Chapter 61: The Battle Against the Dark Lord Begins

*Seiya*

Sayuri looked at Ava, her eyes determined. "I can't just stand by and do nothing, Ava. I want to help."

Ava sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Alright, but you stay behind me, got it?"

Sayuri nodded, a small smile on her face.

I looked at Zivan, still sleeping peacefully. I gently laid him down on a nearby bench, making sure he was comfortable. "Stay safe," I whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

Turning back to the others, I saw that they were all ready to fight. There was a sense of unity among us, a bond that was formed through shared experiences and hardships. We were ready to face whatever was coming our way.

The night was eerily quiet, the only sound being the soft rustling of the leaves in the wind. The street was deserted, the only light coming from the moon, the restaurant behind us, and the few streetlamps that were still on.

Suddenly, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared at the end of the street. The figure drew closer. It was tall and imposing man. His sheer presence radiating an overwhelming sense of power. It was the Dark Lord.

He slowly walked towards us, his steps echoing through the silent street. His eyes continued to glow a sinister red, sending chills down my spine. They reminded me of blood.

"Seems like you've been expecting me," he said, his voice deep and menacing.

"We've been waiting for you," Ava replied, her voice steady.

The Dark Lord chuckled, a sound that was devoid of any warmth. "How brave of you. But bravery alone won't save you."

"We'll see about that," I said, stepping forward.

The Dark Lord looked at me, his eyes narrowing. "Seiya, the son of Citrine. I've heard a lot about you."

"And I've heard a lot about you too," I retorted.

The Dark Lord laughed again. "Well then, let's see if you live up to your reputation."

With that, he lunged at us, his speed almost inhuman. But we were ready. We stood our ground, ready to fight, ready to protect those we love.

This was our battle, and we were not going to back down.

Pa stepped forward at the rushing Dark Lord and slammed his hands against his chest, sending him flying back.

He panted as he stared at his hands. "I failed to erase him."

I smiled. "You did good, Pa. Now, it's my turn!" I rushed at the man. He side stepped my fists and jabbed his claw at me, but it didn't go through as I absorbed the impact with my power. I retaliated with a powerful kick, sending him stumbling back.

"Careful, Seiya!" Pa yelled.

Ava and her father joined the fight, using their respective powers to create barriers and launch attacks. Davina and Purpura fought alongside them, their unique abilities adding to the chaos of the battle.

Dean, who had been quiet until now, suddenly unleashed a torrent of flames from his hands, engulfing the Dark Lord in a fiery inferno. That power, it was similar to member of the Garnet clan. But his powers were an imitation of theirs.

The Dark Lord roared in pain, but quickly recovered, using his own dark powers to extinguish the flames.

I could feel the energy coursing through me, my powers growing stronger with each passing moment. I channeled that energy into my fists, delivering a series of powerful blows to the Dark Lord. But he was resilient, his dark aura protecting him from the worst of my attacks.

As the battle raged on, I caught a glimpse of Zivan, now awake and watching from the bench. His eyes were filled with worry and determination. I knew that he wanted to join the fight, but his injuries prevented him from doing so.

I fought with renewed determination, fueled by the love and support of my family, friends, and Zivan. I had to win this, for them.

But just as we were gaining the upper hand, the Dark Lord unleashed a wave of darkness, sending us flying back. We crashed into the pavement, the impact knocking the wind out of us.

The Dark Lord strolled toward us, a wicked smile on his face. "You may have put up a good fight, but in the end, you are no match for me. Now, perish, foolish mortals!"

But before he could deliver the final blow, a blinding pink light enveloped the area. We shielded our eyes, unable to see what was happening.

When the light faded, we were greeted by a figure standing before us. It was Zivan, his injuries miraculously healed, his eyes glowing with a newfound power.

"How? Your leg—" Ava gasped.

He smirked. "I guess the painkillers worked a little too well."

I smiled.

With a swift motion, Zivan unleashed a powerful blast of energy, striking the Dark Lord with a force that sent him crashing into a nearby ally.

The Dark Lord struggled to his feet, but Zivan was relentless, attacking him with a barrage of crystal. The Dark Lord was unable to keep up, his body battered and bruised.

"Is this guy really the threat our ancestors anticipated?" Sou asked, watching as my boyfriend beat up the guy.

"I guess not," Ava said, scratching her head.

The Dark Lord tried to counter, but he was too weak, his dark aura fading.

I rushed over and joined Zivan. Together, we blasted the guy's body away.

Ziv panted and fell back.

