Outbreak: Ninjago's Dark Dawn

Chapter 15: The Final Stand

The battle with Nekros was far from over.

The sky above Ninjago darkened further, the oppressive weight of the undead looming like a suffocating cloud. The ninjas' bodies ached, their movements slower as fatigue set in, but they couldn't stop. Not now. Not when the fate of Ninjago hung in the balance.

Nekros descended from his lofty position, his hollow eyes locking onto Lloyd. There was something deeply personal in the way he stared at the Green Ninja, as if this final duel was inevitable.

"I sense great power in you, boy," Nekros said, his voice carrying an ancient menace. "But power alone will not save you."

Lloyd tightened his grip on his sword, his body tense and ready. "I've heard that before."

With a sudden burst of speed, Nekros attacked, dark energy spiraling around him like a vortex. Lloyd met the assault head-on, their blades clashing with a force that sent shockwaves through the battlefield. Nekros's strength was overwhelming, but Lloyd fought back with everything he had, his elemental power fueling each strike.

Around them, the ninjas continued to fight, pushing back the intelligent horde as best they could. Jay unleashed a barrage of lightning, his muscles burning from the effort, while Nya's water attacks flowed like a raging river, sweeping away zombies in every direction. Zane's ice formed barriers, protecting the team from the most vicious of attacks.

But it was Cole who drew the most attention.

His body was breaking down, the infection inside him spreading faster now. His movements were slower, his breathing labored, but still, he fought. Earth trembled beneath his feet, powerful shockwaves rippling through the ground as he held the line.

Kai fought beside him, his fire a blazing inferno that lit up the battlefield. But despite the chaos, his eyes kept flickering toward Cole, a deep worry gnawing at him.

"Cole," Kai shouted over the din of battle, "you need to stop! It's killing you!"

Cole gritted his teeth, slamming a group of zombies into the ground with a massive quake. "I'm not stopping, Kai. Not while there's still a fight."

But the corruption was spreading faster now. Cole could feel it. His strength was fading. He wasn't going to last much longer.

Kai's heart twisted in his chest. There was something more behind his words, something deeper, but he couldn't say it. Not here. Not now. All he could do was fight beside Cole, even as his fear grew.

Meanwhile, Lloyd was locked in a deadly duel with Nekros, their powers clashing violently. Nekros's dark energy swirled around him, his every move precise and deadly. Lloyd fought back with everything he had, but it wasn't enough. Nekros was too strong, too fast.

"I told you," Nekros sneered, his blade striking Lloyd's with brutal force. "You cannot win."

Lloyd stumbled back, his chest heaving with exhaustion. He was running out of time, out of strength. But then, a voice cut through the chaos.

"Lloyd!"

It was Garmadon.

Standing a few feet away, Garmadon watched the duel with an intensity that made Lloyd's heart skip a beat. There was something in his father's eyes, something... different.

"You know what you must do," Garmadon said, his voice low and commanding.

Lloyd's grip on his sword tightened. He knew what his father was asking of him, but it was a line he didn't want to cross. A darkness he didn't want to embrace.

"I can't," Lloyd muttered, his voice barely audible over the sounds of battle.

"You can," Garmadon said, stepping closer. "And you must. There's no other way."

Nekros laughed, his voice dripping with malice. "Listen to your father, boy. Embrace the darkness, or die."

Lloyd's heart pounded in his chest. The choice lay before him, clear as day. He could fight with everything he had, risk everything to save Ninjago. Or he could give in, embrace the darker power inside him, the one his father had always urged him to use.

It was a decision that would change everything.

But before Lloyd could make his choice, the ground trembled beneath them.

Cole, now fully transformed into a hybrid of man and undead, stood at the center of the battlefield, his eyes glowing with a mix of life and death. His body was twisted, corrupted, but his mind—his heart—remained his own.

With a roar, Cole charged at Nekros, his fists slamming into the ground with enough force to send shockwaves through the battlefield. Nekros was thrown off balance, his dark energy faltering for a moment.

Lloyd seized the opportunity, his green energy flaring brighter than ever before. He channeled everything he had into one final strike, his sword blazing with power as he charged at Nekros.

Their blades met, and for a moment, the world stood still.

Lloyd's energy surged forward, overwhelming Nekros with a burst of pure, radiant light. The darkness was pushed back, and Nekros let out a final, echoing scream as his form began to disintegrate, his body dissolving into nothingness.

The battlefield fell silent.

Nekros was gone.

But the cost of victory weighed heavy on the ninjas.

Cole collapsed to the ground, his body twitching as the corruption inside him continued to spread. His friends rushed to his side, but they knew there was little they could do.

"We did it," Cole whispered, a faint smile on his lips. "We won."

Lloyd knelt beside him, his heart heavy. They had won, but the sacrifices had been great.

As the sun began to rise over the horizon, casting its warm light over the ruined city of Ninjago, the ninjas knew that the fight was over.

But the scars would remain forever.