Mayuri and Valdor sat in Luna's palace, in a chamber with walls of black marble and a floor so glossy that it reflected the silver-starred ceiling. In the center of the chamber, on a raised platform, stood a throne of bone and shadow, and Luna sat upon it. She had no face — her head was surrounded by swirling mist, from which only two bright, cold points of light shone where her eyes should have been
"What are you saying?" Luna asked, her voice seeming to come from all directions at once, carrying with it the chill of the cosmic void. "How could they have obtained the Heart of Darkness? My guards were supposed to be watching over it."
"The Lord of Darkness… is weaker than we thought," said Mayuri, her gaze fixed on the void where Luna's face should have been. "His seal has been broken."
"Nevertheless," said Valdor, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "They have it. We must act."
"Nathan is planning a war he cannot win," Luna said, her swirling mist trembling with rage. "The Heart of Darkness in Nathan's hands… it is not a weapon. It is the cause of the end of the world."
"We'll send three of you to retrieve it," Luna said.
At the same time, in Nathan's chamber, Leo smiled wryly. "Trust is a luxury we cannot afford. But since Nathan wishes it so… we will destroy Aurelion and the warriors of light," he replied, his yellow eyes flashing. "Though I don't know what you plan to do with that piece of misery."
He nodded toward the Heart of Darkness, which was still pulsing with a violet light in Sylphia's hands. The artifact seemed to react to Leo's presence. Its light grew more intense, and the black streaks within it swirled faster.
"This isn't a piece of misfortune," Sylphia replied, her hand tightening around the Heart. "It's our only chance."
"If that's what you think, then you're more naive than I thought," Leo muttered, his gaze growing much sharper. "Many have tried to control it. All have failed."
Arthur stood before him, his posture straight and ready for battle. "We are not many. We are the dark warriors chosen by the great Nathan."
Leo looked at him for a moment, then laughed. "Dark warriors? Yeah, yeah. That sounds grand. But what does it mean when all light is a lie and all darkness is the truth?"
Nathan raised his hand, breaking the mounting tension. "Leo, that's enough. Dark warriors isn't a title, but a potential. A potential you carry within yourself, even though you prefer to mask it with sarcasm." His voice was calm: "Their mission is just as important as yours. Your paths have converged."
Leo snorted and looked away, but for a split second, a spark of something resembling… respect? Or perhaps an understanding of their shared burden — flashed in his yellow eyes. "As you wish, my lord. But remember, even the brightest flames will go out if they run out of fuel. And these are burning too quickly."
Sylphia, ignoring him, focused on the heart. Her finger brushed the smooth surface of the artifact, and images appeared in her mind — not only the chaos of the Dark Lord's castle, but also dreamlands, cities built of crystalline sorrow, and a sky ablaze with dark fires. The Heart of Darkness was not just a weapon. It was a map, a key, and a mirror all at once. "Leo," she said quietly, still staring into the violet depths. "You feel it too, don't you? That call."
Leo smiled crookedly, but his usual confidence had vanished, replaced by a mask of indifference. "We all hear different things in the silence," he replied, looking away as if the image Sylphia saw was too painful for him. "Some hear the sound of the sea, others the whispers of the dead. You hear… ambition."
"A call?" Nathan interjected; his composure didn't waver, but his eyes focused on Sylphia. "Describe it, child. What does the Heart tell you?"
Sylphia closed her eyes, and her voice grew softer, more distant. "He doesn't speak. He… shows. I see trees made of glass, breaking under their own weight. I see rivers flowing upward, stars falling to the ground like tears. And at the center of it all… I see Luna and the daughter of the Lord of Darkness. But she isn't beautiful. She is empty. It's all a lie, and her light is just a borrowed fragment of darkness, filtered through a mirror of lies. Her 'warriors of light' are merely shadows cast by her false radiance." She opened her eyes, and swirls of light began to spin within her white Demon Arc. "What I feel is not a call; it is a warning."
Arthur looked at Sylphia, and a new determination appeared in his eyes. Her words were not merely a description of a hallucination; they were proof, an echo of the truth that resonated with his own dark instinct. "You see," he said, addressing Leo, his voice low and menacing. "This isn't just ambition. This is knowledge. And knowledge is a weapon sharper than your sarcasm and your illusions."
