Arcane Drifters — Volume 3
Chapter 68: A Promise Burned in Flames
(The sun rises over the Drifting Force's high training field — a circular plateau surrounded by ancient ruins and glowing glyphs. The wind carries the scent of charred stone — the results of Kenya's explosive fire magic.)
Shen Karguro stands calmly in the center, twin blades humming with black and purple aura. His eyes flicker — not blue, not black, but unreadable. Across from him, Kenya Naro grins like a wild demon, his body sparking with fire energy.
Kenya (grinning):
"Alright, Shen. You promised. No holding back, remember?"
Shen (serious tone):
"You said the same... back when you almost melted my face off during breakfast."
Kenya (laughs):
"You were the one who called my cooking 'lava soup'!"
Shen (smirking):
"It was lava soup."
(They dash at each other. Kenya's flaming fists clash against Shen's blades, and the battlefield explodes with energy. A shockwave cracks the ground beneath them.)
[Cut to: Eliz watching nearby with arms crossed, unimpressed.]
Eliz:
"Idiots. They call this training?"
(A few soldiers from the academy whisper in awe nearby.)
Soldier 1:
"Isn't Kenya a Demon Lord now?!"
Soldier 2:
"Not officially, but… the sky changed color last time he sneezed."
[Scene returns to battle]
Kenya (rushing forward with Fire Demon Form 2 aura):
"Let's heat it up!! FIRE WALL BARRAGE!"
(Multiple fire walls erupt, caging Shen inside a flaming maze.)
Shen (smiling):
"Nice trick… but too slow."
(He vanishes with a blink—appearing behind Kenya and slashing lightly across his back. Kenya tumbles forward, shocked but unharmed.)
Kenya:
"Heh. You've improved. But I'm still the flame king."
(Kenya powers up, flames forming a fiery wolf spirit behind him.)
Shen (raising one eyebrow):
"Flame king? Sounds like something you read on a spicy ramen packet."
Kenya (dead serious):
"I did."
(Suddenly, the atmosphere shifts. Shen's eye glows blue for a moment, just a flicker, and Kenya pauses.)
Kenya (serious):
"…That eye. You're changing again, aren't you?"
Shen (quietly):
"Something's… stirring. Deep inside me. The curse… it's growing."
(Both go silent as a strange ripple passes through the air. For a second, even the wind halts. Eliz looks up suddenly.)
Eliz (thinking):
"That feeling… it's not just their power. Something's watching us."
---
[Scene Shift: A distant mountain — dark clouds swirl unnaturally]
In a hidden realm, deep in the shadows of the continent, a mysterious clan in cloaks watches through an enchanted pool. They wear sigils unknown to even the Drifters.
Mysterious Leader:
"The Demon Lord boy… and the Cursed One. Their powers are ripe. Soon, we will consume the light of the Heavenly Paradise. And the world… will kneel."
Mysterious Girl (hooded):
"They won't see us coming. Not before the Terminal Curse awakens."
---
[Back at Training Field]
Eliz (yells out):
"Enough! Both of you stop before you break the planet!"
(She throws a dark magic whip that splits the earth between them. Shen and Kenya both jump back, laughing.)
Kenya (laughing):
"She's scarier than both of us combined!"
Shen:
"Yeah… especially when she's mad at me."
(Eliz punches Shen in the gut as he smirks. He collapses, groaning.)
Shen (gasping):
"Not… again…"
Eliz:
"That's what you get for calling me 'Dark Whiny Mage' last time!"
Kenya (laughing harder):
"To be fair, that was pretty accurate!"
---
[Final Scene]
(Night falls. Shen sits alone, looking at the moon. His eye glows faintly. A strange mark begins to form on his chest, like a curse seal.)
Shen (thinking):
"Terminal Curse… Is that what's calling me? What's coming next…?"
---
To Be Continued...