Two identical figures stood facing each other.
Same face.
Same body.
Same presence.
For a long moment…
No one moved.
No one could tell which one was Zaraf and which one was Shadow.
The battlefield fell into complete silence.
Inside Zaraf's Mind
Zaraf stood alone within the quiet space of his inner world.
Then a familiar voice reached him.
Bell.
Her tone was strange.
Not happy.
Not sad.
Just… relieved.
"I'm glad you're safe."
Zaraf said nothing. He simply listened.
"I'm sorry for what I did," she continued softly. "But like you said… I don't regret it."
Her voice grew heavier.
"But because your existence split… our contract ended by mistake."
A pause.
"So this is goodbye, Zaraf."
Her presence slowly faded.
"I hope you don't hate ..me ."
Then—
Her voice vanished.
Outside
One of the two figures slowly examined his body.
Flexing his fingers.
Testing his strength.
But suddenly—
The other figure moved.
A wind blade flashed through the air.
Everyone instinctively believed the attacker was Shadow.
But they were wrong.
The one who attacked first—
Was Zaraf.
Shadow caught the blade with his bare hand.
Clang.
He jumped back lightly, a relaxed smile on his face.
"Easy there."
"Didn't anyone teach you patience?"
Wind began swirling violently around Zaraf.
A blade of compressed air formed in his hand.
"I won't let you leave."
Shadow sighed.
"You always rush straight to violence."
He tilted his head slightly.
"And people call me the dangerous one."
Ben instinctively stepped forward.
"I'll help—"
"Stop."
Shin's calm voice cut him off.
"This fight belongs to Zaraf."
Ben clenched his fists but didn't move.
Zaraf dashed forward.
His wind blade tore through the air with lethal speed.
Shadow moved like flowing water.
He dodged every strike with precise movements.
"You're wasting your strength," Shadow said calmly.
"I know every technique you have."
He slipped past another strike and pushed Zaraf back.
"You forget something."
Shadow smiled faintly.
"I was born from you."
Wind gathered violently around Zaraf.
The pressure intensified.
From afar, Shadow narrowed his eyes.
He raised one hand.
Dark mist began rising from beneath his feet.
Shin's eyes widened.
"…A new element?"
The darkness coiled around Shadow like living smoke.
Shadow's grin widened.
"So this is my element."
"Darkness."
He chuckled quietly.
"Fitting."
The dark matter surged forward like a wave.
But Zaraf didn't hesitate.
A violent gust exploded outward.
BOOM!
The dark mass shattered instantly.
Zaraf rushed forward again.
Just as he closed the distance—
His body froze.
He looked down.
His own shadow had wrapped around his legs.
Binding him.
A dark blade formed in Shadow's hand.
He placed it calmly against Zaraf's neck.
"For someone who wants to stop me…"
Shadow leaned slightly closer.
"You're surprisingly easy to catch."
Ben and Lusy prepared to move.
But Shin simply closed his eyes.
Then—
A violent wind burst beneath Zaraf.
The shadow restraints shattered.
Zaraf launched himself upward.
Shadow appeared behind him instantly.
His blade struck—
But stopped inches away.
Wind armor surrounded Zaraf's body.
Shadow chuckled.
"Oh right."
"I used that technique."
He grabbed Zaraf and slammed him into the ground.
BOOM.
The earth cracked beneath the impact.
"How long are we going to watch?" Lusy said anxiously.
"We need to stop Shadow!"
Ben shook his head.
"If we interfere… we might only hurt Zaraf."
Shin nodded slightly.
"This battle is part of Zaraf's growth."
Lusy watched the battlefield with clenched fists.
"Zaraf… be safe."
Zaraf rose slowly.
Wind exploded around him again.
The pressure forced Shadow backward.
Shadow planted his feet, resisting the storm.
Then suddenly—
Dark arms erupted from his body like spiders.
They stabbed into the ground.
Anchoring him.
The wind pressure weakened.
Shadow's eyes glowed black.
"Interesting."
Then the dark arms lunged.
"Wind Style!"
Zaraf sliced through them instantly.
The two clashed.
Wind blade against dark blade.
Steel-like energy sparks burst into the air.
Shadow studied Zaraf carefully.
Every movement.
Every rhythm.
Every habit.
But Zaraf fought with pure rage.
Then suddenly—
Zaraf changed tactics.
Wind gathered into a sphere around Shadow.
Pressure intensified.
Then—
The oxygen vanished.
Shadow dropped to one knee.
Struggling to breathe.
But then—
Darkness exploded from his body.
BOOM.
Shadow stood again.
"So that's how the elemental system works."
He raised his hand.
Gravity crashed down.
The wind field shattered.
Zaraf slammed into the ground.
Shin frowned.
"Gravity…?"
"If he keeps understanding the elements this quickly…"
"…he'll become far more dangerous."
The Turning Point
Instead of forming another wind blade—
Zaraf created a massive tornado.
Then compressed it.
And fired it like a blast.
BOOM.
The attack shot toward Shadow.
Shadow's shadow rose to intercept it.
But the explosion blasted him backward.
Everyone thought the fight was over.
But Shadow stood up again.
Blood ran down his side.
The wound Rough gave him had reopened.
He began laughing.
"It was right in front of me."
He looked at Zaraf.
"You will always be weak."
His voice became colder.
"Dark Element."
Everyone held their breath.
"Second Level."
Zaraf clenched his fists until blood dripped from his palms.
Even Shin looked worried now.
But the darkness didn't change.
Then—
The air grew heavier.
Colder.
Silent.
Shadow raised one finger.
A tiny sphere of pure darkness appeared.
"Dark Pull."
The sphere began attracting everything.
The ground cracked.
Stones lifted into the air.
The sphere grew larger.
But then—
It changed.
Compressed.
Collapsed.
Shadow's smile faded.
Zaraf's eyes widened.
Because now—
In Shadow's hand…
Was something far worse.
Shadow closed his eyes briefly.
Then looked at Shin.
"Black Hole."
Space itself warped.
The battlefield began tearing apart.
Everything was being dragged toward the singularity.
"RUN!" Shin shouted.
But Zaraf stood frozen.
Realization struck him.
I can't defeat him.
Shin appeared in front of him instantly.
Shadow swung his hand.
The black hole's destructive force surged forward.
Shin's eyes glowed bright yellow.
He raised his hand.
The incoming destruction melted.
Everything turned into streams of molten lava.
But Shadow had already opened a portal.
Before entering—
He looked back at Shin.
"You and I will meet again."
His voice carried quiet certainty.
"And when that day comes…"
"That place will belong to me."
Then he disappeared.
Silence returned.
Then Lusy noticed something.
"Zaraf… you're bleeding!"
Blood poured from his wound again.
They rushed toward him.
Ben caught him as he collapsed.
Zaraf looked up weakly.
"I'm… sorry."
"I couldn't stop him."
His body went limp.
He lost consciousness.
Elsewhere
Shadow stepped through the portal.
A new world stretched before him.
He looked at his hands.
"So this is my power."
Darkness burned around his body.
His clothes dissolved and reformed into a darker form.
He pushed his hair back slowly.
"No contracts."
"No chains."
"Just power."
He looked at the horizon.
"And a destiny worth claiming."
Darkness answered him.