The battle arena stood in tense silence, with only two figures remaining—Esdeath and Ujjain.
However, the attention of the crowd began to shift. Whispers turned to loud murmurs as all eyes moved toward Mourya and Rowan. Among the spectators were not just onlookers but also traitors—some who had secretly pledged their loyalty to Rowan, while others remained loyal to Mourya. Chaos began to stir as those loyal to Mourya rushed to his aid, determined to protect their leader.
"Betrayal! Protect Lord Mourya at all costs!" voices cried out, ringing through the arena like a battle cry. The tension escalated, and the arena, once meant for a duel, became a brewing storm of uncertainty.
Rowan, who had been standing confidently moments ago, now took a step back. His expression faltered as he locked eyes with Mourya. Rowan was a top-tier B-rank awakened, only a few steps away from breaking into the A-rank. But he knew all too well the vast difference in power between himself and Mourya, who was already a top-tier A-rank awakened.
Rowan's entire plan had hinged on pushing Mourya into a berserk rage. Killing Mourya's sons had been a calculated move, one meant to provoke the wise leader into wasting his strength and cards in a blind fury.
After all, a rampaging bull was easier to slay than a calm, calculating man. But who could have predicted that Mourya would remain so composed?
The sound of rushing footsteps echoed through the arena as hundreds of awakened barbarian soldiers swarmed toward Mourya. Their weapons glinted in the light, their expressions fierce. Mourya's calm yet powerful aura seemed to shake the resolve of even the most hardened traitors.
Amidst the chaos, Ujjain stood unwavering, his focus entirely on Esdeath. The shouting and clamor around him barely registered in his mind. Though he was momentarily surprised by the sudden chaos, his expression quickly returned to normal. He had his orders—his father's commands were clear. Esdeath and Maruti had to die.
Ujjain's gaze sharpened as he stepped forward, He tightened his fist, his eyes cold and ruthless.
"One hit". That's all he needed. If he could land just one strike, Esdeath wouldn't stand a chance.
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Meanwhile at the main house of Mourya was a grand structure, and its bath area was no less magnificent. The bath resembled a natural hot spring, surrounded by stones that gave it a serene, mountain-like background. Steam rose lazily from the water, creating a hazy, tranquil atmosphere.
Sasha reclined in the steaming bath, her arms resting along the edges as she let the warmth ease her muscles. She hadn't bothered going to the battle arena to watch Ujjain and Esdeath fight.
Why?
Because she already knew how it would end.
"Esdeath will lose," she thought with a hint of boredom. "A top-tier D-rank could easily crush hundreds of E-ranks alone. So what if Esdeath and Maruti teamed up? The result would still be the same. It's pointless to waste my time watching a foregone conclusion."
Instead, Sasha chose to spend her time relaxing, letting the soothing waters calm her mind. But her peaceful moment didn't last long.
"Power struggle has started! Kill Sasha at all costs!" a man's voice echoed from outside the bath area.
The shouting grew louder, followed by the distinct sound of dozens of footsteps storming toward her.
"Kill her! Kill her!" the voices chanted, filled with bloodlust and urgency.
Sasha's eyes shot open, sharp and blazing like a predator awakened from its slumber. Her gaze flicked toward the entrance as the sounds grew closer. Within seconds, a group of over thirty men burst into the bathhouse, their weapons gleaming even through the thick steam.
The bath was enormous, large enough to accommodate a hundred people, though it was exclusively reserved for women. But now, it was invaded.
"Who the fuck dares to enter here?" Sasha's voice thundered through the air, cutting through the noise like a blade. Her tone was cold, commanding, and filled with the raw, chilling authority she inherited from her father. "I'll kill you a hundred times over if you don't run out of here with your tails between your legs!"
The men hesitated, their steps faltering under the weight of her words. But then, one of them sneered, his confidence bolstered by their numbers.
"Kill us? Hah! The one who's going to die is you, Sasha! Your brothers are already dead, your father won't last long, and now it's your turn. Once you're gone, Lord Rowan will rule the Vanara tribe!" he shouted, his voice laced with arrogance.
At his command, three men knelt down and activated investigative essence stones. The stones inside their body emitted a soft hum as they were activated, sending a green light surging across the floor.
*Swish!*
In an instant, the steam that had cloaked the bath dissipated, leaving the room crystal clear.
