also didn't inform Hyra about the match, which was surprising because Hyra used to be the first person he told about these events.

I couldn't accept what was happening, so I made a move.

When I saw that Hyra seemed restless and kept looking around, I was sure she was looking for someone. The masks were with her, but she was still looking around, so I decided to tell her where Conan was. As I expected, she was gone in a flash.

"No one can lay a finger on Hyra except Conan. Hyra is for Conan, and Conan is only for Hyra."

THIRD PERSON'S POV

"GOALLLLLLLL!"

"AHHHHHHHH!"

Everyone cheered.

The result of the game was 5-0; the opponent didn't score because of Conan and his teammates' defense.

His teammates ran onto the field and hugged him, but he managed to avoid them and looked at the crowd.

He raised his finger to the crowd and pointed at Hyra, then he smiled and opened his arms for a hug.

The crowd seemed to light up because of Hyra's toothy smile. She quickly ran down and jumped, throwing herself into Conan's arms.

"Congrats!" Hyra put her lips to Conan's ear and whispered, "You can play internationally."

"This is my last game."

"Huh? Why?" Hyra placed her palms on Conan's cheeks.

She wondered why because she knew Conan wanted to be the next Messi or Ronaldo.

"I need to focus on the war."

"But—"

"I just want to be next to you."

Conan was worried as Hyra sat on the floor holding her chest. "Stop making my heart beat so fast," she said seriously. "I feel like it's going to burst."

Conan giggled and pulled Hyra up. Many media and fans chased them, wanting to get a picture of Conan, the star of the match.

They ran until they reached a dark cinema where they were the only ones there.

"Look, this is the perfect place to make out," Hyra teased.

"No, I'm sweaty."

"But your sweat smells like perfume to me."

"You're such a pervert," Conan pushed Hyra's face away. "But I still haven't forgiven you."

"I thought—"

"Right now, it's your turn to comfort me."

"Ah, you're a naughty little boy," Hyra said as she sat on Conan's lap, began to undress him, and planted small kisses on his neck. "Let me work today."

"That's what you get as punishment," Conan said, pulling Hyra's hair and bringing their lips together.

They kissed passionately until they were breathless.

"I think I need to taste the rest of your body," Hyra said, pushing Conan down and lying on top of him. “Bon appétit."

---

"Hyra."

"Hmm, deeper please."

"H-Hyra?"

"More—"

"HYRA DEMONISE FUKUSHIMA!"

Hyra opened her eyes, and the first thing she noticed was that she and Conan were both dressed.

"Why are you wearing clothes? Are we done?" she asked.

"Are you having wet dreams again?" Conan asked.

They were currently in the car; Conan had brought Hyra here when she lost consciousness after throwing herself at him.

All the sweet scenes were only in Hyra's imagination.

"Ahhh, if it was just a dream, you shouldn't have woken me up," she said, disappointment clear on her face.

"You shouldn't be here. What about the exam?"

"Why are you worried if you know that I can ace it if I want to?"

"Anyway, I'll take you home."

"No! Stop the car. I want to unwind," Hyra said, slightly annoyed.

"Okay!" Hyra's eyes widened even more when Conan actually stopped the car. "See you at home," he said, driving off quickly.

"What the hell?"

NATHAN'S POV

*KRINGGGGG! KRINGGGGG!*

I glanced at Ice, who was growing increasingly restless. He kept dialing Hyra's number, but she wasn't answering. The frustration was evident in his clenched jaw and the desperate glint in his eyes.

"This is insane," Abby spat out, throwing her hands in the air. "You wasted a week trying to teach her, but she won't take the exam. She's more interested in flirting!"

"In the first place, we know she's not serious about the exam," Krystal yawned, looking bored and indifferent. "So why are you so annoyed?"

Krystal always sides with Hyra. It was infuriating how she could never see the flaws in her friend.

"Maybe she's asleep?" Jared suggested, his tone protective. I couldn't help but wonder if he harbored feelings for Hyra too. "I don't like her," he added, almost as if reading my mind.

Oh, a mind reader.

