The air still trembled from the aftermath of the battle when Alex folded his wings and left.
The shattered battlefield behind him remained silent for several seconds, as though reality itself needed time to recover from what had just occurred. The ground was fractured in long jagged lines, entire ridges had been flattened, and the lingering shockwaves continued to ripple faintly through the terrain. Dust clouds drifted slowly through the air, illuminated by fading fragments of energy.
Then the murmurs began.
"He defeated Xylo."
"Rank ten… he defeated rank ten."
"No. That was not defeat. That was domination."
