As the five of them moved cautiously through the narrow, prana-soaked tunnels of the Kalambhaar Cave, an uneasy silence surrounded them. Only the distant dripping of mineral-laced water echoed like whispers of those who never returned.
Armaan suddenly stopped.
"Wait," he muttered, eyes narrowing as he looked above.
SHINGGG!
In a flash, his blade sliced upward. A sickening thud echoed as a Danawa's corpse crashed from the shadows of the ceiling—its twisted form split from chest to throat.
Everyone froze for a moment, stunned.
But Advika—she had instinctively clutched onto the edge of Armaan's uniform, heart thumping wildly from the shock. Armaan looked down at her, his voice low but filled with protective strength.
"Be careful, Advika. Don't let your guard down."
She looked up, realizing how close she was to him—her hand still gripping his uniform. Her cheeks flushed pink as she quickly let go, glancing away in embarrassment.
The other girls, watching from behind, felt their own hearts skip a beat—some from awe, some from a hint of jealousy. Manvi whispered to Tara and Reet:
"Did you see how fast he moved?"
"And the way he protected her… damn."
"I swear, if this guy was a villain, I'd still root for him," Reet giggled.
Meanwhile, Advika took a deep breath, composing herself.
"Thanks, Armaan... I— I'll be careful," she said, her voice softer than usual.
Armaan gave a small smirk and turned forward.
"Let's move. There's more ahead."
And just like that, the group pushed deeper into the unknown—each step now echoing with heavier emotion, deeper respect, and an undeniable shift in connection.
As they continued forward, the cave began to twist and widen. A thick, suffocating wave of prana suddenly flooded the tunnel like a crashing tide. Everyone stopped in their tracks, instincts flaring.
From the pitch-black shadows ahead, something emerged—a towering Danawa, its very presence warping the space around it.
Its skin was dark emerald green with jagged obsidian scales plating its arms and shoulders. Its horns curled like a ram's, tipped with glowing crimson. A skeletal jaw, cracked and burning with dull purple flames, parted in a low, bone-rattling growl. The creature's eyes were hollow pits of violet light, and spiked chains hung from its forearms, each clinking like death bells.
"This one's mine," Advika said sharply, stepping forward, gripping the hilt of her blade.
Armaan, without even flinching, stepped in front of her and held out a hand.
"You're the leader, Advika. We can't afford to risk you getting injured," he said firmly.
She narrowed her eyes. "Armaan, this isn't just any Danawa. It's strong—way stronger than the one you nearly died fighting during your last mission."
Armaan turned his head slightly, a calm smile stretching across his face.
"You think very lowly of me, don't you?"
Advika was caught off guard. That confident tone, that soft smirk on his lips—it sent a jolt through her chest.
He continued, eyes now glimmering with quiet fire.
"Don't worry, Advika. I'll take this one. And if something goes wrong…" he glanced back at her, his smile softening into something boyishly charming, "you're here to back me up, right?"
She paused, heart thumping hard again—this time not from danger, but from that smile.
"Fine… but don't make me regret this," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Manvi elbowed Reet with a grin.
"Someone's blushing again…"
"Can you blame her?" Tara whispered, starry-eyed. "That smile should be illegal."
As Armaan stepped toward the monstrous Danawa, the others stepped back, letting him walk alone into the face of the storm—undaunted, determined, and glowing with the quiet might of someone who had grown far beyond the boy he used to be.
Advika was still staring at him, her cheeks warm, when his smile suddenly faded. Armaan's eyes narrowed, a steely sharpness settling over his features.
"And don't let your guard down," he said without turning back, his voice low but commanding.
The shift in his tone made everyone freeze. The playful, charming Armaan was gone—replaced by the warrior who had earned his place among the strongest of Rakshaks. His presence now felt like a blade unsheathed—quiet, deadly, and absolute.
Advika blinked, straightened up instinctively, her grip tightening on her sword.
"Right…" she whispered, more to herself than anyone.
Manvi, Tara, and Reet, who had been watching him with fluttering hearts, now stood at attention, reminded instantly of the weight of the mission.
As Armaan faced the towering Danawa, the heavy air trembled. His cloak fluttered behind him with the rising wind of prana, and the faint sound of echoing drips from the cave ceiling was drowned by the slow, rhythmic thump of the creature's footsteps.
"Now then," Armaan muttered, drawing his blade, "let's dance."
As soon as Armaan stepped forward, the air grew thick — and then WHOOSH!
A surge of shadow-black aura erupted from his body like a violent storm, swirling around him, licking the ground with raw intensity. The wind howled through the cave as dust and loose rocks were thrown back. The sheer pressure made even Advika instinctively take a step back.
Armaan drew his blade slowly, the steel whispering through the air like a warning.
