The city square was eerily quiet, the tension in the air so thick it could almost be felt. Alan stood across from Steve, his expression calm but his heart racing. The memories of his past—of the life he had left behind in the Shade Society—came rushing back, bringing with them a flood of emotions he had long tried to suppress.
Steve's eyes gleamed with recognition as he looked at Alan. A slow, mocking smile spread across his face. "Well, well, look who decided to show up. The prodigal son returns. Aren't you the son of the greatest noble family in the Shade Society? Yet you still left all that power, all that prestige, to live among the weaklings on Earth. How foolish."
Alan's hands tightened around the hilt of his sword, the weight of Steve's words pressing down on him. The Shade Society's nobility had always been a source of pride, a legacy passed down through generations. But for Alan, it had become a burden—a chain that kept him bound to a life he no longer believed in.
"You wouldn't understand," Alan replied, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "I left because I saw what the Shade Society had become—a place where power is valued above all else, even at the cost of humanity."
Steve chuckled, shaking his head. "Humanity? You sound like one of those Earthlings you've chosen to surround yourself with. But let me tell you something, Alan. In the Shade Society, power is all that matters. And you threw it all away."
Alan's eyes narrowed. "No, Steve. I chose to protect what really matters. And that's something you'll never understand."
Steve's smile faded, his expression hardening. "Then let's see if your noble ideals can save you now."
With a flick of his wrist, Steve summoned his Arcon. Shadows gathered around him, coalescing into a massive, monstrous figure made entirely of darkness. The creature towered over Alan, its eyes glowing with an eerie red light, its claws sharp enough to tear through steel.
Alan knew this fight would be unlike any he had faced before. Steve was one of the Shade Society's most powerful warriors, and his Arcon was a manifestation of pure malevolence. But Alan had made his choice long ago, and he wasn't about to back down now.
Taking a deep breath, Alan raised his sword and called out, "Rise, Thursan!"
In an instant, his blade transformed, becoming a conduit of pure lightning. The air around him crackled with electric blue energy, and thunder rumbled in the distance as if the heavens themselves were answering his call. The sword in his hand glowed with a power that felt both familiar and new, as if Thursan was responding to Alan's resolve.
Steve's eyes widened slightly as he took in the sight of Alan's transformed weapon. "So, you've finally decided to show your true strength. But it won't be enough to stop me."
Without warning, Steve lunged forward, his shadowy Arcon moving with terrifying speed. Its claws slashed through the air, aiming to tear Alan apart. But Alan was ready. He met the attack head-on, his sword crackling with lightning as he deflected the blow.
The clash of their Arcons sent shockwaves through the square, the force of the impact causing the very ground to tremble. Alan could feel the raw power coursing through Thursan, the energy surging through him like a storm. But Steve was relentless, his shadowy Arcon pressing the attack with brutal efficiency.
As they fought, flashes of Alan's past flickered through his mind—memories of his family, of the expectations placed on him as the heir to a noble house. But alongside those memories were images of his friends—Sam, Sara, and Masha—and the life he had chosen to protect on Earth. A life worth fighting for.
But Steve was no ordinary opponent. He moved with a speed and precision that belied his size, each strike aimed to overwhelm and overpower. Alan found himself struggling to keep up, the relentless barrage of attacks pushing him to his limits.
"You're weak, Alan," Steve taunted, his voice filled with venom. "You always were. That's why you ran away. You couldn't face the truth of who you are."
Alan gritted his teeth, refusing to give in. But deep down, he knew Steve's words held a grain of truth. He had left the Shade Society to escape the expectations and the darkness that came with his family's name. But now, that same darkness was threatening to consume him.
As Steve unleashed a devastating attack, Alan was forced to go on the defensive. The shadows closed in around him, suffocating the light of Thursan's lightning. Alan could feel the strain of the battle taking its toll, his muscles burning with exhaustion.
But then, something inside Alan shifted. A memory surfaced, one of his father, a stern but kind man, telling him that true strength wasn't about power, but about the will to protect those you care about. It was a lesson Alan had forgotten, but one that now resonated deeply within him.
With renewed determination, Alan called out to Thursan, summoning every ounce of his remaining strength. "Thursan, show me your true power!"
The sword in Alan's hand responded with a surge of energy, the lightning growing brighter and more intense. The air around him sizzled with electricity, and for a moment, it seemed as though the very sky itself was about to crack open.
Steve's shadowy Arcon recoiled from the light, the darkness unable to withstand the sheer power of Thursan's lightning. Alan seized the opportunity, channeling all of his energy into a single, devastating strike.
The blade of lightning cut through the air, slicing through the shadows as if they were nothing. Steve's Arcon roared in pain as the energy tore through it, the darkness dissipating in a blinding flash of light.
But despite the power of the attack, Alan knew it wasn't enough. Steve's Arcon, though wounded, was far from defeated. The shadows began to gather once more, the creature reforming itself with an even greater fury.
Alan's breath came in ragged gasps, his body screaming in protest. He had given everything he had, but it still wasn't enough. He wasn't strong enough to defeat Steve.
But he couldn't give up. Not now.
"I may not be able to defeat you," Alan said, his voice steady despite the pain. "But I won't let you win, either."
Steve sneered, raising his shadowy claws for the final blow. "Fool. You should have stayed in the Shade Society where you belonged."
As Steve's attack came crashing down, Alan braced himself for the impact. But in that moment, something inside him shifted once more. A resolve, a determination not just to survive, but to protect those he cared about, no matter the cost.
With a final, desperate burst of energy, Alan raised Thursan and blocked Steve's attack. The force of the collision sent shockwaves through the ground, and for a moment, it seemed as though the very air around them was set ablaze.
But despite his best efforts, Alan's strength finally gave out. The lightning of Thursan flickered and died, leaving Alan vulnerable to Steve's relentless assault.
With a triumphant shout, Steve struck Alan down, sending him crashing to the ground. Alan lay there, barely conscious, his body battered and broken.
Steve loomed over him, a dark smile on his face. "This is where it ends, Alan. You should have known better than to fight against your own kind."
Alan's vision blurred as darkness began to overtake him. But even as he lay there, defeated, a single thought burned brightly in his mind—he couldn't give up. Not yet. Not while his friends were still out there, fighting for their lives.
As the darkness closed in, Alan whispered a single word, a plea to the lightning that had always been his ally. "Thursan… please…"
And with that, the darkness took him.