The duel between the Black Knight and the Transparent Ghoul was a storm of clashing energies that carved a solitary, violent circle in the heart of the battlefield. Around them, the war raged, steel clashed against grotesque flesh, men shouted, and Ghouls screeched, but within their sphere, there existed only the two of them. The Ghoul’s black staff, a conduit for some ancient malice, met the Knight’s ebon blade in a series of shrieking impacts that sent sparks of unnatural, dark light sputtering into the air like dying stars.They moved in a brutal, silent dance of death. One moment, the Ghoul pressed its advantage, its translucent form shifting and blurring as its staff whirled, forcing the Knight to give ground, his armored boots digging furrows in the churned, bloody earth. The next, the Black Knight would surge forward with an explosion of motion, his sword becoming a seamless extension of his will, a blur of darkness that drove the creature into a desperate, defensive stance. I

Ali and the monstrous ghoul stood locked in their violent stalemate. Professor Riyad's voice, sharp with urgency, buzzed in Ali's ear. "Ali, be careful! This one is clearly a high-tier threat. Its energy signature is unlike anything I've recorded. Do not engage it head-on. Analyze its patterns, defend yourself, and wait for backup. I've just sent word; either Jameel or Ibrahim will be there to support you shortly."Ali's eyes never left the slavering maw of the creature. "I'll try my best until they come," he replied, his voice tight with focus. He took a deep, steadying breath, a whispered prayer on his lips, "Ya Allah." Then, he moved.The battle began anew. To Ali's immense relief, he quickly realized his Sword of Light was a key advantage. The ghoul recoiled from its pure radiance, the holy energy seeming to sap its strength and slow its terrifying speed. It couldn't attack with its full, brutal power because it couldn't penetrate the defensive aura the sword created.Seeing this,

Ali, Hamza, and Nawras faced the Ghoul together, the very same creature that had attacked their headquarters and stolen the Golden Armor. As Ali dueled the terrible monster, a shocking discovery unfolded. Through the creature's taunts and the battle's strange resonance with the armor he now wore, the Ghoul finally revealed why he took the armor : the Ghouls had sought this specific armor because it was the legendary relic of the commander who, five thousand years ago, had defeated and imprisoned them behind the Great Wall.The tale was ancient, shrouded in mystery with no surviving sources, leaving Ali stunned by the Ghoul's revelation and its motive. A wave of guilt washed over him; by taking the armor he had indirectly caused his friends' suffering.Consumed by this realization, Ali flew into a fit of reckless rage. He abandoned all strategy and launched a wild, telegraphed attack. The Ghoul easily countered, striking him with a concussive blow that sent him flying through the air

A final, cataclysmic surge of fire erupted from Hazim, a miniature sun that incinerated the last of the chittering, insectoid Ghouls that had swarmed him. The air, once thick with the sound of buzzing wings and scraping chitin, fell into an eerie, sizzling silence, punctuated only by the drip of molten rock and the crackle of burning carapaces. He stood for a moment in the center of the charred circle, his chest heaving, his fiery sword dimming to a steady, angry glow. The distraction was over. His mind, cleared of the immediate threat, snapped back to the single most important objective: the front line. His brother was there. Marwan and the others were there. And Yajij was there.Without a moment's hesitation, he turned and began to sprint, a blazing comet cutting across the ravaged battlefield. But Yajij’s designs were layered. Before he had covered half the distance, the ground before him trembled and split open. From the fissure emerged a new wave of Ghouls, their forms more best

The female Ghoul stood tall and gazed at her new foe. The dynamic had shifted. No longer was she facing a single, weary knight; she was now confronted by a coordinated pair. Marwan, his body a symphony of pain, settled into a low, defensive stance, his shield was a massive, shimmering rectangle of advanced metal. He held it firmly before him. Haitham was freed from the sole burden of defense, he took a deep breath and cracked the knuckles of his energy-wreathed fists, his blue aura intensifying as he prepared to become the storm.“Two are no more a challenge than one,” the Ghoul hissed, her voice dripping with condescension. “You merely prolong the inevitable.”“We’ll see about that,” Marwan grunted, his voice strained but steady.The fight began not with a roar, but with a blur. The Ghoul lunged, her blade-like weapon aiming for Haitham’s flank. Marwan was already moving, shifting his weight to intercept. He didn’t block the strike head-on; instead, he angled his shield, deflecting