The impact of the landing was heavy, but controlled, as if Strax's own colossal weight respected the ground he had just saved. His white wings slowly folded as his draconic form diminished, scales vanishing like dissolving mist, until his human figure reappeared amidst the scorched earth.
The heat still lingered in the air, slightly distorting the vision above the devastated ground, while the smell of ashes and dissipated demonic energy filled the silent forest. Not even insects dared to make a sound at that moment.
Strax ran his hand over his neck, as if he had just done something trivial, and let out a small, bored sigh as he observed the destruction ahead.
"There," he murmured, with a slight smile. "Problem solved."
Shura walked a few steps forward, his paws pressing into the still-warm earth, analyzing the scene with experienced eyes, like a predator assessing the result of a successful hunt.
