The prisoners stood in stunned silence, their eyes locked onto the pinkish-skinned girl as she lowered her dual swords, each blade gleaming under the dim lights. Her crimson eyes, piercing and intense, cast an eerie glow that seemed to reach into each prisoner’s soul. She surveyed them with an emotionless gaze, almost as if sizing them up, and they felt an unspoken chill creep down their spines.

She's not going to kill me right? I mean the Ejio team has a problem with her, not me… Astra thought to himself.

“S-should we… grovel? Beg her to spare our lives?” Agro whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Shut up" Biya whispered back.

As her stare passed over them, they instinctively took a step back, hearts pounding. Then, without a word, she turned and moved toward the nature. An expansive sea of grass lay before her, bordered by towering trees with drooping branches. Strange, glowing fruits hung from the limbs, illuminating the surroundings in a haunting yellow-green light. leading deeper beyond the door. Her footsteps echoed faintly as she disappeared into the shadows, leaving the prisoners shaken and fearful.

Once she was out of sight, Ejio’s team broke the uneasy silence. Biya, catching her breath, shook her head.

"We’re lucky we didn’t end up fighting her," she murmured, a tremor of relief in her voice.

Ejio clenched his injured hand, grimacing as he looked at the others. His pride stung.

"I was arrogant to think I could defeat her, I didn’t realize she was that strong." he admitted, forcing the words out through gritted teeth.

Muttering to himself, he frowned, "But with her gone, I'm still the strongest in here." With a quick shake of his head, he turned to the others.

"Is everyone alright?"

Hylax, who nodded and replied, “No serious injuries among us. But one of the prisoners from the primitive civilizations died, and another was seriously injured. Those monster thorns got them.”

“I see, It's good that our team members are okay. As for the primitive prisoners, their worth was minimal at best. They are just a burden.” His tone was laced with indifference.

Nearby, Aria knelt beside Asa, gently pressing her fingertip to his lips. A drop of her blood shimmered there before Asa drank it, and within moments, his wounds began to close, the cuts knitting together seamlessly. The pain faded from his face, replaced by a look of gratitude.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Thanks,” he murmured.

“No, thank you for saving me back there,” Aria replied softly.

Agro interrupted them and limped toward her, wincing. "Aria, heal my foot, quick!"

Aria’s gaze shifted to another prisoner nearby, barely clinging to life, his skin pierced by deep thorn marks. His tear-filled eyes met hers as he whispered in his native tongue, desperate for help.

Agro noticed her hesitation and scoffed. “Don’t think about it, Aria. You can only heal five times a day—you have just two left. There's still me and Ejio. Don’t waste one on him; he’s from a primitive civilization. He’d just be dead weight.”

“But-”

“He's right,” Asa cut in, glancing without sympathy at the prisoner who had just taken his last breath. “It’s too late now.”

“I understand…”

Aria repeated the process, watching his foot healed. Astra observed, silently processing the scene and shook his head.

Races that can't understand the main language are treated like trash. Just like on Earth. Even with their advanced technology, racism is still a problem. It's almost ironic, haha.

⊶☽☬☾⊷

Lastly, she approached Ejio, and though her blood’s effect was powerful, his injuries only partially healed.

“Aria,” Ejio asked as she finished, his brow creased with curiosity. “You mentioned your power could only work five times a day. Does each use weaken it? Asa’s wound healed completely, but mine… not so much.”

Aria hesitated, her gaze dropping as a faint blush tinged her cheeks.

“N-no, it’s not that. It’s because… my ability is tied to my blood. I haven’t eaten nutritious food, so… my power isn’t as strong as usual.”

Ejio placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Get some rest; we'll see if these creatures are edible or not."

Biya suddenly interrupted and said “Captain, these creatures are edible!”

“How do you know?”

Hylax replied to him.

“I’ve seen similar creatures sold at markets back in the day. Looks like we’re on a plant-based planet, though I couldn’t tell you which one—there are many.”

"That's great news! We should discuss and expand our understanding of plant planets later. It's clear that survival is the goal, and we have no way of knowing how many monsters could be hiding. "

"For now, resting seems like our best option. Also, about that pink-skinned girl... You're the most knowledgeable among us; what's your opinion on her?”

"Her evolution level is hard to guess. I initially suspected she might be from a vampire race, but no vampire race I know has red hair. There are countless races out there; she might belong to a less-known one. Based on how she deal with the monster, I’d estimate she’s at least B-rank or higher."

Ejio’s eyes widened. "are you serious?… is there a possibility that the reason why she's so strong is because she's a vigorize user?“ ejio asked.

“No, I asked Biya about that. Her race has excellent vision, and she confirmed there was no change in the girl’s eyes—her pupils didn’t split like Aria’s.”

Ejio looked down, his mind racing. “If we meet her again and fight, do you think we could win?”

“No, it’s impossible. Even with you, Asa, and me, we’re still only D-rank. Aria might be C-rank or higher due to her abilities, but she’s not suited for combat. And none of us can match her speed and combat skills,” Hylax replied firmly.

“I see…"

Ejio rose to his feet, his gaze steady as he looked over his team. “We’ll move out in 30 minutes, for now, let’s gather and talk strategy while we eat.”

𓆩✧𓆪