ARCANE Drifters – Volume 1
Prologue: Legacy of the Forgotten War
Narration by Shen Karguro
---
Shen (narrating):
> "Before I became who I am... before I fought the monsters that tore the skies apart... this world already had its scars."
There were once three universes—each ruled by a different kind of existence.
> Universe One was home to the Gods.
Universe Two belonged to the Arcanes.
And Universe Three... that's where we Mages were born.
The Arcanes weren't always what they are now.
Back then, they were worse.
Wild, chaotic beasts—giants of magic with no emotion.
They only knew how to kill.
How to destroy.
How to haunt their own kind.
But even chaos has a moment of silence.
And that silence had a name.
> Diablo. The First Arcane Lord.
He gave them peace.
He gave them purpose.
For ten years, the Arcanes lived like something close to people.
I never saw it myself. I was born way later.
But the stories say they laughed for the first time… and cried, too.
And then...
he came.
> The one they call the White Guy—
The God of Existence.
Not a king. Not a beast.
Not even a devil.
Something beyond all that.
He appeared from outside the three universes…
…and with a single breath—he inhaled Universe Two.
Millions of Arcanes gone.
Just like that.
Only Diablo and a few hundred survived.
They wandered across the stars, until they found one place left untouched:
> Earth.
But Earth already had life.
Mages, like my ancestors.
And Demons, who kept to the shadows.
Still... they allowed the Arcanes in.
An agreement was made—three races living in balance.
But that balance died… the day Diablo did.
His brother Regred became Arcane Lord.
And peace vanished with him.
Regred hated Mages.
And he made it clear.
> He started the First Arcane War.
Not even Demons joined that one.
It was just us Mages, fighting monsters that once shook galaxies.
We would've lost.
We really would've.
But fate sent us a savior:
> The Golden Mage.
He sealed Regred and his 1,000 generals away with the last of his light.
We thought it was over.
But I've learned something in my time…
> Peace is just the eye of the storm.
---
Shen (narrating):
> "One hundred years later... the Arcane Minister rose."
The last of Diablo's era.
Still alive. Still angry.
He started the Second Arcane War, this time with something new—hybrid races.
He created ten new kinds of beings—each one powerful.
One of those… was us.
Humans.
But when we saw what the Minister truly wanted… we turned our backs on him.
> We joined the Mages.
And together, we won.
> Or… at least we thought we did.
The Minister had one final plan.
He secretly unsealed Regred's commanders—some of the most terrifying Arcane beings ever made.
This time, the Mages were outmatched.
Too few. Too weak.
So they made the greatest sacrifice:
> They gave all their magic… to us.
To Humans.
The entire Mage Unity vanished.
But from that sacrifice... came victory.
Humans destroyed the Minister.
Regred vanished again.
And the war ended.
---
Shen (narrating):
> "Six centuries have passed since then."
Earth grew.
Civilizations rose.
But the Arcanes never truly left.
They hide in mountains, in oceans, in storms.
Somewhere out there… they're waiting.
That's why we exist now.
> The Arcane Drifters.
A force born in the Sixth Century.
Built from the bones of war.
Forged by the courage of those who refused to let the Arcanes win.
I didn't ask for this power.
But now…
I will never run from it.
Because I'm Shen Karguro.
And this is where my story begins.
--- Chapter 1: A BIG PROMISE
Scene 1: The roar of the aircraft engine vibrated through the group.
"[Shen Kaguro, shouting over the noise] Alright, everyone! Operation Drifting Force No-0 is a go! Let's move!"
Scene change: A chaotic melee of children.
"Hey, if we keep fighting A Big Promise each other like this, we'll never take down those Arcanes!" one of them yelled.
"These Arcanes are tiny! We can squash them like bugs," another voice retorted.
Shen stepped in, concern etched on his face. "Guys, what are you doing? Those things might be small, but they're still dangerous!" (Emotion: Angry)
Another child scoffed, "That's our problem, not yours."
Ruke Meldives smirked. "If you're so strong, why don't you try fighting me?"
Shen's eyes flashed. "Fine, let's do this!"
THE FIGHT BEGINS!
Shen noted, "Whoa, he's fast!"
Ruke grinned, unleashing a special attack. "You're finished!"
(Movement of Ruke: Walker)
Ruke calmly moved into a punch.
"Let's see you handle this!" Shen retorted, launching his own attack.
Ruke's face paled, and he stumbled backward, surprised.
Suddenly, Kenya intervened. "Stop it! What's the matter with you guys? Are you trying to hurt each other? If I tell your mother, it won't be safe for you, Shen!"
