The blinding light slowly faded.
Silence.
For several long seconds, nobody could hear anything except the faint sound of dust falling onto the broken earth.
The massive vortex...
...was gone.
The black clouds that had swallowed the sky moments earlier slowly dispersed, revealing blue skies for the first time since the battle began. Warm sunlight poured over the ruined Elarion Forest Village, illuminating the shattered houses, broken trees, and exhausted warriors scattered across the battlefield.
A gentle breeze passed through the village.
It no longer carried destruction.
It simply... blew.
Kairo slowly opened his eyes.
His entire body ached. Every muscle screamed in pain as he struggled to breathe.
"...Did..."
"...we stop it?"
Yura was the first to answer.
She looked upward and smiled weakly.
"...Yeah."
Kimimaru planted the Zweihander into the ground to keep himself standing.
"It's over."
Tyouro let out a long breath before collapsing onto his back.
"Hah... I seriously thought we were dead."
Shougo silently looked toward the center of the battlefield.
A deep crater stretched for hundreds of meters.
At its center...
Goro was still standing.
His clothes were torn apart.
Blood covered his body.
One arm hung limply at his side.
Even so...
He hadn't fallen.
Kairo slowly walked toward him.
The others followed behind.
No one raised a weapon.
No one spoke.
Goro quietly stared at the clear sky above him.
"...So..."
"...this is what peace looks like."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"I almost forgot."
He slowly lowered his head and looked at the heroes standing before him.
"You won."
There was no anger.
No hatred.
Only acceptance.
Yura frowned.
"You could've stopped all of this."
Goro chuckled softly.
"Maybe."
"...Or maybe I simply didn't know how."
His gaze wandered across the ruined village.
"I spent so much of my life alone..."
"...that destruction became easier than conversation."
A long silence followed.
Kairo finally stepped forward.
"You weren't born a monster."
"You became one because you believed no one would ever reach you."
Goro looked at him.
For the first time...
His empty eyes carried emotion.
"...Maybe."
He laughed quietly.
"You really are different."
His knees finally gave out.
He collapsed onto the ground.
The wind surrounding him disappeared completely.
No more storms.
No more overwhelming pressure.
Only silence.
Shougo walked toward him.
"...Your power is gone."
Goro nodded weakly.
"I know."
"...Guess my journey ends here."
He looked toward the endless blue sky one last time.
"I always thought..."
"...that if I became strong enough..."
"...the loneliness would disappear."
He smiled bitterly.
"It never did."
Another gentle breeze crossed the battlefield.
This time...
It felt warm.
Almost comforting.
Goro closed his eyes.
"...Funny."
"...The wind..."
"...finally feels peaceful."
His breathing became slower.
Then...
It stopped.
No explosion.
No dramatic farewell.
Only a quiet smile remained on his face.
The man who had commanded storms powerful enough to threaten an entire nation left the world beneath the calm breeze he had never been able to enjoy.
Nobody celebrated.
Nobody cheered.
The victory felt too heavy.
Yura lowered her head.
"...Rest."
Kimimaru silently closed his eyes in respect.
Tyouro sighed deeply.
"...What a lonely guy."
Kairo looked toward the endless horizon.
"I hope..."
"...wherever you are now..."
"...you're not alone anymore."
Shougo adjusted his gloves before turning toward his students.
"The battle is over."
"But our work isn't."
He looked across the destroyed village.
Survivors slowly emerged from the ruins, searching for their loved ones. Warriors began helping the wounded while villagers embraced one another with tears in their eyes.
Shougo spoke calmly.
"Help them."
Without hesitation, everyone nodded.
As Kairo walked away, one final breeze passed through the battlefield.
It carried away the last traces of dust...
And with it...
The legend of the man who ruled the wind.