With a flash, his eyes opened—now gleaming silver, glowing with a divine luminance that made the shadows around him bend away. His expression was unreadable. Calm. Focused. Dangerous.
The massive Danawa stood tall before him—easily twice Armaan's height.
Then, finally, it spoke—its voice deep, grating like boulders grinding together.
"You've got guts, brat…" the Danawa said, stepping forward as its claws scraped against the cave floor, "…but how unfortunate for you…"
A crooked, evil grin spread across its jagged mouth.
"…that you'll die here."
The creature let out a bone-chilling laugh, echoing through the cave like a demonic roar. The girls behind Armaan tensed, but Armaan himself… just tilted his head slightly, watching. Not a trace of fear in his eyes.
"We'll see about that," he muttered.
The cavern trembled.
The massive Danawa roared, its twisted horns glowing with a faint violet gleam. A wave of corrupted purple aura burst from its body, and with a sudden thrust, its arms stretched like whips, doubling, tripling in size — lashing through the air toward Armaan.
"Tch—!"
Armaan's instincts kicked in. He dashed sideways, barely dodging the slicing claw. Another whip of flesh flew from the other side, ripping through stone as it missed by inches. Armaan spun backward, using his agility and the cave walls to leap and dodge, leaving streaks of shadow-black aura in his trail.
"He can extend his arms at will..." Armaan muttered, breathing heavily.
He tried to close the distance, dashing between the lashes, but the Danawa would retreat its arms, then swing them again with brutal force, forcing Armaan to retreat just as quickly.
Then — clang!
" I'll have to focus on the pattern he is attacking with those claws..." Armaan murmured.
Armaan's black blade collided with the Danawa's twin claws mid-air, sending sparks flying. For a split second, the cave lit up with the flash of black and violet colliding like lightning. The girls watching from behind — Advika, Reet, Tara, and Manvi — all gasped.
"His speed..." Reet whispered.
"He's matching that monster blow for blow..." said Manvi in awe.
"No... he's being pushed." Advika's brows furrowed.
Indeed — Armaan was being pushed back.
The Danawa laughed again, his grotesque voice booming.
"You're fast, brat—but not fast enough!"
Then it happened.
With a brutal roar, the Danawa launched its claws forward in a flurry of slashes — one, two, five, a dozen — hitting Armaan from every direction. The shadow-black aura tried to shield him, but it wasn't enough. Gashes tore open on his chest, shoulder, back, legs — blood spilled, mixing with the dirt.
"Agh!" Armaan grunted, stumbling.
Before he could fully recover, a giant claw wrapped around him, squeezing his ribs tight.
He struggled, gritting his teeth, his aura flaring wildly — but the Danawa only laughed.
"Gotcha now."
It reeled him in, dragging Armaan's bleeding body toward its grotesque face. The creature grinned, its breath hot and foul, fangs bared.
"You're strong, I'll give you that… But now—DIE!"
"ARMAAAAN!"
The cave echoed with the screams of the girls.
Advika had instinctively stepped forward, her hand on her sword.
Even Reet and Tara gasped, hands over their mouths, fear in their eyes.
And then—
WHAM!
The Danawa hurled Armaan like a ragdoll toward the rocky cave wall. He crashed with devastating force, stone cracking, dust exploding — and when it cleared, his body was seen half-buried in the wall, blood running down his forehead, lips, and sides.
A deafening silence followed.
Even the Danawa paused, its smile slowly widening.
The girls stood frozen, fear creeping into their eyes.
But deep in that crater, beneath the blood and pain,
Armaan's fingers twitched.
As the dust settled and Armaan's blood painted the cracks of the cave wall, the silence was deafening. Advika's heart dropped. Her hand instinctively went to her sword, her eyes burning with rage. "That's enough…" she whispered, taking a step forward.
But before she could draw—
"Don't you dare move from there!!"
Armaan's voice boomed through the cave, firm and defiant.
Everyone flinched, even the Danawa paused. Slowly, Armaan emerged from the rubble, blood trailing from his forehead, his right arm trembling but still clutching the black blade.
"This is my battle."
His silver eyes were burning now, shadow black aura rising like a storm around him.
"If I said I'd take him on… then I'll take him on."
He looked directly at Advika. "Just don't interfere."
Advika froze, her fingers still on the hilt. Her heart thundered—not from fear, but from awe.
But—just as Advika parted her lips to protest—
"Why can't you understand!?" Armaan snapped, his voice cracking, echoing through the cave like a thunderclap.
"I'll kill it!" he roared, stepping forward, his blade dragging against the rocky ground.
"I don't want to be saved every damn time!" His voice broke again—this time, with something deeper. A hurt buried under resolve.
He stood firm, blood dripping from his chin, breathing hard.
