25. Legendary Spirit of Darkness.

The entire area was illuminated in red.

The energy around Wail gradually grew denser, then he vanished in a flash of electricity...

He charged at Bahaa and unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks.

Bahaa dodged them at first and rose into the sky, but Wail followed him.

Dozens of lightning bolts surrounded Bahaa, restricting his movement for a moment.

Then the blows came down upon him.

A punch... a kick... an elbow strike...

Every attack released a massive shockwave.

Wail hurled Bahaa toward the mountain.

He tore a massive rock from the ground and smashed it down on him, then gathered its fragments with strands of electricity and launched them all at Bahaa at once.

Dense bolts of lightning followed.

Then Wail charged forward and drove a direct strike into his chest.

Bahaa crashed hard into the ground.

Wail landed in front of him, staring down at him with burning eyes.

Bahaa's hand moved as he tried to get up, but Wail struck it, stopping him.

Then he grabbed Bahaa by the head and lifted him before headbutting him, followed by a kick that sent him flying away.

Bahaa skidded across the ground for dozens of meters.

He finally came to a stop...

Then he began laughing.

He was laughing... while clearly in pain.

Wail stepped back in shock as Bahaa's laughter grew louder and louder, until it became a strange sound that no longer resembled him.

The black aura around him intensified and completely swallowed his body.

Then a completely different voice emerged.

"Looks like... I'm the one who will end this farce."

Wail frowned.

"What's happening to you?"

The creature smiled.

"Bahaa... no longer exists."

Silence filled the area for a moment.

"I've taken complete control of his body."

Wail clenched his fist.

"So... you're the one who brought him to this state. Who are you?"

The creature spoke with contempt.

"A name that will mean nothing to you, insignificant human."

The black aura grew even stronger.

"I am Dark... the Spirit of Darkness."

Wail's eyes widened.

"One of the five legendary spirits."

Wail was surprised and gave a nervous smile.

"What brought a legendary spirit into the human world? In the end, I see you needed these humans you despise."

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Dark smiled.

"Don't misunderstand."

"I needed a Dark Element User who could serve as my vessel, and not one appeared for centuries... until Bahaa."

He slowly raised his hand.

"He needed me... and I needed him."

"He believed that humans obtaining the powers of the elements was unjust, and he wanted to impose balance in his own way."

"As for me... I saw in this world a power capable of returning me to my true body."

His gaze fixed on Wail.

"And that power... exists within you."

Wail hesitated.

"Me? I don't know what you're talking about... but I won't let you take anything from me."

His red aura ignited.

"And if you think I'm still the same person you saw at the beginning, I'll prove you wrong."

Dark laughed.

"You still know nothing..."

"But that's fine. You'll fall before you learn the truth."

Wail's aura flared again.

"Then let's get back to fighting."

Dark smiled.

"There is no longer any fight."

He vanished.

Before Wail could realize what had happened, a hand appeared over his chest.

His sky-blue aura began being pulled into Dark's arm.

Wail stepped back after knocking the hand away.

"He's... absorbing my energy?!"

The next moment, a tremendous blow struck him in the stomach.

He never saw it coming.

He dropped to his knees, gasping.

"I couldn't even see that attack."

He covered his body in electricity and charged toward him.

But this time, his approach was different.

He no longer chased Dark directly.

He released dozens of strands of electricity throughout the battlefield, connecting them until they formed a massive web surrounding Dark from every direction.

Wail smiled.

"You won't be able to disappear inside this."

He charged through the strands at lightning speed.

Whenever Dark tried to move, the strands around him erupted with electricity, forcing him to change direction.

Wail took advantage of the opening and appeared directly above him.

He brought down an electric sword from the sky.

Dark raised his arm and blocked the strike.

The ground beneath him exploded.

But Wail didn't stop.

He sent dozens of lightning bolts into the surrounding rocks, then used electricity to pull them into orbit around Dark.

With every rock, a spark leaped toward the next, until Dark was trapped inside a cage of lightning.

"Interesting..."

The black aura exploded, shattering all the rocks in an instant.

Wail appeared behind him and delivered a direct kick.

Dark took the blow this time and slid several meters across the ground.

He glanced at his slightly injured hand after taking the sword strike, then smiled.

"Good... grow stronger."

He charged again.

The two exchanged blows at speeds that were almost impossible to see.

Wail used the speed of lightning to move between the bolts he released himself, while Dark transformed the shadows of the rocks into black arms that reached for him from every direction.

Whenever Wail appeared somewhere, a dark hand emerged from a nearby shadow, attempting to crush him.