"You think I'm that easy to kill?" Sasha's voice cut through the air like a blade, smooth yet laced with a deadly chill.
The man who had boasted about killing her froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. Her voice—so close, so unnervingly close—wasn't coming from across the room. It was coming right in front of him.
He gasped and stumbled back instinctively. Sasha was there, standing only a few inches away from him.
The sight before him made his blood run cold.
Sasha was completely naked, water dripping from her toned body, her wet vermillion hair clinging to her skin in a way that gave her an almost ethereal yet menacing appearance. The soft glow of the bath's light reflected off the droplets on her skin, highlighting every scar etched into her flesh.
Her body wasn't just beautiful—it was terrifying. Her tall, imposing frame radiated strength. Muscles rippled under her skin, but not in the bulky way of a bodybuilder. Instead, her physique was lean and deadly, like that of a seasoned boxer. Every inch of her radiated power and experience, a body forged in the fires of countless life-threatening battles.
Her vibrant blue eyes locked onto his, piercing through him with a gaze so cold and unrelenting it felt as though she could see straight into his soul.
The man tried to step back, his breath hitching in panic, but he didn't get far.
*Smash!*
In a blur of motion too fast to comprehend, Sasha raised both hands and brought them together on either side of his head. It was almost like she was clapping, except her target was the man's skull.
The sound that followed was sickening.
Blood sprayed in all directions as his head crumpled under the force of her strike. His skull caved in like an overripe fruit, his eyeballs bursting from their sockets, and brain matter splattered across the stone floor. The air filled with the metallic tang of blood and the stench of death.
It was over in an instant.
Silence fell over the bathhouse as everyone stared in shock. The lifeless body slumped to the ground, headless and unrecognizable.
"Wasn't he a D-rank?" someone muttered, their voice trembling. "How… how could he die like that? With just one hit?"
Sasha turned her head toward the source of the voice, her lips curling into a wicked grin. Her aura seemed to grow darker, heavier, as if the air itself was bowing under her presence.
"I'll show you how he died!" she growled, her voice brimming with malice.
The ground beneath their feet trembled violently. Sasha raised her hand, and with a loud *rumble*, the earth responded to her will. A solid stone wall erupted from the ground, sealing the entrance shut.
Panic set in as the realization struck.
"No! She's trapping us in here!" someone screamed.
Sasha's eyes scanned the room, her grin widening, revealing sharp teeth that added to her demonic aura. "None of you are leaving this place alive," she declared, her voice calm but dripping with a sadistic promise. "It's either you kill me… or you all die here together."
At that moment, they had no choice. It was either kill or be killed.
The room filled with the sound of roars and battle cries as the group surged forward in desperation. Many hung back, their hands glowing as they activated magic circles, ready to bombard Sasha with spells from a distance.
But Sasha didn't flinch.
*BAM!*
She stepped forward, her fist plunging straight into the abdomen of the first man who dared to attack her. Her hand went through his body as if he were made of paper. Blood and chunks of internal organs splattered everywhere as the man's lifeless body collapsed to the ground.
Before the others could react, Sasha swung her leg up with terrifying speed, locking her foot around another man's head. In one brutal motion, she slammed him down into the stone floor. The sickening crunch of his skull shattering echoed in the room, his head reduced to a gruesome pulp.
Panic spread like wildfire among the attackers, but the mages pressed on. Magic circles glowed brightly as they unleashed spells at her.
Earth spikes shot toward Sasha's body, but as soon as they touched her skin, they crumbled into dust. Shards of crystal broke apart, unable to pierce her flesh. Even roaring flames danced harmlessly across her wet skin, unable to leave so much as a scorch mark.
"W-what is she?!" one of the mages stammered, his voice trembling.
Sasha didn't answer. She didn't need to.
The battle turned from a chaotic charge to sheer carnage. The roars of her enemies gave way to panicked screams, and then even the screams began to fade. One by one, bodies fell to the floor, lifeless and broken.
It was over in less than two minutes.
Sasha stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by a sea of corpses. Blood covered the floor, splattered across the walls, and even stained her own body. She had dragged the fight back to the spring bath, and the once-clear water was now a dark, crimson red.
The sight was chilling, but Sasha didn't seem disturbed. Instead, she looked down at the blood-filled bath with a grin.