"Just… keep your hands away from this battle… please…"
His tone softened for just a second, his eyes now glistening—not just with rage but with tears. Pain. Pride. And the desperate desire to grow stronger.
Everyone froze. Even the girls who barely knew him… felt it.
Those tears weren't weakness. They were fire.
And just like that, their eyes filled too. Samar, Roumit, Alya—they all would've cried if they were there.
But the silence was suddenly broken.
Twitch.
The Danawa gave a low chuckle, a cruel grin stretching across its cracked, purple face.
"Aww… is the little brat going to cry now?" it mocked, stepping closer.
"How touching. So much emotion. I might just cry too—after I rip out your heart!"
Its mocking laughter echoed—but this time, Armaan didn't flinch.
He simply tightened his grip on the blade…
And lowered his head…
And whispered,
"…Now I'm angry."
[FLASHBACK SCENE]
Heavy panting.
A younger, frustrated Armaan was on his knees, gripping the earth beneath him.
Sweat poured from his face. Blood stained his training gi.
Behind him, the sun was setting on a rugged cliff as his blade clattered beside him.
"Damn it… I couldn't do anything… She saved me…" he whispered, fists trembling.
He stood up again—his body torn, his mind a storm.
"I'll become strong enough… so that no one ever has to step in for me again…"
SLASH!
He resumed training like a madman. Over and over. Relentlessly.
Day. Night. Day again.
Blisters formed. Muscles tore. But he never stopped.
[BACK TO PRESENT – INSIDE THE CAVE]
BOOOOOOOOM!
The cave rumbled as a colossal surge of Prana exploded from Armaan.
Shadow black aura burst out like a shockwave, dust flying in all directions.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground beneath him.
The air grew heavy, suffocating—yet empowering.
His hair waved wildly under the pressure. His shirt was ripped and stained, but his posture... unshakable.
"You mocked me," Armaan muttered, slowly lifting his head.
"I get it now, when he uses his extended arms, there is a huge gap in between them. I'll just have to attack when they extend, right at his chest..." Armaan said to himself.
His silver eyes were no longer just glowing—they were burning, molten with rage and divine purpose.
The girls froze.
Advika's heart skipped a beat.
"Th-that expression… it's… terrifying…" Manvi whispered.
SWOOSH!
He vanished.
The Danawa's smirk twitched—
"Wha—"
SLAAAASH!!
A clean strike across its massive chest.
It howled, stepping back—but barely dodged a lethal blow. Just a small cut… but enough to make its eyes widen.
"He moved…" Reet gasped.
"But we didn't even see it—"
FWIP!
Another blur.
Now Armaan was on the Danawa's left.
"No way!" Tara shouted.
SHHINK!!
With a sharp flash, the Danawa's left arm hit the ground, twitching.
"GRAAAAAAGHHH!!" it roared in agony.
But Armaan was gone again.
Vanished into thin air.
Only the silent echo of his blade remained.
WHOOSH!
The Danawa's severed limb suddenly pulsed with grotesque energy and regrew, dark purple veins crawling rapidly like serpents across the new flesh.
"Heh… Did you think that was enough?" the Danawa sneered, its aura flaring again—
But before it could finish the sentence—
BAM!!
A fist slammed into the side of its skull with unimaginable force.
Its entire giant body whipped to the side like a ragdoll—
CRAAAAAASH!!
It was launched straight into the same wall where Armaan had been slammed earlier.
BOOM!! The already existing crater shattered even deeper, debris flying, the entire cave trembling under the pressure.
Smoke and dust filled the air.
Standing where the Danawa once was—was Armaan.
His fist still clenched. His chest heaving.
But…
His eyes…
They were still silver, but now they glowed with a demonic intensity—raw, chaotic, and borderline unhinged.
Advika's heart froze.
She looked into those eyes and her breath caught.
Not because of fear…
But because those weren't the eyes of the Armaan she knew.
They were of someone consumed, someone barely holding back something terrible.
"Those eyes... he looks like a devil," she whispered.
And then realization struck her like lightning.
Her knees gave out.
She dropped to the cave floor, stunned, and whispered to herself in shame:
"What have I done…?"
Her hand clenched her chest.
"I… I triggered his pride. His ego. I challenged the one thing he's been training to overcome… That pain… That moment I saved him… it's been haunting him. I—I reminded him of it."
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"How could I be so stubborn…? How could I do this to him…? He'll hate me now…"
She lowered her head in grief.
Just then, Manvi, Reet, and Tara rushed to her side, worried.
"Advika! What's wrong?" Manvi asked, supporting her shoulder.
"Why are you crying?" Reet added.
Advika looked up, eyes red, voice trembling.
