55_ The Last Stand

Elsewhere...

Sif appeared carrying the injured Zaki on his back.

Zino immediately turned toward him.

"Are you okay?"

Zaki nodded with difficulty.

Sif said:

"He's alive, but he won't be able to fight or even move for a while."

Then he looked at Zino.

"You go ahead. We'll catch up with you."

Zino nodded.

"Got it..."

He released his brown aura, then flew into the sky and disappeared into the distance.

---

Elsewhere, Adam and Noah stood in the middle of a frozen and devastated area.

Adam noticed the distant explosions and stared toward them.

"I can't sense anyone's energy..."

He narrowed his eyes.

"It seems someone is using Elemental Transformation!"

Noah froze for a moment.

"Wait... could that be...?"

Then he rushed forward.

He quickly landed in the area where he had sensed the energy, only to find Amin and Elyes unconscious.

Noah knelt beside them and began trying to wake them.

Adam, meanwhile, continued staring toward the source of the explosions.

"So it seems Wail is the one fighting..."

His expression changed.

"And I can sense the same presence as that person."

Aetherion's face appeared in his mind.

Noah said anxiously:

"So he wasn't talking about it for nothing..."

Then he looked at Adam.

"But can Wail really stand against him?"

He turned around.

"Zino is coming. He'll take care of them."

Then he looked at Adam.

"Come on. We have to hurry and help Wail."

Adam nodded.

The two shot into the sky at full speed.

---

Back at the battlefield...

Electricity erupted from Excalibur once again.

The cracks in Aetherion's armor widened, spreading from his arm toward his shoulder.

Before he could charge toward Wail...

A foot appeared in front of him.

Wail's kick struck his side.

Aetherion staggered slightly, his eyes widening.

"He attacked me before I even moved..."

He tried to grab Wail's foot, but Wail jumped upward and delivered two consecutive kicks.

The first threw Aetherion off balance.

The second sent him flying.

Aetherion drove Excalibur into the ground as he flew through the air, using the sword to regain his balance.

Then he suddenly disappeared.

Excalibur remained embedded in the ground.

Aetherion appeared directly behind Wail.

He threw a punch.

This time, Wail did not evade it.

He raised his hand and caught the blow.

But the force was immense.

His body was launched into the sky.

Aetherion gave him no chance to recover.

He raised his hand toward the sky.

Several lightning bolts changed direction and shot toward Wail.

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He dodged some.

He knocked others away with his hands.

But between the lightning...

Aetherion appeared again.

He was about to fire an electrical beam from his hand.

But Wail appeared in front of him at the same moment.

He threw a direct punch toward his face.

Aetherion's hand stopped for an instant.

Then electricity completely covered his fist.

He countered with a direct punch.

Wail tried to block it.

But the force was greater than he expected.

The bones in his hand shattered under the impact, and his body was sent crashing toward the ground.

He fell at tremendous speed.

But before he reached the ground...

Time seemed to slow in his eyes.

He saw Excalibur embedded in the ground beside him.

His eyes widened.

Before he could do anything...

Aetherion instantly teleported to his sword.

The moment he gripped Excalibur's hilt...

An enormous surge of electricity erupted from the sword.

Aetherion remembered his wife's words.

"I will protect you all... even if my life is the price!!"

The energy intensified.

The armor around his arm cracked completely.

The cracks spread across his chest.

Yellow energy began glowing from within them.

He pulled Excalibur from the ground.

Its energy expanded outward, forming a gigantic blade of electricity.

He swung it horizontally.

Wail immediately ducked.

The enormous electrical blade passed over his head.

He extended both hands, preparing to attack.

But in the next instant...

His expression changed.

He sensed danger, and his silver aura fluctuated.

He looked to the side.

The electrical blade had split an entire mountain in half.

Wail froze for a moment.

And in that instant, Aetherion appeared in front of him and grabbed his face with one hand.

He said sternly:

"Don't lose your composure!!"

He raised his other hand to strike him.

But at the last moment...

Wail transformed into a flash of electricity and moved away.

His calm returned.

His aura stabilized once again.

Aetherion stood amid the destruction, still on his feet.