"I called the building where she's staying, but they said Hyra hasn't come home for a week." Ice's voice broke, his face a mixture of sadness and anger. The revelation hung heavy in the air, the weight of it pressing down on all of us. Who would have thought that Takashi and Hyra knew each other? They seemed worlds apart.

I didn't know how they met, but based on what I saw on TV earlier, they were very close. Too close.

Conan Takashi, that person, is an enigma. I've heard his name countless times but never met him face-to-face. He's also the top student in the Caribbean, despite often skipping classes. For three years, the elders have been chasing him to become an elite, but he still refuses.

He is Ice's rival in everything, but Ice can't accept that because he is a king while Conan is merely a servant of one of the rulers of the underground, the "Unknown King."

"How did they meet each other? First Christopher, and now Takashi?" Cyrus was just as annoyed as Ice.

*KRINGGGGG*

I picked up the phone and answered it immediately.

"Boss, we found some information about what you were looking for, and I'm sure you'll be surprised."

Finally!

"Meet me at my place."

I hung up the phone and looked at the elites, who were engrossed in their heated discussion about Hyra and Takashi. I didn't bother them and left without saying goodbye, heading straight to the meeting place. When I arrived, five men in civilian clothes were waiting for me.

Miraculously, they weren't wearing tuxedos.

"Let's not take any longer. Where's the information you were talking about?" I demanded, trying to keep the impatience from my voice.

I sat down as they handed me a brown envelope.

As I took it, my heart pounded in my chest.

I tore the envelope open with trembling hands and froze at the first word.

I stopped opening it completely and looked at the four men standing in front of me.

"What the hell is this?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.

"It's a marriage certificate that states Hyra has been married to Mr. Conan Takashi since they were 8 years old."

I opened the envelope further, and as they said, Hyra and Takashi's names were on that paper.

It can't be.

THIRD PERSON'S POV

"How was it implemented?" Nathan pulled his hair out of frustration. "Only those with power can implement something like this. A fucking 8-year-old is already married? It's crazy."

"Based on the information we found, the underground is backing up Conan Takashi."

Those underlings knew nothing of Conan being the Unknown King's right-hand man, as some of the Elite knew.

"So he used that power of his to get Hyra?" Nathan murmured to himself, anger boiling in his veins. "He took away Hyra's childhood and freedom. Is Hyra still being manipulated by Takashi? If so, I have to save her."

Nathan quickly left and returned to the special room where he grabbed his car key and headed to the location where the soccer team's after-party was taking place.

He went there expecting Conan to be present, but he didn't see Conan Takashi.

One of the soccer team members answered him.

"Maybe he went back to the Caribbean to get his things. You can catch up with him if you leave now."

Nathan just nodded and hurried to leave.

"I just saw Fukushima up close, and it almost took my breath away," one of Conan's team commented. "But why is he looking for Takashi?"

"Our Takashi is quite famous, so it's no wonder an elite is looking for him," another commented.

They didn't know what had happened. They only knew that an elite was looking for Conan because they thought they were friends, but they didn't know the situation was the other way around.

Conan and the elites are unlikely to be friends.

---

In one of the dark rooms of the Caribbean, there was a man sitting in the middle of the classroom with his head resting on the desk. He trembled as he murmured a name.

"Demon... Ah! Hmmm! De-ahhhhhh!"

His hand moved up and down faster and faster.

"Ahhh shit."

He wiped his hand, now covered in something white and sticky.

"That's satisfying," he whispered to himself, then closed his eyes and smirked, remembering what had happened earlier. "Making an effort to watch my match turned me on. Luckily, I was able to control myself. Probably if I hadn't held back, I would have kissed her right there in front of a lot of people, and I'm sure Maniego would be angry. Heh... Maniego? I'm excited about his reaction when we meet."

He packed his things and left. As he walked in the middle of the field, he stopped when he felt footsteps following him.

"One, two, three... no, five pairs of feet."

Five men wearing tuxedos emerged from the shadows.

He noticed the numbers printed on the right side of their sleeves, which made him smirk even more.

Number 2, which means they are underlings of the second mask.