Shen mumbled, "Sorry, please don't tell her."
Kenya relented. "Okay, let's go."
A voice from Ruke protested, "But I want to fight!"
Kenya shot him a warning look.
Kenya's posture shifted, slightly lowered, as he focused on Ruke.
Ruke's eyes widened. "What's that power I'm sensing?"
Suddenly, a distorted, high-pitched sound filled the air.
Shen's eyes widened. "Is that... the sound...?"
DOWN on Earth: Arcane magic exploded in destructive blasts.
Shen cried out, "No! My family! My friends!"
His eyes began to glow with an eerie blue light as he started to move forward.
Eliz cried, "Shen, don't! You can't go there!"
Shen choked out, "My mom, dad, grandpa, grandma... they're all at my house!"
Shen's brain seemed to freeze, and he began running aimlessly.
Kenya sprinted after him. "Shen, look! That void—"
Shen stared at the wreckage of his house, devastated.
Suddenly, a wave of energy slammed into Shen's back, knocking him unconscious.
Shen muttered, "Oh no, Rin..."
Rin, fading with a smile, "Goodbye, my brother..."
AFTER A FEW HOURS
A helicopter descended into the ravaged city, followed by fighter cars.
"Ah! What destruction!"
"No one's alive... I think they're all dead. Wait, look! There are some people!"
"They're just children!"
"Captain! Captain!"
"What is it?"
"There are survivors... children!"
"MMM!"
The survivors were brought to a secure village, where a driver named Rinkar was awaited.
"Hey, open the gate, they're coming!"
The vehicles entered, and the gate sealed shut behind them.
Kenya breathed, "This place is heavily guarded. No one's getting in here."
Eliz murmured, "I think they're using this village as a base."
Ruke nodded. "Yeah, you're right. It's a base."
Kenya turned to Ruke, surprised. "You were there during the raid, right? I thought you were dead."
Ruke scoffed, "What are you talking about? I escaped."
Ruke frowned, observing Shen. "Why is he just sitting there like that?"
Eliz explained, "His whole family died."
Ruke's voice rose in disbelief. "What? His father, mother, sister, even his three-year-old cat are gone?" He lowered his voice. "Oh gosh, then you're just going to sit there? Your family is gone, come on, you have to be a fighter! Why are you sitting like this?"
"Why are you making so much noise? Shut up and sit down, or we'll leave you out there for the enemy," another voice snapped.
Ruke mumbled, "So sorry, sir."
"Hey, stop!"
"There! There's the commander!"
"How are you all?" the Commander asked. "Where were you?"
"We were searching for survivors, sir."
"Any luck?"
"Yes, sir, a few children."
"Where?!" The Commander looked around, his gaze sweeping over them.
"Oh, right, who is this boy? What's your name?"
"Sir, his name is Shen," one of the soldiers offered.
The Commander snapped, "I didn't ask you!" (Emotion: angry)
The soldier shrunk back. "Sorry, sir!"
Commander: "Ok now tell me boy, what is your name?"
A silence including
"Tell your name, the commander is asking your name! Don't you know how to speak?"
Shen: "Shen, that's my name"
Commander: "Ok no problem. So, would you like to join the Arcane Drifting force?"
Shen: "What for real!?"
Commander: "I'm asking all of you"
Kenya: "Yes sir, we gladly accept to join"
Commander: "Ok then tomorrow we can meet again, till then you're dismissed"
Eliz: "Wow this is a very big house, we all can live here I guess. I think in this place almost thousand people can live"
Shen: "Wow, what a big house!"
Shen - flashback
Shen's Father: "Shen"
Shen: "What dad"
Shen's Father: "If you join the Arcane Drifting force at such a young age you can live in a big house"
Shen: "a big house for? Yes but I am not engineer."
End of flashback
Shen was feeling happy and then he said
Shen: "I'm sorry guys"
Ruke: "What why are you asking sorry"
Shen: "I can't tell that one more time, sorry guys for making you so worried"
Eliz: "No problem, we are friends right"
Kenya: "Yes we are one friends and rivals sometimes"
Shen felt happy
Shen: "Yes ok this is the big promise by us. We are going to join the Arcane Drifting Force and then we will kill those Arcanes all right"
Kenya: "Yes"
Eliz: "Yes"
Ruke: "Yes"
Shen: "Ok then lets, drift!"
A journey begins
Episode end;**Chapter 2: The Awakening Test**
**Scene 1: A Dream of Shadows**
*"Shen! Shen! Where is he? He's our last hope!"*
The voices echoed in the darkness, desperate and fading. Shen tried to respond, but his words were swallowed by the void.
