Soon after, Diablo himself appeared at the Shaffer family estate, a figure of utter defeat, sitting on the ground and weeping in humiliation. He had bear brought to tears.
Alivia didn’t seriously hurt him; at worst, he only suffered superficial wounds, but the repeated humiliation of being thrown to the ground was enough to make anyone want to cry–it was utterly shameful.
Tears still streamed down Diablo’s face; though he wasn’t wailing, he threw a tantrum reminiscent of Scarlett, rolling on the ground and pleading, “General Garbisch, you can’t do this! You just can’t!” His noble composure had crumbled entirely.
“Can’t I just apologize? Please, spare us!” As dusk settled, the teams already assured of their place in tomorrow’s battle enjoyed the unfolding spectacle.
Those bubble teams, unsure of making the cut, desperately scrambled for last–minute hunting, yet mutual destruction served no purpose. The Shaffer family remained indifferent to the outcome, and the Yates family stood to gain nothing from it. Dragging each other down achieved nothing.
Garbisch, his eyes showing concern, turned to Jessica. “Jessica, it’s getting late.” A sense of unease settled within Garbisch. Disqualifying themselves over a personal score would be a pointless waste of time.
on
her lips. “No rush,” she said calmly, dismounting and approaching
Jessica glanced skyward, her expression still unperturbed, a faint smile playing Scarlett with a mocking smirk. “So, Ms. Shaffer, care to enlighten us as to who brought down that boar this morning?”
“I–It was me…” Scarlett stammered, her voice trembling with fear and a lingering grievance. “It was me and L–Leanna… We did it together…”
“Have you lost your mind? You only hit its leg! Since when does a boar drop dead from a single arrow to the leg?” Diablo roared, leaping to his feet and glaring at Scarlett. “That kill wasn’t yours! What the hell were you thinking? Explain yourself!”
Suddenly grasping at hope, he pleaded with Jessica, “My sister was being immature, Ms. Yates; please rise above it.”
“I couldn’t care less,” Jessica scoffed. “But stealing Leanna’s kill and then insulting her while justifying it? That’s something I won’t tolerate.”
“Apologize right now!” Diablo snarled at Scarlett, his eyes blazing with murderous fury. “Do it now!”
With time dwindling to under two hours, Diablo felt a surge of anxiety. ‘Perhaps a final, desperate push is all I need? No more hesitation!‘ he thought frantically.
He hauled Scarlett to her feet and dragged her before Leanna’s horse, then, looking up at Leanna seated in the saddle, rasped, “It was my sister’s fault. I’m making her apologize.”
“And what exactly is she being blamed for?” Jessica asked coolly from behind them.
“I…” Diablo stammered.
Jessica scoffed dismissively. “Lord Diablo, this really doesn’t concern you. Why not let your sister speak for herself for once?”
Her relentless attitude was a stark contrast to the graceful and gentle demeanor she usually displayed; Diablo’s glare caused Scarlett to burst into tears once more, her face contorted with distress.
Jessica remounted her horse, sneered coldly at the two below, and mocked, “Well, it seems our noble Ms. Shaffer can’t handle even the smallest inconvenience. Too proud to admit when she’s wrong. Fine–let’s call it quits then.”
“Fine, let’s all go down together then!” Scarlett shapped, glaring at her, her teeth gritted. “If we don’t make it to tomorrow’s finals, do you honestly think you stand a chance?”
‘Fine, then! We’ll all sink together! Who’s afraid?‘ Scarlett thought resentfully.
1/1
