"Brother!"
Ruby's voice rang through the field as she sprinted forward, excitement clear—until she saw the aftermath.
She skidded to a stop, her breath hitching as her eyes widened in horror.
The ground was littered with bodies, blood soaking into the soil like dark ink staining parchment. Some corpses still twitched, their lifeless eyes staring at nothing.
The heavy scent of iron filled the air, thick and suffocating, mingling with the lingering energy of battle.
Her stomach twisted. She took a shaky step back, nearly tripping over her own feet.
"W-What… what happened here?" Her voice barely rose above a whisper, cracking under the weight of disbelief.
Ace stood before her, unshaken. Behind him, Liu Mei and Shan Yifeng remained eerily calm, their expressions unreadable, as if this carnage was nothing more than another daily routine.
Even their spirit beasts, so terrifying in battle, now stood silently, unfazed.
