I Shall Devour Everything

Mei frowned and asked in a confused tone, "Arion is what? Aunt Yuro, what is it?" Mei openly stared at her and continued, "Wasn't Arion with you? Where is he?"

Yuro's expression became pained, berating herself for not being there for Arion and not knowing how to answer Mei.

She finally said in a voice that seemed to have lost its power, "He is gone...the Dreadlings...they got him while he was trying to protect the others…"

Yuro's head bowed, feeling complicated after letting out the truth before Mei. She herself couldn't believe that the boy she was happily cooking food for and talking with for all these years had died.

She was feeling very sad and regretful about what happened. Still, since she was a seasoned Dreadslayer, she had a better hold of her emotions and was able to come to terms with his death.

She herself had lost many close ones in her life and had gotten used to dealing with sudden losses of loved ones.

However, this was not at all true for Mei, who never before lost anyone she deeply cared for.

Mei's thoughts were scrambling to understand what she just heard. She again asked as if pretending to have misheard with a shaky smile, "Aunt Yuro...what did you just say?"

Without waiting for a reply, she cleared her throat and called out, "Ari! Ari, answer me."

The room became deathly silent as everyone sighed and looked away, feeling sad for her loss.

Yuro knew Mei was in a state of disbelief and denial about the truth since she also once went through the same thing.

Sana and her husband had calmed down after Mei had stabilized their daughter's condition. Thus, when they heard that Arion had died to protect their daughter and others, they felt remorseful for Mei but couldn't help but feel grateful to Arion.

Everyone else also was surprised at Arion's noble sacrifice and how despite being disabled, he was able to buy enough time for others to escape.

They couldn't help but feel moved by what he did and saddened by his death. They felt as if today was the worst and most unfortunate day of Fok Grove Ward since they lost so many loved ones, including Ina.

Yuro was about to console Mei when she suddenly stormed out of the room because she did not get any answer from Arion.

"Mei, wait!" Yuro followed her out after hesitating for a few moments.

While frantically looking around for Arion, Mei noticed Shun cooped up in a non-conspicuous corner and asked him, "Where is Arion?"

Shun, who was silently sitting all this while, spoke while pointing at the main door, "He went out in the evening itself. I didn't see him coming back. Miss Mei, actually he—"

However, before Shun could finish, Mei hurried towards the door and stepped outside her house as if setting out to search for Arion.

Everyone became worried and concerned seeing her behavior, including Yuro.

Kisho, who was standing outside, trying to calm people down after the tragedy that struck them today, noticed Mei walking out of her home with a distraught expression.

He quickly realized that Yuro or someone else must have told her what happened to Arion.

The others outside also noticed her unusual expression and came to the same conjecture as Kisho.

Cayden and Nena, who were standing nearby, felt ashamed and guilty seeing Mei, knowing that Arion sacrificed himself for them despite the fact that they were more able and powerful than him.

If any outsider heard that a disabled person saved some quasi-Defiers, they would wonder what kind of lies these people were spouting.

Alv was busy admonishing his brother at a corner so that no one else would hear them. Alv knew that they lost Ina and Arion only because Bari tucked his tail between his legs and ran away like a coward.

Alv was extremely ashamed of what his little brother did. Thankfully, Cayden and Nena didn't tell what Bari did to anyone else.

Alv inwardly knew Bari didn't lead the Dreadling to Ina on purpose but only due to his scaredy-cat nature. Still, it didn't change the fact of what happened.

Alv then noticed Mei coming out and grimaced as he gritted his teeth, looking at Bari, "Look at Big Sis Mei. See how worried she is. Can you answer her for what happened to Arion?"

"I-I am sorry, big brother. I really am...I am sorry for being pathetic…" Bari croaked as he hung his head down, not daring to look at his brother nor towards Mei to get reminded of what he did today.

Even he never hated himself so much as today and deeply regretted Ina and Arion's death.

These four youngsters felt as if they had no right to talk to Mei now but at the same time hoped that would be alright.

"Mei, hold on!" Yuro also rushed out from Mei's house, trying to stop her.

Kisho wrinkled his brows and stepped before Mei, "Little Mei, calm down. We are extremely sorry but…"

"Uncle Kisho, I don't understand what you are talking about," Mei said in a confused tone as if she really had no idea what he was sorry for.

Yuro caught up to Mei and held her shoulder, "Mei, please, I understand what you are feeling. But leaving out in the dead of night right now is not safe, especially when the Dreadlings can still be around."

Mei took a deep breath and calmly put away Yuro's hand and said while looking at her and Kisho, "Please don't try to stop me. I have to go find Arion. He has this bad habit of wandering to certain places on his own. I will be right back after I find him."

The others let out faint sighs, thinking of ways to alleviate the pain of losing her brother she had taken care of for so many years.

Yuro tried to grasp her wrist, but Mei immediately turned around and said in a serious tone, "Aunt Yuro, don't try to stop me! I won't be going anywhere without searching for Arion first."

She then noticed Cayden and Nena standing among the others with a stooped posture and called out, "Cayden, Nena, come and show me where Arion was."