Leo didn't answer right away. Instead, he took a step toward Sylphia, who was still holding the Heart of Darkness. He stopped just in front of the artifact, and his yellow eyes stared into its violet depths, as if searching for something only he could see. "Luna and the daughter of the Lord of Darkness…" he muttered to himself, so quietly it was barely audible. It would have been a shock to anyone who knew only the official version of the story, but there was no surprise in his voice, only the confirmation of long-held suspicions. "That explains so much. And yet, nothing."
Nathan smiled, but there was no joy in his eyes, only ancient wisdom and the weight of secrets he had carried for centuries. "Luna is a being from the heavens. She was born at the same time as I was. Luna and I fought for several years, but we were evenly matched, so I made a deal, and thus we created the Demon Arc, and I gave you, the Dark Warriors, a fraction of that mighty power so that you could protect our world from her." His voice grew more solemn, as if he were recounting a story that shaped the fate of the universe. "And now that you have the Heart of Darkness, you are closer than ever to defeating Luna and her army and restoring the balance that is slowly fading in the shadow of her lies."
Arthur and Sylphia looked at each other, a newfound realization shining in their eyes. They now understood that their mission was not merely a battle for an artifact. It was a battle for the truth, for the future of a world that had been mired in lies since time immemorial. And that they were key players in a game that had been going on for eons. Leo, after a moment's thought, nodded. "If truth is a weapon, then we are its army." With those words, they began preparations for the journey that would forever change their destinies.
Nathan approached Arthur: "Play with them a little, Arthur," Nathan said. "You've already shown that you can control the Demon Arc. Make them feel fear. Show them what true darkness is."
Arthur nodded; his black eyes burned with silent fury. He understood. This wasn't meant to be a fight to the death, but a demonstration of power. A display that would shake the very foundations of the enemy kingdom. "I'll do it," he said, his voice as hard as stone. "Luna and her minions will taste true darkness."
"Sylphia and Leo, you can go now," Nathan added.
Suddenly, Leo vanished as abruptly as he had appeared, leaving behind only a barely perceptible breeze and the scent of ozone. One moment he was standing beside them; the next, he was gone. Sylphia looked at the spot where he had been standing just a moment ago, a mixture of admiration and slight unease in her eyes. His speed was truly otherworldly. She caught one last glimpse of Nathan and Arthur, then, leaving the pulsating Heart of Darkness on the altar, she left the chamber, heading toward the corridors that seemed to wind on endlessly.
Arthur looked at Nathan, and his eyes were filled with determination. "And me?" he asked. "What am I supposed to do while I wait for them to return?"
"You, Arthur, go," Nathan said, his voice calm yet carrying immense power.
Arthur nodded. He understood that this wasn't just an order. It was a promise. A promise that he would become more than just a warrior. He would become a symbol. A force that Luna and her minions would fear.
Nathan created a portal. "Two demons will go with you," Nathan added. "Beyond the portal is a place where warriors will appear."
Arthur nodded in farewell, never taking his eyes off the swirling edges of the portal. He could feel the weight of the gazes of the two demons Nathan had assigned to accompany him. They were powerful, otherworldly warriors, and their bodies pulsed with a dark energy that seemed to absorb the light in the chamber. Without a word, the first to step through the portal was a tall demoness with gleaming, leathery skin and horns curved like sabers. Her movements were fluid and predatory. Right behind her came a massive, bearded demon whose skin resembled basalt, and from whose back grew wings of sharp, black metal. Before he himself crossed the threshold, Arthur cast one last glance at Nathan, who stood motionless, his face a stony mask of knowledge he had no intention of sharing with anyone.
As he passed through the portal, he felt the familiar sensation of being torn apart into atoms and reassembled. He found himself in a place that seemed to breathe corruption. They stood on the parched, cracked bed of a vast lake, and above them hung a purple, poisonous smoke. He was surrounded by the ruins of a mighty city, whose towers buckled under their own weight, and whose streets were littered with bones and rusting weapons. A sweetish scent of decay and ancient magic hung in the air, so thick you could almost taste it on your tongue. The demoness and her companion stood on either side of Arthur, surveying their surroundings with a cold, professional assessment.
"The Warriors of Light are already approaching," said the demoness, her voice low and throaty, like the rustling of dry leaves in the wind.
Meanwhile, Valdor, Mayuri, and Kael stood before Luna. "The three of you will go for the Heart of Darkness," Luna replied.
