The moment Tim landed on the hull of the base-ship, alarms blared. Red lights flashed, and the dark-armored soldiers rushed toward him, weapons raised.
Tim's Solar Saber ignited.
"Let's do this."
The first wave of guards charged. Tim moved like a beam of light, weaving through their attacks.
SOLAR DASH! - He zipped past three soldiers, his saber glowing as he slashed through their weapons, sending sparks flying.
SOLAR BREAKER! - It pushed another guard, sending him crashing into a wall.
SOLAR FLARE BLAST! - A blinding flash of light erupted from his saber, disorienting the guards long enough for Tim to slip deeper into the base.
The halls were a maze of dark metal and crimson lights, but Tim didn't stop. He sprinted through corridors, using his new, adapted attacks - moves he'd developed from past battles - to outsmart his enemies.
He deflected dark energy blasts with SOLAR SHIELD - spinning his blade fast enough to create a temporary barrier of light.
He channeled his Solar energy into his legs - allowing him to move faster than the eye could follow.
When surrounded, he unleashed SOLAR BURST- to knock back everything in a 10-foot radius.
Every wave of enemies was stronger than the last - but Tim's mind stayed locked on one thing: Rei's throne room.
_ _ _
Tim's breath was heavy, the echo of his footsteps bouncing off the cold metallic walls of the next floor. His body was already worn from breaking through the lower-level guards, but there was no time to rest.
The floor he entered now was different - darker, more ominous. The crimson glow that lined the walls was sharper, and the air was thick with tension.
Then - CLANG.
A group of Elite Guards appeared from the shadows. Their armor was sleeker than the previous soldiers - black with glowing silver accents - and they each carried advanced weapons infused with dark energy. These weren't ordinary grunts. These were Dark Void's finest warriors.
One of the guards stepped forward, his weapon crackling with purple electricity.
"You're not going any further," he growled.
Tim tightened his grip on his Solar Saber, his muscles burning, but his resolve unshaken.
"We'll see about that."
The first guard lunged at Tim, swinging a massive dark blade.
SOLAR DASH! - Tim zipped to the side, dodging the blow, but a second guard immediately shot a dark energy blast at him.
He barely blocked it, his Solar Saber flaring to counter the dark attack, but the impact sent him skidding backward.
"They're fast," Tim muttered, realizing these guards were far more skilled - and more synchronized.
Another charged from behind.
Tim propelled himself into the air - but a third guard anticipated it, slamming him down with a shockwave of dark energy.
Tim hit the ground hard, pain shooting through his ribs.
Tim(half dramatic, half serious): "Ouch! That hurts. Can't you give a gentler welcome to a guest?"
The elites didn't even seemed to notice his reaction.
Tim gritted his teeth, realizing brute force wouldn't work here.
"I need to outthink them."
He studied their movements carefully. They fought in pairs - one attacking, the other defending - a constant cycle of offense and defense.
"If I break their rhythm..."
Then an idea hit him.
Tim let one guard strike first - and instead of dodging fully, he angled his Solar Saber just right, so the dark blade slid off and struck another guard.
Using the confusion, Tim then unleashed SOLAR SABER EXPLOSION to knock the two unbalanced guards back.
As a third guard rushed in, Tim floated in the air channeling his Solar powers, flickering behind the enemy in an instant - and landed a clean hit to their armor's weak point.
The fight was fierce, every move demanding his full focus.
One guard tried using a long-range dark energy attack - but Tim countered by bouncing the energy blast off his SOLAR SHIELD, redirecting it back at the guard.
Another tried pinning him down with a dark net - but Tim slashed through it mid-air and countered with a rapid SOLAR SLASH RADIANCE - cutting through the weapon and disarming the enemy.
The last two elites tried cornering him.
Tim took a deep breath, channeling his Solar energy into his blade until it glowed a fierce golden hue.
"This ends now."
SOLAR SABER FINAL STRIKE! - Tim swung with full force shattering the elites' weapons and sent them crashing to the ground.
Tim stood there, his Solar Saber still glowing faintly, his chest heaving. The floor was littered with defeated Elite Guards, their weapons destroyed, their armor scorched with Solar energy.
But Tim wasn't unscathed. His left arm was bruised, his uniform torn, and a sharp pain throbbed in his ribs.
He clenched his jaw.
"I did it... but that was too close."
These enemies weren't like the monsters he fought in the cities - they were highly trained, skilled in dark combat. If he wasn't careful, the next battle could be his last.
Still, Tim pressed forward.
He wiped the sweat from his brow, tightened his grip on his saber, and faced the ominous corridor ahead.
"Rei... I'm coming."
Tim stepped onto the next floor, his body still aching from the battle with the Elite Guards. The air was thicker here, and the room was vast - a circular arena with jagged metal walls and a high ceiling glowing faintly with dark energy.
Then, a cold mechanical voice echoed across the chamber.
"Welcome, Solar Warrior."
From the shadows, Robokamen emerged - his metallic frame gleaming under the dim lights. His crimson eyes flickered, scanning Tim from head to toe.
"You're still standing, impressive... but pointless. This is my arena."
Tim gripped his Solar Saber tighter. "If you think a fancy arena will stop me, you're wrong."
Robokamen let out a cold, distorted chuckle. "Oh, I have no intention of stopping you - they will."
He raised his arm, and from the darkened corners of the arena, ten monstrous figures emerged.
Each one was a fusion of dark technology and raw monstrosity - with metallic limbs, glowing crimson eyes, and dark energy coursing through their twisted forms.
These weren't just beasts - they were Robokamen's creations, a terrifying combination of technology and dark power.
"My finest monsters," Robokamen said. "Each stronger than the last you've faced. And just to be fair-"
A pulse of energy shot from his hand, and Tim felt a sudden surge through his body. His bruises faded, his torn uniform mended itself, and the pain in his ribs dulled.
Robokamen smirked. "Consider yourself at full health. I want no excuses when you fall."
Tim's body felt better - but his mind was on high alert.
"Bring it."