The fighting paused for a moment. The presence of "The Lord of Darkness" filled the hall with
a dark, overwhelming energy that was almost suffocating. Lux felt a shiver run through his body;
he realized this power was different from anything he had encountered before, deeper and more
malevolent.
"Lord of Darkness..." Lux whispered, feeling tension build in every cell of his body.
"I have been watching you, Reven," said the Lord of Darkness in his deep voice, slowly and
confidently approaching. "You have disappointed me. You were a perfect vessel for my power,
but your weak soul rejected me."
"My soul is not weak!" Lux cried out, delivering a powerful and direct punch towards the Lord of
Darkness's face.
But the Lord of Darkness did not move. He easily caught Lux's fist, as if it were nothing, then
threw him back with immense force. Lux slammed into the wall hard, feeling a sharp pain in his
back, but his will remained unbroken.
"You are merely a weak human, trying to cling to an illusory past," scoffed the Lord of Darkness,
his red eyes flashing with disdain. "This body belongs to me. And this girl will be my key to
controlling this world."
The Lord of Darkness lunged towards Laila, who was still in the tube, raising his hand to touch
the glass, preparing to finish the process.
"No!" Lux cried out, struggling to his feet, every muscle in his body screaming in pain.
In that critical moment, Lux felt a wave of energy swell and flow through his body. This was not
the ordinary Reven energy he had trained with, but a different, more powerful energy, as if it was
responding to his anger, despair, and strong will.
Lux's eyes glowed a bright red, and he lunged towards the Lord of Darkness with incredible
speed, surpassing even Reven's original speed. He delivered a powerful, devastating punch
towards the Lord of Darkness's face, this time with destructive force.
The Lord of Darkness was stunned. He narrowly dodged the blow, but felt an unexpected power
in Lux's punch, a power that nearly broke through his defenses.
"What is this power?" the Lord of Darkness muttered, his eyes flashing with a mixture of surprise
and concern.
"This is my power!" Lux shouted, continuing his relentless assault, utilizing this newfound
strength.
A fierce battle erupted between Lux and the Lord of Darkness. The Lord of Darkness possessed
incredible dark powers. He unleashed bolts of dark energy, moved with supernatural speed,
and employed mysterious combat techniques Lux had never seen before.
But Lux fought with unprecedented might. His energy increased with every blow he delivered,
as if Reven's body was responding to his glowing true soul. He deftly evaded the Lord of
Darkness's attacks, countered with powerful, devastating punches, and used his combat skills
learned from the Night Guard with maximum efficiency.
At one point, while Lux was parrying an attack from the Lord of Darkness, he noticed something
important. There was a small crack in the Lord of Darkness's mask, revealing a tiny portion of
his face. There was an old scar, resembling a strange symbol he didn't yet understand.
Suddenly, Lux felt a powerful surge of dark energy. This was the energy from the "Energy Key"
that was being directed towards Laila. The Lord of Darkness was trying to accelerate thedesperate merging process.
"I won't let you!" Lux cried, rushing towards the glass tube to save Laila.
But Selene, Veron, and Chrom blocked his path at the same moment.
"You won't reach her, traitor!" Selene snarled sharply.
In that critical moment, Aria suddenly appeared, like lightning, from the opening they had
infiltrated through. She had tracked them to The Black Lab.
"Stand down, you villains!" Aria shouted in a powerful voice, unsheathing her glowing sword
which illuminated the hall.
Aria rushed towards Selene, Veron, and Chrom, engaging them in a violent and thrilling battle.
Aria was incredibly powerful, her movements swift and precise, and her blade merciless.
Lux seized the golden opportunity and lunged towards the glass tube. He raised his fist and
delivered a powerful, destructive blow to the tube with immense force.
The glass tube shattered with a loud crash, and Laila was freed from her restraints. Laila fell to
the floor, unconscious from exhaustion.
"Laila!" Lux cried out, rushing towards her with deep concern.
But the Lord of Darkness was faster. He unleashed a bolt of dark energy directly at Lux.
In that decisive moment, Echo and the rest of the Night Guard members appeared at the exact
right time. They had breached the outer defenses and reached the hall.
"Lord of Darkness!" Echo shouted, unleashing a bolt of her own energy towards the Lord of
Darkness, attempting to parry his attack.
The Lord of Darkness narrowly avoided Echo's attack, but he felt the pressure increasing from
all sides.
"This isn't the end!" the Lord of Darkness growled, his eyes flashing with anger, as he vanished
into the thick shadows, leaving a trail of coldness behind him.
Veron, Chrom, and Selene immediately retreated, following their leader into the darkness,
leaving the lab in a state of chaos and destruction.
Lux ran to Laila and held her carefully in his arms. She was still breathing but very weak.
"You saved her, Lux," Echo said, approaching him, weariness etched on her face. "Well done,
hero."
Lux looked at Echo, then at Laila in his arms. They had succeeded. They had saved her. But he
knew that the Lord of Darkness would return, and that the real battle had not yet begun, but this
was merely a round in a larger war.