36-Two Sides of Balance

The battle had begun.

Bahaa opened a portal in front of Elyes.

Elyes rushed through it at incredible speed and emerged from another portal directly behind Sam.

Sam turned at the last possible moment, but a beam of light struck him in the back.

He raised his arm, and a layer of highly compressed air formed around his body, absorbing much of the impact.

But it could not completely stop the attack.

Sam was sent flying.

Elyes chased after him without hesitation.

---

Elsewhere...

Bahaa charged at Noel, but Noel suddenly raised his hand.

The gravity around Bahaa multiplied.

His body was violently pulled toward the ground, but he managed to plant his feet with great difficulty.

Noel smiled mockingly.

“Did you really think I’d let you get this close so easily?”

Bahaa raised his head.

Then he suddenly vanished.

Noel’s eyes widened.

A small portal appeared behind him.

Bahaa emerged from it and swung his fist toward Noel’s head, but Noel turned at the last moment and raised his arm to block the attack.

The two fighters pulled away from each other.

This time, Noel charged forward.

He used his gravity to increase the force behind his movement, then threw a powerful punch at Bahaa.

Bahaa blocked it with his arm, but suddenly felt his body becoming heavier.

“Damn it...”

Noel took advantage of the opening and drove a powerful punch into his stomach, sending him flying backward.

Before Bahaa could fall, several black hands emerged from the shadows on the ground.

They grabbed his body and stopped him in midair.

Noel stared at them in surprise.

“What?”

The hands tightened their grip around Bahaa’s arms and legs.

Bahaa raised his hand, and a sphere of dark energy formed above his palm.

“Dark Explosion.”

The sphere shot directly toward Noel.

But the gravity surrounding Noel exploded all at once.

The black hands shattered, and darkness scattered through the air.

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Noel propelled himself away before the sphere could hit him.

It exploded behind him.

Bahaa appeared in front of him in the next instant and threw a punch.

Noel caught his fist.

He spoke calmly:

“You fell right into my hands.”

The gravity around Bahaa suddenly intensified.

His body bent downward as every bone in him seemed to become heavier.

Noel took advantage of the situation and threw a punch directly at his face.

But the punch stopped in midair.

“What?”

Noel could no longer feel anything.

No sound.

No movement.

No energy.

Bahaa had used his element to conceal his opponent’s senses.

Noel could not perceive anything around him.

Suddenly, Bahaa appeared in front of him and drove a powerful strike into his chest.

Noel staggered backward.

Bahaa gave him no chance to recover and fired a dark beam from his hand.

After taking the beam head-on, Noel regained control of his senses and immediately charged.

The two clashed directly.

Noel threw a punch.

Bahaa blocked it.

Bahaa launched a kick.

Noel dodged.

Another strike from Noel followed, this time with gravity concentrated around his fist, increasing its power.

Bahaa blocked it with both hands, but was forced backward.

Noel was about to continue his assault when Bahaa extended his hand toward him.

Dark beams shot forward, forcing Noel to retreat and dodge.

Then a massive black hand emerged from behind him and grabbed his leg.

Noel turned around.

Another hand emerged from his shadow and grabbed his arm.

Bahaa spoke:

“It’s over.”

A massive sphere of darkness formed in front of him.

But Noel clenched his fist.

Gravity exploded around him.

The black hands shattered, and Noel charged directly at Bahaa, enduring the pain.

He grabbed Bahaa by the shoulder and slammed him into the ground with tremendous force.

Noel raised his hand.

Gravity intensified around Bahaa’s body, leaving him unable to stand.

“You’re strong, Bahaa...”

He stepped closer.

“But you’ve become weaker than you used to be.”

Bahaa slowly raised his head.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

“Maybe.”

Then Bahaa appeared directly in front of Noel.

“But I never said I needed my old strength to defeat you.”

Bahaa punched Noel in the face.

At the exact same moment, Noel unleashed his gravity with all his strength.

Bahaa’s fist struck Noel’s face.

At the same time, the powerful gravitational force struck Bahaa and sent him sliding across the ground.

