As dusk settled over Kurogane Pass, the fighting died down.
Both sides were bloodied, exhausted, and drained of mana. The corpses on the field and the toll on their remaining strength made it clear that pressing into the night would only lead to senseless slaughter.
Slowly, almost cautiously, the front lines on both sides had begun to withdraw. The Tsuitsui forces stepped back towards their encampment, dragging their wounded with them. The Tiesha Tang soldiers retreated behind their Wall, tending to their injured and restoring their defenses.
There was no truce, no recognition. Only the shared understanding that the darkness belonged to rest, recovery, and preparation. When dawn came, battle would resume. No one doubted that.
Adam walked through the camp in silence. Everywhere he sensed, Herbalists worked in tight circles, binding wounds, pouring potions, and stitching flesh under the dim lantern light.
