There was once a man who stood against hatred, known as the Darkness.
Fighting his friend who had fallen victim to Darkness, he hoped to get rid of it for good.
But hatred doesn't just vanish- it lingers, waiting for the right moment to rise.
It had been a few years since then.
But the hatred rose yet again.
Dark clouds shrouded the battlefield, pouring rain soaking the ground beneath Takou Ayaru, also known as Gold for his golden powers.
Surrounding the field was a dense forest, trees swaying violently in the storm, almost as if they trembled from the presence in front of him.
Before Takou stood Isey Houa- or rather what remained of him.
From his glowing purple eyes ran down lines of that same color, twisting and curling, making him look unrecognizable. And his smile. One that could only be described as demonic.
His once familiar presence was gone, replaced by a sinister force.
The Darkness.
Forced to confront it, Takou clenched his fists. His voice was firm, trying to hide quavering.
"Why... Out of all the people, why you, Isey! Why'd you take the Darkness?!"
The Darkness only chuckled. A hollow, distorted voice that echoed through the rain.
"It's too late, Gold."
Takou's eyes narrowed. It confirmed that Isey was gone, lost in darkness.
"Thanks to this brat's weak soul, I have awakened."
The grin on the Darkness' face grew. Its mouth stretched inhumanly wide.
Takou remained silent. The words of the Darkness meant nothing to him. There was no point in trying to save Isey- taking down the Darkness became a priority.
He raised his hands, forming an intricate golden seal behind him.
The air around him crackled with raw power, golden light clashing with the presence of the Darkness.
The ground trembled under their feet.
The Darkness laughed, tracing its corrupted face with its fingers.
"Trying to seal me in here again?" It sneered.
In the blink of an eye, it appeared next to Takou, leaving behind an afterimage.
Takou still stared at the position where the Darkness stood.
"How foolish." It whispered into Takou's ear. "Don't you remember how our last battle went?"
Takou stood tall yet completely still. His eyes now locked onto the Darkness standing next to him.
"Last time…" His voice was steady. "I wasn't willing to lose my own life. But now, I'll give up everything to make sure you won't win."
The Darkness leaned backwards, staring at Takou.
"Hmph. Is that so? I remember it going down way differently."
"But it doesn't matter." The Darkness patted its chest, flashing a toothy grin at Takou. "I am hatred. I cannot be defeated, even if you seal me. Because one day, there will be someone to free me… and on that day, I'll sit atop your grave and step on your tombstone," it chuckled, its laughter soon turning to a roaring cackle that reached the skies.
But then.
Just as quickly as the Darkness moved, Takou jumped away from it.
With his face full of disgust and the rain growing heavier, Takou was ready to put an end to it. Midair, he shouted.
"Eternal sealin-"
He wasn't able to finish the sealing.
In a flash, Takou was slammed into the ground by the Darkness.
The impact shook the area.
Birds within the forest flew away, the pouring rain was sent upwards, and a crater formed.
The Darkness stood towering over him.
On this day, The Legend known as Takou Ayaru died.
"My powers haven't completely returned." The Darkness said, looking at its hand.
"What a worthless ending to someone with such a legendary tale."
But then, a voice rang out through the storm.
"Isey!"
The Darkness barely turned in the direction of the voice.
It was Akylu Sierd, one of The Legends.
A grin grew on the Darkness' face yet again.
"The Legends..." It repeated, running its tongue across its lips. "A group created to unite the strongest in this world."
With its demonic eyes and smile, the Darkness turned towards Akylu.
"Yet you people are no match for me... No one is."
The Darkness spread its arms, purple particles dancing around its body.
"I'll slaughter everyone! And stand at the top of the world!"
Akylu tried to ignore those words.
He sprinted towards the Darkness, tears forcing their way out of his eyes, his chest tight. He wanted to put an end to this.
Even if he knew he wouldn't match its power.
But in an instant, the Darkness vanished.
Appearing in front of Akylu, it kicked him down.
Shadowy purple arms crawled out of the ground, wrapping around Akylu's neck.
The Darkness didn't say a word.
Neither did Akylu; he just stared at the Darkness, knowing he'd die.
And then- snap.
Just at the moment of Akylu's death, Kajo Tamta, another member, came from behind. Commanding the power of nature.
He commanded a variety of foliage around them.
The grin on Darkness' face was long gone.
The other members of The Legends were weak. Nothing compared to Takou.
In just one move, Kajo's head flew off his neck. His body hit the ground before his head did.
Pire Lasta, the last standing member, gathered up his power while letting Kajo fight.
He let out a cry, shooting icicles from his fingertips towards the Darkness.
One hand in its pocket, the Darkness raised its hand and created a barrier-like mist.
Icicles clashed against it, but melted at impact.
Pire fell to his knees. His power was completely useless.
The Darkness made the barrier disappear.
"Boring." It said, ready to flick its fingers.
"I-I'm sorry... Takou-"
The Darkness cut Pire off, flicking its fingers.
Pire's head blew off his neck.
With the bodies of The Legends all around it, the Darkness was about to walk away.
But that's when it sensed power, exceeding everyone except for Takou.
Its eyes widened, and for the first time in a while, the Darkness' heart started to beat fast.
A figure appeared, standing next to Takou's body.
Excitement swelled in its chest.
But that's when, without warning, the person kicked the Darkness across the field.
Someone as fast as Darkness had appeared.
And that person kicked the Darkness again and again. Each time the Darkness slid on the mud.
He let out a breathless chuckle.
"You... I like you."
Now focused, the Darkness grabbed the person, pushing him to the ground.
Seeing the face of someone definitely in high school, his eyes closed, and his brown hair dripping with water, the Darkness laughed maniacally.
"With the strength of a body like this, I'll be able to rule over the world!"
"Become my host."
The mouth of Isey burst open, his eyes lifeless, and purple power flew up into the sky.
It eventually fell and entered the high school student who challenged the Darkness.