Abby clasped her hands together and bowed her head, quietly going into prayer.
O' Lord, I come before You once again in prayer... Keep the monster at bay, and keep my sanity intact. I have nothing else to ask for today, O' Lord. Please grant me kindness and forgiveness, and guide me along the righteous path... Amen.
Abby clasped her hands tightly together, lowering her head as she prayed, her teddy bear resting beside her.
Oh, Heavenly Lord... Please forgive my sins. Please lighten the burden of this trial upon my frail body, ease my soul, and guide me along the righteous path. Keep the monster within my lock at bay, and allow me to have many wonderful friends... people I can rely upon.
Oh, Lord, please accept my sacrifice. The gladiator I ate... I only did it for You, so that I might repent for my sins. Please, O' Lord, forgive me, keep my sanity intact, and do not let the monster within me take hold...
Amen.
Abby knelt quietly, clasping her hands together as she bowed her head. Her teddy bear rested beside her, while her expression remained solemn and remorseful.
O' Lord, O' Lord... I come before You once again, for I have sinned. I doubted the beast within my lock, seeing it only as punishment for my sins, when perhaps I should have understood it as a test of my faith instead...
Please allow me to repent for my sins, and repent I shall. I shall feast upon one of the gladiators, so that I may strengthen my bond with You, O' Lord. Please grant me salvation as I partake of a fellow man who has sinned...
O' Lord, please grant me Your blessing and Your love. Guide me along the righteous path, and allow me to bear the weight of my sins as I repent before You... Amen.
⟟ ⊑⍜⌿⟒ ⏁⍜ ⌇⟒⟒ ⊬⍜⎍ ⎐⟒⍀⊬ ⌇⍜⍜⋏, ⎍⋏☊⌰⟒~ ⊑⟒⊑⟒... ⟟'⋔ ⎅⟒⌰⟟☌⊑⏁⟒⎅ ⏁⊑⏃⏁ ⟟ ⎎⟟⋏⏃⌰⌰⊬ ☌⟒⏁ ⏁⍜ ⋔⟒⟒⏁ ⊬⍜⎍!
Abby held her head high, clutching her teddy bear tightly against herself. Despite trying to remain composed, her fingers trembled slightly as she closed her eyes and began to pray.
Dear Lord... Please save me and grant me salvation. Please keep the monster at bay... Please stop it from continuously gnawing away at my sanity, and allow it to remain contained... I can barely keep it at bay anymore...
She hugged her teddy bear a little tighter, her voice becoming quieter. These prayers are the only thing keeping it from corrupting my mind and taking hold... Please, O Lord... Keep the evil deity within my head locked away, and make my punishment for my sins easy upon me...
Please, Heavenly Father... Grant me salvation.
Amen.
Within Gladiator Island, Abby sat alone in her quarters. She gazed up toward the sky, clasping her hands together as she quietly bowed her head.
Oh Lord, I pray for good fortune, and that You keep the monster that gnaws at my mind at bay... Please, Heavenly Father, guide me along the righteous path, and lead me toward the future that is most beneficial for Your child, Lord... Amen.
Abby continued walking toward the Colosseum. It wasn't terribly far, but the distance was enough to leave her little legs feeling tired. With nothing but flat grass surrounding her, she hadn't expected to become hungry so quickly. Thankfully, she still had a few little marshmallows tucked into her pockets from before she had been transported to this strange world. She took them out one by one, nibbling on them as she walked.
As she drew closer, Abby noticed several people being led toward the Colosseum. The guards escorting them reminded her of the gladiators she had seen in stories, and a bridge was extended allowing them inside. She had been trying not to rely too much on her portals. After all, she wanted to explore this unfamiliar place properly and learn more about where she had ended up. But the Colosseum had caught her attention.
So, after a moment of hesitation, Abby quietly opened a portal and stepped through, appearing just before the bridge. She began walking forward, only to be stopped by a voice from the control tower.
Gustaf: Little girl! Don't come any closer! This isn't a place for little girls! Abby couldn't quite hear him from so far away. She tilted her head, looking toward the distant man with a puzzled expression.|
Gustaf: This isn't a place for little girls! Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. That was getting a little annoying. With a small sigh, Abby opened another portal and appeared directly beside the man.
Abby: Pardon me? Gustaf wasn't frightened, but he was certainly startled.
Despite his intimidating appearance, Abby didn't seem particularly bothered by him. She had unfortunately experienced things far more frightening than his appearance.
Gustaf: You can't be here. This isn't a place for little girls. Abby looked toward the Colosseum again, her curiosity returning almost immediately.
Abby: But I'm really curious about this place. It might help me learn more about where I am!
Gustaf: I'm sorry, kid, but you really can't be here. I'm going to have to escort you out. Abby's expression fell. She began to tear up, and before she could say anything else, she opened a portal and disappeared through it.
Unfortunately, she had no idea where she was going. When Abby opened her eyes again, she immediately saw something enormous. A giant creature was violently manhandling a person, leaving them horribly maimed.
