Maria observes the yomigaeri with a calculating stare and a wry smile, her body tough and prepared for the impending confrontation.
The yomigaeri speaks again, its posture still, its voice a rasping whisper, its words bearing a weight that seeps into their bones.
"Your pathetic display of strength and valor has led you to this moment, where your fate lies in the balance. The only question that remains is whether you will face your end with dignity or fall to your knees like sniveling whelps."
At the yomigaeri's feet, the quivering, defeated form of its predecessor struggles to articulate its fear and submission, its words stumbling over each other in a fractured plea for mercy.
"I am s-sorry," it stammers, its trembling limbs unable to rise, its gaze pinned to the ground, its very posture a testament to its humility and shame. "P-please, give me another chance. I w-won't fail you again."
