"Another one falls, defeated by the root of their own pain."
Yuna Ji stared blankly at Lucille Xing. Like her own eldest sister, Lucille was the most trustworthy—her will as unyielding as stone. Though she was completely enveloped by the dark mist, even Yuna herself could not anticipate what she would do.
At that moment, the Nameless Abomination noticed something strange. He stopped, hovering in midair, while Yuna Ji looked at him with utter disgust.
"What now? Trying to stall for time? Once daylight breaks, all that darkness you've unleashed will be useless, won't it?"
"What's going on?"
The Nameless Abomination's eyes widened as he stared at Sebastian Zhao and Lucille Xing. Though they remained motionless, the pain-rooted entities clinging to them whimpered, on the verge of vanishing.
Lucille, why are you so obsessed with Yuna? You have your own life—why?
The woman before her, though gentle-faced, always carried a trace of sorrow.
Within the Grant Family, aside from Yuna Ji, Lucille Xing most enjoyed spending time with Queen Grant. Sometimes she was like a stern veteran, always delivering harsh lectures after indulging Yuna Ji, and other times she was gentle as a mother, caring and attentive.
Lucille, you've already done enough—for the Grant Family, for Yuna. It's time to let go. Aren't you sad? On the battlefield, you never truly wanted this, did you? Forcing yourself to kill, but now Yuna is independent enough. This is her responsibility as the last of the Grant Family.
But Lucille Xing smiled and shook her head.
"Queen Grant, it truly is exhausting. On the battlefield, you have to constantly take the lives of strangers, but all of it is unavoidable."
Lona Long suddenly shouted, her gaze intense as she looked at Queen Grant, her eyes filled with determination.
"I watched Yuna grow up since she was little. She was always smiling—in our eyes, her face never showed sadness. Even when punished, the next day she'd laugh and show off her wounds. Even that time, when Queen Grant said such harsh words to her, she didn't choose sorrow—she chose happiness."
Queen Grant widened her eyes, quietly staring at Lona Long. An arrow was already nocked to the bowstring, aimed at Queen Grant, as Lona Long’s tears fell, her voice choked with sobs.
Whoosh...
"No matter how much pain or sorrow I endure, what I fear most is seeing Yuna's sad face. She should always be smiling. For all this, for Yuna, even if I become a monster and step onto a hellish battlefield, it doesn't matter..."
With a soft sound, Queen Grant’s figure gradually faded, scattering into tiny particles of light. She smiled, nodding gently.
Whoosh—the arrow pierced through the air as Wraithshade stared in terror at his claw, which was about to grab Yuna Ji’s shoulder, now shot through.
"Take your filthy hands away from Yuna Ji."