The sheer brutality of the restraints—the coiling chains, the jagged iron collar, and the way her body was suspended like a piece of meat—hit him with the force of a physical blow.
It was a visceral, suffocating display of the guild's ruthlessness that felt out of place in his mind, which was still trying to reconcile the life of a student with that of a high-ranking magus.
'She's just a normal human now…' Noah thought, his heart thudding against his ribs. 'There's no need to chain her like that…'
Her mana channels were shattered, and the shadow affinity that had once fueled her terrifying abilities had been extinguished.
Seeing a powerless woman bound in such strong chains threat felt like an overkill that bordered on the grotesque.
He had never seen such a sight before, so it honestly weirded him out.
The smell of cold iron and the sight of the chains biting into her bruised skin made his stomach churn with a sudden, sharp discomfort.
