67~ Once ,We were Friends

"How disappointing..."

Bahaa stood atop the mountain, the sun directly above him, a faint, sinister smile on his face.

"I never thought I'd be able to defeat you without even needing these eyes, my friend."

Below him, Wail knelt on one knee, gasping for breath. Blood trickled from multiple wounds across his body before his Elemental Transformation faded without a word.

Bahaa continued taunting him.

"Aren't you going to use the spirit inside you? The Spirit of Perception?"

Wail struggled to his feet, catching his breath before answering,

"I haven't been able to use its power since the last time I fought Aetherion... It appears randomly sometimes, and I don't know how to control it."

Bahaa studied him for a few moments before speaking.

"That's because you've changed, Wail. Spirits are connected to the emotions of their hosts. Perhaps your emotions have changed, and the spirit hasn't been able to adapt to that yet."

Wail furrowed his brows.

"My emotions? What do they have to do with any of this?"

Bahaa replied,

"As you can see, I've completely merged my consciousness with the spirit's. You may have noticed that my personality has gradually started to change, because the fusion is still ongoing. The same thing happened to Amin."

Wail began to understand what he meant. He remembered the changes in both Bahaa's and Amin's personalities.

Then he said,

"Aetherion mentioned that the Spirit of Perception is an exception. It merges with its host's consciousness automatically."

Bahaa placed a hand on his chin, deep in thought.

"Really? That's interesting..."

At that moment, Wail recalled a moment from his battle against Aetherion, when the latter had told him,

"Calm down... Your transformation will disappear if you lose control of your emotions."

Wail's eyes widened.

"Could it be that...?"

But he quickly clenched his fists and forced the thought out of his mind.

"It doesn't matter."

He raised his head and looked at Bahaa with cold fury.

"I don't need that spirit to kill you, anyway."

Bahaa laughed mockingly.

"And how do you intend to do that? With a little physical strength?"

His gaze fell on the prominent veins across Wail's body, from which steam was rising with increasing intensity.

Wail was breathing heavily, his anger building inside him.

"More than enough..."

Black and red electrical sparks began to appear around his body. He gradually concentrated them until an immense surge of red energy erupted from him and shot toward the sky.

Bahaa watched confidently without retreating.

From the heart of the explosion, Wail slowly emerged.

His hair was red, and his eyes were black. Intense heat surrounded his body as steam rose from his swollen veins, while electricity coursed through them in successive flashes.

He glared at Bahaa, his face twisted with anger.

"I'll kill you..."

Bahaa's smile widened.

"It's the red power..."

Then he laughed:

"Haha !! I'd like to see you try."

A black lightning bolt shot toward Bahaa and struck him. Another bolt appeared immediately afterward, and Wail used it to propel himself forward, launching a kick at Bahaa's head.

However, Bahaa had already opened a dark portal and escaped through it after taking the first strike. Wail's kick missed and slammed into the ground.

The moment his foot touched the surface, electrical sparks spread across the ground before exploding with tremendous force, leaving behind a massive crater.

Bahaa appeared above him and began channeling energy into his body to heal his injuries.

But Wail disappeared in the next instant.

Before Bahaa could react, a powerful punch struck him in the stomach.

It wasn't the speed of teleportation or any special ability. It was pure physical speed, far beyond what Bahaa had anticipated.

Bahaa was sent flying, crashing into the ground. A few moments later, he rose to his feet, grimacing in pain.

"What incredible speed..."

He looked at Wail, who was slowly approaching him, anger written across his face.

"This red energy is fueled by anger, and it greatly increases physical strength."

He clenched his fists, and his smile vanished.

"Fine, Wail... You asked for this!"

black power pulse emerged around his body, merging with his Elemental Transformation. The two auras gradually fused until his hair and aura turned completely black.

Reversed form.

In the next instant, darkness spread across the entire ground, creeping toward Wail's feet.

Wail charged forward to attack, but his movement suddenly stopped.

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He looked down and saw dozens of dark hands wrapping around his feet, holding him in place.

Before he could free himself, a powerful punch struck him in the face.

Taking advantage of his inability to move, Bahaa unleashed a barrage of punches. More hands emerged from the darkness, wrapping around Wail's body and restraining his arms and legs.

Wail struggled to break free, but the restraints tightened.

Suddenly, his energy exploded outward, making the dark hands disappear.

