Nanomancer Reborn - I've Become A Snow Girl?

"But even though I said that I'll deal with you lot after I kill these monsters, looking at you only pisses me off more and more. The fact that you actually wanted to eat the person who saved you is ridiculous." Kanae glared at them as she had completely ignored the monsters.

Staying silent, Shiro didn't say anything and just observed silently. She had made sure to reduce her aura and mana so that she seemed like a harmless spirit rather than a Demi God.

Hearing what Kanae had said, the man who took the lead in wanting to eat their benefactor stumbled back in fear.

Clicking her tongue, Kanae furrowed her brows before glancing at the injured woman being carried away.

"Eat this, you'll get healed." Kanae called out as she pulled a high quality health potion that some of the alchemists made in Asharia. Compared to the potions in the market, these were much better and the chances of having lasting effects was very low.

Throwing the potion over, she snapped her fingers as cages appeared around the monsters along with the would be cannibals.

"You two should look after her. You might want to cover your kid's eyes since this isn't something children should be seeing." Kanae said while glancing at the couple that stood up for their saviour.

Nodding their head, they quickly evacuated the area.

"Shiro-nee." Kanae called out as she walked towards the monsters in the cage. They were thrashing around in an attempt to break out but the cage was sturdy.

"Mn? What is it?" Shiro glanced up.

"Why are they like that? Even though that woman helped them and risked her life, they actually wanted to eat her!" Kanae asked as she gritted her teeth.

"They're desperate." Was all Shiro could say. They were desperate and they made a choice.

"So they gave up their humanity because they're desperate? It's sad." Kanae closed her eyes as she flickered forward.

Drawing her katana, she dispersed the cages and slashed horizontally at the monster acting as their leader.

Before it could even react, all of its legs were cut off as the body collapsed on the ground with no limbs to support its weight.

"It is sad. Even if the monsters didn't instigate it, it would have probably happened sooner or later. Once a crack is formed, those with weak wills won't be able to do anything as it grows. For the couple, their wills were strong so they could fight against this." Shiro replied while glancing at the could be cannibals. Some of them started to cry while begging to be spared, others were speechless and couldn't stop shivering from fear.

"But what you want to do to them is up to you."

"I don't want to forgive them. But…" Kanae bit her lip.

"I don't want to kill them either since they were forced by the monsters. They need to suffer for what they did but it was the monsters that forced them." She gritted her teeth.

"Shiro-nee I don't know what I should do. I'm angry but I pity them." Kanae said as she swung her katana out of frustration.

*BANG!!!!!!

Crushing the bones of the monster with ease, its skull was shattered from pure brute strength rather than technique. Seeing this, Shiro knew that Kanae was confused.

Patting her shoulder, While gave her a light hug.

"It's ok to be confused. That's part of growing up. Sometimes you need to be cruel and sometimes you need to be merciful." Shiro comforted but she didn't want to say anything about what Kanae should do to them.

If it was up to her, she would have definitely flayed them up while keeping them alive and given their souls to the Ancient Terror. She hated betrayal, especially when they were going to eat the person who risked her life to save them.

To survive in the new age, they needed to be cruel when it was required. Being kind to everyone would have its drawbacks. In a situation like this, even a saint would find it hard to forgive these people considering the fact that they would have consumed the flesh of that woman if Kanae didn't arrive in time.

Breathing heavily, Kanae's heart was pounding as she was in control of their lives. Before, she was just a bodyguard. At most, she'll kill those that tried to kill them but now she was the one acting as the judge. These people would have killed the woman if she hadn't stepped in but now that she has stepped in, they technically haven't done anything.

She had always acted in retaliation, never acting as the source of the conflict.

"If you are confused, it's ok for you to-"

"It's fine Shiro-nee." Kanae replied with a soft voice.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and reinforced her body.

Activating her Phantom Path, Kanae disappeared from her spot and killed all the monsters first. Their bodies were diced up into fine chunks as she directed all of her confusion and anger into her sword.

With just the survivors left, Kanae looked at them with cold eyes.

The survivors all held their breaths as their hearts pounded in nervousness.

"I wanted to help you. But I changed my mind. If I save people like you, it gives you the opportunity to probably hurt someone in the future. Once the option of doing anything in the name of survival, even abandoning your humanity, opens up for you, you will always think back to this choice. You've already stepped past the line of no return. I'm sorry." Kanae apologised as she looked down at her katana.

Hearing this, the survivors gritted their teeth.

"Who are you to judge us! We just wanted to-"

Before the man could finish his sentence, Kanae's katana flashed as she cut off his tongue.

"I can judge you because I still have humanity in me. I wouldn't think about eating the person who saved me even though the chances of survival are low." Kanae retorted as she closed her eyes and swung her blade.

Walking away from the scene, Kanae collapsed besides the tree as she curled up with her head against her knees.

Seeing this, Shiro returned her body back to normal as she hugged Kanae.

"It is wrong for me to kill them?" Kanae asked as she glanced up at Shiro.

"Do you want to hear my opinion of it, the 'moral opinion of it' or do you want to hear what other people would have probably done?" Shiro asked.

"Can I hear all three?"

"Of course you can. If it was me, I would have killed them. They abandoned the person that tried to help them, in my eyes, they were dead men walking. In terms of moral opinion, it would have probably been to spare them due to the conditions they were placed in. If it was a different scenario, they might not have done it. As for other people, they probably would have also killed them since you can't trust people like that in this new age. They could stab you in the back when you have your guard down. Different scenarios bring about different choices. They made their choice and you made yours. The world has already changed and we can't go back so they would have most likely gotten crueler over time." Shiro replied with her own thoughts as Kanae nodded her head.

Sensing that the family and the woman were coming back, Shiro shrunk herself back down and sat on Kanae's shoulder.

"Erm… Thank you very much for saving us!" The man bowed as Kanae looked to the side in surprise.

"If it wasn't for you, we would have died to their hands." He said as he clenched his fist.

"I was prepared to die when I stood up against them. Thank you for helping us, if it wasn't for you, I would have never been able to see my children ever again." The man thanked as his voice started to shake.

"Thank you so much." He thanked as his wife hugged him from behind and thanked Kanae as well.

Walking up to her, the children hugged her.

"Thank you for helping daddy."

Hearing all of this, Kanae smiled softly as her doubts were dispersed. It was better to save the people that make it count rather than risking the chance of being backstabbed.

"Shiro-nee, is this what you felt when you helped people?" Kanae asked as she understood how important Shiro was to the people of the city.

"Perhaps." Shiro chuckled.

"I made up my mind. I'll deal with those that deserve it and help those that are in need. In this new age, even tiny mistakes are magnified so people need to press on with a strong will. Even if they're weak willed, as long as they haven't given up on their conscience, I'll help them." Kanae smiled as she hugged the two kids gently.

"Mn, that's a good choice." Shiro nodded with a smile.

While helping a lot of people was going to be difficult for Kanae, Shiro believed that Kanae will press on.

Plus, it was reassuring to have someone like Kanae acting as the protector of the city.