78~ Thanks for Making me Stronger

A few days earlier...

In the middle of a vast desert, someone sat in broad daylight, seemingly lost in meditation.

Another person approached, wearing a black cloak.

It was Bahaa.

The moment he drew near, flames erupted from the seated figure, shooting straight toward him. However, the purple aura that appeared around Bahaa at the last moment caused the flames to vanish.

The man stood up, keeping his back to Bahaa.

"Why didn't you reveal your energy from the beginning? I would've recognized you."

He turned around and pulled back his hood, then continued,

"As you know... I can't see."

It was Amin.

Two scars stretched across his closed eyes, yet he still wore a smile.

Bahaa spoke provocatively.

"Well, at least you're still alive after what happened to you."

Amin was quick to return the jab.

"I see you're still alive after fighting him too... Though I wouldn't be surprised if he defeated you as well."

Bahaa continued smiling.

Flames began swirling around Amin's body before he spoke seriously.

"So... Did that bastard send you to get rid of me?"

Bahaa replied with a puzzled expression.

"Vale? No, don't get the wrong idea. I came here on my own to ask you for something."

The flames around Amin faded. He looked surprised.

"You? You want something from me?"

He let out a short laugh.

"Haha! I didn't see that coming!"

Bahaa continued,

"Everyone thinks I'm dead now, because of my ability."

Amin looked puzzled, so Bahaa went on to explain.

"Wail thinks that he killed me, and everyone believed I was truly dead... except you, since you've lost your sight."

Amin seemed to be starting to understand.

Bahaa continued,

"Looks like you've figured it out... My ability requires eye contact to activate. Since you've lost your sight, you weren't affected by it."

Amin said,

"Then... your ability is..."

Bahaa smiled.

"Exactly..."

---

At another time and place, while Bahaa was fighting Vale...

"Why do I always find you in this miserable state , you idiot?!"

Wail looked at Amin and asked in a barely audible voice,

"What are you doing here?"

"Huh? What do you mean? Did you think I'd stop fighting just because I lost my sight?"

Wail replied in despair,

"Go back... You won't be able to do anything. No one can."

Amin grew angry. He grabbed Wail and lifted him off the ground.

Who approved this duplicate? No one: the author publishes on NovelPhoenix, where readers can support the story's creator.

"What nonsense are you talking about, you pathetic fool?! The three of us can defeat him together!"

Wail didn't answer.

Amin smiled, then said,

"We'll talk later about why I turned against him... You know me, Wail. I'm pretty fickle."

Wail remained silent for a moment before asking in the same faint voice,

"How? And with whom do you intend to defeat him?"

Amin laughed.

"Haha! Can't you feel his energy?"

Wail's eyes widened slightly as he began sensing Vale's energy and that of his opponent from a distance.

Amin continued, his excitement growing.

"That man who came back from the dead is fighting your brother as an equal!"

---

In the present...

A sphere of void energy expanded around Vale, forming a defensive barrier.

At the same time, Amin surrounded him with flames.

Wail and Amin watched the sphere around Vale. Suddenly, they noticed it expanding without affecting the flames surrounding him.

"Now!"

Both fighters covered their bodies with their auras before launching simultaneous punches at Vale, sending him flying backward.

Bahaa watched them with a smile.

"Good... It seems Wail has figured out that Vale can't direct his element's effects toward energy and physical objects at the same time."

Then he seemed to notice something and smiled again.

"What? Did you miss me?"

Wail replied coldly, quickly wiping away a tear that had rolled down his right eye.

"You could've fooled me without saying all that... So why did you?"

"Ooooh, come on! Our farewell had to be memorable."

Wail exhaled before turning toward Vale.

"Amin, stay out of this... Bahaa and I will handle..."

He didn't get to finish before a fireball shot past him.

Amin had activated his Elemental Transformation and was already charging toward Vale, shouting excitedly,

"Don't think I can't fight, you idiot!"

Vale emerged from the dust, anger clearly written across his face. He extended his hand toward Amin and said,

"Even with a Legendary Spirit... I can no longer see any use for you."

A sphere of void energy formed around Amin, closing in and crushing his entire body.

But his body transformed into flames, and he reappeared in front of Vale, throwing a punch at him.

However, Vale's fist reached his face first, knocking him away with tremendous force.

Amin charged at him again, flames gathering densely in the palm of his hand.

But Vale met him with a punch of void energy aimed at his face.

The attack grazed Amin's face, but he managed to avoid most of its force before placing his palm against Vale's body.

Enormous flames erupted from his hand, sweeping through everything ahead and engulfing the entire area around them.

But Vale emerged from the inferno, a void aura surrounding his body and shielding him from the flames.

He then delivered a kick to Amin's stomach, sending him flying away.

"I don't even need my eyes to defeat trash like you..."

Amin's voice came from behind him.

"Are you sure about that?"

Amin's body reformed amid the burning flames behind Vale. He extended his hand toward him.

Vale's eyes widened.

In the next instant, flames engulfed him from every direction.

He quickly condensed the void around his body, making the flames disappear.

Vale spoke, several burns now visible on his body.

"You're incapable of doing anything, you wea..."

But he didn't finish.

A blue flash of lightning appeared behind him as Amin spoke mockingly,

"I've already done my part."

