Luckily, he had met Xial early on. A person's transformation took time, but no matter how much someone changed, the nature buried deep in their bones would not change easily. Given enough time, though, perhaps they might become a completely different person.
Clearly, Xial was currently in the midst of that transformation.
Krillin wanted to see the lively, adorable Xial from before, not the Xial who carried responsibility and pretended to be strong every day. An elf-like girl such as Xial should not have had to bear such pressure alone.
"Why has your Spiritual Power suffered such severe damage?" Krillin could not help asking.
"Earlier, Shaviza spread news of Dusk Star. Although I knew it was very likely a trap set by Shaviza, I had no choice but to investigate. Even though I was extremely cautious, I still encountered Shaviza in battle." Xial's voice was crisp as she slowly explained to Krillin.
"Shaviza's strength exceeded my imagination. Several of his team members were also extremely strong. Not long into the battle, I was seriously injured. Fortunately, Shaviza seemed to lose focus for a moment during the fight, so I took the chance to use my spatial ability... Although it allowed me to escape, my Spiritual Power still suffered extremely severe damage."
Xial's voice carried a piercing clarity. Krillin seemed to see Xial that day, covered in wounds as she fought Shaviza, and his heart clenched painfully.
"Since you knew the news was false, why did you still go?" Krillin truly wanted an answer.
Resolve suddenly flashed through Xial's glasslike eyes. She said firmly, "I had to go!"
"You had to go just because you learned of it? Is that what responsibility means?" Krillin silently sighed to himself.
"Although I escaped, many combat squads responsible for covering me suffered devastating losses.