*"You can—"*
A chilling smile curled on General Arcane's lips.
*"Oh? So he lied. Then it's just… Shen."*
A sharp pain shot through Shen's ears. The world blurred.
*"Fine. Then I'll destroy this place."*
Kenya's voice cut through the chaos. *"Shen is back."*
A blinding light erupted from the sky.
Shen's breath hitched.
*What… is this? What kind of form is that?!*
---
**Scene 2: The Morning After**
Shen jolted awake, gasping. Sweat clung to his forehead.
*"A dream…?"*
But the words lingered in his mind.
*Dark Mage Ultra Form… What does that even mean?*
Shaking off the unease, he stretched and headed to the training grounds.
---
**Scene 3: The Commander's Welcome**
*"Hey, friend! How's it— Oof!"*
Before he could finish, the Commander's fist buried itself in his gut. Shen doubled over, wheezing.
*"What was that for?!"*
The Commander crossed his arms. *"Yesterday, my speech fired you up. Today, you're late for training. Balance."*
*"Training? What training?"* Shen groaned, rubbing his stomach.
Eliz sighed. *"You literally told me you were joining the Arcane Drifting Force."*
*"Oh, right! We *can* join, yeah?"*
Kenya flicked his forehead. *"Idiot. The minimum age is 14. We're 12."*
*"And even at 14,"* Ruke added, *"the training lasts two years. No shortcuts."*
Shen grinned. *"Unless we punch our way in?"*
The Commander's expression darkened.
*"You don't understand, Shen. After the Arcane King's sealing, too many young soldiers died. Now, we test *character* before sending anyone to battle."*
A heavy silence fell.
*"So… training first?"* Shen ventured.
The Commander nodded. *"Starting now."*
---
**Scene 4: The Magic Awakening**
Kenya gasped as a glowing orb materialized in the field. *"Whoa! What's this?"*
*"Your first test,"* the Commander said. *"This orb awakens your latent magic."*
Shen's eyes sparkled. *"Finally! I get to see my power!"*
*"Hold on,"* the Commander frowned. *"Who told you about this?"*
*"Books!"* Shen grinned. *"I *may* have read ahead."*
The Commander sighed. *"Fine. Kenya, you're first."*
Kenya stepped forward, placed her hands on the orb, and—
**BOOM.**
Flames erupted, twisting around her like a demonic aura. The Commander staggered back.
*"Fire Demon Power… A *god-level* ability!"*
Shen whistled. *"Just fire magic?"*
*"Fool,"* Ruke snapped. *"Ancient researchers tried merging fire and arcane energy. They failed—and *this* was the result. Hellfire itself."*
Next was Eliz. A pulse of dark and light energy burst forth.
*"Dark Healing *and* Light Attack Magic?"* The Commander's voice trembled. *"An attack-specialized mage!"*
*"So cool!"* Shen cheered.
Eliz blushed. *"S-Stop it…"*
Ruke went next. Electricity crackled around him, golden and fierce.
*"Ultimate-tier lightning manipulation!"* the Commander declared.
*"Ruke, you're insane!"* Shen laughed.
Ruke scratched his head, embarrassed. *"Your turn, genius."*
Shen strode forward, heart pounding.
*This is it!*
He touched the orb.
The wind stirred gently.
Then—nothing.
Silence.
The Commander's face paled. *"No… power detected."*
Kenya's jaw dropped. *"What?!"*
Eliz and Ruke froze.
Shen stared at his hands.
*"…Huh?"*
---
**To Be Continued****Chapter 3: [Impossible]**
Shen's breath hitched as he stared at the empty readings. His hands trembled, disbelief twisting his features.
*No, this can't be possible! I'll check one more time.*
He stepped forward, the wind howling around him as if mocking the void where his power should have been. The Commander's voice cut through the gale, cold and final.
**"No power detected."**
*No, this isn't happening!* Shen's mind screamed. Despair crashed over him, and before he could think, his legs moved on their own—he ran.
Kenya's shout echoed behind him. **"Where is he going?!"**
The Commander's reply was grim. **"You let him go alone."**
---
### **The Weight of Powerlessness**
Shen collapsed under the shadow of a gnarled tree, his fists clenched in his hair.
*I don't have power. Why? Why?!*
The truth was a knife in his chest. Without strength, how could he face the Arcanes? How could he fight the nightmares haunting him?
A rustle in the air made him freeze. His head snapped up—a winged Arcane materialized above, its jagged form blotting out the sky.
*No… a Flying Arcane?!*
Terror locked his muscles. He scrambled back, but the creature was faster. Another shape loomed behind him—a monstrous Arcane, cutting off his escape.