Vale turned around and saw the veins bulging across Wail's fist, with steam rising from it.

He smiled and condensed the void around his body, preparing to tear Wail's arm apart the moment it touched him.

But at the last instant, an extremely dense surge of electricity erupted around Wail's fist.

His fist pierced through the void, then through Vale's stomach, followed by an enormous lightning bolt that tore apart the ground behind him.

Wail pulled his fist out of his opponent's body. A dark portal swallowed him, and he reappeared beside Bahaa.

Bahaa said,

"Get ready. He'll be back."

Suddenly, transparent energy exploded around Vale's body.

He stood up again, completely unharmed, his eyes glowing as blood streamed from them.

In a calm voice, despite the fury filling him, he said,

"Have you still not understood that I want to save you, brother?"

Bahaa said,

"Why can't you understand that he doesn't want you to save..."

Wail interrupted him, addressing Vale.

"We know we can't defeat you at our current level... So what exactly do you want?"

Vale smiled, then let out a quiet laugh.

"I wanted us to discuss this after I got rid of every obstacle standing in my way."

"Tell me now... After all, we're brothers. Maybe I'll be convinced."

Bahaa was about to intervene, but Wail stopped him with a gesture.

Vale smiled slyly.

"I don't understand what you're planning, but I'll play along..."

He then pointed toward Excalibur.

"That sword... You know it possesses an immense power that no one can withstand in its entirety, not even its previous wielder... Aetherion Vin Thundria."

Amin approached from behind, attempting to attack Vale.

Suddenly, void energy began forming behind the latter. But what actually stopped Amin was a lightning bolt that descended from the sky, blocking his path.

In the next instant, a dark portal swallowed Amin, and he reappeared beside Wail and Bahaa.

Bahaa told him,

"Let him finish."

Vale laughed mockingly.

"Before I continue, there's something I'd like to tell you... If you intend to stand in the way of my plan, the only way to do so is to kill me. I know you want to understand what I'm planning, but whether I tell you or not makes no difference. You won't pose any threat to me."

Bahaa asked,

"And what makes you so certain we can't stop you?"

"Because, quite simply... Excalibur is the foundation of my plan, and none of you can even get close to it."

The three were taken aback.

Vale then turned his gaze toward Wail.

"I can see immense energy within you, Wail... And I believe you're the only one capable of reaching the level required to wield Excalibur and help me achieve my goal ,but you're still too far from that level."

Wail didn't understand what he meant, but Bahaa seemed to grasp something.

He spoke seriously.

"Are you planning to use Excalibur to absorb everyone's energy?"

Vale clapped enthusiastically.

"Exactly! That's what I'd expect from the only person who managed to fight me as an equal, even if only for a brief moment."

Wail asked,

"Is this what you meant by restoring balance? Do you want to take everyone's energy with that sword? Don't you think the sword itself could bring upon us the very danger you've been afraid of?"

Vale smiled.

"Don't worry, little brother... Once I help you discover everything within you, you'll be able to use Excalibur's ability to continuously absorb the energy of the space surrounding it."

"You can use it to absorb the energy of everyone who possesses it on Earth, until not a single person has any energy left inside them."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"Then those who come from another planet will find nothing they're looking for here... No energy for them to obtain, and no energy-wielding fighters worthy of facing them. Earth will become insignificant to them, and we can finally live without being their target."

Wail replied coldly,

"And what makes you so certain that will happen?"

Vale looked surprised, but Wail continued,

"Who could possibly stand against you when you possess all that power?"

Vale answered seriously,

"There are beings beyond anything we can imagine, Wail... Powers we can't even stand against. You may not understand it now, but you'll regret your decision later."

"Huh? I haven't made any decision yet, so what would I have to regret?"

Vale's smile faded, and concern appeared on his face.

"I know you'll refuse, you fool of a brother... And that's what you'll regret."

Wail stepped forward slightly, then said,

"Will you let me fight him?"

Amin exhaled in annoyance, while Bahaa replied,

"I don't think my ability is effective against him anymore..."

Wail interrupted him.

"There's no need. I can handle this on my own."

Amin said,

"Every time you do this, do you really think I won't mind this time just because..."

Wail interrupted him.

"This is a personal matter between two brothers, Amin."

Bahaa looked at him and spoke sharply.

"Don't get the wrong idea... I know you can't kill him, so I'll let you fight him for a while. I have a personal matter with him too."

Wail continued walking forward, then called out,

"Vale!"

Vale looked at him seriously.

Wail clenched his fists and said,

"You were responsible for my mother's death... And that alone was enough to make me hate you deeply."

Vale speak within himself:

"you're mistaken little brother..."

Then he replied provocatively,

"Do you think that hatred is enough? I still want you to despair and hate me even more."

Wail answered with absolute coldness,

"No... I think it's enough. And as you said, it seems I'm not very good at dealing with people..."

Wail stopped and closed his eye.

"We may not be able to kill you at our current level... But all we have to do is reach a higher one."

Finally, Wail opened his right eye.

A red spiral appeared within it as tears streamed down from the eye.

He spoke in a calm voice.

"Thank you for pushing me to reach this power."

Bahaa and Vale's eyes widened.

"A Bloody Eye?!"