Some clunking sounds of metal were coming from a hallway inside the prison. It was filled with water mist. Every now and then, some fiery serpentines would appear in the mist, lighting it up, and hit a man completely encased in knight armor—now glowing red from the heat—revealing him. He was amidst a raging battle against an opponent wielding a spear covered in fiery serpents. Their battle raged, a mystical tableau in the mist.
Suddenly, the fight stopped, and both fighters dropped to their knees, though not by choice. A pressure had descended on them. Both looked towards a certain direction where an inhuman battle had been raging for some time. But before they could think of anything else, a suffocating, oppressive wave washed over them through PRĀNÀ itself.
'What!' Suvan thought, using his mace as support. 'Is it Sharv? He really deserves to act cocky.' But Keshi, the spearman's, thoughts were completely different. 'This… is the same feeling… when I went to the district headquarters to meet The Magistrate. But The Magistrate… is a Warlord.' A cold dread washed over Keshi; if this boy fought on that level, their entire operation was doomed. His face turned pale. No, he couldn't think about that now. He had to eliminate the immediate threat. He gripped his spear tightly and glared at Suvan.
"Get ready to die!" Keshi shouted, activating his Air Chakra. 'I need to leave this place as fast as possible.'
His spear was then covered in greenish snakes made of air, and a gust of wind propelled him forward. Suvan was caught off guard by the sudden, explosive moves. He also used his Air Chakra to distance himself, but he had used an air platform—perhaps a mistake.
***********
Meanwhile, Sharv first looked at his sword, then at Vrat who had also taken out a sword, shining white, from a spatial item. Vrat's Space Chakra pulsed, and the sword was coated in a black edge. Sharv didn't use any big moves out of respect for the old man. He moved forward to fight Vrat head-on.
Vrat reciprocated. Their swords clashed. Metal hitting metal created an ear-piercing sound. Each time their blades hit, Vrat was unable to slide or move his blade freely. Sharv's blade had symmetrical wavy edges; though very subtle, it caught and chipped Vrat's sword with each clash.
Vrat was now serious. He was repairing his sword mid-battle to ensure it had a sharp edge. But Sharv's onslaught, the combination of relentless striking and higher raw strength, left him bewildered. He ducked, saving his head by mere inches, then jumped back to create distance. Sharv didn't follow him.
"Let's exchange a decider," Vrat said. 'You have forced me to use something that's not mine.'
Vrat gripped his sword with both hands for the first time. He channeled all his Chakras upwards; a subtle glow from his sword confirmed the initial activation of his move. Marshal Khar was looking at Vrat with hope. This exchange could also be the decider of his life and death, as well as every other prison guard's.
"BLADE OF ETERNITY," Vrat chanted. His sword first glowed with the five colors of his Chakras, then turned silver.
Sharv, who was looking intently at Vrat, raised his right hand, upholding his sword upright, and positioned his hand near his chest. Then he whispered to Kràntàk.
"ĀKĀSHĪYÀ VICCHĒDÀN"
[SPATIAL SEVERANCE]
The runes on Kràntàk turned void black from their usual blue glow. A ripple was sent through space as Kràntàk hummed, as if ready to strike. Every prison guard was looking with anticipation, peeking out from their shielding positions.
Several strong enough men and women were trying to see what was happening at the prison grounds, staying far away to avoid being collateral casualties. Among them was a man wearing a cloak: Marut. He was also present to analyze Sharv and then flee.
'I owe you too much, old man,' he thought. 'Please don't die before I pay you back.'
Both warriors were unaware of any of this, focused only on their opponent. Vrat struck his sword downwards, numerous other ethereal silver swords striking down at the same time as if showing their support. Sharv looked at the move with amusement, then vanished from his position after his Air Chakra flashed once. Not many could see him move. Vrat, unlike others, had seen him move but couldn't defend himself.
A tearing sound reverberated through the city, but it was nothing like a typical tearing sound. It was a sound comparable to thousands of thunderbolts striking at the same time. Space itself rippled again. Marshal Khar looked at Vrat, his ears bleeding. Vrat, who had struck first, couldn't even bring his hands down past his head before they were cut off. Both of his hands fell. Hitting the ground, Vrat's sword shattered, his ability to repair and maintain it severed with his hands.
A single black line was visible from where Sharv had moved to Vrat.
'Cutting space itself, nice. Even though it's still not even able to create a fissure, it is a good start,' Vrat thought, looking. Most of the people present there didn't know what it was, and those who knew, like Marshal Khar, were too terrified to speak.
But once Vrat turned his head, Sharv was nowhere to be seen. Marshal Khar was sweating profusely, his face both red and pale at the same time. He was angry at himself but afraid of Sharv. He had not been able to perceive the last move properly.
**********
Suvan moved back on a green, shiny air platform shaped like a disc. Keshi was chasing him down, a green spear in his right hand. Suddenly, Keshi whipped out his left hand. A green whip extended from it and latched onto the green construct Suvan was using to move. Then slowly, the construct disintegrated as if rotting away. Suvan was flabbergasted. He had used a flying construct to maneuver because it was easier compared to flying himself using Air Chakra.
'Higher Chakra mastery,' he thought, falling. 'He has mastered Air Chakra to the fifth stage.' Suvan tumbled on the ground but immediately turned to face Keshi. In his hurry, he created an air shield to defend. Keshi had already closed in on him, his spear drawn back in his hand to strike.
Keshi targeted Suvan's heart, who blocked it with the shield. But his eyes widened in shock. Once the spear tip touched the shield, the shield disintegrated just like his flying platform. Suvan tried to move, but the spear pierced the right side of his chest. He heard his ribs breaking; he felt his lung getting punctured; he sensed his shirt tearing on his back, then something warm and salty filled his mouth. Probably blood.
But before he could process his own injury, he was bathed in another warm liquid. He looked at himself; it was blood, but not his. The spear was still lodged in his chest; blood could only seep out slowly. Then he looked up at Keshi, who was still levitating in the air. But something was amiss. A black blade with wavy edges had impaled Keshi, right at the center of his chest. Keshi was looking at him with hatred and despair, blood slowly dripping from his mouth and nose. He tried to open his mouth, but Suvan saw the blade move a little back. Then the blade moved upwards with tremendous force, ripping Keshi in two. Even his head had been split open. Someone's blurry face could be seen behind Keshi through the split body as it fell.
But another wave of warm blood bathed Suvan, alongside chunks of brain directly landing on his face, forcing him to look down. He was relieved and disgusted. Suvan wiped a hand across his face and looked back up. Sharv was looking at him with a small smile.
"How was the meeting with DEATH?" Sharv asked. "Oh sorry, you couldn't come face to face with her."
Suvan grunted at the joke or taunt, whatever it was. Clearly, Sharv was not well-versed in dealing with dying people.
"Cut the crap, Sharv. Can you heal me? I can't stay like this for long, you know."