As time passed, the speed of Griseo's hands gradually slowed, and the painting neared its end.
However, just as she was about to add the final stroke, the little girl paused. After staring blankly for a moment, she finally added the last touch of color.
"Done..."
After finishing the painting, Griseo examined it carefully before setting down her palette and brush.
However, having only just emerged from her immersion in painting, the little girl had yet to notice the abnormal state of the person who had been watching her from behind.
After confirming that there was nothing wrong here, Griseo took the painting off the easel and hopped down from the little stool.
But just as the little girl turned around and prepared to walk over to Alyona and hand her the painting, she finally noticed that something was wrong with her companion.
"Hmm?"
Griseo stretched out her little hand and gently waved it before Alyona's eyes, but it was clearly useless... Alyona remained somewhat dazed, staring straight ahead as if she were looking at something.
"What's wrong? What is Alyona looking at?"
At that moment, Leos noticed Griseo's actions and realized something was amiss.
"I don't know... Maybe it's because she looked at my painting?"
Hearing that, Griseo raised her little head to look at the two members of the Yeti Squad, gently shook her head, and spoke uncertainly.
Although Griseo had not expected Alyona to be affected by the painting so quickly, she was not too worried at the moment... because she could sense that the painting in her hands was not particularly powerful.
The facts proved that as well. If the painting had been powerful, then the two members of the Yeti Squad who had watched Griseo paint alongside Alyona should have been affected instantly too.
And sometimes, a person's color—or rather, their power—could truly influence the effects of a painting.
If everyone here had been as powerful as Master Qian, Griseo would not have dared to paint carelessly. In that case, the paintings she created might bring about a great disaster if she was not careful.
Just like in Griseo's memories: she had once painted a picture for Kalpas, and that painting had caused a huge impact, even leading to an entire district being destroyed by internal strife.
However, Griseo felt that unless she painted one of the other people she transformed into, she normally should not be able to create a painting of that level.
Even if it still had an effect, it would not cause too much chaos.
"What kind of effect will Little Griseo's painting have? Why is Alyona just standing there in a daze? We're not going to end up like that too, are we?!"
Hearing the little girl's uncertain words, Lois grabbed her head and asked in some "terror."
"Probably not?"
At Lois's question, a trace of confusion flashed through Griseo's eyes. She tilted her head slightly and answered softly.
Seeing Griseo's adorable appearance, Leos smiled helplessly before teasing, "Little Griseo, I'd believe you if there were even a tiny bit of certainty in your words."
"Alyona is fine. She's only temporarily affected... She should recover soon."
As she spoke, Griseo placed the painting back on the easel and walked over to Alyona to wait.
"Ah..."
Before long, under the gazes of the three others, Alyona finally moved. She cried out in alarm and instinctively took a step back.
"It's okay. I'm here."
Noticing Alyona's reaction, Griseo had already been prepared. She took a step forward and gently embraced the girl, comforting her.
Although Griseo did not know what Alyona had seen, the painting had been drawn by her... If anything had gone wrong, she would take responsibility for it.
"Little Griseo, behind you!"
"Holy shit, the painting... the painting came alive!"
Just as Griseo was comforting her companion, the two members of the Yeti Squad sitting nearby suddenly sprang to their feet, shouting their warnings in alarm.
"Hmm?"
Hearing their warning, the little girl hurriedly turned around. What greeted her eyes were brilliant colors constantly pouring out of the painting...
Then, those dazzling colors fell to the ground and merged together, manifesting into a huge, fat, gray monster with a ferocious face.
"Holy shit!"
"What the hell is that?!"
The moment the monster manifested, it frightened everyone except Griseo. Even the two members of the Yeti Squad cursed aloud, and Alyona, who was still being held, instinctively stepped back as well.
"..."
Yet from beginning to end, Griseo merely watched the monster before her expressionlessly and calmly, without any fear.
Of course, she had other emotions, such as confusion.
At that moment, confusion was practically overflowing from the little girl's large violet eyes.
She could not understand at all why this painting, which did not appear very powerful, had suddenly manifested a monster.
And even if it had reached the necessary level of power and could manifest something, then by all logic, it should have appeared the moment Griseo finished the painting.
Just then, Alyona, who had been held in Griseo's arms the entire time, spoke softly and somewhat tremulously by her ear. "Griseo... can you make it disappear?"
"Okay."
Noticing the tremor in Alyona's voice, Griseo quickly took out her brush and lightly pointed it toward the painting.