But his body was beginning to lose its ability to withstand the sword.

More parts of his armor cracked, and burns appeared across the arm holding Excalibur. Energy continued flowing from the sword into his body, causing his hand to tremble.

Aetherion lowered his head slightly, trying to regain his balance.

His breathing had become heavier than before.

Yet he refused to let go of the sword.

He tightened his grip around it.

"Not yet..."

He raised his head again and fixed his eyes on Wail.

Excalibur's energy began to fluctuate around him, as if the sword itself had become a burden his body could barely carry.

But Aetherion raised it once again.

"I won't stop."

His energy erupted again.

But this time...

His body was the first to pay the price.

Wail looked at him.

Then said:

"The power of your sword is immense..."

He fixed his eyes on the armor.

"It's hurting you."

Aetherion replied:

"No one can wield Excalibur, even for a few seconds."

Then he looked at the sword.

"And those who can wield it... cannot withstand its energy."

He raised his eyes toward Wail.

"And those who can withstand it... cannot release its full power."

Wail said:

"Then... you're not fighting at full strength?"

Silence fell for a few moments.

Then Aetherion answered:

"I told you... no being can use the full power of this sword."

Then he gave a faint smile.

"But to answer your question... I am fighting with everything I have... and I still don't measure up to you."

Wail's eyes widened.

He remembered how helpless he had felt against Aetherion.

He remembered every attack.

Then he remembered the mountain that had been split in half moments ago.

"I don't measure up to you...?"

A faint smile appeared on his face, but it quickly disappeared.

He thought:

"What is this feeling...?"

Wail felt a surge of exhilaration, but it vanished almost immediately.

His silver aura began to condense.

The ground around his feet shattered under the pressure of his energy.

The temperature of the area rose.

Wail brought his hands together in front of his body.

Silver energy began gathering between his palms, threaded with sparks of electricity.

His aura grew denser.

Then he said:

"Let's finish this, Aetherion."

He fixed his eyes on him.

"This time... it ends here."

Aetherion looked at Excalibur.

Then he remembered his wife.

He said:

"Very well."

A yellow and black aura erupted from his body and from the sword.

The cracks in his armor widened.

Then he extended Excalibur forward.

And this time...

He held it with both hands.

The two warriors shouted simultaneously as their energies gathered, preparing for their final attack.

Aetherion placed within his sword the souls of his companions...

The determination of his people...

The memories of his enemies...

And everything he had experienced throughout his life.

Wail, meanwhile, was completely clear-minded.

He thought of nothing but the battle before him.

In the next instant...

Both launched their attacks.

A blue-silver flash erupted from one side.

Opposing it, a dark golden beam of electricity exploded forward.

The two energies collided, destroying everything around them.

Wail struggled, releasing everything he had.

His blue-silver flash gradually began pushing forward.

Aetherion's attack started to retreat.

But the knight did not stop.

His scream grew louder.

"I WON'T LOSE!!!!"

An enormous surge of black electricity exploded from his body.

The power of his attack increased.

The dark golden beam grew until it completely swallowed Wail and his attack.

Aetherion's armor cracked completely.

The section covering his shoulder and half of his chest shattered entirely.

His body began to lose its balance, so he drove Excalibur into the ground and remained standing with difficulty, gasping for breath.

He raised his head toward the center of the smoke and dust.

He continued watching.

Then it seemed as though he sensed something.

He exhaled with difficulty and said:

"Why don't you just finish this...?"

Wail was standing behind him.

Electricity was densely concentrated around his hand, and he was about to drive it through Aetherion's heart.

But he stopped.

He did not do it.

Aetherion dropped to his knees, then turned toward Wail.

"What are you doing...?"

Then he said:

"This is a battle, Wail."

Wail answered in a serious tone:

"Not yet."

He paused for a moment, then continued:

"Someone like you shouldn't end here."

He held Aetherion's gaze.

"The world needs you, Aetherion."

Aetherion said nothing.

Wail continued:

"Your life isn't over yet."

He extended his hand toward him.

"Get up."

"Raise your head..."

"And fight!!!"

