Night fell. Stars illuminated the solemn Romanesque architecture. A towering monument cast deep shadows across the square. At the horizon's edge, a crescent moon hung like a shy maiden, her eyes slightly open. The glow of Magic Stone Lamps lit the night streets. Above, the Milky Way stretched like a ribbon, splitting the sky in two. Beneath this light, two girls walked side by side. One was a valiant swordswoman. The other, an ethereal beauty with golden irises and flowing silver hair.

Suddenly, both stopped. Faint moans from a young girl drifted from a dark alley.

"Mio," Aimee gripped her sword hilt. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

"I smell blood," Mio nodded. "Be careful."

Aimee smiled and turned into the alley. Sounds of fists and feet colliding mixed with men's pitiful screams, punctuated by Aimee's excited shouts. The noise quickly died down. Mio breathed a sigh of relief.

A drone hovering above sent infrared images. Three men lay on the ground, fluorescent liquid oozing from their mouths and noses—undoubtedly blood. Aimee stood among them, cracking her knuckles. Nearby, a girl limped away, dragging her injured body, leaving a trail of blood.

Aimee was lost in battle's thrill—probably a good post-dinner workout. Though unaware of what happened, the struggling girl clearly needed help. Seeing no one around, Mio took a deep breath. She pushed off the ground—*whoosh*—and soared into the sky, landing steadily on a rooftop.

Under endless starlight, low-rise houses crowded beyond the streets. Except for the central avenue, the city seemed unplanned. Stone-built flat-roofed houses huddled together. Mio dashed across tiled rooftops. Her physical abilities were thoroughly enhanced—though without divine blessings, they reached astonishing levels.

The drone tracked constantly. Its small size and low-visibility paint made it nearly undetectable. Mio leaped over narrow alleys, using protruding wood from earthen walls as footholds. In a few bounds, she landed. She rose slowly, switching vision to night mode. A girl in a tunic clutched a wound on her arm, staring in terror.

"Don't be afraid," Mio said. "I'm here to help you."

The girl stepped back in shock. Thick blood seeped between her fingers. Mio frowned. Though no health monitor was visible, the bleeding alone indicated severity. Without hesitation, Mio grabbed her wrist, exposing the wound under starlight. A terrible gash marred the girl's dirty left arm, bone visible deep within. Who would hurt a child like this? Anger surged in Mio. She skillfully bandaged the wound, then firmly pulled the girl toward the downed men.

"Mio!" Aimee exclaimed, shocked. "How did you get to such a dangerous place?"

"Our mission is to rescue the afflicted," Mio sighed. "But you got so excited fighting, you missed the key target. So I stepped in."

"Sorry…" Aimee scratched her head sheepishly.

"This child's arm wound is severe," Mio pulled the girl before Aimee. "I recall you know healing magic. Can you treat her?"

"No problem." Aimee glanced at the girl hidden in shadows and nodded.

"Next," Mio drew a small knife and crouched before one man. "I have questions. If you don't mind, answer them."

The man groaned, spitting blood. Most of his teeth were likely knocked out.

"Answer me: why harm a child?" Mio's voice turned icy with rage. "I'm furious. Depending on your answer, I might slit your throat."

Deep fear filled the man's eyes. Blood poured from his mouth—he couldn't speak, his tongue badly injured.

"Enough, Mio." Aimee grasped Mio's hand. "I know the reason."

Following her gaze, the injured girl stood under starlight. Her black eyes and long black hair resembled the endless night.

"Yao Ye?" Mio clenched her fists unconsciously.

"That's the reason," Aimee said with resignation. "Because of that fallen goddess, girls with black hair and eyes are despised. They're seen as apostles of the fallen god, persecuted, even abandoned by parents. But some have twisted desires—defiling apostles, enjoying the thrill of dominating the goddess. Such perverts are not rare."

"I see," Mio sighed. "Slaves."

"No, they aren't even worthy of being called slaves," Aimee stroked the trembling girl's neck. "In imperial law, slaves are protected high-value property. But this girl isn't allowed to be one—just because of her eye and hair color."

How tragic, Mio sighed.

"Mio," Aimee asked, "I've healed her wounds. What now?"

"Let's go," Mio turned her back on the girl. "We saved her this time, but we can't care for her forever. There are too many unfortunate people. You can't help everyone."

"True…" Aimee clenched her teeth and strode toward the alley exit.

"Human, your weakness is your sin," Mio suddenly stopped and turned. "Have you prayed to the gods from the depths of your despair? They didn't answer. But the fallen god exists—her name is Yao Ye. If others won't answer, pray to her."

"Yao… Ye…" the girl repeated.

"Pray. She might answer," Mio turned to catch up with Aimee. "In this dog-eat-dog world, grow stronger. Survive."

Watching Mio disappear, the girl swallowed her tears. She offered prayers to the dark fallen god, etching her despair into the words. But… nothing happened. She heard no divine voice. Had it ended here, she might have ended her tragic life early. Unexpectedly, dark mist gathered behind her. A beautiful woman with black hair and snow-white skin gently wrapped her pale hands around the girl's neck.

Seeing this enchanting woman, the beaten men showed terror. The fallen god herself stood there! They wanted to scream, to flee, but couldn't move. Black arms emerged from their shadows, gripping their limbs tightly.

"Despair. Hate. Then destroy," Yao Ye whispered. "I heard your prayer. To prove your resolve, let's have a little test."

Darkness gathered in the girl's hands, forming a crimson-black wavy-bladed dagger. She stared blankly at the ominous weapon. In her dead-black eyes, a ripple stirred.

"Act on your heart's desire," Yao Ye released her. "Follow your truest urges. Fulfill your deepest wish. Be honest, hold nothing back. Then… show me."

The girl slowly approached the first man, raising the dagger high. Fear filled his eyes, snot and tears streaming down his face. *Squelch*—the blade pierced his body. Splattered blood stained her cheeks. Emotion finally filled her eyes—a tidal wave of rage. Within minutes, the once broken girl sent all three men to hell. Covered in blood, she stood under starlight, gripping the black mist-wreathed dagger. On its dark blade, blood was slowly absorbed by the wavy edge.

"Congratulations, you passed," Yao Ye gently embraced the blood-soaked girl, wiping blood from her cheek. "From today, you're my apostle. I'll educate you, protect you, grant you power. Then, simply use that power as your heart desires. My dear child, you need a new name. Like a lily under the moon—Hilda. That name is perfect for you."

"Hilda…" the girl murmured blankly. "My name…"

"Yes, my child," Yao Ye embraced her again. "From now on, your name is Hilda. My beloved daughter, grow in darkness. Quietly await that day."

With that, she dissolved into dark mist and vanished. Only the lone girl remained, standing in a sea of blood, laughing a soul-twisting laugh.

Almost simultaneously, Mio stopped alertly. Darkness deep within her soul churned restlessly, as if drawn to something.

"No way…" She gazed at the starlit city. The drone detected nothing.

"Mio!" Aimee waved frantically from ahead. "Hurry up! I reek of grilled meat. A shower is top priority now!"

The Sword Saint seemed tired today. Mio smiled warmly and quickened her pace to catch up.