Garion looked up as Darius remained embedded in the ceiling, cracks spreading around the impact point.
"…Looks like it's already decided," he said quietly.
Pelion stood beside him, watching the scene without moving.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Decided?" he repeated. "You really think it's that simple?"
Garion glanced at him. "…What do you mean?"
Pelion kept his eyes on Darius. "It seems you still don't understand how far our path goes."
---
Meanwhile, on the battlefield... Dahlia stood on the ground, her gaze fixed upward at the hole where Darius had been thrown.
She rolled her shoulder once, loosening the tension. "…Is that it?"
Her wings shifted slightly behind her. "Are you finished already?"
She stepped forward, her expression calm but sharp. "…Are you really that weak, Father?"
Her eyes hardened. "To think you were the reason I suffered all this time…"
She let out a short breath. "…Just how stupid was I?"
For a brief moment, there was silence.