Bahaa retreated, his eyes widening when he found Wail gripping his foot.

Wail gave him no chance to regain his balance. Instead, he slammed him into the ground repeatedly.

Bahaa finally managed to break free and charged at him, but Wail evaded his attack and landed an electric punch in his stomach.

Bahaa coughed up blood violently and was sent flying hundreds of meters away.

He struggled to his feet, clutching his stomach.

"Damn it... His physical strength is monstrous! Taking several more hits from him could be extremely dangerous."

In the next instant, an electric arrow pierced his shoulder, propelling him through the air until he crashed into a rocky wall, pinning him in place.

He tried to pull the arrow out, but suddenly raised his head when he spotted a red and black flash approaching at tremendous speed.

He extended his hand to open a dark portal, but a red lightning bolt appeared out of nowhere and struck it, leaving his hand severely burned and wounded.

"Damn it...!"

Wail reached him in the next instant, delivering a punch that carried him all the way to his target.

Black thunder roared, and the mountain behind Bahaa shattered under the force of the blow. Blood burst from Bahaa's mouth before he fell to the ground unconscious.

Wail descended slowly and looked down at him with contempt.

"I've trained with this power so much, yet I still haven't mastered it..."

He approached Bahaa and grabbed him by the head before speaking coldly.

"What I've learned is that black thunder multiplies the impact of a strike several times over, while red thunder sometimes appears wherever I want it to."

Suddenly, Bahaa opened his Bloody Eyes and smiled again.

"I never asked you to tell me that..."

Wail's eyes widened. He unleashed a beam of electricity that engulfed Bahaa's entire body before retreating away from him.

"How is he still conscious after that attack...?"

He didn't have time to finish speaking before Bahaa appeared behind him.

"And why would you think that would defeat me?"

Wail spun around. At the same moment, a red lightning bolt appeared where Bahaa had been standing, but Bahaa retreated and evaded it.

Wail stared at him in disbelief as Bahaa's Bloody Eyes glowed and a confident smile spread across his face.

Wail gradually regained his composure, then released red electrical threads that wrapped around Bahaa's body, restraining him.

Meanwhile, he formed a bow out of electricity in his hand. A densely concentrated arrow began to take shape between its ends.

He released it.

Thunder roared across the mountain, followed by a massive explosion that swallowed Bahaa whole.

Wail exhaled when he saw a huge hole in his opponent's chest.

"It's over..."

But his eyes suddenly widened.

A gash appeared in his own chest, and blood flowed from the wound. He quickly retreated before dropping to one knee, gasping for breath as he tried to heal himself.

Someone approached from behind and leaned toward his ear.

"Don't lower your guard... It's not over yet."

Wail froze.

Bahaa was standing behind him, completely unharmed.

Energy continued flowing over Wail's wound, healing it. But this time, he didn't rush into another attack. Instead, he regained his composure and slowly stood up.

"You're using your ability, aren't you?"

Bahaa narrowed his eyes.

"Tch... Fighting you is going to be such a pain."

Wail replied coldly,

"Figuring out your ability is the real pain."

Bahaa smiled.

"I told you I could explain it if you..."

He couldn't finish his sentence. Wail suddenly struck him and sent him flying.

Bahaa said:

"He comes up with something new every time..."

He looked up ,Wail was above him already, while black electricity extended from his fist and spread across the sky.

Bahaa thought quickly.

"He has even learned to control his temper... Damn it, I might not be able to use my ability against him."

He concentrated his aura around his body, forming a defensive barrier.

But Wail didn't need to approach him.

He punched the air in front of him, sending a shockwave shaped like a black lightning bolt toward Bahaa. It pierced the barrier, shattered it, and hurled Bahaa toward the ground.

Bahaa rose again and flew into the sky as Wail charged toward him.

The two met in midair and exchanged rapid blows, each struggling to block the other's attacks. Wail dodged a punch and struck Bahaa in the side, but Bahaa twisted his body to evade it before countering with a kick that forced Wail to retreat.

Neither of them stopped.

Wail charged again and headbutted Bahaa who did the same, and the force of the collision sent them both flying backward. Wail seized the opportunity, teleporting in a flash of electricity to appear in front of him before delivering another strike to his chest.

Bahaa staggered back, gasping for breath, while Wail advanced without giving him a chance to regain his balance.

