A glimmer of hope ignited within the hearts of Maya and Arjun as they saw Aahan standing on top of the defeated Durdhama. His victory had shown them that these seemingly invulnerable creatures were not unbeatable.
Without hesitation, Arjun rushed forward, eager to join Aahan and Maya in the battle against the remaining Durdhamas. He believed that with their combined efforts, they could overcome this challenge. However, his excitement to join the fight was soon met with an unexpected obstacle.
"No, you won't," Amrita suddenly appeared before Arjun, her hand extended, signalling Arjun to halt in his tracks.
Confusion clouded Arjun's expression as he wondered why Amrita was stopping him at a crucial moment.
"Ma'am?" A puzzled look crossed Arjun's face as he slowed to a halt.
After all, his team needed him to distract the remaining Durdhamas as he doubted Aahan could indefinitely cast [Stealth]. However, all of Arjun's hopes were shattered by the words that came out of Amrita's mouth.
"Let me remind you, in case you have forgotten. You have already surrendered, Candidate Arjun," she stated firmly. "As such, you cannot interfere in the test anymore. Please retreat towards the exit and stay there until we're done here."
The weight of her words sank in, and Arjun's face fell. Surrendering had consequences he had not thoroughly thought of. He had willingly given up his right to participate in the test, thinking they were going to fail either way, but his hastiness had come back to bite him in the butt.
"What?"
Aahan, who had been occupied before, wasn't aware of the development that happened in his absence and couldn't believe his ears. For a moment, he thought maybe the invigilator was mistaken, but Arjun's and Maya's expressions proved otherwise.
He couldn't help but feel a mixture of surprise and disappointment at Arjun's sudden decision to quit the test. He had regarded Arjun as a strategist and the smartest among them, but this act seemed reckless and contrary to the Arjun he knew.
That said, although taken aback by Arjun's hastiness to quit the test in his absence, Aahan understood the logic behind Amrita's decision. After all, Arjun's surrender was a binding commitment, and no one could undo that decision.
Arjun glanced back at Aahan and Maya with a sad look, a mix of regret and defeat in his eyes. He knew that his choice had repercussions not only for himself but for his team as well.
Arjun spoke his apologies, albeit silently, and wished them good luck with a heartfelt sincerity that transcended words.
Aahan nodded in acknowledgement, recognising Arjun's unspoken message of support. Maya, too, communicated her assurance through gestures, conveying that they would try their best in his absence.
With a heavy heart, Arjun turned away from his teammates and retraced his steps toward the exit. He had failed this time, but he would use the experience and knowledge gained from his failure and come back next time to prove his mettle.
As Arjun distanced himself from the battlefield, Aahan and Maya focused on the two Durdhamas approaching them. There was no time to dwell on Arjun's choice as two more Durdhamas lumbered menacingly toward them.
Aahan knew that their situation had become more challenging. Without Arjun's strategic guidance, Aahan and Maya had to rely on their instincts and combat skills to protect the crystal and each other.
"This won't be easy..." Aahan mumbled as the demons slowly headed towards him. "I need to stall for both of them for ten minutes before I can use [Stealth] again."
Arjun quitting was problematic because now they were a person down. A person they could have used to distract the Durdhamas while his [Stealth] ability got out of cooldown.
Aahan's strategy was clear – use his [Stealth] ability to eliminate one of the Durdhama's cores while the other was occupied. With that thought in mind, he decided to play around with the Durdhamas, bidding his time until [Stealth] was ready for use.
Having exhausted her arrows, Maya wielded her bow as a makeshift blade. Despite being an archer, her movements with a makeshift weapon were impressive, definitely better than anything Aahan was capable of. It made Aahan wonder how long it would take to get to her level.
"No point in thinking about all that," Aahan shook his head and continued dodging incoming strikes.
The struggle was real because Aahan and Maya couldn't deal with getting hit by the demons even once. Whereas no matter how many times they attacked the monsters, the Durdhamas didn't flinch.
Thankfully, Durdhamas were slow, so Maya easily dodged the attacks while Aahan barely dodged the attacks. However, Aahan didn't need to do it for much longer.
Aahan, with his [Stealth] ability renewed, seized the moment. Invisibility shrouded him, rendering him unseen by the Durdhama in front. Without wasting any time, he climbed onto the creature's back and began climbing till he was right next to the core.
"Time to sleep!"
With a swift, calculated strike, Aahan's Katar pierced the Durdhama's attempt to cover its core. Like his counterpart before, the demon let out a guttural cry of pain as it collapsed.
<200 points have been assigned to you!>
Aahan was pleased with his performance. However, the feeling didn't last long.
While Aahan was busy with one Durdhama, the other one recognised Maya as a significant threat and closed in on her with surprising speed.
In a swift and powerful move, the demon launched a devastating attack, aiming to strike her down. Maya reacted with lightning speed, parrying the blow with her makeshift bow-blade.
However, the force of the Durdhama's attack snapped the bow in half, sending her staggering backwards. But the attack was too much for her to handle as she collapsed on the ground, defenceless.
Aahan, from a distance, watched with concern as the Durdhama slowly walked up to her. Intending to deliver the final blow. Amrita also sensed it and rushed to save Maya as it would be difficult for Aahan to reach there in time.
"Shit! There's no time!" Aahan exclaimed as he rushed toward Maya, determined to protect her from harm.
But the distance between them was significant, and time was running out. A sense of desperation gripped Aahan as he pushed his limits to reach her in time.
Just as the second Durdhama's attack seemed imminent, an unexpected twist occurred. Aahan's bandaged left arm, concealing the mysterious Asura tongue, pulsated.
Before Aahan could comprehend what was happening, the bandages were torn to shreds, revealing the grotesque appendage. With lightning speed, the Asura tongue shot forth from Aahan's arm, extending like a whip.
The tongue's deadly tip immediately found its target—the Durdhama's core. The tongue pierced the creature's hide and ruptured its core just as the Durdhama was about to end Maya's life.
***
Chapter Glossary:
Daitya-level: Level 2 on the demonic threat level scale. For more information, you can read the auxiliary chapter: Threat Levels of Demons.