Chapter 26 are you worthy of their sacrifice?

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Raphtalia was born in a humble demihuman village along the coast, not too far from the nation's border. Although life was not abundant, her parents were gentle and kind, and they lived harmoniously among the other villagers.

That tranquility shattered on the day when a horde of bone soldiers erupted from the disaster wave. Despite their overwhelming numbers, the individual soldiers were relatively weak, allowing nearby adventurers to fend them off initially without much trouble.

However, as more monstrous creatures joined the fray, the line of defense comprised of adventurers began to falter and retreat steadily. Ultimately, a monstrous three-headed dog appeared, its power incomprehensible. Even the strongest adventurers were rendered helpless before it, crushed like ants underfoot.

The village where Raphtalia resided could no longer withstand the onslaught. The villagers did everything they could to hide and survive. Sadly, her parents were trapped amidst the chaos. Though they managed to escape with Raphtalia, they were pushed to the edge of a cliff by the relentless monsters.

Realizing there was no escape, her parents turned to her with warm smiles, offering comfort as they faced their doom. Even in their final moments, they tried to reassure the panicked Raphtalia, knowing that they intended to sacrifice themselves to save her.

"No! Dad! Mom!" Raphtalia screamed, her voice breaking with despair.

In that agonizing moment, her parents urged her to jump off the cliff, pushing her into the sea below. As she fell, Raphtalia watched helplessly as the three-headed dog lunged toward her parents, their bodies torn apart before her eyes.

Miraculously, the currents of the sea carried her to safety on a nearby shore. When Raphtalia awoke, the wave of disaster had subsided. Refusing to believe the grim reality, she returned to the cliff, desperately searching for her parents.

But they were gone. All that remained were haunting bloodstains and fragments of flesh scattered across the ground.

Confronted with this brutal truth, Raphtalia was forced to accept that her parents were gone—shattering a part of her spirit in the process. She wept in agony, calling out to the sea until her voice grew hoarse, her tears mingling with the torrential rain that fell from the sky. Eventually, the bloodstains faded, but the poor little girl remained, kneeling with lost eyes, frozen in a painful emptiness, perhaps too overwhelmed to think of anything at all.

Later, Raphtalia fell victim to a slave-hunting operation and was captured. During her time as a slave, she endured cruel torment. Eventually, she was sold to a slave trader, where she finally crossed paths with Jason.

It was evident that Raphtalia suffered from a panic disorder linked to the trauma of losing her parents. The monstrous three-headed dog that had attacked her in her past bore a striking resemblance to the two-headed black dog now looming before her.

As she beheld the two-headed creature, buried memories surged forth, threatening to overwhelm her.

"No... don't... I don't want to!" Raphtalia exclaimed, her face pale as she shook her head. If Jason hadn't trained her the day before, she knew she would have crumbled under the pressure.

"What? Didn't you say you wanted to be a warrior strong enough to protect your parents? Just a puppy, and you shrink back? Your parents are gone, yet you lack the courage to avenge them? Do you think you're worthy of their sacrifice?"

Jason leaned closer, his voice steady but imbued with an enchanting intensity.

Raphtalia's breathing became rapid; her wide eyes gleamed with a renewed focus.

"Exactly! While you can't bring them back, you can grow stronger and seek vengeance!"

Jason continued to softly press her, knowing that to help Raphtalia overcome her panic disorder, he needed to tap into her hidden strength—even if it meant becoming the demon dragging her through hell.

"Ah~~~!"

Caught between courage and rage, Raphtalia lunged toward the two-headed black dog, dagger in hand. Despite the beast being over five times her size and completely dominant in terms of power level, she charged forward without a hint of hesitation.

The two-headed black dog, disturbed from its nap by a tiny intruder, sprang upright and let out an angry roar.

"Raphtalia, hatred can be a powerful motivator, but don't let it blind you! Stay aware of your surroundings!" Jason cautioned, his voice cutting through the rising tension.

With this reminder, Raphtalia regained a sliver of rationality, just in time to see the two-headed black dog barreling toward her.

Having undergone training, she instinctively took a step back. One head of the beast snapped at the ground right where she had been standing a moment before. Had Jason not warned her, she would have been caught directly in the creature's jaws. The sight of those two rows of gleaming teeth sent a jolt of terror through her.

However, instead of retreating further, Raphtalia steadied herself and advanced, plunging the dagger in her hand into the head of the two-headed black dog that had just attempted to bite her.

"It does seem like she has the potential to be a fighter," Jason thought with relief. "In this moment, she maintains her reflexes. Unfortunately, her strength is still far too lacking."

Indeed, while Raphtalia had managed to stab the creature, the wound was shallow, and because of the two-headed nature of the beast, her strike wasn't fatal. The result was swift and uncontestable.

The two-headed black dog roared in pain and fury, hurling Raphtalia away with a powerful swipe.

"Roar~~~!"

The agony only intensified the creature's brutality.

Raphtalia crashed to the ground but disregarded the jarring pain shooting through her body. Desperately, she scanned for her dagger and soon realized it was still lodged in the head of the two-headed black dog.

As the monster approached again, Raphtalia shut her eyes and allowed a flood of thoughts to wash over her.

"Sure enough, I'm still too weak. I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I can't avenge you. I'm sorry, Brother Jason. I promised I would grow stronger and protect you in the future... I'm so sorry…"

"Crack!"

Suddenly, she heard a breaking sound. Expecting the imminent pain of being bitten by the two-headed beast, Raphtalia slowly opened her eyes, shock registering on her face as she took in the scene before her.

"Brother Jason!" she gasped in disbelief.

Jason had positioned himself protectively in front of her. One head of the two-headed black dog had sunk its teeth into his arm while the other bit into his shoulder.

But what caught Raphtalia's attention was something unexpected—the two-headed black dog appeared to be crying.

"Tick!"

A tear, round and gleaming like a soybean, plopped onto the ground. The creature truly was weeping.

Raphtalia felt utterly confused. Why was the two-headed black dog crying when it had just bitten Jason?

Her mind raced, grappling with the absurdity of the moment. What was happening?

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