Chapter 128 – Sparks of the Drifters
Outside the sealed dimension, the city was in ruins. Black firestorms tore through the streets, and the sky itself bled red. The Arcane General, a massive, four-winged beast cloaked in molten armor, towered above everything—each breath scorching the ground.
Kenya stood at the front lines, flames flickering violently across his arms. His Fire Demon Form 2 was fully unleashed, the ground beneath him glowing with heat. Eliz stood beside him, cloak torn, her staff cracked but still glowing with dark-purple energy.
Kenya (gritting his teeth): "We can't let this monster reach the civilians. Eliz, focus your Death Cyclone on its right flank. I'll take its head."
Eliz (nods, panting): "Just like old times… Don't burn me this time, flame boy."
Kenya smirked slightly, but his eyes stayed locked on the enemy. The General roared—a sound that made even the strongest soldiers freeze.
---
Cut back to the sealed dimension.
Lare's sword clashed against Shen's twin blades again and again, each strike sharper, heavier. The very air screamed with the pressure of their battle. Shen's knees trembled, his arms shaking—but his eyes, glowing blue, never left Lare's.
Lare: "You are improving. But you're still reacting. You must decide the flow of battle, not follow it."
Lare vanished again—this time, Shen anticipated it. He spun his left blade behind him, blocking a strike from nowhere. Sparks exploded.
Shen (roaring): "Not this time!"
He kicked upward, releasing a burst of Dark Mage energy from beneath his feet. The shockwave shattered the ground, and for an instant, Lare was pushed back half a step.
It was small—but enough for Shen to notice.
Shen (smiling faintly): "I finally made you move."
Lare's calm gaze softened.
Lare: "Then the lesson is complete. You understand the weight now."
The crushing pressure vanished. Shen gasped as if he had been underwater for hours, collapsing to one knee.
Lare: "Rest, Drifter. You've taken your first step toward mastery."
---
Back outside, Kenya's flames erupted skyward, merging with Eliz's cyclone. The combination tore into the Arcane General's armor, splitting one of its wings.
Kenya (yelling): "Now, Eliz!"
Eliz (chanting): "Dark Cyclone—Oblivion Break!"
A storm of black wind engulfed the creature, ripping it apart from within. When the smoke cleared, the General's body was still moving—but barely.
Kenya's flames dimmed. "It's still standing…"
And then—a faint light shimmered above them. A ripple in the sky.
From within that rift, a familiar blue glow appeared—Shen's aura.
---
Inside the sealed realm, Shen raised his head as the space around him cracked open.
Lare (calmly): "Go. Your companions are calling you. This trial ends now."
Shen stood, blades in hand. His aura pulsed—a perfect balance between darkness and order.
Shen (determined): "Then it's time I showed them what I learned."
He stepped through the light—
—and reappeared on the battlefield, blue energy exploding outward as Kenya and Eliz turned, their eyes widening in shock.
Kenya (grinning): "Finally decided to join us, huh?"
Shen (smiling): "Let's end this together."
The three Drifters stood side by side, the ground trembling beneath their feet.
The final battle against the Arcane General had begun.