The aftermath was quiet.
Too quiet.
The crackling flames that had consumed the fallen bandits sputtered and died, leaving behind scorched earth, broken armor, and the unmistakable smell of finality. Smoke drifted lazily into the trees as the last echoes of violence faded from the clearing.
The Vixens regrouped near the caravan, adrenaline still humming through their veins.
Zee exhaled slowly, looking down at herself and then at the destruction behind them.
"I can't believe we just took down two dozen bandits," she said, incredulous.
She glanced at Bunny and Nyxian.
"…in basically our underwear."
That was when Jax actually looked.
Really looked.
Loose shirts. Thin fabric clinging far more than it should. Bare legs. No armor plates. No boots. No support garments whatsoever. The adrenaline hadn't just sharpened their reflexes—it had made their excitement very, very visible.
Jax looked away quickly.
A thought crossed his mind, dark and unrepentant.
Serves them right for looking at what was never theirs.
He cleared his throat. "Alright. Help me with cleanup. I need anything of value, identification, insignias—whatever they were carrying."
The Vixens nodded and moved without complaint.
Jax discovered something interesting quickly.
Once death was confirmed, the System allowed direct access to storage held by the fallen. Gold spilled freely. Equipment followed. Most of it looked intimidating but proved useless—poor enchantments, cracked cores, weapons built more for fear than function.
Still, some pieces were worth salvaging.
A handful of serviceable blades. A few reinforced bows. Armor that could be reforged.
"Keep it together," Jax instructed calmly. "We're not robbers—but we will put this to good use."
With that done, he waved them toward the carriage.
"Go shower if you want. I'll handle the rest."
They didn't argue.
Jax worked alone.
He gathered all nineteen bodies, stacking them carefully—not reverently, but deliberately. The leader's remains went on top of the mound.
From System Storage, Jax produced a wooden placard and a metal spike.
He carved the words cleanly.
BANDITS / MURDERERS / RAPISTS
Then he drove the spike straight through the headless corpse at the top of the pile, anchoring the sign in place.
A message.
Not for the dead.
For anyone else who thought to try.
He turned next to the bridge.
The damage from Bunny's Seismic Slam was evident—fractured stone, destabilized supports. The System chimed as he approached.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN ENGINEER SKILL: REPAIR / RESTORE?
Jax didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
Knowledge snapped into place.
He placed a hand on the stone.
Mana flowed—not violently, not forcefully—but with certainty. Cracks sealed. Supports realigned. The bridge rebuilt itself, stronger than before, as if the land itself acknowledged the correction.
Satisfied, Jax returned to the caravan.
He paused to rest a hand on each Draft Behemoth's massive neck, offering reassurance. The creatures rumbled softly in response.
Then he stepped through the dimensional threshold as the carriage rolled onward.
Inside, the Vixens were still riding the high.
None of them had showered.
None of them looked particularly concerned about that.
"Your shields were perfect, Zee."
"That fire tornado was insane, Aurabelle."
"The looks on their faces, Nyxian… poetic."
Bunny grinned. "Wait—Llandra. If Jax's tongue is your second favorite body part… what's the first?"
Laughter exploded.
Jax walked into the living space and stopped.
Every eye turned to him.
And in that instant, he realized something had shifted.
The battlefield had ended.
Now he was prey.
"Our fearless leader," Nyxian purred. "Taking down the commander with his bare hands."
Bunny smirked. "Technically, I killed more."
Zee teased. "I think we all did."
"You wanted us to attack them," Llandra added, eyes sharp.
Jax raised a finger. "Correction. I wanted them to attack you."
The room quieted.
"But," he continued evenly, "I knew you'd handle it."
That… stunned them.
Three weeks ago, they would have died here.
Three weeks ago, this road would have ended in blood.
Not the kind that led to victory.
The kind that marked the end.
They all knew it.
The realization settled over the room, sobering the laughter without extinguishing it. Zee looked down at her hands. Bunny's grin softened. Even Nyxian, still practically vibrating with excess energy, went quiet.
"You pushed us," Bunny said finally. Not accusing. Curious. "Harder than anyone ever has."
Jax nodded once. "Because I believed in you."
"That's not an answer," Zee said gently.
Jax met their eyes, one by one.
"Because I saw them," he said. "And I know you."
He gestured vaguely toward the direction they'd come from. "Men like that? They're loud. Cruel. Dangerous only when no one stands up to them. They rely on fear, not strength."
Then he looked back at the Vixens.
"You don't."
They listened. Fully.
"You were always capable of this," he continued. "Even before the iPoints. Even before the gear. You just didn't have anyone who treated you like it was inevitable instead of impossible."
Silence stretched.
Llandra felt it most sharply.
All her life, she'd been careful. Strategic. Measured. Strength wrapped in restraint. And yet—today—she hadn't hesitated. Not for a heartbeat.
"You trusted us," she said quietly.
"Yes."
"With our lives."
"Yes."
"With yours," Nyxian added, watching him closely.
Jax didn't flinch. "Especially with mine."
That did it.
Something broke loose.
Not fear.
Not doubt.
Something warmer.
Something permanent.
Nyxian stood abruptly, knocking her chair back. "Well," she declared brightly, "spoils of war."
She pointed at Jax. "You killed the least."
"That's a fact," Bunny said, standing too.
"Which means," Nyxian continued, grinning wickedly, "you owe us."
Zee tilted her head. "Owe us what, exactly?"
Nyxian's smile widened. "Llandra's second favorite body part. Right now. In that room."
Bunny perked up. "I agree to that!"
"Yes," Nyxian said immediately.
"Yes," Zee echoed, cheeks warm.
Llandra didn't look away from Jax. "You did say celebration was in order."
Jax exhaled slowly.
The fight had been brutal.
The victory absolute.
And now—
"Well," he said, surrendering to the inevitable, "I suppose that's fair."
The Vixens didn't waste another second.
The carriage rolled on.
The land they traveled through was safe again—for a while.
Justice had been delivered.
Fear had been answered.
And ahead, beyond Crystalshire, beyond the road and the cave and the battles still waiting—
Their true mission awaited.
But for now?
It was time to celebrate.