Ch. 15 - A Terrible Sight
I didn’t like violence. But I wasn't naive enough to deny its usefulness. Its effectiveness is exactly why it never disappears—and why wretched things like “war” exist.
This was clearly one of those times.
“Zoë! Zoë!!”
The kids screamed, cheering her name in triumph. I rushed to her side and pulled her into my arms.
“Ah… Di…”
Only now did she notice me, a faint smile curling her lips.
“Good god…”
Her injuries were concentrated on her arms, where she’d guarded against Eva’s claws. None were deep, but over twenty cuts streaked her skin.
Not fatal. But not something to ignore either. Without hesitation, I called upon the Snake.
Black snakes coiled around her arms, emerald light flooding the room. One by one, the gashes vanished.
The cuts were shallow, but the sheer number demanded a heavy toll of divine power. Dizziness struck me. I nearly collapsed, but Zoë held me.
“…”
I exhaled sharply.
I didn't care why they were fighting.
Zoë was a gentle child. If she fought, there was a reason. That was enough. I wouldn’t ask pointless questions.
And being a dwarf, she wouldn’t volunteer an explanation, anyway. Her kind were stoic, doing what needed to be done without wasting words.
Amid the children’s cheers, we leaned against each other in silence, supporting one another.
That was when Abby finally returned from the bath.
“…”
Her eyes narrowed immediately—first on me holding Zoë, then on the gaping hole in the wall and the unconscious Eva sprawled beyond it. Her gaze flicked to Ashita, fidgeting with wide, guilty eyes.
“Don’t tell me… it was Zoë?” At last, Abby asked.
Ashita gave a small nod, staring at the floor. Abby’s expression hardened.
“…Ashita. Come here.”
Earlier in the bath, Abby had praised Ashita’s brute strength. Within the group, her role was clear: deterrence. She was the police force of this little pack.
And tonight, she had failed.
Eva's being knocked out wasn’t the problem. The problem was Ashita standing by, doing nothing. She had betrayed Abby’s expectations.
Worse still—Zoë, the newcomer’s ally, had just bested a long-standing veteran.
The hierarchy of the group had shifted.
And as Abby had planned.
“Ashita… you know what this means, don’t you?”
Abby’s voice dripped with fury, her sharp eyes blazing at Ashita.