51_ The True Threat

Amine's smile gradually disappeared as he began breathing heavily after his aura vanished.

Then he looked at Wail.

“What’s this? Did that pathetic guy lose?”

Wail fell to the ground.

Suddenly, Aetherion lunged at Amin with his sword.

Amin jumped into the air and dodged the attack.

Amin said:

“Now I understand why he lost... You’re much stronger than the one I killed.”

Aetherion revealed his metal sword and threw it toward Amin at tremendous speed.

Amin dodged it, but Aetherion suddenly appeared while holding the sword and delivered a powerful punch to Amin, sending him crashing toward the ground.

Amin activated his Elemental Transformation and smiled.

“Wait, wait! The difference in power between you and your companion is enormous!”

Aetherion rushed toward him.

A brief exchange followed, but the difference between them was obvious.

Amin attacked violently, flames exploding from his body with every strike.

But Aetherion effortlessly dodged his attacks and countered with stronger, more precise physical strikes.

Amin attempted to attack from the side.

Aetherion blocked the attack with his sword, then struck him in the chest with his elbow.

Amin staggered backward.

Aetherion appeared directly in front of him and kicked him sending him flying.

Amin tried to get back up, but Aetherion gave him no chance.

He appeared behind him in a flash of electricity and struck him with tremendous force, then unleashed a massive lightning strike that sent him crashing into the ground.

Aetherion stood over him.

“It’s over.”

He then tried to draw Excalibur from its sheath, but he couldn’t.

“Damn... A human like you doesn’t even deserve to see Excalibur’s power... killed Zephyrion?”

He revealed his metal sword.

Yellow lightning began filling it until the blade grew enormously.

Aetherion said:

“Clearly, you’re nothing but a pathetic warrior who tricked him... And now I will avenge him in the name of the Cosmic Knights!!”

He rushed toward Amin at lightning speed.

The ground exploded.

A massive bolt of lightning descended from the sky, engulfing all the flames in the area.

“What the...?”

Amin appeared holding Aetherion’s sword with his bare hand.

The knight froze in complete shock.

Amin’s voice suddenly changed, as if someone else was speaking.

“You almost died, you idiot...”

Aetherion stepped backward.

Despite his shock, he asked:

“You... What exactly are you hiding?”

A black mark began appearing across Amin’s face and hands.

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He said:

“Just a piece of trash who came back to enjoy in this world...”

Then he let out a quiet, sinister laugh.

Aetherion raised his head as if he had realized something.

“Our target was what the warrior Wail was hiding...”

Silence filled the area for a moment.

“But I never expected to find our two most important targets on this same planet... and among the human race.”

Amin smiled faintly.

“Aetherion... Cosmic Thunder Knight... It is an honor to meet you.”

Aetherion raised his sword.

“You...”

Amin continued:

“You have always intrigued me. But I’ll be honest with you... Every weakling is worthless. But you... You are the only one among your people whom I consider worthy of my respect.”

Silence filled the area.

Then a yellow aura intertwined with black streaks erupted from Aetherion’s body, and the air around him began trembling from the intensity of his anger.

Amin chuckled softly.

“Calm down... There’s no need to get this angry. This vessel has no chance against you. His body can’t withstand my power anymore, and he’ll regain consciousness within moments.”

His eyes narrowed seriously.

“But... Don’t touch a single hair on him, or you’ll regret it, avenger.”

---

During the Great War, the Cosmic Knights were among the forces that dominated the course of the conflict.

They were not enemies of any other species.

Their goal was to end the war and kill anyone who caused it or stood in their way.

Then came the day they attacked the Spirits.

That was their only mistake.

They had no idea of the Spirits’ true power, and they couldn’t even kill a single Spirit.

Their people suffered enormous losses in that battle, until they were pushed to the brink of extinction.

Only the weakest remained, those whom the Spirits had no reason to waste their time killing.

Aetherion was merely a young knight who possessed no energy at all.

All he had was a worn metal sword given to him by his mother, who lost her life during that battle.

That day, Aetherion swore to become the strongest... and return once again.

---

Aetherion raised his head.

“Since the end of the Great War, revenge has never been our goal... It goes against our principles.”

Amin looked at him with a smile.

“Oh?”

Aetherion continued:

“Our goal is to kill you, or prevent your return at any cost, in order to protect the other beings. And you... You represent the greatest threat to this world.”

Amin replied:

“And what will you do about it?”

Aetherion drew Excalibur.

Dark yellow energy and lightning exploded from his body and the sword.

He shouted with authority:

“I am the Cosmic Thunder Knight... Aetherion Vin Thundria!!!”

A sinister, excited smile appeared on Amin’s face.

“And you...!!! Today, your existence ends, Evil's Lord!!”

Dark clouds covered the sky.

Yellow lightning tore through them violently, while the wind intensified until the ground beneath Aetherion’s feet began cracking under the tremendous energy released by his sword.

In an instant, Aetherion moved at lightning speed and swung Excalibur toward Amin.

Amin dodged at the last moment.

Time seemed to slow for a moment...

