The wind was still. Dust floated gently in the air, catching the golden light of the fading sun. Suddenly, a sharp laugh echoed across the battlefield. Ashkhal stepped out from the shadows, grinning wildly, his sharp canines visible.
Viren's eyes widened. His fists clenched.
"You bastard..." he muttered, his voice shaking with rage. "How... how are you even alive?! I left you for dead twenty years ago."
Ashkhal chuckled darkly, stepping forward.
"Oh, that?" he said. "I survived, Viren. Barely. But I didn't just survive—I grew stronger. And now... I'll kill all of you."
Viren's mind raced.
Damn it. He's right. This bastard... he's a dirty monster, but in close combat, he's stronger than me. And if I remember right, he uses the Shadow Mudra...
Before Viren could finish thinking, Ashkhal shot into the air and shouted, "What are you thinking, fool?!"
High in the sky, Ashkhal joined his palms together, and in an instant, a strange aura burst out from his body—dark, thick, and alive like a shadow storm. It covered him like armor.
Viren narrowed his eyes.
Urja...
He took a deep breath and activated his own. A brown energy flared around him, swirling with calm but strong force. As it rose, a faint white glow shimmered at the top of the aura, his Illusion Mudra, quietly present.
Arvind and Anmol stepped back to a safe distance. Both were silent, watching.
Without a warning, Ashkhal dropped from the sky, landing just inches in front of Viren. The ground cracked beneath his feet.
Then, fists flew.
Punch after punch, they moved too fast for a normal eye. Viren managed to land a few good hits, but Ashkhal was too strong—he kept coming back harder. A punch to Viren's ribs. A kick to his shoulder. Blood spilled from Viren's mouth. His vision blurred.
"Shadow Slash!" Ashkhal roared.
A blade of shadow energy ripped through the air, hitting Viren straight on.
Viren's head burst with blood.
"VIREN GRANDPA" Anmol screamed. Tears welled in his eyes.
Arvind stepped in front of him, shielding him.
Ashkhal slowly turned to them, his eyes glowing, his smile cruel. He walked forward, step by step, sending a chill down their spines.
Then—
"Earth Prison!"
The ground rumbled. Large chunks of earth rose, spinning around Ashkhal and locking him in a giant circular cage. Thick spikes held the walls together, glowing with energy.
Ashkhal's eyes widened.
"What the—?!"
Behind the cage, Viren stepped out of the shadows. Completely unharmed. Not a scratch. He looked fresh, almost like he had never fought.
"Don't forget," he said with a grin, "I'm an illusionist too."
With a hand gesture, he floated the cage into the sky. "Death Torture!" he shouted.
Sharp spikes appeared inside the cage and shot inward. Screams echoed inside, but they were short.
Arvind and Anmol stared, mouths open.
"Is he... dead?" Anmol asked.
Suddenly,
"Shadow Explosion!"
BOOM!
The cage exploded midair. Pieces of earth scattered like bombs. From the smoke floated Ashkhal, wounded but alive, his body covered in black lightning.
Viren gritted his teeth.
"This bastard..."
He raised his hand. Two earth plates shot up and floated. Viren jumped on them and rose to face Ashkhal midair.
Before flying, he turned to Arvind and whispered something. Arvind nodded and began moving.
In the air, Ashkhal summoned a black scythe made entirely of shadow. "Death Scythe!"
Viren replied with, "Callestial!"
A glowing khukuri appeared in his hand, forged from ancient earth metal, wrapped in his brown urja.
They clashed again. Blade against blade.
Ashkhal slashed with his scythe. "Shadow Slash!" A huge wave of shadow flew forward.
"Earth Judgment!" Viren shouted. A beam of glowing energy blasted from his khukuri and smashed through the shadow wave, hitting Ashkhal and sending him flying.
As they were fighting they found themselves above to an open ground.
"Shadow Lightning!"
Ashkhal suddenly vanished, moving at lightning speed. Before Viren could react, he appeared behind him and stabbed him through the back with the scythe.
Blood poured out of Viren's chest.
But he smiled.
"Heh... Eternal Judgment," he whispered.
A tiny rock dropped from the sky and hit Ashkhal's head.
"Wha—?" he muttered, but the rock became impossibly heavy, crushing him downwards with massive force.
Back on the ground, Arvind stood ready.
"Acid Lake!"
The ground split. A bubbling, poisonous lake of blue acid appeared beneath Ashkhal.
"No—!" Ashkhal tried to stop himself, but the pressure pushed him down into the acid. The lake hissed as he sank.
"Seal!" Arvind shouted, closing his palm. A glowing lock sealed the acid lake shut and it disappeared.
Viren slowly descended, blood trailing from his body. He landed near Arvind, trembling. His shirt was soaked in red. He collapsed to one knee.
To be continued…