Before long, something floated to the surface.
A long, charcoal-black body slowly rose from the depths, carried upward by the current. It drifted limply across the water, spinning slightly before coming to a stop.
It was one of the Gloomeater Salamanders.
Its lifeless eyes stared blankly toward the sky. The glowing azure veins beneath its skin had already begun to dim, their radiance fading with every passing second.
A second later, another corpse surfaced several meters away.
Then another.
Now, three Gloomeater Salamanders floated motionlessly upon the river, much like dead fish washed to the surface after a violent storm.
"…"
Silence fell over the squad.
No one spoke for several seconds.
The blond-haired boy slowly lowered his weapon, his eyes fixed upon the drifting corpses.
"…They're dead?"
Disbelief filled his voice.
"The hell?"
No one answered him.