"I made a big mistake… I shouldn't have tried to take over his battle… I should've trusted him. A man's fight is personal. Especially for someone like Armaan… I insulted his pride. He's not just fighting for victory. He's fighting to prove something to himself… and I spat on it."
Tara gently held her hand and smiled softly.
"Don't say that. Armaan isn't someone who holds grudges."
Manvi nodded.
"I've known him for 8 hours, and even I can say—he's not the type to carry hate in his heart."
Reet smiled reassuringly.
"You care about him, right? Then believe in that bond. Just wait… When this battle ends, go to him. Say what's in your heart."
Advika, trembling, looked toward Armaan's battle stance—his aura still blazing, his back to them—and whispered…
"Armaan… please… come back safely."
The ground trembled again as the Danawa, body bruised and burnt, slowly stood up.
It let out a deep, furious growl—its monstrous eyes glowing as its extended claws whipped forward, aiming straight for Armaan—
WHOOSH!
But Armaan vanished.
SLAM!!
A bone-shattering punch landed squarely on the Danawa's chin, launching the massive creature skyward.
"Wha—?"
Before it could regain balance—
BANG!!
A devastating kick to its ribs mid-air sent it crashing sideways—
CRAAAAAASH!!—right into a different cave wall, rubble and smoke flying like shrapnel.
The Danawa's groans echoed through the cave…
But Armaan wasn't done.
As the dust settled, Armaan stepped forward, dragging his blade behind him, his aura burning with uncontainable energy.
And then—
A voice rang out—scrambled, deep, and laced with fury:
"Ryú no Keisho… Soulfire Eruption."
The very air changed.
BOOM!
A surge of red flames exploded from Armaan's body, swirling and dancing like living serpents around him.
The Danawa's eyes widened as Armaan dashed forward with godspeed—flames trailing behind him, making his blade burn bright crimson.
SLASH! SLASH!
Two quick, precise strikes—
Both arms of the Danawa fell off.
The beast howled—but Armaan wasn't done.
He raised his blade again. His voice echoed—commanding:
"Velsh Dragon!"
From behind Armaan, a massive dragon made of living flames erupted—its body coiled like a serpent, its eyes blazing with fury, and its wings spread wide.
FWOOSH!
The dragon followed the movement of Armaan's blade like a shadow—
THRUST!!
It stabbed straight through the Danawa's regrowing arms—pinning them in place with flame so hot the air rippled.
The Danawa laughed—a deep, guttural sound.
"Fool! I can regenerate—"
But suddenly… it froze.
Sssssszzzzzzz—
Smoke began to rise.
Its arms… instead of regenerating—
They began to melt.
The Velsh Dragon's flames weren't ordinary fire.
They were soulfire.
They burned the very essence of anything they touched.
"Wh-what is this—NOOOO!!" the Danawa roared as its arms disintegrated, the melting spreading up its shoulders, the pain too much to endure.
At that very moment—
Advika's eyes widened.
A flash of memory hit her—
The metro station…
The same dragon… the same flames… the same furious, noble rage.
And for the first time in minutes—
She grinned.
Her heart, heavy with guilt, felt lighter.
"He's okay… he's still him…"
Her cheeks flushed softly and she whispered:
"That's my Armaan…"
Just as the Danawa let out a blood-curdling scream, engulfed in soulfire.
The Danawa, now nothing more than a wounded, burning beast, let out a guttural snarl as its body sizzled under the effect of the Velsh Dragon's soulfire.
But in one final act of desperation—
SCHLORPPP!!
Its neck stretched grotesquely, extending like a serpent straight toward Armaan, jaws wide open, fangs bared to tear him apart.
"RAAAAHHHH!!"
But Armaan didn't flinch.
Instead—
He smirked.
That classic, confident smirk.
"You just made it easier, you idiotic bastard," he muttered under his breath.
FWOOOOOSH!!
In a single smooth motion, he leapt—
His black blade flashing like a divine fang of vengeance.
SLAAAASH!!!
The blade sliced clean through the Danawa's extended neck.
Time froze for a second.
The Danawa's eyes widened—then its howl of agony echoed one last time through the cave—
"NOOOOOOOOO—!!"
And then—
SHHHHHH...
It disappeared into nothingness, crumbling into black mist, vanishing from existence.
Silence.
Total silence.
Then—
Armaan slowly turned back toward everyone.
His face was bruised.
His uniform torn.
His body soaked in blood and sweat.
But that smile—
That same old smile—
Genuine, warm, a little goofy.
"Told you… I'll take care of it…" he said faintly.
THUD!
And then—
He collapsed.
His body finally giving out after enduring a battle that had pushed him far beyond his limits.
"ARMAAAAN!!" Advika, Reet, Manvi, and Tara shouted in unison, rushing toward him—
He had won.
But at what cost?