Ning Rongrong gripped the short blade tightly, her knuckles whitening slightly with the force, and inched her way back before the Great Strength Gorilla.
The gorilla was still roaring, its cloudy eyes half closed. Its grievously wounded body had no strength left to lunge.
Ning Rongrong took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut, shutting out those gruesome sights.
Her small hand raised the short blade high, her wrist still trembling faintly.
Xue Na peeked out from behind Su Yu, watching Ning Rongrong's back as she murmured:
"You can do it, Sister Rongrong..."
Ning Rongrong drove her arm down, plunging the short blade into the back of the Great Strength Gorilla's neck.
The moment the blade sank into its neck, the Great Strength Gorilla let out one final whimper. Its enormous body twitched twice before going completely limp.
Ning Rongrong let go and staggered back a few steps. The knife's handle slipped from her palm, and it rolled across the ground a few times.
She kept her head lowered, her chest heaving. Splattered blood still stained her face, but she did not cry.
That strike had been less an act of killing than a battle against herself.
Only after confirming that the gorilla had stopped breathing completely did she slowly raise her head. A trace of timidity had faded from the gaze she turned toward Su Yu.
"Sister Rongrong did it!"
Xue Na ran out from behind Su Yu and carefully took hold of Ning Rongrong's clothes, her voice brimming with admiration.
Ning Rongrong pressed her lips together without speaking, merely reaching back to clasp Xue Na's hand.
The trembling in her fingertips had not entirely subsided, but her hands were already much steadier than before.
Su Yu walked over and crouched before the two of them, taking a