Aryavarta Outskirts: The Verlord's Grace
The Verlord's wife gently elbowed her husband, tears still glistening on her cheeks. "Don't be greedy! Give him to me... he's my son too!" The joyful reunion unfolded amidst the desolate landscape, a fragile bloom of warmth in the aftermath of war.
Verlord's keen eyes then swept over Xeru's group. The toll of their desperate flight was stark: missing limbs, shattered bones, eyes bandaged or gone, bodies crisscrossed with deep wounds. A profound sorrow touched his regal features. He raised a hand, palm radiating a soft, golden light. "Be whole."
The Healing Radiance washed over them. It wasn't painless – bones snapped back into place with audible cracks, nerves screamed as they reconnected, muscle and sinew knitted with an intense, burning itch. But within moments, the grievous injuries vanished. Eyes blinked open in restored sockets, hands flexed on regrown arms, deep gashes sealed without scars. A collective gasp of awe and relief went through the group.
"Thank you, Lord Verlord!" Xeru bowed deeply, echoed by the others, their voices thick with emotion.
Verlord nodded, pulling a small, intricate sigil carved from obsidian from his robes and handing it to Xeru. "This Sigil of Sanctuary will ward off most abyssal predators on your journey home. Go. Find peace."
As Xeru's group departed, their steps lighter, Verlord's gaze turned towards the horizon where his capital once stood. The battlefield stretching before it was a charnel house. The mighty Aryavartan Army lay utterly annihilated, crushed not by an opposing force, but by forces of nature made manifest.
Standing amidst the carnage were the Calamities, now in human forms. Frost Calamity (Ella), a woman with hair like spun ice and eyes like glacial depths, surveyed the devastation with disdain. "Pathetic," she murmured, kicking aside the shattered helm of an "SS" ranker. "They couldn't withstand even a fraction of our restraint."
Thunder Calamity (Raijin), a man crackling with barely contained energy, his form radiating power like a contained storm, approached her. "Finished gloating, Ella? We should depart."
Ella arched an icy eyebrow. "Scared, Raijin?"
Raijin's gaze flickered nervously skyward. "I am thunder itself. But even I have no desire to face Indra's wrath." He shuddered slightly, the name of the God of Thunder/Lightning carrying immense weight. "Heaven won't ignore the slaughter of fifty minor gods and fourteen mid-level deities. My path leads back to the Cultivators of Lu Wang. Even Heaven hesitates before their mountain." He paused. "You're not coming?"
Ella's gaze drifted towards the distant, chaotic energy signature still flaring in the Astral Plain. "A little longer. I'll greet our Lord Nero upon his return. Give him my... humble regards." Her lips curved in a faint, chilling smile.
Raijin nodded, a bolt of pure lightning tearing the sky as he vanished. Ella remained, a solitary figure of icy power amidst the sea of death, her attention fixed on the cosmic storm where Nero battled.
Astral Plain: Match 5 – Kenta vs. Sayuri, Daiki & Yui – The Teacher's Fall
(Match 6: Iliena & Rei vs. Whity & Devil Brothers - Already in progress elsewhere)
The clash was brutal. Daiki, empowered by his fusion with the Earth Calamity, moved with the unstoppable force of a landslide. Every punch that connected with Kenta felt like a mountain slamming into him – immense weight, crushing pressure, vibrating through his bones despite his expert blocks. CRUNCH! A blow to his ribs sent him staggering, pain blooming hot and sharp.
"See, Sensei?" Daiki grinned, though there was a flicker of respect in his eyes. "Can't beat your own students forever!"
Sayuri, fighting with controlled ferocity, was a whirlwind beside him. She wasn't even in her final form, yet her strikes were precise, powerful, exploiting openings Kenta barely managed to close. The sheer pressure from both students, amplified by Yui's constant, shimmering streams of healing light and reinforcing buffs from the sidelines, was overwhelming.
Enough! Kenta's resolve hardened. He roared, unleashing a torrent of aura that warped the space around him. His form shimmered, then solidified, radiating terrifying power. Resurrection State: Battle God Kenta! Muscles swelled, his skin took on a metallic sheen, and his eyes blazed with pure combat focus. He became a juggernaut.
He surged forward, instantly overpowering Daiki. A single backhand sent the earth-infused warrior crashing through astral debris. Kenta turned his terrifying gaze on Sayuri. "Impressive, but insufficient!" He launched a devastating haymaker aimed to shatter her guard.
CLANG!
Sayuri didn't dodge. She caught the blow on her crossed forearms. The impact echoed like a gong. She slid back, feet carving trenches in the astral ground, but she didn't falter. A fierce, proud smile touched her lips. "Impressive... Sensei."
Before Kenta could react, Sayuri exploded forward. Her counter-strike, a blindingly fast palm strike infused with concentrated force, slammed into Kenta's chest. BOOM! The Battle God form shuddered. Kenta was launched backwards like a cannonball, crashing through rock formations, coughing a spray of blood.
He struggled to rise, disbelief warring with pain. What... what kind of monster have I created?! Her power, even restrained, was terrifying. Sayuri was already upon him, a relentless storm of blows. Kenta fought back with Battle God strength, but Sayuri flowed around his defenses, her movements a perfect blend of his own teachings and something... more. The rapid-fire exchange was a blur of impacts, each one shaking Kenta's reinforced form.
Finally, Sayuri landed a devastating spinning kick to his temple. Kenta's vision went white. He hit the ground hard, the Battle God aura flickering and dying. He lay broken, bones screaming in protest, unable to move.
Sayuri stood over him, breathing steadily, her power receding slightly but her presence undiminished. She made to turn away.
"Don't... don't you finish it?" Kenta gasped, blood bubbling on his lips.
Sayuri paused, looking down at him with a mixture of pity and disdain. "Don't be an idiot, old man. You were already an idiot for serving Fernando. Now?" She gestured at his shattered body. "I've broken most of your major bones. Consider it enforced bed rest. Don't move an inch... until we finish Fernando."
Kenta's pride flared. "Hey! Where are your manners?! Is that how you speak to your elder?!"
CHOMP!
Daiki, having recovered and crawled over, chose that moment to sink his teeth firmly into the top of Kenta's head. "YOU old man!" Daiki mumbled around a mouthful of hair and scalp. "You didn't hold back one bit against me! Not one bit! That hurt!"
"GYARGH! D-Daiki! Let go! That hurts, you childish brat!" Kenta yelped, trying to swat at him weakly, utterly defeated and humiliated.
Sayuri rolled her eyes, a faint smirk touching her lips. "Come on, Daiki. Yui. We have a king to depose." She turned, leaving her former sensei pinned under his own student's teeth, a fittingly undignified end to the match.
Match 5: Officially Over.
Winners: Sayuri, Daiki & Yui.