Chapter 121 – THE FIRST ANCIENT TECHNIQUE
The battlefield of the Sanctum of Daffodils rumbled, runes glowing brighter as Lare raised his sword. His voice echoed through the endless white sky.
"Today, you will attempt your first step into the true arts of the Drifters. The technique is called Eclipse Fang."
Shen tightened his grip on his twin blades, his aura flickering with unease. "Eclipse Fang… what is it?"
Lare's eyes narrowed. "It is the art of sealing your entire will—rage, hope, hatred, pride—into a single strike. If your will falters, the technique will devour your body instead. That is why only a handful of Drifters in history ever survived learning it."
Shen smirked despite the warning. "Sounds like exactly what I need."
"Then show me!" Lare barked, swinging his radiant blade.
The ground cracked open as Lare's aura surged, pressing against Shen like a crushing tide. Shen roared, channeling Dark Magic through his body. His Terminal Curse flared, nearly consuming him in flames of shadow and light.
He forced it inward, struggling to compress the chaos into a single point. His blades vibrated violently, the air screaming as energy gathered.
"Focus!" Lare shouted. "Balance the curse! Balance your will! Do not let it explode!"
Shen's teeth clenched, his body trembling. The pressure tore at his muscles, blood dripping from his arms as he struggled to hold it together. His mind screamed—Too much power, I'll die—!
But then he remembered the voices. Rin's laughter. Kenya's stubborn pride. Eliz's warmth. His promise to never yield.
With a roar, he swung—
The world split. A crescent of black and blue light carved through the battlefield, tearing stone pillars in half and shattering the glowing runes. The shockwave shook the castle itself, cracks racing across the white dimension.
Shen collapsed to one knee, panting, his blades smoking.
Lare's eyes widened—not in fear, but in satisfaction. "Heh. You survived."
Shen looked up, sweat and blood dripping down his face, and muttered, "…That… was Eclipse Fang?"
Lare's grin sharpened. "That was only a shadow of it. One day, you'll strike with the true Fang. When that day comes, the world itself will tremble."
Shen's lips curled into a weak smirk. "Then I'll master it… and surpass you."
Lare chuckled, resting his blade on his shoulder. "Good. Because the next art will break you even further."
The white battlefield faded back into silence, but in Shen's chest burned a new fire—the first spark of the ancient Drifter's legacy.
To be continued…