Chapter 53: "Give In… and the Demon War Begins"
Season 2 - Arc of Black Flame Rebellion
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Scene 1: The Quiet Before Chaos
Location: Northern Border of Halvane, Drifter Base Outpost-7
Snowflakes drift lazily from the cloudy skies above as Eliz Betham sits at the edge of the outpost tower, her hands wrapped tightly around a black mug of warm tea. Below her, Drifters patrol and transport supplies. A strange tension grips the air—too calm, like nature was holding its breath.
Eliz (thinking):
"It's too quiet. Kenya hasn't returned. Shen… where are you? Why does my heart feel so heavy?"
Suddenly, a pulse of black lightning flickers across the sky.
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Scene 2: The Forbidden Ritual
Location: Underworld Ravine, Demon Sealing Temple Ruins
Kenya Naro stumbles through the collapsed remains of the ancient temple. His body is bruised, his Fire Demon Aura flickering unstable.
At the center lies a broken altar, glowing red with cursed symbols. A robed figure kneels before it: Krythor, the Demon Priest, whispering incantations.
Krythor (in a low chant):
"Unseal the Gate of Crimson Depths. Let the First Demon Rise…"
Kenya:
"Stop it… you'll doom the whole continent!"
Krythor smirks, raising his staff. With a final word, he strikes the altar.
BOOOOM!!!
The earth splits open, spewing red-hot lava as a colossal demon claw reaches out—its nails dripping with arcane venom.
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Scene 3: Shen's Inner Storm
Location: Elsewhere – Realm of Thought, Shen's Mind
Inside a mindscape of swirling shadows and light, Shen Karguro stands alone.
He is surrounded by versions of himself—young, broken, enraged, and ruthless. His Supreme Lord Eye glows faintly.
From the void, a voice booms.
Voice:
"Give in, Shen. Give in to the pain. To the rage. Only then… can you stop what's coming."
Shen (breathing heavy):
"No. If I give in now… I'll lose who I am."
Suddenly, he hears Rin's voice—a whisper.
Rin (echo):
"Shen… save them. Don't let them fall…"
His eyes snap open, glowing blue and black. Something inside him is awakening.
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Scene 4: Drifter HQ Emergency Council
Location: Drifter Force HQ, War Room
General Ryulga slams his fist on the table.
Ryulga:
"Reports confirm it—the Demon Gate is open. Arcane-class demons are flooding out of the Underworld Ravine. Our teams in the east are falling!"
Screens display footage of massive demons marching through forests, corrupting everything they touch. Cities are burning. Magical storms swirl above them.
Drifter Commander Vellsin:
"We must initiate Protocol Blackfire. All Drifters are to assemble. We're officially at war."
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Scene 5: Demon War Begins
Location: Skies above Halvane
From the clouds, thousands of demons with obsidian wings descend. Below, Drifters take up arms—mages, swordsmen, beast riders.
Kenya, barely alive, is rescued by Eliz and her strike unit. He warns them:
Kenya (weakly):
"They've awakened… the Demon King's army."
Suddenly, the sky turns crimson.
A giant demon lord lands—twenty meters tall, wrapped in dark flames, with horns of bone and a voice that shakes the air.
Demon Lord Varkhal:
"I am the herald of annihilation. Drifters… fall."
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Scene 6: Shen Returns
Location: Outskirts of Battlefield
A silence falls as the winds shift. A glowing blue magic circle forms mid-air.
From it, Shen Karguro steps out. His hair dances in the wind. His Supreme Lord Eye is fully active, his body cloaked in Dark Mage Form 3, power radiating like a storm.
Eliz gasps.
Kenya (smiles weakly):
"He's back…"
Shen looks up at the demon horde, then to Varkhal.
Shen:
"You picked the wrong world to invade."
He raises his hands—and calls forth a magic storm, hurling dark lightning into the sky as the first massive battle of the Demon War begins.
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End of Chapter 44