The air was thick with tension.
Carlos Varte stood tall, black flames flickering around him, his piercing gaze locked onto Bolt. The few Black Squad members behind him remained silent, their faces unreadable. They had seen their leader fight countless battles.
They had never seen him hesitate.
But now, Carlos hesitated.
And Bolt?
He felt alive.
A storm raged inside him—not one of chaos, but understanding.
For the first time, he wasn't fighting against his power. He wasn't trying to force it, to control it through sheer will.
He knew it.
Fire, Water, Earth, Ice, Lightning, Wind… even Shadow.
It was as if these forces had always been a part of him, waiting for the right moment to awaken.
That moment was now.
Carlos' fists clenched, his voice low. "Something changed in you."
Bolt exhaled slowly. 5%. That's how much he could access now. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
Carlos vanished in a blur of black flames.
Bolt's instincts screamed—too slow.
He didn't dodge.
He moved.
A sudden gust of wind propelled him sideways, barely missing Carlos' devastating strike. The ground where he had stood cracked apart, molten rock glowing beneath the surface.
Carlos' eyes flickered with rage. He was fast. Deadly. But now, so was Bolt.
With a flick of his wrist, Bolt summoned fire into one hand, water into the other.
Carlos rushed forward—
Bolt clenched his fists—
Steam erupted.
The sudden explosion of heat and mist blinded Carlos for a fraction of a second—but that was all Bolt needed.
A surge of lightning and wind coiled around him as he dashed forward, his fist colliding with Carlos' chest.
The impact sent Carlos flying.
He slammed into a stone pillar, the structure shattering under the force.
A deep, eerie silence followed.
The Black Squad members watching from the sidelines stiffened.
Their leader… was struggling.
Carlos slowly got to his feet, his expression unreadable. Then, he grinned.
"Not bad."
Black flames surged violently around him.
The very ground beneath them began to burn.
"Let's see how much more you can take."
Bolt didn't move. He didn't need to.
Instead, he listened.
Not with his ears, but with his power.
The elements spoke to him, whispering their secrets.
Carlos lunged—but Bolt was already moving.
Wind carried him. Earth strengthened his footing. Ice cooled the heat.
Lightning ignited his blood.
Their clash was explosive.
Bolt countered every strike, matching Carlos' raw power with something greater—
Mastery.
A fierce exchange of fire and lightning, wind and shadow, light and dark. The battlefield itself seemed to tremble under the weight of their battle.
Carlos was strong. One of the strongest Bolt had ever faced.
But this time—Carlos wasn't the biggest threat.
A shiver ran down Bolt's spine.
Then, it happened.
A whisper.
Not from Carlos.
Not from the Black Squad.
From within.
"You're progressing…"
Bolt froze.
The temperature dropped.
Carlos frowned, sensing the shift.
The Black Squad members tensed.
Bolt's shadow… moved.
Not in response to the light. Not in response to his body.
On its own.
It stretched unnaturally, twisting, rising, growing.
And then—
A figure emerged.
A towering silhouette, shifting like living darkness. Its body was featureless, but its eyes—
Glowing. Red. Piercing.
Carlos stumbled back.
For the first time—fear flickered across his face.
The air turned heavy. Suffocating.
Bolt tried to move, but his body felt like it was sinking into the
abyss.
And then—
The shadow spoke.
"But you're not ready."
The battlefield went silent.
The world darkened.
And then—
Carlos screamed.