The frozen training grounds had fallen completely silent.
Only the northern winds continued screaming through shattered stone and drifting snow beneath the silver moon overhead.
The battle was over.
Yet somehow—
The atmosphere felt heavier now than during the fight itself.
Meanwhile—
Kel stood motionless at the center of the destroyed arena.
Three blades remained embedded within his body.
One through his chest.
One near his shoulder.
One across his side.
Dark crimson blood slowly spread across his black training clothes while silver aura particles drifted away around him like fading stars.
And then—
The floating weapons surrounding him disappeared completely.
One by one.
Until nothing remained.
Meanwhile—
Across from him—
His cousin stood frozen.
Her breathing rough.
Her hands trembling violently.
Because the excitement from victory had vanished instantly the moment she saw the swords truly pierce him.
Reality struck her too late.
She had actually wounded Kel.
Deeply.
Meanwhile—
The wind-forged rapier floating beside her dissolved first.
Then the frost blade shattered into silver particles.
Both disappearing alongside the overwhelming battle pressure surrounding her.
And suddenly—
Without the orbit active—
She looked her actual age again.
Young.
Confused.
Frightened.
Meanwhile—
Kel's body swayed slightly afterward.
And the moment she noticed—
Her eyes widened.
"No—"
She rushed forward instantly.
Before Kel could collapse onto the shattered black stone—
She caught him.
Meanwhile—
Several nearby knights moved instinctively toward the arena.
But Duke Aktaris silently raised one hand.
Stopping them immediately.
Because strangely—
The Duke's crimson eyes remained calm.
Observing.
Watching.
Meanwhile—
His cousin tightly grabbed Kel before he could fall fully.
Warm blood stained her sleeves immediately.
And that warmth—
Terrified her more than anything.
Because until now—
Everything felt like growth.
Training.
Evolution.
But this warmth reminded her—
Kel was still flesh and blood.
Still human.
Meanwhile—
Snowflakes landed softly against his dark hair while crimson blood slowly dripped across shattered stone beneath them.
Then finally—
She spoke.
Her voice shaking slightly.
"Why…"
Kel slowly lifted his gaze toward her.
Meanwhile—
Her grip around him tightened unconsciously.
"Why didn't you stop the attack?"
Her crimson eyes trembled beneath moonlight now.
"You absolutely could have."
Another breath escaped shakily afterward.
"So why…"
The wind screamed louder around the battlefield.
"…why take all three attacks?"
Silence followed briefly.
Then finally—
Her voice broke slightly.
"Don't you value your life?"
Meanwhile—
Several family members watching from afar became quiet hearing those words.
Because honestly—
Everyone present wondered the same thing.
Kel could have avoided the final assault.
No—
He should have avoided it.
Yet he willingly accepted the strikes directly.
Meanwhile—
Kel quietly looked upward toward the northern moon.
And unexpectedly—
He laughed softly.
Not loudly.
Not mockingly.
Just quietly.
Almost gently.
Meanwhile—
Inside his mind—
Sairen sighed.
"You really upset her."
Kel ignored the spirit.
Instead—
He slowly looked back toward his cousin again.
Then calmly said:
"Didn't you say earlier…"
A small trail of blood escaped near his lips afterward.
"…that it was worth risking yourself to push your limits?"
The words struck her immediately.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Because yes—
She did say that.
But—
That was different.
Meanwhile—
A tear slowly formed near the corner of her eye afterward.
And quietly—
She answered.
"That was for me."
Her voice trembled now.
"I was ready to get hurt myself."
Another breath escaped shakily.
"I accepted those risks."
Meanwhile—
Her hands tightened slightly against his shoulders.
"But you…"
The tear finally rolled downward across her pale skin.
"…you didn't need to take those attacks."
The surrounding snowstorm seemed quieter afterward.
Meanwhile—
Kel silently watched her.
And strangely—
There was no regret within his eyes.
Only calm understanding.
Then quietly—
He spoke again.
"I wanted to show you something."
Her expression trembled slightly.
