47_ No Rest for The Broken

“There’s no escaping the truth... I killed her...”

“That innocent smile... That warm gaze... They belonged to Layla... And I killed her.”

Wail’s voice trembled even more.

“She wasn’t dead... They brainwashed her... But in the end, she regained her memories and feelings, and I...”

His voice grew heavier with pain as tears streamed endlessly down his face.

“I could have found a way to save her... If only I had stopped at the last moment... But I... killed her.”

“Layla... How could you ask me not to blame myself? How am I supposed to live with what happened?”

He grabbed his head tightly with both hands.

“I can’t... take it anymore...”

---

The following morning, Wail was walking through the city.

He looked depressed and lost in thought, his eyes completely devoid of expression.

Elsewhere, Zaki and Zino were having breakfast.

Zino reached over, grabbed Zaki’s juice, and drank it all.

Zaki became furious.

“You already ate your share!!”

“But I wanted more.”

“Then go get more! You’re not drinking mine.”

Suddenly, Zino noticed something behind Zaki.

“Wait... Is that Wail?”

Zaki quickly turned around.

“Waaail!”

The two hurried toward him.

As soon as Zaki reached Wail, he extended his hand toward him.

“Where have you been, buddy? You’ve been gone for so long.”

Wail raised his hand, slapped Zaki’s hand away, and continued walking as if the two of them weren’t even there.

Zaki and Zino remained where they stood, staring at him in shock.

“What’s wrong with him...?”

Silence fell for a moment.

Then Zaki’s expression changed, and his eyes began glowing green.

---

Some time later, Wail continued walking with the same expression.

Suddenly, Elyes appeared in front of him.

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“Long time no see...I just sensed Zaki's energy and came...”

But the moment he saw Wail’s face, his smile disappeared.

He stepped forward and grabbed Wail by his clothes.

“Are you kidding me? Don’t tell me you spent all this time affected by what happened and still haven’t gotten over it...”

Elyes grew increasingly angry, while Wail simply lowered his gaze with a defeated expression.

Elyes raised his fist and was about to punch him.

But a voice in the sky made him stop.

He looked up and saw a red-and-gray light flying at tremendous speed before crashing into a distant area.

The impact caused an explosion.

Elyes immediately grabbed Wail by the shoulder.

In a flash of light, the two of them moved there.

---

A figure completely covered in a red aura was being pushed backward with tremendous force.

A gray aura pressed against him until both of them crashed into the ground, causing an explosion beneath them.

The figure with the red aura emerged from the dust, staggering backward.

His aura faded, revealing Amin, who was breathing heavily.

He smiled despite his labored breathing.

“Hehe... You’re strong.”

His opponent replied:

“And so are you!! I never expected this much strength from a human...”

He swung his sword, violently disturbing the dust and air around him.

He was a gray knight wielding a thin sword surrounded by a gray aura.

“Then let me ask you again... Have you seen that person?”

Amin replied:

“I told you, I don’t know. And if you’re looking for the strongest warrior here, then you’re looking at him.”

The knight was about to attack, but Elyes and Wail appeared behind Amin, causing him to stop.

Elyes said:

“I see you’ve been causing trouble this whole time.”

Amin smiled.

“Don’t you dare interfere in my fight!!”

Wail hesitated for a moment before saying:

“Don’t fight alone... Let us help you.”

Amin interrupted him angrily.

“I told you not to interfere!”

He turned toward Wail and gave him a sharp look.

“I respected your feelings... Twice!! I never interfered in your fights. So respect my pride and just watch.”

Wail’s eyes widened.

“Twice...?”

Elyes looked at him in confusion, then his eyes widened as he realized.

“Wait... That day, Amin stepped aside and let Wail face Sam before fighting Noel... Could it be that...?”

He looked at Wail, who remained stunned.

But the knight interrupted their thoughts.

“I see you two are warriors as well... It seems our decision to come here together was the right one.”

Elyes didn’t understand what he meant.

Amin said:

“I think he’s not alone... Stay alert...”

Suddenly, he vanished and appeared in front of the knight.

A red aura erupted around him, completely covering his body.

His hair and eyes began glowing red.

Elyes’s eyes widened.

“No way... Elemental Transformation?!”

Flames engulfed the knight’s body as Amin kicked him into the sky and immediately followed him.

In the sky, the flames around the knight intensified, while his sword began glowing brighter.

“Attacking someone before he has finished speaking is not the way of our people, you human scum!!”

But Amin didn’t care.

He moved through the flames and appeared in front of the knight, delivering another punch before following him into the sky.

---

While Wail watched the two of them, he sensed danger approaching from behind and quickly turned around.

But Elyes reacted immediately.

He activated his yellow Elemental form and caught the arm of a huge white knight wielding an icy axe.

The knight said:

“Interesting... No one has ever stopped my axe before.”

Elyes looked at Wail.

“Watch your surroundings and stay alert. Stop spacing out, you pathetic idiot!!”

Then he looked at the knight and smiled excitedly.

“And this one will be my opponent...”

The knight laughed.

In a flash of light, they disappeared to another location.

Wail was left alone.

He looked around, then thought:

“Damn it... What am I doing?”

---

In a forest not far from Wail, someone moved between the trees.

He suddenly stopped.

“You seem distracted in my presence, boy...”

A sword shot forward, slicing through the air.

Wail was startled and dodged it at the last moment.

Suddenly, a shadow covered him from above.

The figure appeared out of nowhere, holding his sword.

“Your speed and awareness are good.”

Wail tried to defend himself, but he was struck by a powerful kick that sent him flying a great distance.

His body skidded across the ground until he finally stopped.

He slowly got back up, coughing blood.

The dust he had left behind began to clear.

Then the figure’s voice came from ahead.

“But your defense is weak.”

Wail’s eyes widened in fear as he stared at him.

He was a black knight standing more than two meters tall.

A massive sword, almost as large as his own body, rested on his back, while the wind moved his torn black cloak.

Wail asked:

“Who are you?”

The knight answered:

“I invite you to fight. Will you live up to my expectations, warrior... or will you disappoint me?”

Wail shouted:

“I’m asking who you are!!”

Wail was shaken by the knight’s sharp gaze and the killing intent he could feel.

The knight said coldly:

“Lower you voice, boy... I am not like the ones before me.”

Then he added:

“I respect you, warrior, and you should return that respect.”

Wail was confused.

“Respect? What are you talking about?”

“I have shown my respect by inviting you to fight. You should accept it in return. If you refuse, I will kill you here and now and continue on my way.”

Wail said nothing.

Instead, he immediately took a fighting stance.

The knight smiled.

“Then you accept the duel...”

Then he added:

“As a knight, it is our principle to introduce ourselves before every battle.”

The knight drew the same sword he had used to attack Wail earlier.

It was not the massive sword on his back, but an ordinary metal sword.

He raised it, took a fighting stance, and shouted:

“Cosmic Thunder Knight... Aetherion Vin Thundria!!”

Then he added:

“And it would be a great honor to know your name, esteemed warrior...”

Wail looked at him in confusion.

He released his blue aura.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish...”

He glanced at Aetherion for a moment before saying:

“I’m just a piece of trash suffering deep inside from this miserable life...”

He took a fighting stance and added angrily:

“This is not the time for you to show up, you bastard!”

---

Elsewhere, Amin’s barrage of punches continued as the gray knight dodged every one of them.

In another location, Elyes stood facing the white knight in a vast frozen arena, ready to begin his own battle.

As for Wail...

He was about to attack Aetherion.