48_ Cosmic Knights

Before the battle began...

Amin was flying toward a certain location, his thoughts still trapped in what had happened.

“Could she really be the girl from Valis that Wail was talking about?”

The scene of Wail facing Layla appeared in his mind.

Amin had watched the battle from a distance, but he had chosen not to interfere after hearing their conversation. He realized that it was something personal that Wail had to deal with himself.

But what happened afterward had shocked him deeply...

Wail had killed Layla.

Amin couldn’t accept that the person he knew had begun killing his enemies without mercy.

While he was lost in his thoughts, he suddenly sensed a powerful presence coming from the sky and quickly turned around.

There was nothing there.

His eyes narrowed cautiously.

He descended to the ground and released his aura.

The next moment, a gray aura descended from the sky at tremendous speed and crashed into the ground with immense force.

Rocks scattered in every direction, and the earth cracked beneath the impact.

A knight emerged from the dust, drawing his sword.

“Greetings, human.”

Amin remained silent.

The knight continued:

“We have come on a mission to search for a warrior from your species. We have detected a dangerous entity on this planet, and its source is human, just like you.”

Amin looked at him in confusion.

“And who are you?”

The knight placed a hand against his head as if he had suddenly remembered something important.

“Ah, my apologies... I forgot to introduce myself.”

He straightened his posture.

“I am one of the descendants of the Cosmic Knights. Our purpose is to maintain the balance of the world's powers and stop anything that poses a threat to it.”

He returned his sword to its sheath, then bowed slightly.

“Great Wind Knight... Zephyrion Air Hawn!!”

Amin remained silent for a few moments, processing what he had just heard.

“Descendant of the Cosmic Knights...? So this guy came from an entirely different planet...”

Zephyrion raised his head.

“I’m glad I won’t have to engage in a pointless battle. If you can help me find my target, I would be grateful.”

Flames began rising from Amin’s hand.

They spread toward his shoulder until his body began to burn with fire.

“Sorry, but it seems I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Zephyrion replied calmly:

“All we know about this person is that he is powerful... powerful enough to surpass the abilities of ordinary human fighters.”

Amin’s aura exploded around him.

Flames spread across the ground and through the air.

An excited smile appeared on his face.

“So you’re looking for a powerful warrior...”

The flames around his body intensified.

“Then here I am.”

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Zephyrion drew his sword, and wind began swirling around his body and blade.

“And what do you intend to gain from a pointless battle?”

Amin didn’t answer.

He launched several streams of fire toward Zephyrion, but they vanished as soon as they approached him, dispersed by the wind surrounding his body.

Amin took a few steps back as he observed him.

“So he controls wind...”

He suddenly rushed toward Zephyrion and unleashed a barrage of punches.

But Zephyrion effortlessly dodged every attack without showing any clear effort to strike back.

The wind surrounding him moved on its own, preventing Amin from getting close and attacking him at the same time.

Invisible blades of air began cutting through the space around Amin from every direction.

Amin retreated, breathing heavily.

“Looks like this level won’t work against you at all.”

Zephyrion stared at him steadily.

“If you have something else hidden, show it quickly... before I end this.”

Zephyrion suddenly stopped.

The flames scattered throughout the area began moving toward Amin.

The flames turned around him, then gradually gathered inside his body, transforming into a reddish-orange energy that covered him completely.

In an instant...

The energy exploded outward.

Amin appeared in his Elemental Transformation, his eyes and hair glowing reddish-orange as flames burned around his body.

He flashed an excited grin.

“With this power... I can defeat you.”

Zephyrion raised his sword.

“Show me, human.”

The flames spread everywhere.

Amin vanished from sight.

He appeared directly above Zephyrion, but the knight raised his sword for the first time and struck at him with incredible speed.

Amin dodged at the last moment.

Zephyrion said:

“Well done.”

Amin smiled confidently.

“That was nothing!!”

He kicked Zephyrion with tremendous force, forcing him backward, then rushed toward him.

Zephyrion lunged with his sword, and the two entered a rapid exchange.

Amin dodged the sword strikes one after another, but he quickly realized that Zephyrion wasn’t relying on his sword alone.

The wind moved alongside him, forming sharp blades of air that cut into Amin’s arms and forced him to retreat.

Suddenly, Zephyrion rushed toward him and grabbed him by the face, then flew upward with him.

Amin covered his body with his fiery aura, trying to protect himself from the relentless wind battering him.

Moments later, the two crashed into another location with tremendous force.

As the dust cleared...

Elyes and Wail appeared at the scene.

---

In the present...

Electrical energy exploded around Wail, and his eyes burned with anger.

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

Aetherion looked at him with calm confidence.

“Then make me leave!!”

Wail rushed toward him at incredible speed and threw a direct punch at his face.

But it stopped just before making contact.

Wail’s eyes widened.

He unleashed a barrage of consecutive punches.

His attacks were fast and brutal, but every single one stopped at the exact same point, as if an invisible barrier stood between him and his opponent.

Wail retreated, then activated his Golden Transformation and launched a kick toward Aetherion’s neck.

The kick stopped before making contact as well.

Electricity exploded around Wail as he attacked with all his strength.

But the result remained the same.

He couldn’t touch Aetherion.

