A starless night. Only the moon shone alone—just as lonely as him.

Qin An clamped a hand over the gunshot wound on his right shoulder. He tore strips from his clothes, bound the injury roughly, then gritted his teeth and sprinted forward. Above the forest, helicopter rotors thrummed relentlessly. Blinding searchlights swept the darkness. Faint barks echoed behind him.

Blood seeped steadily from the wound. His body grew icy and stiff—corpse-like. Each step weighed a thousand pounds.

Qin An couldn’t grasp what had gone wrong. Ten years of meticulous planning. The perfect timing. All to kill that woman. He’d gambled his life on this night—the one supposedly weakest in defenses—only to find it fortified like an iron fortress.

*What happened? Betrayal? By whom?*

Two bullets remained in his Desert Eagle. One for the enemy. One for himself. Bitterness choked him—he’d only wounded her. Failed to avenge his sister.

He ran until blood loss blurred his vision. His head grew heavy. His legs turned to lead. Stopping now meant death.

Trembling, he tightened his grip on the Desert Eagle. Then he saw her—a figure standing beneath the moonlight. A girl.

She faced away, arms outstretched as if breathing in the night air. Only she’d dare such an unguarded pose. But none of it mattered now. Killing her would end everything.

He fired. The silver bullet arced unnaturally through the dark. She turned slowly. A frilly gothic lolita dress. A parasol despite the night. Golden hair. A petite frame. An innocent face. Yet those eerie heterochromatic eyes—crimson and gold—betrayed her true identity: Liluo Anlietta, leader of the world’s deadliest assassin syndicate, Celestial Prison.

Once called Doville, the organization had become her personal empire under ruthless rule. Rebels had tried to overthrow her. All now lay dead at her feet—not from seduction, but slaughter.

The bullet hurtled straight for her heart. She didn’t flinch.

***Bang—!***

Another gunshot cracked. A second bullet intercepted the first mid-air, deflecting its path with impossible precision.

A trick straight out of anime. But Qin An knew it well. Only two could pull it off: himself… and his beloved disciple.

A figure in a lapis-blue gown stepped into view. Flawless features. Hair like ocean depths. That same small, heart-tugging frame. Violet eyes gleaming like amethysts in the dark.

*Purple Robe.* His own apprentice. The betrayal he’d never foreseen.

Qin An’s mouth opened. Thick blood filled his throat. His voice rasped like a corpse’s: "*Why…?*"

"An-gege," Liluo blinked wide, dewy eyes, smiling like a neighbor’s sweet daughter. "Will you kill me now? Or run?"

"We deployed five S-rank assassins. You headshot three. Only Purple Robe and I remain. Fifty-two A-ranks—you wiped out thirty. Five helicopters—you downed two. Ten Balkross hounds—you slaughtered five…" She counted on delicate fingers, as if solving a complex equation.

"You’re still invincible! An-gege, I adore you. Right now, I’d strip you bare and bear your child." She stroked her flat stomach, cheeks flushing shyly.

"*Stop joking.*" Qin An spat blood, voice raw.

"I’m serious! From my first day in the organization, I worshipped your strength. Celestial Prison could’ve been yours. But your eyes only saw that useless sister of yours. How I envied her… *envied her!*"

"So you—"

"So you think *I* killed her?"

"*Wasn’t it you?*"

His sister’s last possession—a limited-edition Hello Kitty hairpin—lay cold against Qin An’s chest. She’d last seen Liluo alive.

"An-gege, you wound me. Listen to the truth." Liluo pressed a recorder to his ear. A voice he’d know anywhere echoed out:

*"You said if I died, my brother would grow stronger. He could become Celestial Prison’s leader. Leave this filthy life. Marry. Have children."*

*"Of course. The unburdened are strongest. With Qin An’s skill, leading Celestial Prison would be effortless."*

*"Then… I’m glad. Brother always got hurt protecting me. He hasn’t truly smiled in years—only bitter smiles. It hurt to watch. He’s beyond S-rank, yet he’d take me—barely B-rank—on missions and get punished. I won’t be his burden anymore. I want him to see I’ve grown up. Not that spoiled, tantrum-throwing child anymore."*

*Fool. Fool. I wanted you to stay that spoiled child. So you’d stay far from this darkness.*

*"You’re such a good girl. No wonder your brother loves you. Even I… grew fond of you."*

*"Liluo-jiejie, you—?"*

*"I could’ve been your dearest sister-in-law. But…"*

*"But what?"* Her voice lifted hopefully.

