The battlefield was finally still.
The last of the corrupted beasts had crumbled into dust, their monstrous roars silenced by unity and power. The final villains—those not fast enough to escape with Lilith and Veyron—were defeated, restrained by the remaining Wielders.
Kael stood amidst the wreckage, breath steady but eyes alert, scanning for any lingering threats. All around him, the wounded were being helped. The flames were out. The chaos... had passed.
For now.
Tetsu flopped down beside a broken pillar, panting. "That's it, right? No more beasts, no more twisted Wielders, no more surprise attacks?"
Hana wiped blood from her cheek, her eyes on Kael. "We won. But… what now, Kael?"
Eri stepped forward, her spear dragging slightly behind her. "Yeah. You're the one they were after. You were the one who turned the tide. So what are you gonna do next?"
Kael turned slowly to face them.
Before he could say anything, Ryuu smirked and folded his arms.
"We all know what he's gonna do."He glanced at Kael. "Train."
Kael cracked a small smile, nodding. "Yeah. But not just train."He looked at each of them. "I'm going back to the Academy. And this time, I'm training with you guys."
There was a pause.
Then Hana smiled—soft, genuine. "Together again, huh?"
Tetsu raised a hand. "You mean like group hell-training? I'm down!"
Eri rolled her eyes but grinned. "Figures. You almost die and your first thought is training."
Ryuu nodded, the fire in his eyes matching Kael's. "We're not strong enough yet. Not for what's coming."
Kael looked to the horizon, wind brushing through his hair. "Then let's become strong enough."
As the sun began to rise over the ruins of the battlefield, their shadows stretched long across the land—a symbol of hope reborn.