Then he shouted:

"Fight until the very end, Aetherion! Don't you dare stop!!!"

Aetherion slowly raised his head.

When Wail extended his arm toward him...

Aetherion's eyes widened.

Wail coughed up blood.

And suddenly...

The silver aura around his body began to fade.

It disappeared completely.

Wail collapsed to the ground in pain.

Aetherion remembered his wife's words:

"You may not always be right... You may be wrong sometimes..."

He looked at Wail.

Then extended his hand toward him, and healing energy began flowing from his body.

He said:

"You've won, Wail."

"What a warrior you are... You have earned my complete respect."

Wail said through his pain:

"What about... the reason you came here?"

Aetherion answered:

"I told you."

"I know you are not a bad person, and that you do not pose a threat to this world."

He looked at Wail.

"And I trust that you can control the Spirit of Perception."

"I am willing to help you protect this world."

Silence fell.

Then a faint smile appeared on Wail's face.

"Looks like not everyone from outer space is evil..."

Aetherion replied:

"The universe is far greater than simply good and evil, Wail."

Then he tried to help him stand.

Suddenly...

A voice echoed through the sky:

"There you are!!"

The two quickly turned around.

Two strangers were hovering in the sky, both wearing black cloaks.

Strange shapes glowed within their red eyes, radiating a terrifying energy.

Aetherion looked at them with concern.

"Is that...?"

One of them was holding someone by the neck.

The captive wore a purple robe covered in medals.

Aetherion's eyes widened.

It was the Deputy General...Kais.

Aetherion said coldly:

"Who are you?"

The figure holding Kais laughed.

"You are Aetherion..."

Then he raised Kais slightly.

"The Black Thunder Knight."

He fixed his gaze on Aetherion.

"We were told to kill your entire race, since you are considered a threat to us."

Then he smiled.

"And you are the last one."

Aetherion stared at him in confusion, unable to understand what he was talking about.

Then the second figure spoke:

"Allow me to explain..."

He moved slightly closer.

"Because you still don't seem to understand."

He threw something toward Aetherion.

It landed in front of him.

It was a head...

The head of General Ragnier.

Aetherion's expression froze.

The man laughed.

"I didn't expect the General to be this weak!"

The other man laughed.

"Oh, and by the way..."

He threw Kais's body to the ground.

"This knight is dead too."

The two looked at Aetherion.

"As we said... we've confirmed that everyone is dead."

Then he smiled.

"And you're the last one."

Silence fell.

Aetherion lowered his head.

A dark and terrifying aura spread from his body.

He remembered his wife's smile.

Then he raised his head and drew Excalibur.

An enormous surge of energy exploded from the sword, several times greater than anything he had displayed during his battle with Wail.

Wail's eyes widened in shock.

He was also enraged by the two men's words.

He tried to stand and transform again, preparing to fight alongside Aetherion.

But Aetherion drove a fist into his stomach.

Wail immediately lost consciousness.

Aetherion caught him before he fell.

He said:

"I'm sorry, Wail..."

Then he looked at him.

"Your strength has already been exhausted, and staying here would put you in danger."

A flash of electricity erupted.

"I'll handle this...and then let's have a real fight again..."

Wail disappeared as Aetherion transported him somewhere else.

Then Aetherion looked into the distance.

Adam and Noah were approaching at high speed.

They disappeared as well.

In the next instant, they appeared at the same place where Wail had been transported.

Aetherion then transported Elyes, Amin, Zaki, and Sif there as well.

He remained alone on the battlefield, standing with Excalibur in his hand.

His body was broken, and his armor was almost completely destroyed.

But the aura surrounding him was something entirely different.

Aetherion raised his head.

Then shouted:

"The Black Thunder Knight..."

The energy around Excalibur intensified.

"Aetherion Vin Thundria!!"

He fixed his eyes on the two figures.

"You two will be the first... and the last... to witness my rage, you bastards!!!"

The two smiled as their eyes began glowing with red energy.

Aetherion's power continued rising.

Then he charged toward them at tremendous speed.

And just one moment before he reached them...

The scene changed...

Wail and the others appeared somewhere else.