As Lex gripped the cold, metallic chain, a surge of dark energy coursed through him. He pulled with all his might, feeling the immense power begin to seep into his very soul. The sky darkened, black clouds swirling violently overhead as if the heavens themselves were responding to the chain's awakening.
Suddenly, Ashura appeared, his eyes burning with fury. "Lex!" he roared, drawing his sword. Without hesitation, Ashura lunged at Lex, ready to strike him down. But before he could land the blow, Lex gave one final tug on the chain, and in an instant, the world around them was engulfed in darkness.
A black moon appeared in the sky, casting an eerie light over the landscape. Lex staggered as the dark powers from the chain rushed into his body, overwhelming him. His veins burned with the intensity of it, his body trembling under the weight of this newfound force.
Then, something terrifying happened—Ashura's shadow, as if possessed by a will of its own, began to rise. It detached from Ashura and moved independently, its form twisting and writhing as it turned against its master. The shadow lunged at Ashura, trying to strangle him. Ashura, caught off guard, struggled to fight it off.
"Lex!" Ashura shouted, as he snapped his fingers, summoning his clan's ancient magic. In an instant, Lex's body was surrounded by glowing symbols—the ancient language of the Sasa clan. The seals tightened around him, binding him in place, but the dark power continued to pulse inside him.
Just as Ashura was about to finish the job, Pyro arrived, his hands crackling with icy energy. "I'm just in time," Pyro said, his voice calm but cold. Without a second thought, he unleashed his power, freezing Ashura's legs and arms, immobilizing him.
Ashura glared at Pyro, seething with rage. "Pyro, Lex is the one who killed our mother!" he spat, his voice filled with venom.
Pyro shook his head. "No, Ashura. Lex didn't kill her. That dark power did. The same power that's corrupting him now."
Ashura's eyes blazed with anger. "He's the one who unleashed it! His foolish obsession with that chain killed our mother!"
"It's okay, Ashura," Pyro said, his tone measured. "He's my son. I will punish him for what he's done."
But Ashura wasn't satisfied. His fury was too great, and his desire for revenge was unrelenting. "Punish him? No, Pyro. I'll kill your son myself."
Without warning, Pyro's expression hardened. He didn't hesitate. In a flash, he released his full power, freezing Ashura's entire body. Ice crawled over his skin, freezing him from head to toe, locking him in place.
Then, with a single, devastating blow, Pyro shattered Ashura's frozen form into countless pieces.
For a moment, silence fell over the mountain. The dark clouds still swirled above, and the black moon loomed ominously in the sky. Pyro turned toward Lex, who was still bound by the seals, his body trembling from the immense dark power coursing through him.
Pyro knelt beside Lex, his face filled with a mixture of sorrow and determination. "Lex," he whispered, "I'm sorry. I should have seen this coming." He raised his hand, preparing to seal the dark power once and for all.
But as he prepared to act, the ground beneath them began to rumble. Something far more sinister was awakening. The black moon pulsed, and the dark energy surrounding Lex began to intensify.
Pyro realized then that this wasn't over. The chain had unleashed something far worse than any of them had anticipated, and Lex was now at the center of it.
Pyro knelt beside Lex, his face heavy with disappointment and sorrow. "Lex, I told you, our clan doesn't need power like this. We have always relied on our own strength, not on dark forces," Pyro said, his voice tinged with frustration.
Lex, still trembling from the immense energy coursing through him, looked up at his father. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I didn't cause Grandma's death. I pulled the chain after she died," Lex explained, struggling to keep his voice steady. "This power… it didn't kill her."
Pyro sighed deeply, shaking his head. "You don't understand, Lex. That chain you touched—its dark energy reacts to strong emotions. When you thought of releasing it, it forced you to pull it faster. That's why your friends died. It's the effect of my mother's death. The sorrow and pain fueled the chain's power."
As the tension in the air grew thicker, the entire Sasa clan arrived at the mountain. The elders and warriors gathered, their faces grim as they took in the ominous black clouds swirling above and the unsettling sight of the black moon looming over the horizon. They could sense the darkness that Lex had unleashed.
Pyro stood up and turned to face the elder, his head bowed in shame. "I'm sorry, Master," Pyro said quietly. "This is my fault for not guiding Lex better."
The Elder, an ancient figure with a powerful presence, raised his hand. "Do not apologize, Pyro. You've done nothing wrong," he said, his voice calm yet authoritative. "What has happened here was destined to occur. Now, it's time to act."
The Elder approached Lex, who was still struggling with the power inside him. "We have no other choice now. We must seal this power within you, Lex. It's too dangerous to leave it unchecked. If this power is released, it could destroy not just our clan, but the entire world."
Without hesitation, the Elder lifted his hand and used his ancient magic to unseal Ashura's power, which had been locked away in the chaos. The moment Ashura's power was freed, the Elder sealed it together with Lex's newfound dark power, binding them both with the sacred Sasa clan's energy.
The air crackled with energy as the sealing ritual completed, the dark powers within Lex subdued, but not entirely gone. The Elder stepped back, his face stern but filled with compassion. "Lex, listen to me carefully. You must never unseal this power. It is too dangerous for anyone, even you. If it is unleashed again, it will bring devastation to our world."
Lex, still shaken by everything that had happened, nodded slowly. "Yes, Master. I understand."
The Elder placed a hand on Lex's shoulder, his gaze softening. "You are young, and you made a mistake. But you can still learn and grow from this. The Sasa clan will help guide you."
With that, the clan began to disperse, but the ominous presence of the black moon still hung overhead, a reminder that the threat wasn't fully gone. The Elder glanced at Pyro and said quietly, "We must stay vigilant. Lex may have been spared this time, but the darkness still lingers."