CHAPTER 41: The Force of Darkness
Silence.
A silence so profound that even the crackling fires surrounding the battlefield seemed afraid to make a sound.
Arcane General Vaegas remained motionless.
His golden eyes never left the young man standing before him.
For centuries...
He had fought kings.
Slaughtered dragons.
Reduced entire civilizations to ash.
Yet the instinct buried deep within his soul whispered something he had not felt in ages.
Danger.
The human standing before him was different.
Shen Karguro calmly rested the massive black sword against his shoulder.
His crimson eyes briefly moved past Vaegas and settled on his companions.
Kenya struggled to remain conscious, his armor shattered beyond repair.
Ruke's Dragon Staff lay broken in two pieces beside him.
Eliz knelt on the cracked earth, blood dripping from her fingertips as the remnants of forbidden magic slowly faded around her.
For a brief moment...
Relief crossed Shen's face.
"They're alive..."
The words were barely louder than a whisper.
Kenya forced out a weak laugh.
"...You really..."
"...picked the perfect time."
Shen's expression softened.
"I would've come sooner."
"But Commander Ryulga refused to let me leave until my training was complete."
Ruke groaned.
"Next time..."
"...tell him not to take so long."
A faint smile appeared on Shen's face.
"There won't be a next time."
His voice carried no anger.
No hatred.
Only certainty.
Vaegas slowly began laughing.
"Hahaha..."
"So..."
"You're Shen Karguro."
"The human who disappeared."
"The disciple chosen by Ryulga."
He spread his crystal wings.
"I expected someone... more impressive."
Shen slowly turned toward him.
"I expected a General."
"For someone called one..."
"...you certainly talk a lot."
The battlefield froze.
Kenya's eyes widened.
Ruke blinked.
Even Eliz forgot the pain for a second.
Vaegas's smile slowly disappeared.
"You dare mock me?"
"No."
Shen replied calmly.
"I'm disappointed."
Dark Arcane energy exploded from Vaegas's body.
The surrounding ruins shook violently.
Every surviving soldier instinctively stepped backward.
"I shall carve those words into your corpse."
BOOM!!
Vaegas vanished.
The air exploded as he crossed the distance between them.
His claw sliced downward with enough force to split a mountain.
Kenya shouted.
"SHEN!!"
Shen never moved.
CLANG!!
The sound echoed across the kingdom.
Vaegas's claw had stopped.
Not against Shen's sword.
Not against a barrier.
Against Shen's bare left hand.
His fingers gripped the General's wrist as though stopping the swing required no effort at all.
The shockwave raced across the battlefield, flattening what little remained of the ruined city.
Dust rose into the sky.
When it cleared...
Shen had not taken a single step backward.
Vaegas stared at him.
"...Impossible."
"You blocked it..."
"...with one hand?"
Shen looked at the claw in his grip.
"You've got strength."
He glanced back at Vaegas.
"But your technique is terrible."
Before the General could react—
Shen twisted his wrist.
CRACK!!
The sound of shattered crystal echoed across the battlefield.
Vaegas's arm bent unnaturally.
For the first time...
Pain flashed across the Arcane General's face.
Shen released him with a shove.
Vaegas flew backward, crashing through three ruined towers before stopping hundreds of meters away.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Kenya's mouth slowly fell open.
"...Did..."
"...Did he just..."
Ruke burst into exhausted laughter.
"I knew..."
"...he'd become ridiculous."
Eliz stared at Shen.
The mana surrounding him was unlike anything she had ever sensed.
It wasn't overwhelming because it was wild.
It was overwhelming because every fragment of it obeyed him perfectly.
Months ago...
Shen fought with instinct.
Now...
Every movement was precise.
Every breath carried purpose.
Vaegas slowly stood.
His broken arm regenerated almost instantly.
Yet...
He wasn't smiling anymore.
"...What happened to you?"
Shen answered without hesitation.
"I survived."
The words echoed across the battlefield.
"I survived Ryulga."
His crimson eyes darkened.
"And surviving him..."
"...was far harder than surviving you."
For the first time since the battle began...
Arcane General Vaegas abandoned his arrogance.
The monster before him was no longer the battered General.
The battlefield had gained a new predator.
And its name...
Was Shen Karguro.