The blade passed barely above Amin’s foot before touching the ground.

Suddenly...

A massive yellow lightning bolt tore through the area.

The ground exploded with terrifying force, leaving behind a colossal trench stretching across an area the size of an entire city.

Amin jumped into the air, staring at the destruction in disbelief.

Then an excited smile appeared on his face.

“Damn... I wish I had enough time to enjoy fighting you, Aetherion.”

A massive electrical beam erupted from Excalibur and rushed toward Amin at terrifying speed.

Amin raised both arms and barely defended himself, but the force of the beam pushed him backward violently.

The glow in his dark red eyes began fading and returning intermittently.

He bit his lip as he stared at Aetherion.

“You’re so weak, you pathetic fool...”

Amin was speaking to himself.

Aetherion remained still, staring at him calmly as he prepared to attack again.

Amin raised both hands and brought them together in front of his body.

His eyes narrowed as if he were preparing to unleash something.

But suddenly, his eyes widened.

He lowered his hands and began laughing.

Aetherion watched him in confusion.

Then Amin said to himself:

“Despite your weakness... you truly are an impressive kid...”

He raised his eyes toward Aetherion.

“Let’s continue our battle until another day, Thunder Knight.”

Amin’s aura vanished in an instant, and he immediately lost consciousness.

Aetherion remained standing for a few moments, bewildered by what had happened.

Then he returned Excalibur to its sheath.

Suddenly...

He turned around.

He sensed several powerful presences approaching him at high speed.

---

Elsewhere, Zaki, Zino, Sif, Adam, and Noah continued on their way.

But suddenly...

The five stopped in their tracks.

They all sensed an enormous killing intent that immediately made their bodies tense.

Adam said nervously:

“It’s the enemy...”

Noah added hesitantly:

“And... we don’t stand a chance against him.”

Zaki, Sif, and Zino looked at him in confusion.

Then Zaki said:

“And you want to turn back after coming all this way?”

Suddenly...

A voice echoed inside all of their minds.

It was deep and majestic.

“You’d better turn back... or you will regret it.”

Zaki hesitated for a moment.

But he clenched his fist.

“We’ll continue... We won’t leave Wail alone...”

Suddenly...

Zaki coughed up blood violently.

Everyone’s eyes widened in horror.

Aetherion was standing before them, carrying Wail and Amin, his fist buried in Zaki’s stomach.

He withdrew his fist, and Zaki immediately collapsed unconscious.

Aetherion looked at the others calmly.

“I didn’t kill him... Carry him and return from where you came.”

Then he vanished in a flash of electricity.

Sif rushed toward Zaki and placed his hands over him.

His aura flowed into Zaki’s body, beginning to heal his injury.

Adam knelt beside him and said sadly:

“If Yassin were...”

Noah interrupted him sharply:

“Shut up.”

The others frowned.

Noah continued:

“Why did you assume that Wail or Amin was stronger than us? Who decided that?”

He turned toward the others and said firmly:

“We’ll make a proper plan and attack them. We’ll bring Wail and Amin back. But first, we need to find Elyes and have him help us.”

---

At that moment...

Aetherion appeared in a vast frozen land.

The moment he raised his eyes, he froze.

“Could it be...?!”

He threw Wail and Amin aside, then rushed toward the source of what he had sensed.

And there...

He saw Threymion’s body lying on the ground, with a massive hole through his abdomen.

Elyes was lying unconscious above him , covered with blood and injuries.

Aetherion stared at the scene in shock.

“Where did these boys get this kind of power...? How did they obtain it...?”

Then he looked at Elyes.

“Could it be that you also have a power inside you?”

But he quickly regained his composure.

He approached Threymion, knelt down, and placed a hand on his face.

He spoke quietly:

“Your way was always different from ours...”

He paused for a moment.

“Perhaps your actions and personality did not align with our principles, but you never violated them... You protected everything you could in the name of the Cosmic Knights.”

He fell silent for a moment.

“And now that you have completed your mission... Rest in peace, Threymion Vin Norval.”

Threymion’s body began glowing gradually.

Then it slowly faded away until it disappeared completely, transforming into white energy.

The energy was drawn toward Aetherion’s black cloak and absorbed completely.

A small part of the cloak tore apart.

Aetherion stood again and drew his metal sword.

He looked at Elyes.

“I’ll start with you...”

But in the next moment...

Aetherion froze.

He sensed an enormous energy exploding in the area.

He slowly turned around.

“No...”

His eyes widened.

“This energy...?!”

A massive silver aura exploded across the area and rose toward the sky, violently tearing through the clouds.

Aetherion threw his metal sword aside.

Immediately...

He grabbed Excalibur’s hilt and drew it from its sheath.

His dark yellow aura exploded around him, while lightning danced across the sky.

He stared toward the source of the energy.

“So... you want a second round.”

From within the silver aura...

Wail appeared.

He walked slowly as the energy around him gradually condensed until it completely surrounded his body.

But this time...

His hair and right eye was silver.

A calm and serious expression appeared on his face...

Calm in a terrifying way.