Chapter 6: Eyes of the Storm
Months before the tournament began, Aadi intensified his training.
Not for strength. Not for speed. He had already mastered those.
Now, he turned inward — to his senses.
While his warriors sparred under burning suns and freezing moons, Aadi entered a different realm of discipline. He focused on mastering the five human senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste — pushing each to superhuman levels.
He trained blindfolded for weeks, fighting by hearing alone.
He listened to vibrations in sand to track creatures from miles away.
He touched tree bark and could feel the heartbeat of insects living inside it.
He tasted poisoned air and could separate every chemical.
And by the end of it, he could smell fear.
He became more than a warrior.
He became a sensor of the world.
Meanwhile, his eight warriors and Aarna — the clan leader's daughter — trained harder than ever. They weren't participants in the tournament, but Aadi made them ready for anything.
"No weakness," he told them. "We don't represent just strength. We represent the Star Eagle Clan's will."
The Tournament Begins
After years of waiting, the great arena in the central region finally opened.
It stretched across an entire valley — thousands of spectators from every corner of Deadland gathered, from jungle beasts to desert kings. Flags soared, magic flared, and the skies were filled with flying creatures as grand as airships.
Only two members from the Star Eagle Clan entered: Aadi, and Aarna.
They didn't come as a team. They didn't come to show off.
They came to win.
Round after round, Aadi crushed opponents — with minimal effort.
Aarna, too, was ruthless. Precise. Cold. She used elemental magic like a surgeon uses a scalpel — efficient and final.
And then it happened.
Semi-final bracket.
Aadi vs. Aarna.
Their eyes met in silence before the match. No words needed.
The arena thundered as they stepped in.
The fight wasn't casual. It wasn't friendly.
They unleashed everything.
Aarna summoned ice storms, lightning, seismic waves. Her blade sang like thunder.
Aadi didn't dodge.
He read her movements before they happened, moved like wind, struck like lightning. Every time she attacked, he was already behind her.
She pushed her magic to the edge of collapse.
Aadi didn't use even half his strength.
Still — he respected her enough to make it a fight worth watching.
And in the end, he won.
Clean. Controlled. No gloating.
Aarna stood, panting, blood on her lip.
She smiled. "Good."
Aadi nodded once.
Then came the insult.
As Aadi approached the registration tent for the finals, another warrior stepped forward — a heavily armored brute from a mountain clan known for arrogance and raw force.
He sneered.
"You? Finalist? You're from the Star Eagle clan, aren't you?"
His men laughed.
"You people belong in the dirt, not in this tournament. Maybe you're here to clean the arena?"
Aadi didn't respond.
They mocked him during the form-filing process, loud enough for the crowd to hear. "Make sure the form says first-round knockout, yeah?"
Aadi's eyes said everything.
He said nothing.
Not then.
Now… it was time.
They met in the ring — Aadi vs. the arrogant warrior.
The man came out swinging, roaring with every punch.
Aadi didn't even blink.
He moved once.
A twist of the waist, a flick of the wrist — and bones broke.
Within seconds, the arrogant warrior was on the ground — shattered, bleeding, begging to forfeit.
But Aadi wasn't done.
He leaned down, voice low.
"Next time you insult my people, make sure you can still stand."
Then he turned his back and walked out, as the arena exploded with noise.
Revenge taken. Completely.
Now… the final fight was tomorrow.
The most important battle of the tournament.
Aadi sat alone at sunset, Vaayu across his lap.
This was no longer about victory.
This was about purpose.
The winner of this tournament wouldn't just earn fame — they would be granted the Space-Time Control Stone.
And with it… a way home.
Back to Earth. Back to his family. Back to the life that felt so far away.
But now, that path stood at the end of one last battle.
And he didn't know what waited for him.
Only that tomorrow… he would find out.
Next: Chapter 7 –