"I expected worse when it came to battles between Archon-ranked, but..."
A wry smile curled Mel's lips as she surveyed the gaping chasm splitting the forest's heart.
"Is the headquarters still intact?"
Where the trees grew densest, the grasses flourished lush and the lava veins rose the thickest, Mel and the others encountered a large, uneven hole that spread beyond their vision.
Roots erupted from the hollowed earth, the battlefield's remnants scarred in burnt soil and leaves.
A strange, large tree lay in the middle, its base fused with the lava veins and roots seeping from beneath.
No leaves were left intact among the dry branches, and the bark was marked ashen white.
"Well..." Lila blinked, spotting Samantha and a few Holy Knights at the site below them. "At least they seemed... fine?"
"Finer than most, at least."
Rosana's tease came from behind as they turned, their gazes glimmering with curiosity.
