Chapter 22: The Sacrifice
Silence.
The blinding light of the Destruction Blast slowly faded, leaving behind a battlefield buried beneath smoke, ash, and shattered stone.
The wind carried the scent of burning earth.
As the dust finally settled, a lone figure emerged from the destruction.
The Arcane General.
Half of his armor had been obliterated, and deep wounds covered his body. Dark blood dripped onto the cracked ground.
Yet...
He was still standing.
A slow laugh echoed through the ruins.
"How dramatic..."
He took another step forward.
"And how... pointless."
Several meters away, Shen collapsed onto one knee.
His breathing was ragged.
His body refused to move.
Fragments of his shattered swords lay scattered around him, reflecting the fading crimson sky.
His hands trembled uncontrollably.
His eyes searched the battlefield.
"...Commander?"
No answer.
Only silence.
The place where the Commander had stood was empty.
The realization struck Shen's heart like a blade.
"...No..."
His voice cracked.
"...No..."
He slammed his fist into the ground.
"COMMANDER!!"
The cry echoed across the ruined city.
Kenya lowered her head, tears streaming down her face.
"He... really..."
She couldn't finish her sentence.
Ruke stood frozen, unable to believe what had happened.
Eliz covered her mouth as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"He sacrificed everything..."
The Arcane General slowly approached Shen, his footsteps echoing through the silence.
"Your leader is gone."
He looked down at the broken swords scattered around Shen.
"Your weapons are destroyed."
His smile grew colder.
"And your fate..."
"...is already sealed."
Shen remained motionless.
His head hung low.
For several long moments...
Nothing happened.
Then—
A faint pulse of darkness spread beneath him.
Not from his shattered swords.
Not from any spell.
It came from within.
The shadows around Shen began to twist and gather at his feet, rising like living smoke.
The ground trembled.
The wind stopped.
Kenya's eyes widened.
"That energy..."
"It's coming from Shen himself."
Eliz gripped her staff tightly.
"It isn't the Dark Mage power..."
"It's something even deeper."
Shen slowly lifted his head.
Tears mixed with the blood on his face.
His violet eyes burned brighter than ever before.
His voice was quiet.
Barely above a whisper.
"You took..."
"...my Commander."
The darkness surged violently around him.
Ancient black runes appeared across the battlefield.
The sky itself seemed to darken.
Shen slowly rose to his feet.
His gaze locked onto the Arcane General.
His voice carried across the ruined city with unwavering resolve.
"Now..."
"...all that's left..."
"...is me."
The darkness exploded outward, swallowing the battlefield as an overwhelming pressure descended upon everyone present.
Even the Arcane General's confident smile began to fade.
For the first time...
He sensed true danger.