"This is surprising. What does the honorable leader of the second district need from me?" Conan said politely but didn't bow like the others did.

From the darkness, Nathan appeared with glaring eyes.

"Bow your head if you don't want me to cut it off," said one of Nathan's underlings.

"But I bow to no one but my king."

The underlings were about to attack Conan when Nathan spoke.

"What is your relation to Hyra?" Nathan didn't hesitate anymore and immediately asked Conan, who didn't seem surprised by the question. He expected it.

"What do you mean?" Of course, Conan is the kind of person who will make you angry first before answering your question.

"Answer my question if you don't want to get hurt."

"Pfft—That sounds scary, so I'll answer your question. I'm Hyra's savior, and the funniest thing is that she loves me so much that if I disappear, she will disappear too."

"Don't fool me." And in an instant, Conan fell from where he was standing as Nathan continued to punch him.

"You stole her youth and freedom."

"That's because you took away her happiness." Conan's words made Nathan's jaw tighten even more. He grabbed Conan's collar and punched him hard. "If it wasn't for me, she would have been dead a long time ago, so she offered her life to me."

"SHUT UP!"

"You and your father are to blame for why she is like this. You should be blamed for why she is suffering."

"SHUT UP!"

"You left her when she needed you the most, and now you're pretending to be her good brother? You're a fool."

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

*BANG!*

One of Nathan's underlings shot Conan in the shoulder.

Nathan didn't react. He just watched Conan, blood running down his shoulder.

"I'm going to file divorce papers, and you need to sign them."

"I can sign, but her? She's too obsessed with me." Conan coughed up a lot of blood.

"Let's see."

And Nathan left, leaving Conan's bloody body lying in the middle of the field.

### Hyra's POV

"Where's Conan Takashi?" I demanded, feeling a mix of frustration and worry.

"Oh, you're the former elite who got fired for a bad attitude, weren't you?" one of Conan's teammates sneered.

Wow, it was nice that he knew me.

"And you were the one that Takashi helped earlier because you fainted—"

"STOP! Can you just tell me where he is?" My head was pounding with frustration, and my patience was wearing thin.

We were at the location where their after-party was held, but Conan was nowhere to be found.

"He was in the Caribbean, and now he might be with an elite who is also looking for him," one of them said, sounding disinterested.

Who's that? Ah, never mind. I have to see Conan first.

I left in a hurry, heading straight to the Caribbean. When I arrived, I used my secret way near the garden to get inside easily.

But—why the hell is he here? Is he doing something I shouldn't see? Did he masturbate while thinking of me? Oh, come on, that's impossible.

*Cough*

Oh geez, what is that? Did the guards wake up? But that sound came from the field and seemed like someone was struggling.

Anyway, I will pass by there to see what it is. Isn't it a ghost? Is there a ghost that coughs?

*Cough*

Oh geez, I'm almost there.

I hid behind a branch and peered around. From here, I could see a man lying on the floor with his hand raised to the sky as if he was reaching for the stars.

Stars?

My chest suddenly tightened. That man was Conan. I couldn't be wrong, so I immediately approached him.

He saw me and smiled. He was bathed in his own blood, and his face was covered in bruises.

"Arggg!" The second I looked at him, all I saw was red. It felt like my eyes had become bloodshot, so I covered them with my hand.

"Don't cover it up, it's so beautiful," he said, pulling my head closer to him and kissing my forehead. "I called Cris, and he's on his way. Let's just stay like this for a few more minutes."

Later, my vision cleared again. He calmed me down just by doing that.

"VIPER—"

What? Cris is already here? His timing is bad.

"Bring him to the Elizal—"

"No, take him to the mansion and call Summer," I interrupted. "Not to Elizalde."

"What? Are you serious?" Cris asked, clearly shocked.

I didn't respond, so he clicked his tongue and took Conan to the mansion.

After they left, my chest started to tighten, and I lost my balance. Luckily, someone caught me.

### Third Person POV

"I've told you so many times, holding back is bad for you." Zeus sat Hyra down and handed over a piece of Conan's blood-stained clothing.

Hyra started sniffing it, then licked the finger that had traces of Conan's blood on it.