In the next instant, both the colors scattered across the ground and the terrifying gray monster were swept back into the painting... becoming part of the image.
"It's okay now."
P.S.: I had something to do this afternoon, so this chapter was updated pretty late. There'll still be another update tonight. I'll do my best to write it. Hurry up and urge me on—I'm working overtime tonight.
I nearly froze to death today. I ran back through the rain without an umbrella.
Interrogation
"It's okay now."
After sending the monster that had just manifested back into the painting, Griseo softly comforted Alyona behind her.
Then she did not forget to apologize. "Sorry... I didn't expect something like this to happen."
"It's fine... I'm fine. Sorry, let me hug you for a while."
After hearing Griseo's words, Alyona responded softly, then wrapped her arms around the little girl in front of her.
"...?"
Although Griseo did not quite understand why Alyona was apologizing, she still opened her arms and let Alyona hold her.
Then, the little girl felt Alyona's body trembling. Although her expression remained unchanged, a trace of panic flashed through her eyes.
This was the first time Griseo's painting had frightened someone... For a moment, she was at a loss and did not know what to do.
"...Don't be afraid. I'm here."
In the end, Griseo raised one hand and gently patted Alyona's fluffy little head, continuing to comfort her softly.
"I think we should give them some space."
"I think so too."
Seeing this scene, the two members of the Yeti Squad exchanged glances and muttered quietly.
After coming to an agreement, the two quickly headed toward the warehouse entrance, leaving the space to the two little ones.
"???)?"
Watching the two members of the Yeti Squad suddenly leave, Griseo's eyes gained another hint of confusion amid her panic.
"I'm really fine. Griseo, don't treat me like a child."
After calming down for a while, Alyona felt the touch atop her head and shook her head, flinging Griseo's little hand away.
"Really?"
Griseo did not mind that her hand had been shaken off. She only looked at Alyona and asked softly.
"Mm. I've never been fragile. I just saw something that happened before... Is this the ability of your paintings, Griseo? It's really amazing."
As she spoke, Alyona curled her lips into a smile, trying to reassure Griseo.
Hearing that, the little girl roughly guessed what had happened. She turned and walked toward the easel, intending to dispose of the painting that its owner did not like.
"Are you planning to destroy it, Griseo?"
Seeing Griseo take the painting from the easel and prepare to tear it apart, Alyona asked.
Hearing Alyona's words, Griseo's little hand holding the painting paused. Then she gently nodded. "Mm, because Alyona doesn't like it."
Although this painting had already reached the point where it could manifest things, if Alyona did not like it, Griseo did not mind destroying it outright.
After all, she did not lack a monster like this to serve as a guard...
As for Alyona, Griseo would naturally paint her another one. Mm... one that was not ugly.
After hearing the little girl's words, Alyona's light green eyes flickered slightly. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Keep it, Griseo. I'm not afraid."
"..."
Although Griseo did not speak, the words You're lying were plainly written in her violet eyes as she looked at Alyona.
"I mean it!"
Realizing what Griseo meant, Alyona suddenly retorted, her hackles rising.
But after continuing to stare at the little girl for a long while, Alyona finally gave in. In her hoarse voice, she quietly explained, "But even if I'm afraid, I still need to overcome it. To me, that is already in the past. That person is already dead too... so it's okay."
"...All right."
Only after seeing Alyona's increasingly resolute gaze did Griseo temporarily spare the painting in her hands and hand it over.
Since her companion had the confidence to overcome this fear, the little girl had nothing more to say. It could barely be considered a good thing.
Besides, in Griseo's memories, there really had been someone who overcame their fear and peacefully coexisted with it.
"Mm, thank you. This is the first gift I've received in such a long time. I'll cherish it."
After accepting the painting held out before her, Alyona's light green eyes flickered as she gave Griseo a radiant smile.
Since yesterday, Alyona had sighed more than once over how lucky she was. She had met an angel... and everything in the future would be completely different from before.
At that moment, in the woods outside the mining site—
"Hmm?"
Sakura, who was resting and keeping watch in a tree, seemed to sense something. She abruptly raised her head and looked into the distance.
She sensed quite a disturbance. Even though someone was deliberately suppressing it, the sounds were still extremely loud to her...
"..."
Then Sakura softened her breathing, lowered her body, and silently hid herself in the tree, quietly watching below.
"Creak—creak—"
Before you continue