I caught him and held him. "It's alright, I've got you."

He smiled faintly.

"Don't lower you guard!" Purpura yelled.

My eyes widened as black goo bubbled from where the guy's body was vaporized.

"What is that stuff?" Sayuri asked, taking a step back.

Davina stared at the black goop. "That's the primordial form of the Dark Lord. The Abyssian are first lifeforms ever created. In their purest form, they're like primordial slime."

"What do you mean, 'in their purest form'?" Sekin asked.

"They can change their appearance into something more humanoid, which is why most of us can't sense them," Davina explained. "Most though appear bestial."

"Wait, so the Dark Lord could've been one of us this whole time?"

"Well, to my knowledge, they can't usually control their transformation to that extent. It's more fixed, I think."

Ava shook her head. "This is bad. We can't let this guy get away."

The goop began to bubble and shift, taking the form of a shadowy figure. The figure proceeded to transform into a black wolf-like creature, its body covered in a viscous, tar-like substance. Its red eyes glowed menacingly, and its razor-sharp fangs glinted in the moonlight.

"What is that thing?" Kai asked, gulping.

"It's the guy's bestial form," Dean said. He ran toward and us and shielded us from the wolf's fangs.

The wolf's jaws snapped, trying to bite him, but Dean kept a firm grip on its throat, preventing it from attacking us.

I rushed at the wolf and tackled it, but the wolf trashed about.

My eyes widened as spikes of darkness protruded from the wolf's back, impaling me.

"Seiya!" Ziv yelled, rushing toward me.

"Get back! I'll be fine."

My boyfriend unleashed another wave of energy, blasting the wolf's spikes.

The wolf snarled and lashed out with its tail, hitting Zivan in the stomach. He groaned as he slammed into the ground.

"Ziv!" I yelled. Before I could reach my boyfriend, the wolf slashed my back with its claws.

I growled. My power was no longer capable of absorbing his attacks like before.

I fell to my knees, the pain overwhelming me.

"Seiya!" Sou yelled.

"G-get away, little brother."

My vision began to blur, the darkness threatening to consume me.

"Hey, stay with us" Sou shouted, grabbing my hand.

I could feel the life draining from me, my body growing weaker with each passing second. Blood. I was losing too much of it.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed, enveloping the area. I looked up, my vision clearing. This time, it wasn't Ziv, but Ava, whose eyes were glowing with an intense power.

Ava and Ziv's power, how did they gain such strength? Wait, could this sudden burst of power have been tied to their family being priests?

Ava's eyes narrowed, her power increasing. "It's over." She held out her hands, her palms emitting a bright glow.

The wolf howled in pain, its body disintegrating into nothingness. Or so I wished. Claws flew forward, rushing toward Sayuri and Kai.

Ava's father hit the ground with his staff, creating a pink crystal barrier. "Children, get down."

They did so, but the claws continued to attack the barrier.

Sayuri stared at the claws. "This is bad."

"You don't say," Kai said, shaking his head.

Sekin held his hands forward, trying to pull them away, but his powers didn't appear to have much effect if any.

"I-I can't do it."

"What should we do?" Kai asked.

Sayuri frowned. "I'll try something." She bit her right thumb, causing blood to rush out, but the claws continued to strike, leaving cracks in the barrier.

"Are you insane?" Kai asked.

She didn't answer.

"Ava, we need help," her dad said, sweating profusely.

Ava gritted her teeth as she fell back down.

Sou gasped and rushed over to catch her. "Gotcha!"

"Thanks," she mumbled, blushing.

Sou held her up.

I glanced at my boyfriend, who had passed out.

Ava sighed and stood back up, her power beginning to wane. "Dad, we need a plan."

"Leave this to us adults!"

"That's right," Dad as he held me up. He glanced at Sou. "Sou, can you patch up your brother?"

Sou nodded.

"I'll take care of Ava," Dean said.

Sou handed her over to him.

"Thank you, Dean."

Dean nodded.

Sou frowned as he stared at me. "Seiya... you've... your blood."

I closed my eyes and rubbed his hand. I gave my little brother a faint smile even as he looked at me in horror. "I was glad to have had a little brother like you."

"D-don't talk like that!" Sou yelled, tears streaming down his face. "I won't let you die!" He pulled out some bandages and removed my tattered shirt.

"Sou," I whispered, staring at him with sad eyes. He was a good little brother, but I didn't want him to regret having failed saving me. While there was stuff that I wanted to do, I'd accepted death long ago.