"What?"
Meanwhile—
Kel slowly exhaled.
Cold mist escaped into the frozen air afterward.
Then—
He answered softly.
"How you'll improve further."
Silence spread again.
"When you fight real enemies on actual battlefields…"
Another pause.
"How you'll kill."
The words themselves felt cold beneath the northern moon.
Yet Kel's tone remained strangely calm.
Meanwhile—
His cousin froze slightly hearing that.
Because suddenly—
The atmosphere changed again.
Not from power.
From reality.
Meanwhile—
Kel quietly continued.
"During battle…"
Snow drifted softly around them.
"…hesitation kills people."
His crimson eyes slowly shifted toward the shattered arena around them.
"You crossed your limit tonight because you stopped hesitating."
Meanwhile—
Inside her chest—
Something tightened painfully.
Because deep down—
She understood he was right.
The moment she truly evolved—
Was the moment she attacked with everything she had without fear holding her back.
Meanwhile—
Kel slowly looked back toward her afterward.
Then quietly asked:
"Didn't you feel it?"
The young woman's eyes widened slightly.
Kel's voice lowered further afterward.
"That excitement."
The northern winds screamed endlessly through drifting snow.
"The feeling when all three swords pierced your enemy perfectly."
Her breathing stopped briefly.
Because honestly—
Yes.
For a single moment—
When the strikes landed—
She felt exhilaration.
Pure overwhelming exhilaration.
Not cruelty.
Not sadism.
But the instinctive thrill of victory.
And realizing that now—
Made her feel disturbed.
Meanwhile—
Kel quietly smiled faintly.
"You felt it."
The words sounded almost certain.
Meanwhile—
Her hands trembled harder afterward.
Because she couldn't deny it.
And somehow—
That truth frightened her.
Meanwhile—
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly muttered:
"You really teach people through trauma."
Kel calmly answered internally.
"Battlefields are worse teachers."
Meanwhile—
His cousin suddenly shook her head slightly.
"No…"
Her voice weakened.
"I…"
But the words stopped.
Because she could not deny the truth.
For that single instant—
Piercing through Kel's defenses felt exhilarating.
Meanwhile—
Kel quietly leaned more weight against her afterward.
Blood continued staining the snow beneath them slowly.
Then calmly—
He spoke once more.
"That feeling…"
Another pause.
"…is dangerous."
The arena became silent again.
"But understanding it matters."
Meanwhile—
His cousin stared at him speechlessly.
And slowly—
She began understanding what Kel truly taught her tonight.
Not merely swordsmanship.
Not aura manipulation.
Not combat evolution.
But the mentality required to survive battlefields.
The terrifying emotional truth hidden behind killing itself.
Meanwhile—
Kel slowly closed his eyes briefly.
Then quietly added:
"If you fear that feeling completely…"
The snowstorm drifted softly around them.
"…you'll hesitate."
Another breath escaped softly.
"And if you become addicted to it…"
His crimson eyes reopened afterward.
"…you'll become a monster."
The words echoed heavily beneath the northern skies.
Meanwhile—
Tears continued falling silently from her eyes now.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just quietly.
Because tonight—
She crossed more than one threshold.
Meanwhile—
Several nearby Rosenfeld knights lowered their gazes silently.
Because even they understood now—
Kel wasn't merely teaching combat.
He was teaching survival.
The cruel emotional reality hidden behind every battlefield.
Meanwhile—
Far away near the arena entrance—
Duke Aktaris silently watched his eldest son.
And for the briefest moment—
The Slaughter Dragon understood something clearly.
Kel had already walked through battlefields before returning home.
Real ones.
Because only someone familiar with death could explain it so calmly.
Meanwhile—
Back at the center of the ruined arena—
His cousin continued dragging Kel slowly toward the waiting medics nearby.
Snow crunched beneath their feet softly.
And despite everything—
Kel still looked strangely calm beneath the frozen moonlight.
While beside him—
One young swordswoman quietly realized the true weight behind piercing another person's heart.