Aqua stood in the still-wet, viscous pool of blood, the warm sensation on her bare feet now turning incomparably cold and piercing.
The gazes from the distant stall owners, like countless invisible ice picks, fiercely stabbed into her heart.
In those gazes, there was no relief from surviving a disaster, no gratitude for a 'hero,' only pure, almost tangible fear, horror, and a deep sense of alienation that she could not Understand.
She had dealt with the bad guys, using what she believed to be the most direct and effective method, clearing away the scum that endangered the 'beautiful night market.' Why... why was it like this?
The smile had long vanished from her face, leaving only a blank pallor.
She watched the trembling, even vomiting and fainting, stall owners, watched them huddle together, as if she were more terrifying than those gangsters.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found her throat seemed to be blocked by something, unable to utter any sound.
Silence, like a rising tide, engulfed her. The oppressive air around her almost suffocated her.
Just then, in the crowd, the old woman who had kindly given her oden earlier, amidst the complex and fearful gazes of the other stall owners, tremblingly took a small step forward.
Aqua's gaze instantly focused on the old woman. She was the one who had given her warmth, the one who made her feel that kindness existed in this world.
What would she say?
Would she Understand her?
Would she... give her that kind smile again, like before?
However, what Aqua saw was the old woman's undisguised fear, identical to that of the other stall owners, and even deeper, mixed with a sorrow and... pity, as if her faith had collapsed?
The old woman's lips trembled, as if she was using all her strength to speak.
Just as those words were about to break the silence—
"Ah ah ah ah ah — — — — — —!!!!!"
Aqua suddenly clutched her head, letting out an extremely shrill scream, like a wounded young beast!
The scream was sharp and piercing, filled with endless panic, grievance, and a despair of being 'betrayed' by the existence she cared about most!
With her own voice, she roughly and desperately drowned out the words the old woman was about to say, words she dared not hear and could not bear!
She was scared.
She was truly scared.
She was scared of hearing it from the mouth that had once shown her the warmest smile.
Scared of hearing accusations, fear, or any words that would confirm her 'difference' from this world, confirm that she was a 'monster.'
After the scream, there was a deathly silence.
Aqua suddenly lowered her hands, her face filled with extreme terror and helplessness.
She no longer looked at anyone, especially not the old woman.
As if whipped by an invisible lash, she suddenly turned around, unable to even maintain a walking posture.
Almost on all fours, she stumbled clumsily and frantically fled in the opposite direction of the night market, in a state of utter disarray!
Her silver hair flew wildly as she ran, her white nightgown stained with mottled blood, her bare feet stepping on the cold ground, leaving blurry, bloody footprints.
Her retreating figure was filled with the panic and helplessness of being abandoned by the world.
"Miss Aqua!"
Yoshino called out anxiously, but Aqua's figure had already vanished into the darkness of the street corner like a startled rabbit, with no response.
Yoshinon, holding Yoshinon, looked in the direction Aqua had disappeared, then turned back to look at the stall owners still immersed in fear, and the bloody mess.
Her azure eyes were filled with complex emotions—Understanding and sympathy for the stall owners' plight, and helplessness at Aqua's overly extreme yet purely logical actions.
She was silent for a moment, then bowed deeply and solemnly in the direction of the stall owners.
Yoshinon also said in its comical but now incredibly serious voice, "We are very sorry for causing trouble!"
Having made this silent apology, Yoshino did not linger. Holding Yoshinon, she took small steps and quickly chased in the direction Aqua had fled.
She could not let that 'kindred spirit,' who had just experienced a hint of warmth only to be instantly crushed by cold reality, sink into darkness alone.
At the entrance of the night market, the few hanging heads silently continued their warning.
The surviving stall owners looked at each other, still shaken, the air permeated with the smell of blood and a deeper, unspeakable chill.
Everything that happened tonight was destined to become an indelible page in all their memories, mixed with fear and confusion.
And Aqua, who had caused all this, was now aimlessly running down the cold street, trying to leave those fearful gazes and potential accusations far behind her.
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