The air in Kashi Gurukul was thick with tension as the Pātāl Lok beasts continued to emerge from the rift. Their eyes glowed with malevolent hunger, their forms flickering like smoke. Raghav, Nyra, and the remaining champions of the tournament stood ready, facing the ultimate challenge.
Master Arvind and the elders stood at the outermost ring of the battlefield, their auras converging to form a protective barrier around the Gurukul. The Guardians of Dominion prepared for what was to come—but the true test lay ahead.
"This is not a trial of strength," Arvind spoke gravely. "It is a trial of will. The bond you share with your beast will either save or destroy you."
Raghav's heart raced. The Trishula etched into his chest pulsed with divine light. Lord Shiva's presence hung over the battlefield, his third eye ever-watchful.
The rift at the summit of the Gurukul widened, and the first wave of Pātāl Lok beasts surged forward—massive, serpentine creatures whose scales shimmered like obsidian, shadow-beasts with skeletal limbs, and rotting giants that dragged the earth itself as they marched.
Without warning, a crimson phoenix descended from the sky, its wings bursting into flames. Raghav raised his Trishula. He could feel the divine fire within him rise as the beast of Pātāl Lok charged toward him.
Nyra, already by his side, leaped forward, her body turning into a golden blur, clashing with the serpent-like beast that attacked her.
Raghav's mind focused. His connection with Lord Shiva—his bond with Nyra—had reached its peak. He was no longer just a tamer. He was part of something greater. The flame of Dominion burned bright within his heart.
"Judgment Flame," he muttered, his voice steady.
The air itself seemed to ignite as Raghav thrust his Trishula into the ground, sending a wave of blinding golden fire across the battlefield. The Pātāl Lok creatures screeched in agony, their bodies burning to ash as the flames consumed them.
But then, a dark presence loomed over him. Vaikunth Varna, who had previously been defeated, reappeared. His body was now a vessel for something darker—something that had entered him from the rift.
"You have no idea what you're facing, Raghav," Vaikunth hissed. "These beasts are just the beginning."
Vaikunth's body began to crackle with shadowy energy as he fully fused with the Pātāl Lok essence. His eyes glowed with pure malice.
A battle of wills began.