"No," Garrick said firmly. "Enough. Let go of my hand now."
Ella hesitated, then slowly released his grip.
"If you continue to fight, strike, or throw another punch, not only will you disgrace yourself as an adventurer," Ella said, her tone cold and final, "but for breaking the rules given to all adventurers, your license will be stripped."
Garrick's eyes narrowed. He raised his fist slowly, letting it hover in the air for a tense moment, then glared at her with pure defiance.
Peter stepped forward, whispering, "Let's walk away."
"No… no… no!" Garrick muttered through gritted teeth. He turned sharply and strode off, his aura still simmering, though contained.
Peter followed silently.
The crowd, still reeling from what they had witnessed, slowly began to disperse. Whispers of awe and disbelief filled the air.
"Did you see that?"
"The Rookie Crusher… defeated?"
"By a rookie adventurer… unbelievable."
