While the in game journal isn't as elaborate, it does refer clearly "to other hostile PCs in that battle"
Situation A:
Group 1 & Group 2 are in a heated standoff, first blows are struck, first persons die.
Your character was standing with Group 1, witnessing, cheering, but doesn't actually fight, you are still part of Group 1. 24 Rule applies with regards to anyone in Group 2. You may continue to RP with Group 1, since they were "on your side (or you on theirs)".
Situation B:
Your character witnesses PvP between two Groups by accidentally stumbling upon them. As swiftly as your character arrives, they leave again, interacting with neither side. You are NOT under the 24 Hour Rule and may roleplay with either of the involved folks. As soon as you start interacting / engaging in some form, or start taking actual sides, Situation A applies.
Situation C:
You travel with a Group who encounters another Group. In a terse, maybe awkward shuffle it is determined, that the groups had PvP going on PRIOR to your joining. The Groups are under the 24 hour rule. Since your character was not involved in that prior PvP, you may roleplay with either group. However, consider it very poor taste by your character being used as go-between for a "he said to tell you / she said to tell you" between both characters and thus enable interaction by proxy.
Situation D:
Your character is mediating between a two groups - or tries to. He fails, it comes to blows. If your mediating character gets neither killed, nor do they take part in the fighting, you may continue to roleplay with either side. However If the mediator does get killed, OR kills someone ... OR very obviously is taking sides: see Situaton A.
Situation E:
Two groups are in a heated standoff, trading harsh words, even a few harmful spells toward one another, but the conflict ends up with NO DEATHS. No one is killed. 24-Hour Rule does NOT apply.
Situation F:
Group 1 & Group 2 fight. Several of Group 2, and some of Group 1 die. Folks of Group 2 split off and try and find their hail in escape. The survivors of Group 1 goes in hot pursuit.
Group 2 manages to hole up somewhere, and Group 1 takes some minutes before they find them again ... If your search lasted only that short: Sure yeah, still part of the same PvP"... - the scene isn't really over until they stop searching. However: if your search stretches out into unreasonably long... (as in very clearly long enough, for group 2 to not be a group any more and having gone about their business, being sure they have escaped), do be considerate, consider it a "you lost your prey".
That said, we do look at "what happens inbetween".
If group 2 remain together and are clearly trying to hide from group 1, then the scene is continuing. If they split up and go hunting in various dungeons, some log out etc, then it's harder to consider it part of the same scene.
Obviously this wouldn't "protect" them if they were literally running away. But if they escape over some time, then RP splitting up with each other, and are then gone about their business, then if group 1 found some members after that, that would feel quite different from a follow on group confrontation - and would start a new scene, at which point: make sure you clarify via tell whether both parties agree to continue roleplaying (and do respect a "No")
I understand, sometimes it is a bit difficult to tell who was involved where, and to keep track of who was in which group. I heartily recommend using kindness (civility) and common sense. Nothing is stopping you from sending a clarifying /tell to a player you are about to approach (or have been approached by, or are bumbling into) to clarify if they were there, and to ensure they are okay roleplaying onward - and respecting a "No" if that is come through as well.
Even in a high trafficked area, if you encounter your opponent, it is fairly easy to *shuffles hastily to point B and out of the picture* and I dare say at that kind of roleplay, no one would call that a rule break.
The 24-Hour-Rule is designed to help with
- cooling heated heads after what might be a highly emotional situation
- showing the significance of the conflict
- allowing people to roleplay loss/victory without being rubbed into the same situation over and over.
As ever: tread with common sense, and kindness (or civility). And as ever, we treat every case individually and look at the logs from all involved sides in case of suspected rule breaks and act accordingly, particularly because above examples are just very few examples out of 100s more that could be listed.