Ash looked at both of them, his reddish-purple eyes calm and genuinely curious.
"Do you truly care for these beings?" he asked, gesturing lightly toward the terrified company still huddled behind the shattered remnants of the golden-white gate.
Eve's faint smile faltered for a moment, hanging on her lips before disappearing.
She fixed her gaze on him, golden eyes reflecting the erratic glow of the battlefield as she searched his face for meaning.
"…What do you mean?" she asked, her voice steady but laced with caution.
Beside her, Eliya let out a sharp scoff, tightening her grip on her spear as she leveled a pointed glare at Ash.
"Tsk Ancestor... you know exactly what he means," she said, her tone edged with accusation. "Think back to the Ninth Lower Dimension—he burned everything to ashes with a single flame. Don't pretend you've forgotten."
Ash remained quiet, his expression unchanging.
He was testing them — not out of doubt, but out of genuine curiosity.
