The demon lunged at Lux with immense force, its long claws gleaming in the dark. Its attack was savage and unpredictable. Lux tried to dodge the first blow, but the demon's speed was astonishing. He felt a searing pain as one of its claws grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep wound.
"Weak!" the demon growled, its red eyes flashing. "Your body may be strong, but your spirit falters!"
Lux realized this fight was unlike anything he had faced before. This demon wasn't just a robot or a guard. It was a being with incredible physical power and mysterious abilities beyond his comprehension. Every blow was capable of shattering his bones. He tried to use his intelligence, searching for a weakness in the demon's movements, but the demon attacked with relentless ferocity.
Lux dodged a series of rapid blows, then countered with a powerful punch to the demon's stomach. But the blow had little effect. The demon's body seemed like rock. Lux took another powerful punch to his chest, knocking him to the ground. He felt dizzy, and tasted blood in his mouth.
"Is that all you have, human hiding in a fighter's body?" the demon sneered as it slowly approached, raising its claw to finish him.
Lux knew he couldn't win. His strength was rapidly fading, and this body wasn't accustomed to this kind of injury. In that critical moment, as the claw was about to pierce his chest, a flash of light appeared from among the trees.
It was followed by the echoing sound of an explosion, and a powerful surge of energy that flung the demon away. Lux looked with difficulty to see five figures standing on the edge of a circle of light, their weapons glowing. They weren't wearing Shadow organization uniforms, nor Confederacy uniforms. Their clothes were practical, but bore a distinctive emblem: an eye within a crescent moon.
"You're a bit late, comrade," a powerful female voice said.
One of the figures stepped forward. She was a tall woman, wearing a dark leather coat, her short black hair gleaming in the light. She held a large pistol from which smoke emanated.
Lux was shocked. He knew these people. He had seen this emblem before in the Shadow organization's files. They were the Night's Watch. A highly secretive organization, operating in the shadows, known for seeking to maintain balance among the hidden powers of the world.
"The Night's Watch..." Lux mumbled, then remembered. This was the organization mentioned in the Shadow files as comprising nine of the most powerful and influential agents and individuals, operating in absolute secrecy. He knew some of their leaders by their codenames.
"Don't worry, fiend. We're not here to fight you," said a powerfully built man, with a giant mechanical arm, as he approached the demon which was trying to get up. "We came to make an offer."
The figure leading the group, a woman with a powerful aura and sharp eyes, approached Lux. She wore a scarf covering part of her face.
"We know who you are, Raven," the woman said in a confident voice that sounded strangely familiar. "And we also know that you are not Raven."
Lux's eyes widened in shock. How did she know?
"We've been watching you since you started acting differently," the woman continued. "Your soul is trying to break free from this body. We offer you to join us, the Night's Watch. We can offer you knowledge and protection, and perhaps... help you find your true path."
The woman looked at the rest of her team. There were five of them: the woman with the pistol, the man with the mechanical arm, a person wearing a dark cloak that completely obscured their body, another with eyes that glowed blue, and the last who appeared to be entirely robotic.
"Who exactly are you?" Lux asked, his voice weak but carrying a defiant tone.
"We are those who keep this world from falling apart," the leader woman replied. "We fight the Shadow, the Confederacy, and even beings that shouldn't be here. We have nine leaders, nine powerful individuals who bear the fate of this planet. My codename is Echo."
Echo extended her hand towards Lux. "What do you say, Lux? Will you join the Night's Watch, and help us uncover the secrets of this world and restore balance? Or would you prefer to remain a tool in the hands of the Shadow, or prey for the demons?"
Lux looked at her hand, then at the demon that was slowly retreating, growling threats. This was a chance, perhaps his only chance to survive and understand what had happened to him.