Alliance of Justice

As the clouds and mist dispersed and the night faded, a red sun gradually emerged from the distant mountains, gilding their edges and casting countless rays of light across the land.

The towering Sacred Tree had become battered and broken, covered in scars and gaps, yet it had regained its former holiness and purity. It resembled an angel grievously wounded and fallen into the mortal world.

"We... won."

Catherine looked around. The once beautiful and prosperous nation was now covered in ruins, littered with the remains of humans, dwarves, and elves. The Abyss monsters had been cleansed by the moonlight and vanished without a trace.

At the sight of those elven corpses, Catherine's initial joy was diluted by sorrow, and her heart grew heavier.

As a race blessed with long lifespans and extraordinary magical talent, elves had always been few in number. Serenia's entire population had numbered only a little over three hundred thousand.

After this battle, tens of thousands had been killed or wounded. Serenia's very foundations had been shaken, and it would likely struggle to recover anytime soon.

They had indeed won.

It was a terrible victory.

Although Catherine had long prepared herself mentally, she had still never expected such devastation. Tens of thousands of elves had died unjustly, along with many reinforcements from other regions who had perished far from home.

Yet Catherine soon looked toward the rising red sun, her expression firm once more. Her silver eyes shone brightly. "A new era has arrived. I will lead my people toward a glorious future."

Priests moved among the crowd, healing wounded fighters. Supporting one another, the people all turned their eyes toward the leaders at the center of the battlefield.

Catherine raised her staff high, and silver light spilled across the earth, healing the people's wounds.

She