As Ken was walking away, his presence still heavy despite the shift in power, the battlefield remained silent, every step he took echoing with tension rather than relief, because even in retreat, he did not feel like a defeated man, only one who had chosen to withdraw for now. His army were now following cautiously behind him, none daring to speak, none daring to break formation, their movements restrained under the lingering pressure of the Empress's aura, which still hung over them like an unspoken warning.
Then a voice rang out again.
"Ken."
It was not Lucas this time.
It was the Ice Belle.
Her tone carried a sharp edge, cold and cutting, completely devoid of fear as she stepped slightly forward, her gaze fixed on his back as though she found even his retreat unsatisfactory.
"You lost today," she said plainly, her voice clear enough for both armies to hear, her words landing with deliberate weight. "So go by your own rules."
Ken stopped.
Slowly.