Abby: W-What... what's happening? Where am I?! What is this place?! Her eyes widened in horror.
Abby: No... Please! Stop! Please stop doing that to him! Tears immediately began streaming down Abby's cheeks.
She cried openly as she pleaded for the creature to stop, while the citizens surrounding the arena stared at the strange little girl who had suddenly appeared.
There was a brief moment of confusion, then the cheering continued.
The people in the stands laughed and jeered at Abby, treating her appearance as another source of entertainment. Some even began calling for her to be thrown into the fight as well.
The Witchbeast turned its attention toward her, saliva dripping from its mouth as it approached, Abby looked up at it through tear filled eyes.
Abby: P-Please... p-please, STOP HURTING HIM! The Witchbeast suddenly charged.
Abby instinctively shut her eyes and covered her ears, trembling as she cried, then several portals opened around the creature.
Dark tendrils emerged from them. In an instant, the Witchbeast was torn apart, its body dragged through one portal after another before disappearing into some distant, incomprehensible place.
Abby slowly opened her eyes, still crying, she hurried over to the fallen gladiator. She knelt beside him, clasping her hands together as she lowered her head.
Abby: I'm sorry... Her voice trembled.
Abby: May God watch over you... Abby quietly prayed for the fallen gladiator, tears still slipping down her cheeks. But when she looked up, she found the entire arena erupting into cheers.
Abby: H-Huh...? She blinked in confusion.
The gladiators and citizens were cheering for her. The little girl who had just been crying moments ago just destroyed the enormous Witchbeast in mere seconds.
Abby stared around at them, completely bewildered.
Abby: Why is everyone cheering...? Her cheeks slowly turned pink as the chanting continued. From the control tower, Gustaf watched the scene carefully. He had seen enough.
The moment Abby had entered the arena, she had apparently been marked by the curse. Yet somehow, the curse had failed to properly take hold of her.
Under the Law of Iron and Blood, strength was the only currency that mattered. Gustaf had little sympathy for someone who ignored his orders and entered the arena anyway.
But this “little girl” was clearly not normal. Her strength was something the Emperor would need to know about.
Unfortunately, with the current invasion of the capital, Gustaf doubted Vincent Vollachia would have much time to spare. Even so, someone possessing strength like this could hardly be ignored.
Gustaf eventually sat down and took out a conversation mirror. He would tell the Emperor about the strange little girl.
Meanwhile, the gladiators continued chanting and cheering for Abby, she grew increasingly embarrassed, her cheeks becoming bright red.
Abby: St-Stop, everyone! You're making me blush... She fidgeted with her hands.
Abby: Y-You're welcome for saving your friend...
Of course, the gladiators weren't particularly concerned about the person she had saved. In Vollachia, strength was currency, and the fallen gladiator had simply been another piece of expendable fodder.
Their attention was now focused entirely on the strange little girl who had effortlessly become the strongest presence on Gladiator Island.
Abigail Williams.
The story of the little girl who could tear apart enormous Witchbeasts within seconds would soon spread throughout Gladiator Island. Jailer after jailer would tell the story, and eventually the rumors would reach nobles and notable visitors such as High Countess Selena Dracroy and Mid Count Jorah Pendleton.
Eventually, word would leak back to the mainland as well, a little girl, a terrifyingly powerful gladiator.
Someone who could destroy Witchbeasts in moments, yet cried easily and could become surprisingly spoiled whenever she was hungry or lonely.
The stronger fighters quickly learned not to challenge her. There was simply no point.
And as Abby's reputation grew, so did the amount of food she was given. The jailers no longer felt inclined to deny her meals, leaving Abby with access to food she could hardly have imagined in this new world.
For someone who had spent days with nothing but marshmallows, the sight of an actual meal made her eyes sparkle.
Abby: Thwis is shooo good!
Abby happily stuffed herself with burgers, meat, and anything else she could get her hands on, occasionally spraying crumbs across the table as she ate. It was the first real food she'd had in days.
For the moment, Abby allowed herself to simply enjoy it. Even if the way she devoured the feast was, in its own way, almost more terrifying than the Witchbeast she'd just torn apart.
Pure darkness stretched out before Abby, leaving her with no idea where she was. She looked around thoughtfully, though she wasn't particularly worried. Then, all at once, a flash of light filled the darkness, and what seemed like an infinite number of bright, floating spheres appeared before her.
Poof.
Water suddenly streamed down behind her. Abby turned around, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of a waterfall descending endlessly.
This is a really beautiful waterfall... She reached toward it, only to pause when she could feel an empty space within the thin curtain of water.
Oh? There’s something beyond here! Curious, Abby stepped forward, passing through the waterfall and into the endless void beyond it, now falling through the dark.
Oh, I see... There’s nothing here. That’s a little disappointing! She tilted her head before creating a small portal, using it to return to where she had been.
Well... I suppose I should explore instead! Abby began walking forward, paying little mind to her surroundings. After a while, however, she spotted the outline of a Colosseum in the distance.
Oh, I think I’ll start there!
