Ethan stood there for a few seconds after the portal vanished, and the space slowly returned to silence. The heat in the air was still intense, and faint waves of distortion could still be seen rising from the ground, but the violent fluctuations had finally begun to settle.

He exhaled slowly and rolled his shoulders once, trying to ease the stiffness in his body.

His body felt heavy.

The exhaustion he had been holding back during the fight now started to surface. His muscles ached deeply, and his breathing was no longer steady. A dull pain spread through his limbs, and even standing still took effort.

"...Damn," he muttered under his breath.

He lowered his gaze and looked at the dragon crystal in his hand. It pulsed faintly with power, and the sealed dragon soul inside gave off a suppressed and restless presence, as if it was still struggling somewhere deep within.

For a moment, he just stared at it quietly.

Then he clenched his fist around it and stored it away carefully.

"No time to admire it now."

He lifted his head and looked toward the direction where he had thrown the group earlier. His eyes sharpened again, and without wasting another second, Ethan shot forward.

Swoosh!

His figure cut through the air, leaving behind a faint trail as he moved quickly across the scorched land. The ground below was completely unrecognizable. What used to be mountains and valleys had turned into a vast burned wasteland, with cracks glowing faintly from leftover heat.

Even after flying for a short distance, he could still feel the lingering heat rising from the ground, brushing against his face. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Soon, he spotted them.

Wales, Randall, and the others were gathered together on a rocky patch that had barely survived the destruction. The surrounding area was still smoking, and pieces of broken stone were scattered everywhere.

The moment Wales saw him, he rushed forward without hesitation.

"Dad!"

Ethan landed just as Wales reached him. He raised his hand and placed it firmly on Wales’ shoulder, steadying him.

"I’m fine," Ethan said, his voice calm but slightly tired.

Wales looked at him closely, his eyes filled with worry. His gaze moved across Ethan’s body, noticing the torn clothes and the faint burns.

"You’re injured..."

Ethan glanced down at his arm. The wounds had mostly healed, but traces of burns and cuts were still visible on his skin.

"It’s nothing," he said, brushing it off lightly.

Randall walked over, still looking shaken. His face was pale, and his steps were a bit unsteady.

"...Nothing?" he repeated, staring at Ethan as if he could not believe it.

"You just fought that thing for almost a day and nearly got everyone killed."

Ethan gave him a brief look, his expression unchanged.

"And you’re still alive, aren’t you?"

Randall opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. He paused, then let out a frustrated breath and looked away.

"...That’s not the point."

Ethan did not reply.

Instead, he slowly looked around at the group.

The knights were exhausted. Some of them were sitting on the ground, leaning back against rocks, while others held onto their weapons just to stay upright. Their faces were pale, and their bodies were still trembling slightly from what they had witnessed.

Even the small lava lizard was there, hiding behind a broken rock. It peeked out cautiously, its small eyes watching Ethan and the others carefully.

For a moment, no one spoke.

The silence felt heavy.

Then Wales broke it.

"...Is it over?" he asked quietly, his voice low.

Ethan looked at him and nodded once.

"It’s over."

A visible wave of relief passed through the group. Some lowered their heads, while others let out long breaths they had been holding in. One of the knights even dropped to his knees, unable to hold himself up anymore.

Randall ran a hand through his hair again, still trying to process everything.

"...I thought we were done for."

Ethan gave a faint and tired smile.

"Almost."

There was another brief pause.

Then Wales looked at him again, hesitation visible in his eyes.

"That woman... who was she?"

Ethan’s expression shifted slightly. His gaze turned distant for a moment as he recalled her presence.

"...Someone we don’t want to fight," he said after a short pause.

Randall frowned, crossing his arms slightly.

"It’s that bad?"

Ethan nodded.

"Worse."

That was enough.

No one asked anything further.

Ethan looked back at the destroyed land behind them. The scale of destruction was hard to process, even for him. The battlefield stretched far into the distance, completely ruined.

Then he turned back to the group.

"We can’t stay here," he said.

"This place will attract attention soon."

Randall sighed heavily.

"Of course it will."

He glanced around at the wasteland again and shook his head slightly.

"After all this... I’m surprised the world itself hasn’t come to check yet."

Ethan did not respond.

Instead, he looked at Wales.

"Can you still move?"

Wales straightened his posture slightly, even though he was clearly tired, and nodded.

"I can."

"Good."

Ethan then turned to the others, his voice firm despite the fatigue.

"We leave now."

No one argued.

They were too tired to question anything, and after what they had seen, they trusted his judgment.

Ethan took one last look at the battlefield, his eyes lingering for a moment.

Then he turned away and began to move, leading the group out of the scorched land.

.......

A month later...

"Ethan, you’re back!"

Seeing their husband return safely, Sophia and the others let out a deep sigh of relief, as if their support had finally returned.

Sophia stepped forward first, her eyes scanning him quickly to make sure he was fine.

"How is it?"

"Did you get it?" Amber asked, her voice filled with worry.

Ethan looked at them and smiled faintly.

"Take a guess..."

He teased them lightly, and after a moment, he began to explain what had happened. As he spoke, their expressions kept changing between shock and disbelief.

Before he could finish, Sophia suddenly reached out and pinched his waist hard.

"Ow...!"

"Oh... There was a beautiful woman... Your life is so good?" she said, her tone sharp but controlled.

"What, are you jealous?" Ethan asked.

"Jealous my ass," Sophia spat and then lightly slapped his head.

"I am asking why you didn’t just propose to her."

"But sister, that was just a clone," Diana added, making Sophia pause and cough awkwardly.

"So what... As long as it works, it can be brought!"

"BAHHH!" everyone chimed in together, shaking their heads.

Ethan could not help but smile faintly at their reactions.