The battlefield had gone quiet. Smoke drifted through the shattered forest, the remains of trees scorched and split by the intense battle. Ron and Lia, barely holding on, sat weakly on the ground. Their clothes were torn, blood smeared across their faces, and bruises painted their skin, but there was a victorious glint in their eyes.
Ron winced, placing a hand over his side. "Let's leave, Lia… We don't know who else might come. Better we move."
Lia gave a slow nod. "Yeah… We can take a healing potion once we reach Academy City."
They looked at each other and shared a faint smile. Even though their wounds throbbed, they could feel it — their bodies were still riding on the afterglow of that awakened state.
"Our life-threatening injuries… healed a bit in those heightened states," Ron muttered in disbelief.
"That power was… really awesome," he added with a grin.
Lia let out a tired laugh. "Yeah. Definitely."
But then—
