"These children."
Ellie changed from a Unicorn back into human form, tugging Shade's sleeve and hiding behind him. She was both frightened by what had just happened and saddened for these souls.
Shade watched those souls. "Mother" had devoured their flesh to nurture her own children, yet their souls had not been fully digested. Shade squeezed the hand Ellie was holding to comfort her, then raised his other hand amid a sigh:
"Gate of Death."
Shade sliced open a black rift, and the Red Butterflies that flew from the twin sisters' hands guided those vacant souls toward where they were meant to go. Wei Ge, still sobbing, also came to Shade's side, wanting to apologize but not knowing what to say.
Once all the victims' souls had departed, Shade threw out his Fire Seed Source to absorb that mass of Life Force tainted by the Whisper Element. Only then did Grace and Helen sheepishly tug at Shade's other sleeve:
"Sir, sorry, just now..."
"It's all right. This wasn't your fault. This relic was simply too specifically targeted. Wei Ge, don't burden yourself either. This isn't your fault. [Saint Alliance]."
"So the relic and the Infant-Holding Holy Mother both disappeared? I didn't understand what happened just now."
Wei Ge said through her sobs. Compared to the Red Butterfly Sisters, she had clearly been affected more severely.
Shade recalled the Burning Eyes floating in the air and looked again toward where that black rift had vanished. His expression was anything but relaxed:
"It seemed that relic had been trying to become something extraordinary just now, so it vanished. I'm not sure whether it was conceptually erased completely or merely banished for a long time, but the relic 'Mother' definitely won't appear here again. Never again.
"The Infant-Holding Holy Mother and the 'Abomination'