Shizu hesitated, but only for a fraction of a second.
Seven people with different elemental affinities were brought here. They were together with the two members of the Astor and Jin families, brought along as unofficial sacrificial pawns. In the middle of a catastrophic crisis, they were nothing but dead weight.
Ren wouldn't want to leave defenseless people behind, even technical enemies, but the brutal reality of the ruins left no room for morality. The families would still benefit as agreed, but the priceless artifacts and mana crystals stowed inside Shizu's Wolverine were for Lin much more valuable than seven bodies that would anchor down a desperate spatial jump.
If Shizu's Wolverine was destroyed before they escaped, the beast would simply regenerate from her core with time. She wouldn't lose the beast, but the loot inside would be gone, falling right into Selthia's hands. Giving that monster more ammunition of any kind was a fatal mistake.