Valdor nodded. His stony face betrayed no emotion. His hand rested on the hilt of his massive sword. "We will destroy them," he said, his voice hard as steel. "We will not fail you, goddess." Mayuri smiled, but there was no joy in her eyes, only cold fury. "The Heart of Darkness will return to where it belongs." Kael nodded, his hands clenched into fists. "Let us face the darkness." Luna nodded, and her swirling mist seemed to vibrate with satisfaction. "Go." The three warriors departed, and the silence that fell over the chamber was thicker than anything that could exist in the world of the living.
Mayuri, Kael, and Valdor appeared on the dried-up lake bed, in the exact spot where Arthur had been just moments earlier. The scent of decay and magic still hung in the air, and the ruins of a mighty city rose all around them. "They were here," said Mayuri, his heightened senses picking up a trace of energy left behind by the Demon Arc. "They've only just left." Suddenly, three dark figures emerged from the ruins. Demonica, her bearded companion, and Arthur. They stood facing each other, a chasm of hatred and destiny stretching between them. "You have come for death," Arthur asked, his eyes burning with the red energy of the Demon Arc. "We have come to reclaim the Heart of Darkness," replied Valdor. Arthur smiled, but there was no warmth in his eyes. "The Heart of Darkness is not for you." Demonica and her companion unfurled their wings and horns, ready for battle.
Arthur stood before Kael, and the demons faced Mayuri and Valdor. "Time to test this power," said Kael, and three swords hovered behind his back. Kael brought his hand back and swung, and one of the swords flew toward Arthur, but Arthur deflected it and smiled broadly, but Kael suddenly appeared in front of him. One sword was close to his head, but Arthur arched backward, and the sword flew past his face. The next two swords flew in from the sides, but Arthur did a backflip and dodged the attacks.
At the same time, Valdor and Mayuri were fighting the demons. Mayuri was holding a scythe, but she didn't know how to fight with it; he grabbed it tightly and began spinning it around himself, and the bearded demon was struck several times. Mayuri stopped.
"Arc of the Demon: Scythe of the Soul," Mayuri whispered, and her scythe began to glow purple. Purple energy began to wrap around the demon, and its skin started to crack. Valdor fought Demonica, who was very fast and strong, but Valdor took his sword and assumed the stance Sylphia had taught him. Then Demonica lunged at him and Valdor at her; his green Demon Arc glowed and sliced the demon's abdomen twice. his eyes turned black, and suddenly he appeared behind Demonica with a prepared strike; Demonica didn't have time to turn around, and Valdor sliced her in half. Valdor lowered his sword. "Is this the true power of the Demon Arc…?"
At the same time, the bearded demon lunged at Mayuri from behind, but he was too slow, and Mayuri spun around quickly, plunging her scythe straight into the demon's heart and slamming it into the ground. The demon fell to his knees, and his body began to crumble into dust, while black, hot blood flowed from his mouth. Mayuri pulled the scythe from his body and turned toward Arthur. "Now it's your turn, Arthur." Mayuri looked at Arthur, her eyes burning with violet energy. "Game over."
Arthur stood facing Kael, a newfound realization in his eyes. He understood that his fight with Kael wasn't just a struggle for survival. It was a battle for dominance. "I'll kill you," Kael said, his voice low and menacing. "You're not my rival; you're just an obstacle."
Arthur swung his spear, but Kael didn't dodge; he flew backward with his three swords and fell onto his back, the swords plunging into the ground. Kael got up after a moment, but it was too late: Arthur was already surrounded by a red aura and had black-and-red eyes. He was preparing to throw his spear. Kael panicked and looked at Mayuri and Valdor: "Run!" Mayuri and Valdor only noticed the red light, after which Mayuri's demon arc glowed purple, and they teleported away from Arthur and Kael.
She fell from a short height and Mayuri landed on Valdor, her eyes filled with anger toward Arthur. "He's too strong," Mayuri said, her voice low and menacing. "We have to come up with something." From their perspective, they could only see a red flame with immense energy.
Mayuri noticed she was lying on Valdor and blushed. "I'm… I'm sorry," she stammered, blushing, then quickly stood up.
At the same time, Arthur stood before the purple line that showed which way Mayuri and Valdor had gone; Kael lay unconscious beside him.
"So that's where you went…" he said, then ran after the purple line.