*They're surrounding me!*
A magic cannon hummed to life, its barrel glowing with lethal energy. Shen squeezed his eyes shut.
*This is it. My last day—*
**BOOM!**
A searing blast of fire obliterated the Arcane in an instant. Shen gasped, whirling around.
**"Who—?!"**
Kenya's voice rang out, laced with relief and irritation. **"He's coming."** Then, sharper, **"Shen, why the hell did you run here?"**
Eliza crossed her arms. **"Yeah, explain yourself."**
Ruke smirked. **"Let's go. Pretty sure he was just scared."**
---
### **Denial and Defiance**
Shen's face burned. **"I wasn't scared!"**
Ruke raised a brow. **"Oh? Could've fooled me."**
Eliza leaned in, her eyes sharp. **"Then why's there a tear in your eye?"**
Shen swiped at his face. **"That's—that's just rain!"**
Ruke glanced at the clear sky. **"Uh-huh. Sure."**
The Commander's voice cut through the tension. **"Enough chatter. Get in the car—more are coming!"**
The revulsor's engine roared to life, and they piled in. As the vehicle sped away, Shen managed a weak smile.
**"Sorry for making you worry about me again."**
Kenya snorted. **"Save the apologies. The Commander's gonna punish you tomorrow."**
Shen paled. **"Punishment? For what?!"**
**"For running off,"** Kenya said, grinning. **"Good luck."**
**"Nooo!"** Shen wailed as the others laughed.
---
**[Episode End.]** **Chapter 4: The Cursed Weapon**
Panting heavily, Shen collapsed to his knees, sweat pouring down his face as he gasped for air.
*"Yes! Yes! I... finally finished... a million laps..."* His vision swam as he struggled to stand. *"Eight days... of this hell..."*
Kenya approached, tossing him a canteen with an amused smirk. *"Good morning, sunshine. Still alive?"*
*"Hah... yeah, I'm... fine,"* Shen wheezed, just before his legs gave out and he face-planted into the dirt.
Eliza rushed over, her voice laced with concern. *"Shen! You're burning up! Do you need water?"*
*"Y-yeah... and maybe... a doctor..."* he groaned, pressing a trembling hand to his feverish forehead.
The Commander's shadow fell over them, his arms crossed. *"Training starts at dawn. Latecomers run a million laps."*
*"Y-yes sir!"* Shen forced himself upright, swaying dangerously. Then his face fell. *"Commander... wait. How am I supposed to fight Arcanes... when I have no power?"*
A heavy silence fell. Then—
*"I don't have any power either."*
The squad froze. Even the wind seemed to still at the Commander's words.
*"I created my own power,"* he continued, tapping his temple. *"Code-Breaking Power."*
---
### **The Selection Test**
*"Code-Breaking?"* Shen's eyes lit up. *"Is it stronger than magic?"*
*"No,"* the Commander admitted. *"But it's equal to it."*
*"I want it!"* Shen slammed his fists together. *"Train me!"*
*"Not so fast."* The Commander held up a hand. *"First, you pass the Weapon Selection Test."*
In the armory, blades of every shape gleamed under torchlight.
*"Choose wisely,"* the Commander warned. *"Pick not by style—but by what feels right in your hands."*
One by one, the squad selected their arms:
- Kenya claimed a flaming sword, its edge wreathed in fire.
- Eliza twirled a dagger of condensed starlight, shadows licking its blade.
- Ruke hefted a crackling scythe, electricity arcing down its shaft.
*"Wait—where's Shen?"* Ruke frowned.
A clatter echoed from the corner.
*"Commander...?"* Shen's voice was small. *"There's... nothing here for me."*
---
### **The Whispering Blades**
*"Tomorrow, new weapons arrive,"* the Commander said. *"Your training begins then. The rest of you—sparring starts NOW."*
*"Aww, come on!"* Shen groaned as the others charged onto the field.
An hour passed. Boredom gnawed at him as he watched Kenya parry fireblasts, Eliza vanish into shadows, Ruke carve lightning through dummies.
*"I'm just... wasting time,"* he muttered, kicking a pebble.
Then—a whisper.
*"Shen... Shen..."*
His head snapped up. The voice slithered from the storage room, hungry and raw.
*"Take me... TAKE ME... and we'll KILL..."*
Heart pounding, he crept toward the gloom. There, in the darkest corner, twin blades pulsed crimson—their edges jagged like broken teeth, their hilts wrapped in fraying, bloodstained cloth.
*"What... are you?"* Shen breathed, reaching out—
—and the world went red.
**[To Be Continued]**