Chapter 103: Mistaken

Chapter 103: Mistaken

Ariel’s head snapped toward her, molten gaze hardening.

I felt the intent rolling off her in that instant, sharp and lethal.

And in that moment, I knew exactly what she was about to do.

There was a heartbeat of stillness—a brief pause where the air hung heavy—before she lunged.

But I moved just as fast, reading her intent as clearly as if she’d shouted it aloud.

My hand shot out, fingers snagging one of her swirling tails. I yanked hard, dragging her back just before her claw could rake across Zarah’s chest.

She hissed, twisting sharply, and with a violent jerk sprang free of my grip. Blue fire sparked in her wake as she darted backward, light and fast.

I planted myself between her and Zarah, Gravefang in my hand, my glare sharp enough to cut stone.

"Chief!" Zarah’s voice trembled behind me. "What is going on?"

I glanced back at Zarah. Her [Mana Shield] shimmered faintly in front of her, pulsing with residual energy. She’d managed to trigger it thanks to [Danger Sense], the instinct that had screamed at her the moment Ariel struck.

But I’d seen it clearly—her reaction hadn’t been fast enough. The claw would have cut through before the shield fully formed.

If I hadn’t caught the fox when I did...

Zarah would be dead right now.

The weight of that realization sank deep, heavy and suffocating. My chest tightened. My pulse pounded in my ears.

She would have been dead.

My glare snapped back to Ariel, fury surging hot through my veins. My grip tightened around Gravefang, rage clawing at my insides.

She really would’ve killed Zarah.

Her tails swished lazily, as if she hadn’t just tried to murder someone under my protection. "Don’t hold me back, goblin. This is for—"

I didn’t let her finish.

In a single motion, I surged forward, my hand snapping up to her throat. Her molten eyes went wide with surprise a moment before I slammed her against the cave wall with enough force to crack stone.

The impact reverberated through the chamber, dust shaking loose from the ceiling.

She struggled, claws scratching faintly against my forearm, but I leaned in, squeezed harder, my jaw clenched. She had really been about to kill Zarah.

"Unhand me, goblin!" she choked, her voice strained as flames flickered at the corners of her mouth. She was about to let loose, to burn everything around us.

I grit my teeth, refusing to give her the chance.

In a blink, I used [Warp] and the world folded.

The cave vanished, replaced by the open forest just outside. Cool air rushed over me, the trees stretching high and dark around us.

But Ariel was fast.

The moment we appeared, she twisted violently, slipping from my grip and leaping away with the grace of a predator.

I didn’t hesitate. [Warp] carried me again, reality bending as I reappeared right beside her. My leg lashed out, a sharp kick slamming into her side with a satisfying thud.

She yelped, her small frame hurtling through the air before she crashed against the ground, tumbling hard.

But she wasn’t done.

She twisted mid-roll, catching herself with unnerving agility. Her tails snapped outward, and flames burst from her body—dozens of glowing wisps tearing into the air.

The wisps of flame fanned out around her, glowing like peacock feathers unfurling in the dark. They were mesmerizing for a heartbeat—beautiful, almost delicate—until I caught the edges.

Not soft. Not harmless.

Each plume shimmered with sharp intent, quills of pure fire that could tear through flesh and stone alike.

Danger wrapped in beauty.

Her molten eyes locked onto me, blazing with fury. "Filthy goblin. How dare you touch me?"

My lips curled into a cold smile. "How dare I?" I muttered, my voice low and dangerous as I stepped toward her. The ground beneath my feet seemed to tighten with every word.

"How dare I!?"

Her flames flared hotter, and she screamed back at me. "They’re only pawns! Worthless pieces compared to the dangers that truly exist out there. Why waste yourself protecting them?"

Her words echoed in the forest, sharp and bitter.

I narrowed my eyes. I didn’t know what wild thing she was talking about—what she had seen, what knowledge she thought she held—but it didn’t matter.

What mattered was simple—she had almost killed Zarah.

And that was something I could never forgive lightly.

"They are my family," I said, my voice steady, sharp with conviction. "Just like your mother would protect you, I’ll do the same for them."

Her face twisted, lips curling as if the words themselves left a sour taste in her mouth. She looked at me with open disgust, like I’d said something foolish.

Then, with a sharp exhale, she sighed. But the sound wasn’t one of defeat—it was disappointment, heavy and cutting.

"I had high hopes for you, goblin," she said, her tone colder than her flames. "I still do. Which is why, if you refuse to listen, I’ll just have to beat some sense into that empty skull of yours."

Her tails swayed, blue fire coiling around her like a storm waiting to break.

I didn’t respond.

The little fox was grossly mistaken about our dynamic.

She wasn’t the powerful one here.

I was.

Sure, she had her mother, a nine-tailed monster whose presence alone could crush me. But that wasn’t why Ariel stood there with such smug confidence burning in her molten eyes.

No—she truly believed she could defeat me on her own.

That belief was her mistake.

My hand tightened around Gravefang’s hilt, the blade humming faintly as if it could sense the rising tension.

I’d show her.

She needed to understand that I didn’t take the lives of my goblins lightly, not for a second. She needed to see that their worth wasn’t something she had the right to question or trample on.

And most importantly—she needed to know she had no authority over me, my clan, or the choices I made.

I kept...