*"But your brother said he’d love only you forever. So… for him… will you… die?"*

*"For Brother?"*

*"Yes. Behind you is a bottomless cliff. One step, and he’s free. A beautiful wife. Adorable children. No place for a sister-in-law like you. I’m sorry."*

*"Mm… waaah… waaah… Goodbye, Brother… I’m sorry. I can’t keep my promise."*

The recording cut off. Her sobs still echoed in Qin An’s bones.

"See? I didn’t kill her. She jumped. I never touched her clothes!"

"*Liluo Anlietta—I’ll kill you!*" Qin An roared, eyes bloodshot.

"Do you truly want me dead?" Tears glistened on Liluo’s cheeks, heartbreakingly pure.

"Then let’s die together." She smiled radiantly. Her parasol snapped open, slowing her descent as she landed before him. So close. Yet he lacked the strength—or will—to raise his gun.

Liluo dropped the parasol. She crushed herself against him, as if melting into his body. Her breath warmed his ear: "Qin An… remember our first meeting? Fresh in the organization, every man coveted my virginity. Trapped by filthy hands—I thought I was doomed. From wolves to tigers."

"Men fought over me. I saw you in the corner. You noticed me too—but your eyes held no rescue. The women sneered… except your sister. She whispered to you. *‘Save her,’* I guessed. Then you stood. Said: *‘S-ranks get first pick of women. That’s the rule.’* Everyone froze. Especially those sneering women—they wished they were me."

"Then why kill my sister? She saved you. She was innocent."

"An-gege… do assassins *repay debts*?"

"*No.*" Qin An’s voice turned glacial. Killing intent radiated from him—a pressure that would cripple rookies. Liluo didn’t flinch.

"And if we’re counting blame… you share hers. You coddled her. Kept her locked in your heart. Do you know how many nights she lay awake fearing for you after every mission?"

Qin An fell silent.

Liluo’s pink tongue traced his neck. She nipped, kissed, savored his skin like rare delicacy.

"I still got used. But trading those creeps for a strong, handsome brother felt… nice. You dragged me to a corner—not to touch me, not even a kiss. You broke my leg instead. Said: *‘This’ll stop them wanting you. Or become S-rank if you don’t want to be used.’* No one had ever ignored me like that—not my hunters, not my pursuers. I hated you. Hated you. If you wouldn’t have me… I’d become S-rank and take *you*."

"You’re twisted."

"Who in Celestial Prison isn’t? You least of all, An-gege. Or should I say… *Asura*? The organization’s only zero-failure Reaper."

"You—"

"I have all your files. Your worthless foster parents. Even traces of your birth parents. Touched, An-gege?"

"*Get off me—*" Qin An’s voice faded. His breath grew shallow.

*My fault too. I thought protecting her was enough. I was wrong from the start. If I’d let her grow strong alone… she might stand beside me now. Or surpass me. Too late.*

"Don’t be cruel." Liluo caressed his handsome, blood-streaked face. She guided him backward—toward the cliff’s edge.

"Now we die together." She hugged him tightly, relief softening her features.

"*What?*"

The moon tore free of the clouds. Silver light spilled over Liluo’s face—revealing desolation no smile could hide.

Her cheeks were deathly pale. Her breath came in sharp gasps. Gone was the calm, laughing tyrant. Only a trembling girl remained.

"You took the bio-agent," Qin An said, his gaze sharp and piercing, instantly grasping the reason.

Liluo simply nodded silently in acknowledgment.

"Why?"

The bio-agent was a drug developed by the madman Lester to enhance physical abilities. Unlike ordinary enhancers—single-use items—it was addictive like narcotics, impossible to quit. Its side effects were slow and deadly; each dose was nearly a trade with death itself.

"I did it for you. Do you believe me?"

"..."

Without hesitation, Liluo embraced Qin An and leaped into the all-too-familiar abyss.

Under the howling gale, she kissed his chapped lips, her tongue darting deep into his mouth.

Qin An stared wide-eyed at the sky. The moon tonight was unnaturally full! He didn’t want to die! How could it end like this? His eyes glowed with an eerie red light.

Clutching him like an octopus, Liluo murmured, "Brother An, we’ll never part, not even in death. That way, we can be together forever."

Purple Robe gazed at the abyss, a void like a black hole, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I’m sorry, Master. I’m sorry, Sister Liluo."

"I cannot live alone. At the very least, I must die with you."

Resolutely, Purple Robe stepped into the dark abyss. With this, the S-rank members of Celestial Prison were all annihilated.