Suddenly...

Everything went black for Wail.

The light disappeared. Sound ceased. He lost all sense of his surroundings. He could neither see nor hear anything, as though the entire world had been erased around him.

Bahaa had suppressed Wail's senses and began attacking him, exploiting his inability to perceive the direction of the blows.

The attacks continued, and Wail couldn't block them.

But when Bahaa's final punch reached him, Wail caught it at the very moment it made contact with his body.

Bahaa's eyes widened.

"Impossible!"

An immense electrical current surged from Wail's arm into Bahaa's body, engulfing and burning him. Bahaa tried to protect himself by concentrating his aura around his body, managing to reduce the damage, but he couldn't prevent the attack from exhausting him.

He dropped to his knees, gasping heavily, and raised his head toward Wail.

Wail's expression was completely cold.

He formed a sword of black electricity in his hand and began walking toward Bahaa.

Despite the pain, Bahaa smiled.

"Aren't you going to let me say something?"

Wail stopped and replied with absolute indifference,

"I have nothing left to hear from you... I'll end this."

"At least listen to your dear friend's final words..."

Wail answered,

"Human nature makes people accept something in a particular moment out of fear, only to reconsider it after some time has passed. And that's what will make you reconsider your decision to return to your senses... and what will make me reconsider my decision to let you live."

He began approaching Bahaa again, his expression unchanged.

"You're a threat, and you might come back to hurt the people I want to protect."

Bahaa slowly retreated until he neared the edge of the mountain.

"And who are you trying to protect, Wail, when you kill everyone who stands in your way?"

Wail ignored the question and continued advancing.

Bahaa reached the edge and glanced down at the abyss below before looking back at Wail.

"Honestly, I can still fight... but it seems I can't defeat you."

"Good. Then let's get this over with."

Bahaa raised his head, trying to speak again.

"Listen to me, Wail... My goal has always been, and still is, the same. I..."

Wail interrupted him.

"I don't care about your nonsense about balance."

Bahaa's smile disappeared.

He stared seriously at Wail before asking,

"Wail, answer me honestly... Do you really believe everyone deserves to possess power?"

Wail finally stopped in front of him.

"That's not for us to decide."

Shock spread across Bahaa's face.

"What do you mean?! Surely not everyone deserves it! There are so many people on this planet who possess powers and elements, Wail. They bring us danger and offer nothing in return! They could even become your enemies in the future. Don't you understand?!"

Wail answered coldly,

"You're one of them, too."

Bahaa fell silent for a moment, unable to hide his shock.

Wail continued,

"You're repeating what Vale told me. Neither you nor he has the right to decide who deserves power, and neither of you deserves the power you possess. That's why I'll get rid of both of you."

"And if the people you're talking about become my enemies, I'll get rid of them too. If enemies from beyond this planet come because of them, I'll kill them as well."

Wail raised his blade and stared into Bahaa's eyes.

"I'll kill everyone who stands in my way."

That was when Bahaa finally lost his temper.

"You're talking nonsense, you idiot! Someone has to make that decision! And I'm the only one capable of doing it! Why don't you understand?! Why won't you help me?! Aren't we friends, you idiot?!"

Wail stopped for a moment.

His eyes widened from shoke at the final word. Then he gritted his teeth, anger spreading across his face.

"Friends? Are you kidding me?"

He lunged forward and drove his sword through Bahaa's heart.

Bahaa stopped shouting.

He stared at Wail for a few moments before gripping the hand that held the sword.

"So you really did it... It's all right."

He coughed up blood, his body bending under the pain. Even so, he raised his eyes to Wail one last time.

"My part is over now..."

He paused to catch his breath, then gave a faint smile.

"Finish the journey for me, my friend."

Wail froze.

Before he could respond, Bahaa grasped the sword embedded in his chest and pulled it out. Then he threw himself over the edge of the mountain.

Wail watched him fall into the abyss without moving.

A few moments later, his Elemental Transformation faded. The electrical sparks vanished from his body, and the steam rising from his veins gradually subsided until they returned to normal.

He clenched his fists, then turned and walked away.

His expression remained completely cold.

Wail and Bahaa hadn't shared a perfect past, but they had been close friends, despite Bahaa's habit of constantly teasing him.

Even so, Wail cast all those memories aside.

He had killed his closest friend in cold blood.