Chapter 48: "A Spark in the Shadows"
The wind howled through the broken village, carrying ash and sparks. The towering demon before them grinned with jagged fangs, arms coated in cursed steel, his breath seething with poisonous air.
> Demon:
"Drifters… You will fall here. You smell like fear."
Shen Karguro stepped forward, his black cloak fluttering behind him. His Supreme Lord Eye slowly lit up—an ominous blue glow casting shadows across his face.
> Shen (calmly):
"You speak too much for something about to die."
The demon lunged, claws aiming for Shen's throat. Shen vanished in a blur, appearing behind him midair.
"Void Step."
In a flash, he summoned twin blades, swinging in an X-arc. The impact created a shockwave that split the demon's armor open, black mist spilling out.
But the demon didn't fall.
Instead, he roared—and out of his chest burst black chains, wrapping around Shen and slamming him to the ground.
> Demon (laughing):
"Not so fast, little shadow king!"
Dust clouded the battlefield. The villagers screamed. Lilia stood guarding them, her fists clenched—but exhausted.
And then—
> Ruke (gritting teeth):
"I said… I'll kill this idiot!"
He stormed past Eliz and Kenya, lightning exploding from his body like a tidal wave. The earth cracked beneath him as he vanished in a blink—reappearing with a thundering Lightning Uppercut to the demon's jaw.
> Shen (from the ground, smirking):
"That's my line, Ruke."
The demon staggered, roaring in pain. Ruke didn't stop. He spun midair, launching a Thunder Barrage—each strike hitting with sound-shattering force.
The sky above roared in sync with Ruke's fury.
Kenya, watching from a distance, narrowed his eyes.
> Kenya:
"That idiot's not holding back anymore…"
> Eliz (smiling faintly):
"He's protecting someone again."
Lilia's eyes widened. She remembered those fists—those same fists that once protected her when they were just kids.
> Lilia (softly):
"Ruke…"
The demon tried to counter—but Shen had already broken free. With a flick of his hand, a black summoning circle spun behind him.
Shadow Beast: Obelion.
A dragon-shaped creature emerged from the ground, roaring with pitch-black fire. It slammed into the demon from behind.
The demon screeched—burned by darkness and torn by lightning.
> Ruke (cracking his neck):
"Hey Shen. Let's end this."
> Shen (activating Supreme Lord Eye):
"Together?"
> Ruke:
"Always."
Shen leapt, twin blades ablaze with void magic. Ruke soared beside him, lightning spiraling around his fists. With one final shout—
> Shen:
"VOID STRIKE!"
> Ruke:
"THUNDER STRIKE!"
Their powers collided with the demon's chest. The impact shook the heavens.
The demon screamed, light bursting from its body—and then, silence.
Only ash remained.
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[End of Chapter 48 – "A Spark in the Shadows"]