But Wail began striking those arms before they could fully form, until the battlefield was filled with traces of lightning and darkness.

Even so...

Dark was gradually gaining the upper hand.

Every blow from him was heavier, and every hit Wail took slowed him further.

Finally, Wail retreated, gasping for breath, while Dark remained standing, visibly annoyed.

"Enough... I'll finish this."

All of the dark energy gathered inside his arm.

But...

His body suddenly froze.

His eyes widened.

"What... is happening?!"

He began losing control of Bahaa's body.

"Damn it... this soon?"

He raised his hand, and black energy began leaving the bodies of his followers and flowing toward him.

He absorbed it all...

But his control was no longer complete.

Bahaa's other hand rose against his will.

A black portal opened, different from all the others before it.

A tremendous golden light emerged from within.

Wail smiled despite his exhaustion.

"Finally... you're back."

Yassin emerged from the portal, surrounded by a dense golden aura.

He calmly looked at everyone.

"Well done. I'll take care of the rest."

Dark roared in anger and unleashed a sea of darkness toward him.

But the golden aura split it in two.

In a flash, Yassin appeared in front of him and placed his fist against Bahaa's chest.

Bahaa's body didn't move...

But a massive black spirit was forcibly pulled from it.

Yassin surrounded it with golden energy.

"It's over, Dark."

Dark smiled mysteriously.

"Rather... it has begun."

The golden energy suddenly turned black.

A small portal opened and swallowed his spirit.

Then it closed and vanished.

Bahaa collapsed unconscious, and Mark rushed forward to catch him.

Yassin looked at everyone, then spread his golden energy throughout the area.

Everyone gradually began regaining consciousness.

He approached Wail...

Wail smiled and said while coughing:

"Welcome back."

Yassin slapped him on the head.

"You disobeyed my orders again."

Wail rubbed his head sheepishly.

Elyes smiled.

"If you hadn't wanted him to fight me, I would've stopped him that day... Do you think I didn't notice you watching our fight in silence?"

Yassin laughed loudly.

"What a bunch of troublemakers."

"But you didn't disappoint me."

He looked at everyone as they stared back at him sadly.

He said:

"Lower your heads if you must... but never give up."

"In the world of combat, you may lose a battle..."

"But what matters is winning the war."

"And what happened today... isn't the end. It's the beginning."

He looked at Adam and Noah.

"Without your help, this victory wouldn't have been possible. I'm grateful to you both, Adam... Noah."

The two replied:

"It is our duty to fight alongside you."

Everyone raised their heads.

Then they all rushed at Wail, playfully punching him.

Yassin laughed.

"You've matured so much, Wail."

Wail smiled.

"And I won't stop here. Please... train me more."

Yassin patted him on the shoulder.

"You no longer need someone to train you."

"All I can do... is reveal the truth to you."

At that moment, a tired voice came from behind them.

"What... is going on?"

Everyone turned around.

Bahaa had regained consciousness.

He looked at them in confusion.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Mark smiled.

"Welcome back."

Wail approached him... and punched him in the stomach.

"You caused us an unbelievable amount of trouble, you bastard."

Bahaa groaned.

"Damn you... get out of my face."

Then the two smiled at the same time.

Wail said:

"Come on... someone is waiting for you."

A short while later, they heard a voice among the rubble and all turned toward it.

Amin slowly got to his feet.

Wail called out:

"Amin!"

But Amin only looked at him for a moment.

His red aura ignited, and he vanished into the flames.

Elyes said:

"Leave him. From everything you've told us about him, his pride won't let him accept what happened easily."

Wail nodded.

"You're right. I'll talk to him later."

---

Everyone returned to the city.

Amira was sitting on the hill where Wail used to spend his time.

Wail, Elyes, and Bahaa were flying above the hill.

The moment they saw her, they descended.

She looked at them in disbelief, tears beginning to fill her eyes.

Wail smiled.

"Here I am... I kept my promise..."

But his words stopped.

Amira walked straight past him and threw her arms around Bahaa and Elyes, crying.

"Thank God... you're both safe."

Wail stopped where he was.

Then he gave a small, faint smile and remembered Layla.

"Of course... they're the priority."

Bahaa smiled as he reassured Amira, while Elyes turned around, looking for Wail.

But...

He couldn't find him.

Wail had already left in silence.

---

Wail entered his house.

It was empty, and the evening sunlight filled the room.

He took off his cloak and showered.

Then he lay down on his bed and closed his eyes...

For the first time in a long while.

Without dreaming.