Grand Return System

A Quiet Farewell

He sighed softly.

"Hey, Senior Brother..."

"It’s only been a few days since we last met."

"How did you end up like this..."

A cold breeze swept across the devastated battlefield, carrying with it the scent of blood and scorched earth.

The battle was over.

The cries of war had faded.

Only silence remained.

Although Celestis Academy had emerged victorious from this brutal conflict, victory carried a heavy price. Compared to the complete destruction of Sky Breaker Academy, their losses were few—but that did not make the pain any easier to bear.

The death of Shera weighed upon everyone’s heart like a mountain.

Around his body, the elders and students of Celestis Academy stood in solemn silence.

No one spoke.

No one celebrated.

The sorrow lingering in the air was heavier than the countless corpses scattered across the battlefield.

Shera had always appeared stern and unyielding.

He rarely praised anyone.

He rarely smiled.

Yet in the final moments of his life...

He had chosen to stand before everyone else.

He had given his life so that others might live.

That sacrifice could never be forgotten.

Selena slowly stepped beside Leon.

Her silver hair fluttered gently in the wind, and her usually calm blue eyes were rimmed with tears she struggled to hold back.

She gently tugged on Leon’s sleeve.

"Teacher..."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Can Guardian Elder Shera... still be saved?"

Her emotions were in turmoil.

Shera had died protecting them.

Though he had never admitted how much he cared, his actions had spoken louder than words.

Selena understood that.

So did Rias.

Both girls carried deep gratitude within their hearts.

Such a life-saving debt...

How could it ever be repaid?

Among cultivators, karma was no trivial matter.

If they allowed such kindness to remain unanswered, it could become a knot within their hearts, hindering their future path.

Leon did not answer immediately.

Instead, he slowly turned toward his two students.

His purple eyes quietly examined them from head to toe.

Aside from exhaustion...

Neither had suffered serious injuries.

Their Mana had simply been overdrawn during the battle.

Relief quietly surfaced in his heart.

Without saying a word, Leon stepped closer.

He gently placed one hand atop Selena’s silver hair.

With his other hand, he rested his palm lightly upon Rias’s crimson hair.

The two young women instinctively looked up at him.

Their eyes still carried lingering fear from the battle.

Leon smiled faintly.

"You’ve both done well."

His voice was calm and reassuring.

"I’m proud of you."

Those simple words were enough to make the tension they had been suppressing begin to crumble.

Selena’s eyes turned red.

Rias lowered her head, biting her lip to stop herself from crying.

Seeing their shaken expressions, Leon quietly opened his arms.

Neither girl hesitated.

Selena stepped forward first, followed closely by Rias.

The three embraced.

It was not the embrace of romance.

It was the embrace of a teacher protecting the students he regarded as family.

Leon gently patted Selena’s back before lightly stroking her silver hair.

Then he did the same for Rias, carefully smoothing her crimson hair with quiet reassurance.

At the same time...

He silently circulated his Mana.

A gentle current of warm spiritual power flowed from his body into theirs.

Unlike the overwhelming force used in battle, this Mana was soft and pure, like spring rain nourishing dry earth.

The exhausted Mana within Selena’s spiritual core slowly recovered.

The aching fatigue throughout her body gradually faded.

She blinked in surprise.

"Teacher..."

"My Mana..."

Leon smiled faintly.

"I merely helped restore what you had exhausted."

"You two fought well."

"You’ve earned a moment to rest."

Rias looked down at her hands.

She could clearly feel warmth spreading through every meridian.

The emptiness inside her spiritual core was rapidly disappearing.

Her complexion gradually regained its healthy color.

She looked at Leon with gratitude.

"Teacher..."

"Thank you."

Leon simply nodded.

"Remember."

"Power exists to protect."

"Not merely to defeat enemies."

Both young women silently nodded.

The fear in their hearts slowly subsided.

The warmth from Leon’s Mana did more than restore their strength.

It steadied their emotions.

It reminded them they were no longer alone.

After a quiet moment, the three separated.

Leon turned around once more, his gaze returning to Shera.

The heaviness in his heart remained unchanged.

Not far away, Maya slowly walked over.

When she saw Shan kneeling beside Shera’s body, clutching him tightly and refusing to let go, she could only let out a quiet sigh.

"Sigh..."

She understood his pain.

Every cultivator eventually had to face life and death.

No matter how talented...

No matter how powerful...

Parting was inevitable upon the endless road of cultivation.

But she also knew...

Shan could not allow himself to remain trapped in grief forever.

Walking beside him, Maya spoke gently.

"Fellow Nephew..."

"You have to stay strong."

"You can’t give up on yourself."

She looked quietly at Shera’s peaceful face before continuing,

"Your father was a great man."

"He fulfilled his duty to the very end."

A brief silence followed.

Then Maya rested a comforting hand on Shan’s shoulder.

"But from this day onward..."

"The heavy responsibility of Secret Sword Summit will fall upon you."

"You must not collapse."

Her voice was soft, yet every word carried undeniable weight.

Shan lowered his head. His fingers tightened around his father’s cold hand, refusing to let go.

Around them, the elders and students of Celestis Academy silently shook their heads.

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Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Grand Return System* into existence. If you’re loving the Chapters, I’d love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to share!

With love,

Scoturn777

Creator of Grand Return System

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