Suddenly, Wail sensed danger as the knight raised his hand.

He quickly retreated, breathing heavily, and stared at him in shock.

Aetherion spoke calmly:

“At this level... you won’t even be able to touch me.”

Wail stared at him in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“There are several forms of aura. The one surrounding you is Energy Aura. It is simply the manifestation of your elemental energy outside its source. But it cannot reach the higher levels of energy above it.”

A transparent energy barrier appeared around Aetherion’s body.

“This is Sovereign Aura. It can be created after reaching a certain level. It is the manifestation of the energy wielded by rulers, a higher form of the ordinary energy you use.”

Wail took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

Aetherion continued:

“So, warrior, you must...”

He was interrupted by a sudden explosion of sky-blue energy.

The energy condensed around Wail before exploding outward in a single burst.

His Elemental Transformation appeared.

He took a fighting stance.

Aetherion looked at him with interest.

“Hmm... I knew you were hiding something.”

Wail vanished.

He appeared in front of Aetherion and delivered a powerful kick that sent him flying upward.

Wail followed him into the sky, and the two immediately entered a rapid exchange.

Wail and Aetherion traded blows in midair.

At first, Wail seemed capable of keeping up with the knight thanks to his incredible speed and Elemental Transformation. He dodged Aetherion’s attacks and delivered punches from different angles, while Aetherion relied on his physical strength and ordinary metal sword to block his attacks.

Aetherion stepped back in midair, then suddenly rushed forward.

His fist collided with Wail’s arm, followed by a sword strike that forced Wail to twist away.

Wail attempted to counter with a lightning strike from close range, but Aetherion dodged it and attacked him again.

The balance of power gradually began to shift.

Aetherion started reading Wail’s movements and gaining the advantage in close combat.

Eventually, a powerful strike sent Wail flying backward.

Wail appeared behind him in the sky and extended his hand.

Electricity gathered in his palm before he unleashed a massive lightning bolt that exploded behind Aetherion.

Wail’s eyes widened when he saw the knight extend his hand toward the explosion.

His arm was covered in electrical sparks.

Aetherion then burst out from the center of the explosion and threw a punch at Wail.

Electricity exploded from his fist with the strike, sending Wail crashing toward the ground.

Wail slammed into the earth and rolled several meters before finally getting back up.

He looked at Aetherion with concern.

“What did you just do...?”

Aetherion extended his hand and looked at the sparks surrounding it.

“This? Don’t you want me to use my abilities, warrior?”

Wail thought:

“He doesn’t seem interested in answering me...”

He then looked toward the massive sword strapped to Aetherion’s back.

“And what’s the deal with that huge sword behind you?”

Aetherion glanced at the sword.

“This? It is the legacy of our great lineage. The legendary Excalibur, granted to the strongest swordsman of every generation of our species.”

He added calmly:

“I’m afraid I cannot describe its current power... I haven’t used it for ages.”

Wail looked at him in confusion.

“Its current power? What do you mean? And why don’t you use it if it’s that powerful?”

Aetherion replied:

“Its special ability is that it continuously absorbs spatial energy from its surroundings.”

He reached toward the sword and grabbed its hilt.

He tried to pull it out, but the sword remained firmly inside its sheath.

Aetherion said:

“But it has a weakness as well...”

He looked at Wail.

“It will not leave its sheath if its opponent is unworthy.”

Wail’s eyes widened.

His red Power Pulse erupted over his Elemental Transformation, and the energy around his body intensified.

“Don’t underestimate me!!”

He rushed toward Aetherion at tremendous speed as the red aura of Power Pulse began overwhelming his Elemental Transformation.

Wail threw a powerful punch.

Aetherion barely dodged it, causing a massive wave of air to burst from behind Wail’s fist.

The knight’s eyes widened.

“His strength and speed... They’ve increased tremendously!!”

Wail gave him no chance to catch his breath.

He launched another kick, but Aetherion dodged it and swung his sword.

Wail moved his arm away from the blade’s path, then fired a burst of red energy directly at him.

Aetherion retreated.

“Power Pulse combined with Elemental Transformation... What an impressive technique!”

Wail replied:

“I call it Reverse Transformation, for short.”

“But it damages your body, doesn’t it?”

“Yes... That’s why I’ll end this quickly.”

Aetherion jumped into the sky, but Wail had already reached him.

A brutal clash erupted between them.

Consecutive strikes, evasive movements, and rapid collisions filled the sky.

Aetherion attempted to regain control of the battle and finally managed to land a powerful punch on Wail, sending him downward.

But Wail formed a red sword from his energy and swung it upward.

The blade passed close to Aetherion and scratched his helmet.

The red sword then transformed into electrical energy that shot directly toward his face.

Aetherion dodged it at the last moment.

But Wail didn’t stop.

He rushed toward him and launched a side kick.

Aetherion lowered his head, expecting the kick to pass over him.

But he realized in the next moment that Wail hadn’t been aiming for his head at all.

Wail had anticipated his movement.

He raised his knee and slammed it into Aetherion’s face with tremendous force.

The knight was sent flying.

He regained his balance in the air, then stood firmly as he looked at Wail.

A clear expression of surprise appeared on his face.

“Now you’re fighting seriously!!”