Just as Lucian readied himself to face the so-called new Dark Lord, the sky shattered again with a thunderous crack.
Another body plummeted from the heavens, crashing into the arena with the force of a meteor. The impact blasted a massive crater into the stone, obliterating the traps, the terrain, and any semblance of structure left.
Lucian stumbled back, shielding his eyes from the dust storm.
"What now…?"
As the smoke cleared, a hulking silhouette rose from the crater.
Lucian's eyes widened, then lit with amusement.
"A Balor?[1]" he said with a laugh. "Didn't expect one of you to show up."
The creature stood—twelve feet of nightmare made flesh. Obsidian armor covered its towering frame, wings stretching wide like thunderclouds, and hellforged chains coiled around its arms like living serpents. Its eyes burned with molten fury, twin suns of hatred locked on everything around it.
The Dark Lord blinked, momentarily robbed of his ominous presence.
"You ruined my entrance!" he barked, voice cracking like an indignant teen. "I rehearsed that speech for hours!"
Lucian let out a snort of laughter.
"Oh, great. The 'new Dark Lord' is just an edgy theater kid who thinks he can replace me."
"Shut up, Lucian!" the Dark Lord snapped, his voice slicing through the air with enough force to rattle the walls.
But before he could make another move, the Balor's chains snapped forward, slicing through the air with lethal precision, aiming straight for him.
"I'm talking here!" the Dark Lord roared, swinging his sword in a wide arc.
With a flash of steel, he cleaved the chains, the severed links crashing to the ground like dead serpents.
The creature recoiled, but only briefly.
"Ahem," the Dark Lord began again, straightening his cloak like a petulant drama student.
"This is your end, Lucian! I will finally claim your title and become the true Dark Lord!"
Lucian opened his mouth to reply—
"Sure—"
—but before the word left his lips, the chains regrew, slithering back into place as if tearing through reality itself.
A warning rune suddenly blinked on top of the Dark Lord's head, notifying Lucian:
[WARNING: Unknown entity detected. Trial dungeon difficulty increasing to preserve balance.]
Lucian's smirk sharpened.
"Aha. So you're not part of the dungeon."
Then, the memory struck him—
The violet spark, the presence he'd sensed back in the slums. Watching. Waiting.
He narrowed his eyes on the Dark Lord.
"So that was you, huh? Spying on me…"
His grip tightened on the halberd, excitement rising like fire in his chest.
"Well then… let's get properly acquainted."
The Dark Lord surged forward first, his sword, Damnarex, cutting through the air as it aimed for Lucian's chest.
"Smart move, but not smart enough," Lucian chuckled, standing still, his gaze locked on the approaching threat.
The Dark Lord twisted mid-air, sensing the incoming danger from the Balor, the hellforged whips snapping toward him.
With a swift motion, he cleaved through them at the last possible moment, narrowly escaping the fiery tendrils.
Lucian smirked, watching the Dark Lord momentarily distracted by the attack. Seizing the opportunity, he tightened his grip on the Sky Piercer Halberd, the weapon now feeling like a true extension of his body.
"Let's see how this halberd earned its name, shall we?" he laughed, his voice rich with anticipation.
Without hesitation, Lucian thrusted the halberd forward, delivering a powerful thrust aimed directly at the Dark Lord.
In a flash of shadow, the Dark Lord vanished, reappearing high in the sky with a wicked grin.
"Dark Barrage!"
he shouted, his codex shimmering beside him—identical to Lucian's, a mirror of their power.
From the Dark Lord's raised position, dozens of dark projectiles—sleek and deadly as needles—rained down on both the Balor and Lucian.
The Balor cackled, its hulking form shrugging off the barrage, tanking the dark needles without flinching. Each projectile bounced harmlessly off the creature's thick hide, but Lucian didn't have the luxury of being so resilient.
He barely had time to react as the first few came flying at him. His body moved without thinking, a flash of instinct and training. The first dart came for his chest—clang!—his halberd intercepted it with ease.
Another shot toward his leg, but Lucian was already spinning, his muscles coiling and uncoiling like a whip.
He swung the halberd again, deflecting two more in a single arc, the sharp metal flashing in the air.
The barrage was endless, but Lucian's focus was razor-sharp. His feet slid across the stone, his stance unshaken.
"You're lucky I'm not using magic right now!"
Lucian grinned, voice dripping with mockery as he deflected another wave of needles.
His weapon moved with deadly precision—every flick of his wrist sent another projectile tumbling out of the sky.
His eyes sparkled with excitement. This is what I live for.
Each time a dark needle came for him, it was met with the unyielding steel of his halberd. With every successful deflection, the weapon felt just a little lighter, just a little more in sync with his movements.
The Dark Lord's projectiles—relentless, unyielding—rained down from above, but Lucian danced through them like a storm with no intention of slowing down.
[Halberd Mastery: 10%]
A pleasant chime sounded in Lucian's mind, and he couldn't help but smirk at the progress.
"Good to know!"
Lucian laughed, feeling the weight of the halberd ease just slightly, the weapon responding to his growing skill.
The Balor soared toward the Dark Lord in the sky, its fists clenched and poised to deliver a crushing downward blow.
"You piece of sh—!" the Dark Lord roared.
He blocked the strike just in time, absorbing its full force, but was sent crashing to the ground. As the Dark Lord struggled to regain his footing, Lucian saw his chance.
Lunging forward, he deftly avoided the barrage of projectiles, some grazing him and leaving small scratches across his body.
"Think fast!" Lucian shouted, swinging his halberd in a vicious arc—but only cutting through empty air.
The Dark Lord leapt, his hands reaching out toward Lucian.
"Dark Fireba—"
Before he could finish the incantation, both combatants were hurled through the air by the Balor's lash, crashing hard into the walls.
Lucian groaned, bloodied and bruised, his body riddled with wounds.
"Man..." he chuckled weakly, struggling to push himself up.
He shot a glance at the Dark Lord, still on the ground.
"Hey, edgelord, you're supposed to be the strongest. How the hell haven't you taken that thing down yet?" His voice was mocking, despite the breathlessness that accompanied each word.
The Dark Lord pushed himself upright, using Damnarex as a makeshift crutch.
"I'm getting there, alright?" he snapped, frustration clear in his voice as his gaze fixed on the Balor.
"I'll finish you off once I deal with that damn hellbeast!"
He raised his arms, his gaze fixed on the Balor, a look of fierce determination crossing his face.
"Dark Army! Arise!" he bellowed.
With a crackling sound, dozens of swirling portals tore open around him, dark energy leaking from the rifts like a tide of shadow.
For a moment, Lucian's curiosity was piqued—this was the Dark Lord's true power on display.
[1] A demonic entity present in folklore and other popular pieces of media, for more information you can search it online!