The Darkest Duel

The moon hung heavy above, casting an eerie glow over the scene. The park, once a tranquil refuge, had transformed into a battlefield of shadow and despair. Leegna stood, his breaths measured, his gaze locked on Aternos. The Lost Rapier of Dark Matter shimmered in his hand, its surface rippling like liquid shadow, reacting to the presence of its enemies.

"You've gotten stronger, Leegna," Aternos said, his voice filled with an unsettling calm. "But strength alone won't save you."

-The two emissaries circled Leegna like predators, their forms shifting and distorting as they moved, always just beyond his reach. Their dark energy crackled in the air, resonating with the tension building inside him. Leegna's mind raced, calculating every possible outcome, every move.

Time is running out, he thought, feeling the weight of his mortality. The warning Yuj had given him echoed in his mind—using his power too much would cost him, more than just his strength.

But there was no room for hesitation now.

The first emissary lunged again, and this time Leegna met it head-on. His right hand, gripping the rapier, sliced through the air with deadly precision. The blade connected, tearing through the dark form like a rift in the night. The creature howled, retreating into the shadows, but its form flickered—wounded.

Leegna didn't stop. His dark blue eye glowed brighter, piercing through the veil of shadows that clouded the battlefield. He saw it now, clearer than ever—the weaknesses in their forms, the cracks in their defenses.

But as he prepared for the next strike, the second emissary moved with impossible speed. Leegna felt a surge of dark energy slam into him, forcing him back. His body tensed, his Velvet Cloak absorbing most of the impact, but the sheer force left him breathless.

Aternos watched, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He hadn't moved, content to let his companions wear Leegna down. "Impressive," he said, his tone laced with mock admiration. "But you're still outnumbered."

-Leegna wiped the blood from his lip, his eyes never leaving Aternos. He could feel the strain now—his body screaming from the overuse of his powers. The Velvet Cloak pulsed around him, and the rapier in his hand shifted, as if feeding on the dark energy around him. But he was reaching his limit.

Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw them—two figures moving swiftly through the dark. Aternos' companions, flanking him, preparing for the final strike.

Leegna gritted his teeth, his mind racing. I can't take them all on... not like this.

He had to end this, quickly.

With a sudden burst of energy, Leegna surged forward, the Lost Rapier glowing with an otherworldly light. He aimed directly at Aternos, his form a blur as he moved faster than he ever had before. Aternos' eyes widened, just for a second, realizing too late that Leegna wasn't holding back anymore.

The blade found its mark.

Aternos staggered, a sharp gasp escaping his lips as the rapier pierced through his side, dark energy rippling outward from the wound. Leegna withdrew the blade, readying himself for the next strike. But then—something unexpected.

A low, resonating hum filled the air.

-The emissaries stopped their assault, their shadowy forms coalescing as they backed away. Leegna's heart pounded in his chest as he watched Aternos, the dark energy from the wound swirling around him, but... he didn't fall.

Instead, Aternos straightened, a twisted grin spreading across his face.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?"

Leegna's eyes widened as the dark energy that had been leaking from Aternos' wound began to merge with the night sky, pulling it into a vortex above them. The moon was swallowed by the shadows, and the park was plunged into a darkness deeper than before.

From the swirling void, two new figures emerged—taller, more menacing, their forms unlike anything Leegna had seen before. Dark emissaries, far more powerful than the ones he had been fighting. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural light, their presence suffocating.

Aternos stepped back, now flanked by these new beings. He wiped the blood from his mouth, his gaze locked onto Leegna.

"You're not the only one with reinforcements."

Leegna's heart sank as he realized the gravity of the situation. He had just unlocked the full power of the Lost Rapier, had pushed himself to the brink... and yet, it wasn't enough. Not against them. Not yet.

The new emissaries moved toward him, their dark forms blending with the night, unstoppable forces of destruction.

Leegna tightened his grip on the rapier, the Velvet Cloak swirling around him. His blue eye flared one last time, scanning for any weakness, any way out.

-But before he could react, one of the new emissaries raised its hand, and the very ground beneath Leegna began to shift. Shadows erupted from the earth, wrapping around his legs, his arms, pulling him down. He struggled, his muscles straining, but the shadows were relentless.

He was trapped.

Aternos watched, his smirk widening. "I told you, Leegna. You can't win this."

The shadows tightened, and Leegna's vision began to blur as the pressure mounted.

Is this it?

Just as the darkness was about to swallow him whole, a faint voice echoed in the distance. Leegna's blue eye flickered, sensing something—someone—approaching. A familiar presence, one he hadn't felt in what seemed like an eternity.