"What are you, a vampire?" Zeus whispered as he watched Hyra. He was amazed even though he had seen Hyra's eyes gradually fill with blood.

A few more minutes passed.

"Do you have any idea who did this?" Zeus asked as he wiped Hyra's mouth, which was messy and full of blood.

"Based on his condition, he didn't fight back, and I only know one person Conan wouldn't fight back against no matter what," Hyra replied.

"You mean the second mask?"

Hyra flashed a goofy smile and then got into the car. "Catch the people who are here and bring them to me before morning."

Zeus lit a cigarette as he watched the car disappear into the darkness. "Looks like I need to work overtime," he muttered, blowing out smoke and putting on his mask.

---

"Why didn't you fight back?"

"Huh? Oh, because I promised I would never hurt a Fukushima," Conan replied, taking a sip of tea and then going back to bed. He was talking to Summer, who was treating him as Hyra ordered.

"But Demon has already given permission—"

"Death is not the answer. He also has to experience all the suffering of Demon, and for that to happen, he has to stay alive," Conan said calmly.

"You are more cruel than I thought," Summer whispered, her eyes searching for Demon. "Where is she?" she asked Cris.

"She went to the sixth basement. Maybe she was punishing the people who did that to Conan," Cris replied. Even if no one said anything, he already knew where Hyra could be found. In the sixth basement, Hyra passes judgment on whoever has sinned.

"May their souls rest in peace," Summer said, putting her palms together as if praying for real.

---

Zeus looked around in disbelief. The surroundings seemed to be from medieval times, and Demon was wearing medieval attire.

"The last time I was here, it wasn't like this," Zeus whispered to himself.

"My peerless paramour," Demon said, her voice filled with an odd mixture of affection and coldness.

Zeus' lips twitched at what he was seeing and hearing from Demon, who seemed to be channeling a medieval character.

"She makes me stop watching historical shows because she says I've adopted them, but look at her now. The costume and props are a complete package," Zeus muttered to himself.

"Let us go," a man begged.

Zeus snapped back to reality and looked at the five sacks lying on the floor. Inside those sacks were the five underlings of the second mask.

He motioned for one of the underlings to open the sacks.

"Have mercy, we didn't do anything wrong," one of the underlings of the second mask said, falling to his knees and begging.

"Let me remind you of what you did," Demon said, slowly descending the stairs and approaching the five underlings. "Look at me and remember the sin you committed." She removed the mask she was wearing.

"Wh-at? Yo-u're D-em-on?" they stammered, trembling.

"Yes, I am, and because you looked at my face, that's a big sin," Demon grinned, approaching one of the five underlings. "You shot Conan, so you will receive the most painful death."

"Have mercy, have mercy, please."

"Heh! I'm Demon. Do you think I have mercy?" She looked at Zeus. "Give them the appropriate punishment before me."

"Roger that!" Zeus put on his gloves and went to the underlings. "What am I going to do with him?" he asked, pointing to the one who had shot Conan.

"He is the worst sinner, so I want to see him skinned," Demon replied with a smile.

"W-HA-T? PLE-ASE DON'T, NO, NOOOOOO! AHHHHH!" The underling screamed as Zeus began to skin him alive. He couldn't resist because his whole body was tied, making it easy for Zeus.

Zeus began to peel the skin from the face.

"The way Zeus pulls the skin is satisfying," Demon said in amazement.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

"WOW!"

"AHHHHHHHH!"

"There's more under the ear."

"AHHH- IT HURTS! AHH!"

"There's more there. Gosh, let me do—"

"STOP!" Zeus looked at Demon. "Can you just watch?"

"But I want to do it," Demon's eyes gleamed with eagerness.

"No, I will not let this man's blood touch your skin."

Demon sighed and let Zeus finish.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The underling's last cry echoed as Zeus completely skinned him. Every time he struggled, his flesh stuck to the metal, making it hurt more.

"He looks like a titan," Demon whispered, turning to another underling. "Cut off his body parts."

Her underlings obeyed without hesitation, beating the underling until his body parts were severed.

