Around them, the once-lush ground had been reduced to ash and charred earth. Luke's sleeves were scorched, several corners of his shirt had been burned away, and his left thigh had taken a nasty hit as well. Nothing serious, though. The Blessing would heal wounds far worse than these.
They had drifted far from the village during their battle, not out of any deliberate consideration, but simply because the frenzy of their clash had carried them wherever their feet happened to take them.
"Haah... that was fun." Luke muttered as he watched Ilya's flames gradually subside, not from exhaustion, but by her own choice.
It seemed she had decided to call it a day, much like him.
"I haven't had this much fun in a long time, truthfully."
He wasn't lying.
Under the moon, every hunt and every challenge had begun to feel almost trivial. Nothing seemed worthy of concern anymore. But fighting this crazy girl had reminded him of something he had nearly forgotten.
