Eirin took a deep, steadying breath, pushing past the nausea, past the fear. Her voice, when it came, was clear, calm, and unwavering. "I said disgusting."
One of the girls, her face inflamed with rage, aimed to punch Eirin, her fist already drawing back. But Leila, her eyes fixed on Eirin, held her back with a firm grip. "We… disgust you? These people?" She pointed to herself and her companions, her voice laced with outrage.
Eirin shook her head, her gaze steady, meeting Leila's challenge directly. "No, you don't disgust me. Your mindset does," she said, her voice holding an unexpected steel. The truth, unvarnished, hung in the air. "If you think Shade's a demon, then why are you obsessing over him?" The question was a logical trap, a mirror reflecting their own hypocrisy.
"Because he looks good! Duh!" one of them retorted, her voice dripping with obviousness, as if Eirin were truly dim-witted.
