Chapter 20: Dark Mage Mediator Awakens**
Silence.
Smoke curled over the ravaged land. Ruke had retreated, wounded. Kenji and Eliz watched, exhausted. Only Shen remained, blood dripping from his brow as he faced the General.
*"You're finished,"* the General sneered. *"Your team is broken. Your power has limits."*
Shen's breath was ragged. *"Maybe... but you forgot one thing."*
A black aura erupted at his feet, coiling up his body like living shadows. The sky darkened. The air itself seemed to warp.
Kenji shouted, *"That aura—it's not normal magic!"*
Eliz's voice trembled. *"It's Dark Mage energy... but deeper. *Different.*"*
Shen's eyes glowed violet. The mark on his arm spread across his chest.
*"This isn't borrowed power,"* he intoned, his voice echoing unnaturally. *"This is my path. I am the Mediator of Dark."*
The explosion of energy sent the General stumbling back. Runes ignited in the air. The ground split apart.
From afar, the Commander whispered, *"That form... It's from the forbidden archives. He's awakened the balance between light and shadow."*
The General clenched his fists. *"You think this frightens me?"*
Shen's voice deepened, resonating like a chorus. *"I'm not here to frighten you. I'm here to end you."*
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