This world is rotten.
Lili lowered her head, looking at the pool of murky sewage on the ground, reflecting her own miserable face.
Her cheek stung fiercely,
But it didn't matter.
In this rotten world, this was the norm.
The weak exist to be trampled upon.
She just needed to endure it.
If she endured it and handed over her money, perhaps she could keep this wretched life.
Then...
The next second,
"Shameless!"
A sharp cry echoed in the narrow alley.
Immediately following that,
"BOOM—!!!"
A massive sound.
Lili abruptly opened her eyes, her pupils instantly shrinking to pinpricks.
She saw the tall Adventurer who had been standing in front of her suddenly fly backward like a burst ragdoll.
He traced a tragic arc through the air, smashing directly into the pile of discarded wooden crates deep in the alley.
"Crash—"
Wood splinters flew, dust billowed.
The crates instantly shattered, burying the man completely under flying splinters and smoke, leaving only a pair of stinking feet twitching slightly exposed outside.
In front of Lili,
A small figure stood there at some unknown time.
Black short hunting clothes, the red ribbon at her waist snapping loudly in the lingering gust of wind.
Although Rin wore a half-mask, the exposed half of her small face was filled with disgust.
She slowly retracted the right leg she had kicked out and patted the dust off her trouser leg.
"If growing tall only serves to bully the weak, then what use is it?"
The remaining three Soma Familia accomplices around the alley were stunned speechless.
They stared wide-eyed at their leader, who was probably unable to get up from the ruins, and then looked at the small girl in front of them who looked delicate and weak, not even carrying a weapon.
That kick just now was so fast that they didn't even see an afterimage!
"You... Who are you?!"
One of the tall, thin Adventurers reacted first, drawing the short knife at his waist with a fierce but cowardly air, pointing the tip at Rin, but his hand trembled uncontrollably.
"How dare you ambush someone from our Soma Familia! Do you know the consequences of this?!"
"Ambush?"
Rin tilted her head.
She stomped forward heavily!
The stone slab on the ground let out a crisp "boom," actually cracking directly under her foot.
The three Adventurers were startled by this terrifying aura and retreated a step in unison.
"I am Rin."
"Although I am unarmed..."
Rin's gaze sharpened, her legs slightly bent, adopting the starting stance of an ancient martial art for unarmed combat against weapons. The aura around her instantly became sharp, the whole person resembling a drawn blade.
"But dealing with you..."
"Hands are enough."
This feeling of being looked down upon infuriated them.
"You... You bastard! How dare you underestimate us!"
"Attack together! It's just a little brat! Nothing to be afraid of!"
The tall, thin one shouted to bolster his courage.
The three Adventurers exchanged glances and, relying on their numerical advantage, forced themselves to charge forward simultaneously, brandishing their weapons.
"Kill her!"
However,
In front of Rin, who had undergone a level sublimation through Heimer's Divine Blood and entered the Lv.2 realm, the quantity meant nothing to these guys who barely counted as Lv.1.
Even Inaba Tsukuyo, standing behind her, didn't need to make a move.
Rin's figure flashed.
"Bang!"
The first punch landed directly on the tall, thin one's face.
That unlucky fellow couldn't even scream before the crisp, pleasant sound of his nasal bridge shattering echoed; his whole body slammed into the wall and slid down.
"Snap!"
The second kick was a standard side kick.
Another guy attempting a sneak attack from the side felt like he had been hit by a battering ram in the side of his waist. The sound of his ribs breaking, accompanied by intense pain, caused him to kneel on the ground bent like a shrimp, foaming at the mouth.
The last guy saw that the situation was bad and turned to run.
"Trying to run?"
Rin snorted coldly, flicked a piece of gravel on the ground with her toe, and swept out in mid-air.
"Whoosh—"
The gravel shot out like a bullet, precisely hitting the back of that person's knee.
"Ah!"
The man screamed, falling face-first, truly prostrating with all five limbs on the ground as the phrase suggested.
In just one exchange,
The four-person squad of the Soma Familia was wiped out.
In the alley,
There was a deathly silence.
Only the painful groans of the fallen Adventurers echoed.
Rin stood still, lightly shaking her hand, as if she had just casually swatted a few flies.
She glanced at the guy who had been kicked into the crates and frowned slightly, her expression under the mask showing a hint of annoyance.
"Hiss..."
She hadn't controlled her strength well...
She only meant to teach him a small lesson...
But now...
Looking at the mess on the ground, Rin's heart sank.
It's over.
This commotion is a bit too big; I wonder if it will cause trouble for Lord God.
After all, although it was an act of righteous valor, this was a private fight on the streets of Orario.
If it causes trouble for Lord God...
Thinking of this, Rin instantly lost her composure, her shoulders slumped, and she nervously looked around, afraid to see the figure of the military police.
As for the other side...
Lili was still slumped on the ground.
Her hand was still tightly gripping the strap of the worn backpack.
She stared blankly at the scene.
Her mind was a complete blank.
She... was saved?
No.
That's not right.
In this place,
No one would help others for no reason anymore.
Even acts of heroism are often ultimately just for seeking profit or satisfying their own hypocritical sense of morality.
Once they discovered that she was a lowly Supporter with no money or power, who even stole things, their gazes would become the same as those of the Soma Familia members.
Lili had seen this happen too many times...
"Your breathing is very ragged."
At that moment,
a soft voice rang out beside her ear.
Lili was startled, her body trembling violently.
She saw that Inaba Tsukuyo had walked up to her side at some point and was crouching down slightly.
Even though she couldn't see, the information provided by [Mind's Eye] allowed her to clearly perceive Lili's current injuries.
"There's slight swelling on your left cheek... it must be from that slap just now."
"There are abrasions on your right knee, and dirt has gotten in. It will get inflamed if not treated."
"And your elbows..."
"Fortunately, though, the bones aren't damaged."
Having said that,
Inaba Tsukuyo pulled a snow-white handkerchief from her bosom and handed it over.
"Wipe yourself off."
The handkerchief was very clean, emitting a faint fragrance that was completely out of place in this foul-smelling alley.
However,
Lili recoiled instinctively as if she had been burned.
She avoided the hand.
"I... I'm fine..."
Lili's voice was trembling.
"Please..."
"I don't have any money... there are only some worthless magic stones in this bag..."
Lili shrank her neck and buried her head even lower, curling herself into a ball in an attempt to protect herself.
Hearing this,
Rin, who had just finished dealing with the trouble, walked over.
Seeing Lili looking like a frightened little rabbit, Rin scratched her head and looked at Inaba Tsukuyo somewhat helplessly. The high spirits she felt from winning the fight instantly cooled down.
Replacing it was an indescribable feeling of stifled frustration.
"Eh..."
"We're not trying to rob you."
"And do we look like people who are short on money?"
"Honestly..."
"Being suspected even after doing a good deed..."
Rin said somewhat gloomily.
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