At the moment of the explosion, Leia had seen it with her own eyes—Ethan's figure swallowed whole by the blast, no sign of him escaping.
The Crystal Core Bomb had packed more punch than she'd expected.
A few students, overwhelmed with relief, ran toward her, tears streaming down their faces.
"Instructor, I think we did it!"
"That Zombie King's gone! He's gone!"
"We can finally go home!"
"..."
Leia nodded, her expression softening. A wave of post-battle exhaustion and survival washed over her.
"Yeah… that was way too close."
But then her gaze shifted, and her voice dropped.
"Still… Damon's gone. He's not getting back up."
The group turned toward the body lying not far away—cold, still, and unmistakably lifeless.
Leia's eyes lingered on him, a deep sadness flickering in her gaze.
He'd been her most promising student. If he hadn't died here, he would've grown into a formidable warrior for humanity.
"What a waste…" she murmured.
"Yeah… it really is."
Then—
