The waves of dark energy created by Jareth threatened the very stability of the world. With every step he took, the ground beneath his feet seemed to wither, consumed by the shadow of his power. The once-gray sky had turned pitch black, reflecting the ominous force now concentrated within him.
Van, Lyria, and Eren were cornered, battling against an ever-growing army of darkness. This army was not made up of ordinary humans but shadowy creatures born from the depths of darkness itself far stronger than anything they had ever faced. Despite their desperate efforts, the overwhelming number of enemies left them feeling increasingly drained.
Lyria raised her hands, unleashing a radiant burst of light magic to hold off the relentless onslaught. "We can't hold them off forever," she said, her breath labored.
Van rushed to Lyria's side, swinging his sword to cut down the shadowy creatures that attacked. "We have to stop Jareth! If we don't, everything will be destroyed!"
Eren, moving with extraordinary agility, darted around the battlefield, delivering swift strikes and disrupting the enemy's formation. "Van, Lyria, we need to take Jareth down before he opens that gate. It's the only way to stop the Outsider!"
Amid the chaos, Jareth finally stepped forward, a triumphant smile on his face. "You're still trying to stop me? Everything you've done has only brought this destruction closer."
Jareth raised his sword, which glowed with an incomprehensible dark power. "These fragments are the keys. You have no idea how much power I'll gain once the gate is opened."
Van glared at Jareth, his determination unwavering. "We won't let you have that power. This world will survive, and we will stop you."
---
The Clash of Light and Darkness
With a deafening roar, Jareth charged toward Van, manipulating the dark energy around him to unleash devastating attacks. Van moved swiftly to dodge and launched counterattacks, but Jareth was too fast and too strong. Every time Van came close, the dark energy repelled his sword, forcing him to retreat.
Lyria stood behind Van, gathering her magical energy. "I'll try to disrupt his flow of dark power, Van! It might give us a chance to strike!"
Jareth glanced at Lyria and laughed. "Your magic is meaningless against the power I'm about to wield!"
But Lyria refused to give up. Chanting words that sounded like an ancient spell, she unleashed an immense blast of light magic. A massive sphere of light surged toward Jareth, momentarily disrupting the waves of dark energy surrounding him. Though the impact staggered him, Jareth remained standing. Smiling wickedly, he used the fragment's power to absorb her magic.
"This isn't enough to stop me, Lyria!" Jareth bellowed.
Seeing an opening, Van stepped forward and drove his sword toward Jareth. The blade glowed bright blue, infused with the energy of the sixth fragment now synchronized with Van's own power. When the sword struck Jareth, a massive explosion of energy erupted, forcing Jareth to stumble back a few steps.
As the dust and smoke cleared, however, Jareth emerged unscathed, a terrifying grin on his face. "Don't you see? Every attack you make only makes me stronger. These fragments are part of a much greater power."
Van felt a deep sense of dread. Despite their efforts, it became clear that they still lacked the strength to fully stop Jareth.
---
The Awakening of the Forbidden Gate
As the battle raged on, Van began to feel something strange stirring within him a power far greater than anything he had experienced before. It was as if the sixth fragment was influencing him more deeply than he had anticipated.
"Van... be careful!" Lyria shouted, noticing the subtle changes in his expression.
Van could feel the fragment's energy intertwining with the dark power Jareth wielded. A voice echoed in his mind, chilling and foreign.
"The fragment... is opening the way. The Forbidden Gate will soon awaken. Your desire is the key," the voice said.
Van suppressed the unsettling sensation, refusing to succumb. He knew he had to keep fighting. For this world, for the future he wanted to protect, he had to stand his ground.
Steeling his resolve, Van glared at Jareth. "I won't let you open that gate. As long as I live, no other world will invade ours!"
Jareth burst into laughter. "You've come too far. The fragments cannot be stopped now. The gate will open, and you'll only be able to watch as destruction consumes everything!"
Suddenly, Jareth raised his sword high, summoning a power far beyond comprehension. Without warning, a massive, ominous black gate began to materialize in the sky above them, emanating a light that swallowed everything around it.
Van, Lyria, and Eren were caught in the surge of energy. Their bodies felt constricted as though the power flowing through the air was trying to drain the very life from them.
But before the gate could fully open, Van sensed something within himself a pure, overwhelming energy emanating from the sixth fragment. In a moment of sheer determination, Van raised the fragment and merged its power with his sword, unleashing the last of his strength.
---
The Final Sacrifice
In that instant, a massive explosion of light erupted. The pure energy of the sixth fragment combined with Van's will created a surge of light that shot straight toward the black gate. Caught off guard by the attack, Jareth was thrown far from the battlefield.
The Forbidden Gate, which had begun to open, slowly started to close again. The fragment's energy stabilized the situation and prevented the Outsider's awakening. However, the cost of this victory was immense.
Van collapsed to the ground, his body weakened from expending all his power. Lyria and Eren rushed to his side, panic etched across their faces.
"Van!" Lyria cried, shaking his shoulders.
"What... happened?" Van's voice was faint.
Lyria wiped the sweat from her brow. "We... we did it. The gate is closed."
Van gave a weak smile. "But we're not done yet... The Outsider is still out there. We have to keep moving forward."