The jungle trembled under black fire and divine fury. Ranthak, muscles taut, faced Arunaas whose cloak rippled like living smoke. Two enormous spirit snakes coiled around Ranthak, scales shimmering with
sacred markings, their jaws wide enough to crush boulders.
Arunaas stepped forward, black flames licking the ground to ash. "Nishaara! Kraan! Handle him," he ordered, voice calm as ice. "Fail me, and you die."
Kraan snarled, summoning a host of undead beasts—skeletal elephants, rotted wolves, deer with twisted antlers. Nishaara's venom shadows slithered out, fangs dripping poison that could rot steel. Her curses shimmered in the air, aimed to drain Ranthak's divine power.
Ranthak roared, summoning his living companions—a bear, a wolf, and a serpent. Strength surged through him: the bear's power in his arms, the wolf's speed in his legs, and the serpent's senses tingling
in his mind. His spirit snakes lashed out, smashing undead creatures aside, splitting bone and rotten hide.
Arunaas ignored the chaos and walked toward the ancient Shiva statue. Just as he neared, the air shook. A low hum spread across the battlefield: Om. Black flames flickered, and Arunaas paused. Standing
before him was the village chief, robes stirring without wind, gaze fixed and calm.
Far away, in Asuravana's cursed ruins, darkness pooled thicker than night itself. Ashwat dragged twin scythes wreathed in divine-draining energy, while Shaya's form melted into shadow, formless yet dangerous.
Ashwat's cracked grin twisted. "This is just the outer layer. Beyond us lie the deep layers… where monsters from the old era still breathe."
Shaya's whisper curled like cold mist: "And none of you will leave alive."
Veer raised his blade. "Circle! Bhairav, Meghna—engage!"
Bhairav stepped forward, ink bands along his arms glowing purple. Ashwat rushed in, scythes flashing. Each blade scraped Bhairav's aura, drinking warmth and power. Trees bent from Bhairav's force as he
launched heavy punches, fire roaring off his fists.
Ashwat leaped back, scythes carving falling branches in half. Bhairav grabbed a massive stone and hurled it; Ashwat split it mid-air, fragments scattering like knives. Undeterred, Bhairav ripped a tree from the ground, roots snapping like whips, and swung it wide. Ashwat ducked, scythes flashing to cut branches that came too close.
With a guttural shout, Bhairav stepped in close, driving a punch straight at Ashwat. Ashwat crossed his scythes to block, but the force slammed him backward, cracking bark as he crashed into a thick tree trunk.
Nearby, Meghna danced in silver arcs, blades striking at Shaya. But Shaya had no true form—threads of living shadow wrapped around Meghna's arms and throat. Gasping, Meghna twisted, cutting free, only
to find more shadows waiting.
Revati, Aranya, and the students clashed with skeleton soldiers and hooded cultists. Aranya's great black hawk tore bone and cloth apart; Devansh's blade flickered with runes; Revati raised glowing barriers to keep back curses and shadow spears. Breathing hard, Meghna shouted, "Revati! Keep her away—I need time!"
She knelt, blades resting across her lap, whispering an ancient chant. Light began to glow around her, pushing shadows back an inch at a time.
Revati and Aranya stepped forward, shields raised, beast roaring, forcing Shaya to retreat. Bhairav saw his chance—stepped through shattered branches, ignoring blood running down his temple.
Ashwat lunged, scythes swinging. Bhairav ducked the first blade, blocked the second with a forearm glowing purple, then countered with a fire punch that sent Ashwat stumbling into a stone outcrop.
Bhairav hurled another massive rock; Ashwat carved it apart, shards slicing into nearby skeletons. Still, the scythes flickered with stolen energy, draining more of Bhairav's divine strength.
Veer's voice rang out, clear over the chaos: "Bhairav! Don't let the scythes cut your aura!"
Bhairav's breaths came rough and ragged, but his gaze sharpened. He stepped lighter, fists blazing, landing quick punches to push Ashwat back rather than meeting blades head-on.
Meanwhile, light around Meghna flared. "Now!" she cried. Radiance erupted outward, pure and blinding. Skeleton soldiers turned to dust, curses faded, and the air felt fresh for the first time in
centuries.
Glowing chains coiled from her spell, wrapping Shaya's twisting form. Shadows hissed, shredded by light, until Shaya was sealed into the glowing trap carved into cracked stone.
Ashwat's roar split the silence. Furious, he charged Bhairav, scythes high. Devansh leaped in, blocking for an instant. Bhairav gathered his final strength—purple fire swirling around his arm.
"Burn."
His fist crashed into Ashwat's chest. Black mist burst, armor cracked, and Ashwat flew back, smashing stone and earth, finally lying still.
The team, bloodied and gasping, saw darker shapes shifting deeper within Asuravana's ruins. Veer spoke, voice low but steady: "We're leaving. Quickly—but stay ready. The road home is still long."
They turned from the cursed ruins, wounds burning, hearts still pounding. Beyond them, darkness still watched—but they had survived… for now.