Phainon immediately grabbed Sukuna by the clothes. His usually warm, peaceful blue eyes were filled with fury.
"What did you say?!"
"Don't you have even a shred of compassion?!"
Sukuna calmly met Phainon's gaze before spreading his hands.
"Compassion?"
"Why should I feel compassion for her?"
"Who here hasn't lost their parents? She's weak, crying, fragile—those noises are irritating!"
"Beating her up will not only make her quiet down, but also teach her some rules!"
"If you insist on a reason, it's that it makes me happy."
"Heh. What do you say, Phainon? Want to fight me?"
Sukuna revealed an excited smile, his reddish-brown eyes locked firmly on Phainon.
Mydeimos stepped forward at that moment, his lion-like eyes putting pressure on Sukuna.
"If you want a fight, I'll keep you company."
"But if I win, you apologize to Phainon and Xiao Qing!"
Though none of the three had Martial Souls, their auras still made the surrounding children tremble.
They retreated behind Huo Yuhao and Zuo Man'er.
Zuo Man'er sighed and gave Huo Yuhao a slight bow.
"My apologies, Boss. You've witnessed something embarrassing."
"Please wait a moment."
Zuo Man'er strode over to the three of them, gently pulling Phainon and Sukuna apart as she said,
"Sukuna, how many times have I told you?"
"Don't bully others!"
"If you keep this up, I'll throw you out of the orphanage!"
"Go apologize to Xiao Qing!"
Sukuna neither pulled a face at Zuo Man'er nor responded to her words. He simply turned and left.
Zuo Man'er felt utterly exhausted. She crouched down, placing a hand on Phainon's shoulder.
"Protecting the weak is the right thing to do, but next time, remember to use the right method."
Phainon flashed Zuo Man'er a brilliant smile.
"Got it, Dean Sister."
Then he gave Mydeimos a thumbs-up.