In the published story, the scene had been written coldly: Ryū killing everyone inside without hesitation, then simply turning and walking away into the night, portrayed as a figure with no conscience, no remorse—a ruthless force of destruction.
But reality had been far different.
Ryū had not been happy about the outcome.
Far from it. As the flames roared and the building crumbled, a heavy sorrow weighed on him, his shoulders slumping slightly under the burden.
He wished desperately for another way—a way to neutralize the threat without claiming innocent lives caught in the sorcerer's web.
But the man's expertise with forbidden magic, his alliances, and the loop energy he sought had left no room for mercy.
Thousands more—perhaps entire nations—would have suffered if he had been allowed to continue.
Ryū had acted to prevent greater catastrophe, but the cost haunted him long afterward.
