Previously....
Ace: (chuckling darkly) What's wrong? Just a little tap, and you're already done? I expected more from someone pretending to be immortal.
Cron's mind raced, struggling to make sense of the unrelenting power Ace had unleashed.
Cron: (thinking, still in disbelief) Did... Did I just die twice from a single hit? From a neck chop...? That little hit...
Ace threw his head back, a mocking laugh reverberating through the ruined landscape.
Ace: (laughing) Look at you! That face... all that overthinking over one measly hit. Pathetic, isn't it?
Cron's fists tightened as he forced himself up, rage igniting within him. He gritted his teeth, steeling himself for another strike.
Present:
Cron: (whispering, defiant) I'm not done yet, Ace.
Ace's smile widened, his gaze glinting with a predatory malice. He took a step forward, his aura flaring with a dark energy that twisted and writhed like black flames.
Ace: (mocking) Oh, you still have fight left? Good. This will be more entertaining than I thought.
Cron lunged forward, his speed blurring as he closed the distance between them. His fists moved in a rapid assault, each strike packed with the full force of his rage and desperation. But Ace met him blow for blow, his movements fluid, almost lazy, as he deflected each attack with a flick of his wrist, a glint of amusement in his eyes.
The ground shook beneath their clash, energy crackling through the air as their auras collided. Cron's attacks grew more erratic, his frustration mounting with each failed attempt to land a decisive blow.
Ace: (taunting) Is that all you've got? I thought you'd at least make me break a sweat.
Cron roared in defiance, launching himself at Ace with renewed fury, but in that moment, a figure appeared between them, blocking Ace's strike with effortless precision.
It was Dark.
Dark: (calmly) Cron... take a breath. I'll handle him.
Cron staggered back, his eyes widening in shock and relief. Dark's presence was like a storm—controlled, yet brimming with untamed energy.
Cron: (breathless) Dark... You... You came back?
Dark's gaze remained fixed on Ace, his eyes narrowed with deadly intent.
Dark: (quietly) I never left.
Ace's smile faltered as he sized up Dark, his expression shifting from amusement to wary interest.
Ace: (smirking) Ah, Dark. I was wondering when you'd show up again after all that beating. Here to save your friend?
Dark didn't respond. He simply raised his hand, the shadows coiling around him like living tendrils, pooling at his feet as his aura darkened. Without warning, he lunged forward, his movements a blur of shadow and speed as he closed in on Ace.
The two clashed in a fierce exchange of blows, each strike sending shockwaves rippling through the air. Dark's attacks were relentless, his every movement precise and calculated, each swing of his blade infused with the weight of his newfound power. Ace met his strikes with equal force, his grin widening as he reveled in the intensity of their battle.
But then, as Dark fought, his focus sharpened, and he felt something—an unfamiliar surge of energy building within him. His vision narrowed, and he sensed a force deep inside, rising like a tidal wave, dark and primal.
Suddenly, as the battle raged around them, Dark's face was illuminated by a strange glow. His eyes widened, and a mix of darkness, dark purple, and crimson with dark blue hues swirled in his gaze, flickering with an intense, otherworldly light.
The scene shifted, zooming in on his face as his eyes blazed with this newfound power—a force that felt both terrifying and exhilarating, as though the shadows themselves were bending to his will.
Dark: (thinking, feeling the surge) What... the?
Dark: (thinking) What is this power?
For a moment, everything froze. Cron, Ace, and the landscape around them faded into the background, and Dark was left staring into the abyss within himself, the glow in his eyes intensifying.
In that single, blinding instant, he felt it—his connection to the shadows, to the power that lurked beyond existence, solidifying, merging with him in ways he had never felt before. The darkness was no longer just a weapon. It was a part of him, a force that pulsed with his heartbeat, a power he was born to wield.
The hue in his eyes darkened, a deeper, more intense shade of purple and crimson merging into a force that radiated from his very soul.
Cron, catching sight of Dark's transformation, felt a chill run down his spine.
Cron: (whispering, awestruck) Dark... your eyes...
