The ground was littered with smoldering claw marks, shattered trees, and deep craters. At least seven of the fifteen beasts now lay slain—some burned, some frozen, some torn apart by sheer raw force.
Kael stood in the center of the destruction, barely able to keep his balance.
His hands were bruised. His knuckles raw. His cloak, once a pristine black with white stripes, was now ripped and scorched, stained with blood and dust.
His breathing had slowed, but his heartbeat pounded like war drums in his ears.
He looked at the remaining beasts still lurking in the shadows beyond the clearing. They didn't attack—they were waiting, studying.
Or perhaps… respecting.
Kael dropped to his knees and laid his back against a broken pillar of ancient stone.
"For once… I'll rest," he muttered, voice hoarse. "Just for a bit."
He glanced at the glowing green vial, now safely tucked inside a pouch beneath his robe. It pulsed gently—reminding him why he was still fighting.
Tetsu… Hana… hang on a little longer.
His eyes slowly closed.
For the first time since entering this nightmare realm, Kael let his body relax. Every joint ached. His muscles screamed. But sleep came quickly—heavy and silent.
A peaceful quiet took over the battlefield.
The beasts watched from the shadows.
They did not attack.
Not yet.
Because even they could sense it—the storm that slept beneath that battered body was not gone.
It was only waiting.
And when it awakened again, the storm would be worse than before.