The driver kept the horses at full gallop for another five minutes before finally, gradually, allowing them to slow to a more sustainable pace. Only when they were well over a mile from the blast site did he bring them to a full stop.
Everyone sat in stunned silence for a long moment, breathing hard, processing what they'd just survived.
"Everyone alive?" Satou asked, doing a quick mental count of his companions.
A chorus of affirmatives came back, though several voices sounded shaky.
"Is it... is it really over?" Urgot asked, his young voice carrying disbelief. "Did we actually just kill Merc Assault? The legendary nightmare demon who's terrorized the realm for centuries?"
"We did," Kelvin confirmed, though his voice carried exhaustion that went bone-deep. "We actually did it."
"Lord Satou killed him," Grimnir corrected, pride evident despite his own weariness. "We just helped clear the path and dealt with his forces."