Ace, for the first time, took a step back, his gaze flickering with a glimmer of uncertainty as he watched Dark, whose form was now barely distinguishable from the shadows around him.
Dark: (quietly, voice echoing with power) Let's end this.
The darkness within him surged, and in that moment, Dark became one with the shadows, no the shadows became one with him, forging him into an unstoppable force, his presence consuming everything in its path.
Ace's face twisted, a blend of surprise and anger flickering in his gaze as he watched Dark's transformation take hold, as if witnessing something that defied understanding.
Ace: (voice low, unsettled) What... what are you?
Dark's eyes met his, the swirling hues of darkness and crimson and purple casting an eerie glow that seemed to swallow the light around them. The shadows twisted and coiled around Dark's body, merging with him, making his very form appear fluid and formless, as though he were becoming something beyond mortal constraints.
Dark: (calm, with a hint of menace) I am what you feared I'd become. And now... you'll know why.
In a blink, Dark vanished into the shadows, reappearing behind Ace with inhuman speed, his movements like a dance of darkness itself. He delivered a devastating blow to Ace's back, sending him stumbling forward, the impact shattering the ground beneath them.
Ace spun around, attempting to retaliate, but Dark was gone again, fading into the shadows, his form merging seamlessly with the darkness around them. Ace's fists swung into empty air, frustration twisting his features as he struggled to track Dark's movements.
Ace: (roaring) Stop hiding and fight me, Dark!
But Dark's voice echoed from every direction, a cold, haunting whisper that seemed to come from the shadows themselves.
Dark: (voice resonant, almost ethereal) I'm not hiding. You're just not fast enough to keep up.
Before Ace could react, Dark materialized directly in front of him, his shadow-infused fist slamming into Ace's chest, sending him flying back. Ace crashed into the ground, struggling to catch his breath, the shock of Dark's power settling into his bones.
Dark advanced, the shadows pooling around his feet, creating a palpable sense of dread. Cron watched in awe, his heart racing as he took in the transformation. This was a power he'd never seen in Dark—a force beyond anything he'd ever imagined.
Cron: (thinking, feeling a surge of hope) Dark... he's... he's unstoppable.
Ace pushed himself to his feet, his expression twisted with a mixture of rage and fear. He launched another desperate assault, his energy crackling around him, but Dark was unfazed. With each of Ace's attacks, Dark either evaded effortlessly, or dissipated into the shadows, making himself untouchable.
Finally, Dark raised his hand, summoning a wall of shadow that surged forward, slamming into Ace with the force of a tidal wave, pinning him against the fractured ground. Ace struggled, but the darkness was relentless, its weight pressing down on him like a hundred hands, holding him in place.
Dark knelt beside him, his eyes blazing with that otherworldly glow.
Dark: (coldly) You were always so sure of yourself, Ace. But in the end, this power you mocked... it's what will end you.
He raised his hand, and the shadows converged, condensing into a single, pulsing point of energy. Ace's eyes widened, a glimmer of fear breaking through his defiance as he realized the end was near.
Ace: (voice shaking) Dark, wait—!
But Dark didn't hesitate. With a swift, final motion, he unleashed the energy, the shadows consuming Ace entirely, his screams echoing through the darkness before they faded into silence.
As the dust settled, Dark stood, his breathing steady, the shadows slowly receding from his form, though traces of that power lingered, as if permanently woven into his being. He turned to Cron, who watched him with a mixture of awe and reverence.
Cron: (breathless) Dark... that power...
Dark: (quietly, almost to himself) It's something... I was always meant to have.
Cron took a step closer, relief flooding through him.
Cron: (smiling faintly) You saved us. You really... saved us.
Dark's gaze softened, the intense glow in his eyes dimming slightly as he looked at his friend. He nodded, a hint of gratitude breaking through his otherwise stoic expression.
Dark: (softly) We're not finished yet, Cron. There's still more to come.
As they turned to leave the ruined battlefield, the shadows coiling around Dark's feet faded, leaving only silence in their wake. The power within him was now dormant, yet he knew it was there—a part of him, waiting, ready for whatever lay ahead.
End of Both Arc 2.