Arjun clenched his fists and nodded."Got it," he said. "Then let's go all out."
Forge leaned forward despite the pain."Arjun—can you feel it? The spiritual energy running through your body?"
Arjun grit his teeth."Yeah… it feels like fire. Like my blood is burning."
"Good," Forge said quickly. "You coated your hands with that fire earlier. Now try this—focus that energy into the muscles that throw your punch."
Arjun tried.
For a split second, his concentration wavered.
He forgot to coat his hands.
The monster seized the opening.
A compressed blast of water shot forward, instantly freezing mid-air. Ice spears formed and slammed into Arjun's hand, impaling it through the palm.
A scream tore from his throat.
The pain was unbearable—but Arjun didn't fall.
Priya.
The thought cut through the agony like a blade.
Grinding his teeth, Arjun forced himself to focus again—this time deeper, sharper. The fire surged, flooding not just his hands, but his arms… his shoulders… his core.
He punched.
The air cracked.
The second punch came faster.
Then faster.
With every strike, the time between punches halved—again and again—until the sound of impact was drowned out by sonic booms.
After five punches, Arjun's fists had broken the sound barrier.
Each blow shattered the air itself.
The monster barely survived—only because it reinforced its entire body with a grotesque amount of spiritual energy. Without it, the creature would have been torn apart.
But this battle had a cruel truth.
Time was the enemy.
The monster's body was already beginning to wither, unable to handle multiple souls for long.
Arjun, on the other hand, had no mastery—no control. His spiritual energy was draining at a terrifying speed.
Forge saw it instantly."Arjun's signature is dropping fast," he muttered. "But the monster's body is breaking down too…"
The outcome would be decided by who collapsed first.
Luck was not on their side.
Arjun pushed himself beyond his limit—but his body finally failed him. The monster's counterattack landed cleanly, sending Arjun crashing to the ground.
Silence followed.
The creature straightened and turned toward the others.
To prevent any interference, it decided to kill them all first—before taking Priya.
It raised its hand, forming a massive water blast.
Then—
A shadow stepped forward from the darkness.
Forge's eyes widened—and he exhaled in relief.
A man stood there, dressed in a perfectly fitted suit, calm and unhurried.
"I can't just stand by and watch my colleagues die," the man said casually."That's not what a good boss does."
He smiled faintly.
"So why don't you have fun with me instead? I promise—I'll entertain you."
The monster felt it.
That overwhelming pressure.
Its instincts screamed.
It stepped back—trembling.
"Scared?" the man asked.
He raised his hand, shaped his fingers like a gun—
Bang.
An invisible force slammed into the monster.
It screamed as invisible hand crushed it downward. The arena floor cracked and caved as if the world itself was pressing the creature into the ground.
In an instant—
It was flattened.
Forge let out a breath."Took you long enough, boss."
The man walked past the ruins and approached Priya.
"I'm Ram," he said gently. "Leader of the Ten Protectors."
His eyes softened.
"I apologize for the… inadequate service so far. From now on—consider yourself under VIP protection."
Priya could only stare.
The monster that nearly killed them all…Defeated in less than two seconds.
Ram was on an entirely different level.
Ram turned toward Forge, his expression darkening.
"Things are bad," he said quietly. "The school has been attacked. The Order has requested our immediate presence."
The weight of his words settled heavily over the arena.
Without another word, Ram reached into his coat and handed each of them a small, carved piece of wood. The symbols etched into them pulsed faintly with spiritual energy.
Then his gaze fell on Bhumi.
For the first time since his arrival, Ram's confident smile faded.
He turned to Priya. "Hold on to her," he said firmly.
Priya wrapped her arms around Bhumi just as Ram snapped his fingers.
The world shattered.
Space folded in on itself, sound vanished, and in a single breath they were gone.
When reality snapped back into place, they found themselves standing amid ruins—cratered ground, shattered structures, and the lingering stench of battle.
Smoke rose into a blood-red sky.
They hadn't just arrived somewhere else.
They just arrived at a battlefield.