Edward raised his hand slowly, and the soul flag manifested within his grip as if it had always been there. The spectral knight, still standing tall before him, did not resist. Blue shadows wrapped around its form as it dissolved into streams of indigo light, each strand flowing back into the flag. In a single breath, the soul was absorbed completely, sealed once more under layers of refined restrictions. The flag trembled once, then vanished, sinking into Edward's control as if it had never existed.
The battlefield fell into an unnatural quiet.
The broken ground still smoked. Cracked stone and scorched earth stretched outward in every direction, marked by the aftermath of powers far beyond mortal reach. The bodies of the fallen had long gone cold, and the oppressive presence of the Duke was gone entirely, leaving behind a silence that felt heavier than noise.
At a distance, Valerius slowly began to walk forward.