"That one, burn him alive. Hahaha!"

As before, her underlings quickly followed her orders. They tied the underling of the second mask and threw him into the barn.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Demon closed her eyes, the screams and pleas for help from the underlings of the second mask were like music to her ears.

"Demon, my majesty, what to do with this one?" One of Demon's underlings asked, holding a struggling underling.

"He looks like he was bitten by an insect, so tie him to a tree upside down and feed him to the insects in the sixth basement."

The underlings quickly obeyed, tying the underling upside down to a tree and pouring a jar full of ants and bees over him. The bees began to attack.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH NOO- AHHHH!"

"There's only one left. How do you want him to die?" Zeus asked calmly.

"I miss holding a bow and arrow. Why don't I just kill him that way?"

Using a bow and arrow is one of Demon's skills.

"That's a good idea. Why don't you show off your skills?" Zeus stood up to take an apple and put it in the mouth of the last underling.

"Hmmmm, hmmmm—*SWISSSH*

It was so fast that they couldn't see what it was.

"BULLSEYE!"

Everyone was surprised to hear what one of Demon's underlings said. They looked at the target and gasped when they saw the arrow penetrate the apple and the throat of the last underling.

Demon had gotten a bullseye at a distance of 330 meters (1,083 feet).

"I respect her more and more."

"She's impressive."

"Her skill hasn't changed since she was 12."

"She was born talented."

"She's a prodigy."

Her underlings praised her, their voices filled with admiration.

"You guys, stop praising her," Zeus said with a grimace on his lips.

"Is that enough?" one of the underlings asked.

Zeus turned to Demon, who was smiling. He looked back at the underlings. "I think that's enough."

The underlings sighed in relief and began to clean up the mess in the sixth basement. They knew they had to praise Demon for whatever she did, or her temper would flare, and her wrath would be unending.

"What are you thinking about? You've been silent for a while," Zeus asked.

"Nathan."

"What?"

"I have to punish him for what he did to Conan," Demon said, her face blank.

"He's your brother—"

"He hurt Conan. Conan was hurt because of him," she said, her demeanor shifting ominously. "Conan? Where is he? I need to see him."

Zeus approached her and covered her eyes with his bare hand.

Demon's eyes began to turn bloodshot. "Conan, I need Conan."

"Shh, I know."

"Where's Conan? Where? WHERE!"

ZEUS'S POV

"WHEREEEEEE?"

"Should I shoot her?" one of her underlings asked.

"Yes, please."

*Swish*

I immediately caught her.

She lost consciousness due to the medicine injected into her.

"She needs a sleeping pill; otherwise, I'm sure she'll go for the second mask."

---

"How is she?"

"She's sleeping soundly." I blew out a puff of smoke before facing him. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, toying with a bottle of wine, still looking relaxed and calm despite the chaos. "Are you okay?"

"...hmm, do you think I'll just die that quickly?" He chuckled.

"Doesn't her obsession with you seem to be worsening?" Viper set down the wine and turned to me. "She brutally killed four people just because of you."

"Isn't that romantic?" He replied with a cruel smile.

Oh... I forgot the person in front of me was no different from Demon.

They shared the same personality.

"How much longer do you intend to play this game?"

"Are you bored?" He answered innocently.

I didn't reply; neither did he.

"I'm waiting for her to change her mind, to end the war so she won't be harmed anymore."

"But you know that won't happen."

"I want her to live peacefully, without anyone hunting her down."

"That would only happen in her ideal world."

"But before that ideal world can be realized, the current one must be destroyed."

"Are you really willing to destroy the world for her ideal?"

He stopped playing with the glass, turning to me.

"I don't care about the world you speak of; my world revolves around her." He drank the wine. "No, she is my world."

Fortunately, Hyra didn't hear; she would have been overwhelmed with excitement.

"Do you love—"

"I'm not here to be her lover, but to fulfill all her needs. I'm her ally and supporter, nothing more."

"But she loves you."

"She doesn't love me; she's infatuated with the idea of love and wants to try it with me." He rolled his eyes, seeming disgusted, wrapping his arms around himself. "She doesn't understand love"