Both fighters stood again.

They were exhausted.

But the battle was far from over.

---

Elsewhere...

Elyes was striking Sam repeatedly, forcing him backward.

He finished his assault with a kick to Sam’s stomach.

Sam’s air shields shattered, and he was sent flying.

Elyes stood firmly in place.

Sam slowly got back to his feet.

But instead of becoming angry...

he started laughing.

A seal appeared in his hand.

Elyes’s eyes widened.

He began moving through the area in flashes of golden light, avoiding whatever Sam was about to unleash.

Sam said:

“It’s useless.”

The seal spread across the ground.

Elyes immediately realized what was happening.

It was the same seal that had taken down his companions.

Elyes charged at Sam and struck him with a powerful punch, sending him flying.

Then he appeared behind him in a golden flash and pinned him between the rocks.

Elyes brought his hands together.

Light energy began gathering between his palms.

It grew.

Then grew even larger.

Elyes shouted:

“Light Explosion!!”

A massive beam erupted from his hands.

It erased the rocks in its path and carved a gigantic trench through the ground.

Elyes thought it was over.

But the smoke slowly began to clear.

Sam was still standing.

Blood was flowing from his body.

And yet...

he was smiling.

Elyes’s eyes widened.

Sam raised both hands toward him.

Suddenly...

Elyes coughed up blood.

He could no longer move.

Sam’s attack had reached his internal organs.

Sam coughed and said:

“Now... taste your own attack.”

A beam of light erupted from Sam’s hand.

Elsewhere, an explosion echoed through the battlefield.

Bahaa raised his head.

He saw the massive flash of light in the distance.

His attention was distracted for only a moment.

That was enough.

Noel struck him with an elbow directly on top of his head.

“Don’t take your eyes off the battle.”

A purple aura began glowing around Noel.

Bahaa had concealed his opponent’s senses once again.

He opened a portal and transported himself to Elyes’s location.

He froze when he saw him lying on the ground.

His yellow Elemental Form had disappeared.

Void Shackles were embedded in his body, continuously feeding their energy into him.

Bahaa immediately realized that Elyes could no longer continue fighting.

Noel appeared beside Sam.

“Good... the first one is down.”

Bahaa looked at them.

“Don’t celebrate yet.”

His aura surged.

Black Force Pulse appeared around him.

“The battle has only just begun.”

Noel smiled provocatively.

“Enough with the nonsense... Dark told us that you want the same thing we do, Bahaa.”

Bahaa frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

Noel answered:

“Balance.”

“You don’t want the elemental powers to remain in the hands of those who don’t deserve them, do you?”

Bahaa hesitated for a moment.

Sam continued:

“We’d be more than happy to have you help us achieve our goal, Bahaa. You’d be a very useful addition to our cause.”

Bahaa replied:

“You two have no idea what will happen... You’re working with Dark. Do you really think the legendary Spirit of Darkness won’t betray you?”

Noel answered:

“He won’t. We only want to extract the corrupted energy from Wail. We don’t care what happens afterward.”

“We’ll continue on our own without Dark and search for other unstable sources of energy.”

Then he looked at Bahaa.

“Be honest with yourself, Bahaa... Haven’t you become weaker after staying with those children?”

“They know nothing about the world of combat. You’ve become much weaker, and that doesn’t suit someone like you.”

Bahaa thought for a moment.

Then he said:

“You’re right about one thing...”

He raised his head.

“I really do want to achieve a balance of power.”

Noel’s expression changed.

“But the people you call trash are worthy of their powers... and they deserve them.”

Noel exhaled.

“You’re an idiot... You’ll regret your decision.”

Suddenly...

a voice came from above.

“You two are the ones who will regret it.”

All three looked up.

Wail appeared in a flash of electricity and struck them with a powerful lightning bolt, forcing them backward.

Bahaa looked at him.

“Wail... where have you been?”

Wail was wearing Yassin’s torn robe.

Electric sparks rose from his body.

He spoke coldly:

“It’s my turn. Step aside.”