A Temporary Retreat
The battle continued for several more intense moments.
But then—
The commander suddenly stepped back.
He raised his hand slightly.
"Enough."
The remaining hunters immediately stopped fighting.
Leon frowned.
"What? You running already?"
The commander ignored him.
Instead, he looked directly at Kael.
"You have potential."
Kael didn't lower his guard.
"But you're still incomplete."
The commander turned away.
"We will meet again."
Kael took a step forward.
"I'm not letting you leave."
The commander paused briefly.
Then he smiled faintly.
"You don't have that power yet."
With a simple gesture, the hunters began retreating.
Within seconds, they disappeared into the tunnels.
Silence returned to the ruins.
Kael lowered his blade slowly.
Leon exhaled.
"…That guy was insane."
Seraphine stepped closer to Kael.
"He wasn't trying to kill you."
Kael looked toward the dark tunnel where the commander vanished.
"I know."
He clenched his fist slightly.
"He was testing me."
And now Kael understood something important.
The real war hadn't even begun yet.