"It's not every day you get to enjoy a bloodbath," she said cheerfully, her voice carrying an unsettling excitement. Without hesitation, she stepped into the pool, letting the warm, blood-tainted water embrace her.
She sank into it, leaning back with her eyes closed, completely at ease. Her lips curved into a smile as she thought, **Kill my father? Dream on. He's not someone just anyone can kill.**
Her grin widened as she opened her eyes slightly, glancing at the lifeless bodies strewn around.
"As for these invaders…" she murmured, her tone light but laced with menace. "In the tribe, it's considered the greatest shame for an outsider man to see a woman naked… unless he's her husband." She paused, letting the thought linger.
"But then again," she added with a smirk, "none of it matters if they're all dead, right?"
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Ujjain finally managed to catch his breath, his chest heaving from exhaustion. He had regained a bit of stamina, but the fierce fight had taken its toll on him.
On the other side of the arena, Esdeath stood wounded. Blood continuously dripped from the area around her stabbed eye, painting her face with streaks of crimson. The sight was both terrifying and tragic. If this continued much longer, she risked dying from blood loss.
But Esdeath wasn't one to give up so easily. Despite her dire condition, a faint smile tugged at her lips. She still had a few tricks up her sleeve.
Reaching into a tiny pocket, she pulled out a golden, peanut-shaped essence stone. Without hesitation, she gulped it down as though it were a mere pill.
Immediately, a surge of energy coursed through her body. Her aura doubled in strength, and a newfound vitality replaced her fatigue. It was a **Light Path Essence Stone**, capable of giving a fivefold boost to someone with light element affinity. However, since Esdeath lacked that affinity, it only granted her a twofold boost—but even that was enough to reinvigorate her.
She didn't stop there. From the same pocket, she retrieved a small, transparent crystal that contained a thick, water-like liquid. Holding it up, she crushed the crystal in her hand.
In an instant, the liquid poured out, coating her entire body. It wasn't ordinary water; it was thicker, almost gel-like, and clung to her skin like a second layer.
Ujjain, watching her from across the arena, let out a mocking roar. "Puny tricks!" he bellowed, charging toward her with renewed determination.
Esdeath, unable to see clearly due to her injury, focused. She honed in on the sound of his footsteps, listening carefully to his movements.
The ground trembled slightly as Ujjain closed the distance in an instant. His fist shot forward with deadly force, aimed directly at her face.
It seemed like the end for Esdeath.
But just as his fist was mere inches from her cheek, Esdeath calmly raised her palm in front of his attack, blocking it in a fluid motion.
"What difference will that make?" Ujjain sneered, confident that his strike would shatter her hand and destroy her face in one blow.
However, what happened next left him utterly stunned.
*Splash!*
Ujjain blinked in confusion. His fist didn't connect with the solid resistance he expected. Instead, it slipped off her palm as if it had hit something impossibly smooth.
"What… splash?" he gasped, pulling back his hand in disbelief.
Esdeath stood still, her expression calm as she tracked his movements with her ears.
Frustrated, Ujjain attacked again, this time aiming for her stomach. Esdeath heard the whistle of his fist cutting through the air and shifted her body slightly in the same direction as the punch.
*Splash!*
Once again, his fist slipped harmlessly off her body, sliding away without causing any damage.
Ujjain stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock. "What is this…?!" he growled, staring at his hands and then at Esdeath, who stood there unbothered, her blood-soaked face eerily serene.
The secret lay in the liquid coating her skin. Esdeath had used a rare **Mobility Denial Essence Stone**, a consumable stone that released a large quantity of slippery, water-like liquid.
The liquid was notorious for its effects. Often used by criminals to stop carriages or hunters to trap animals, it created a frictionless surface that rendered physical attacks nearly useless.
Esdeath, wearing nothing more than a sports bra that tightly hugged her chest and a pair of mini shorts that barely reached mid-thigh.
She had deliberately chosen this minimal attire, not out of carelessness, but strategy. With her body coated in the slippery liquid from the Mobility Denial Essence Stone, every inch of her became an ungraspable surface, making her an untouchable force.
Ujjain's frustration boiled over. He attacked again and again, his fists swinging wildly, but every punch either slid off her skin or missed entirely as Esdeath subtly adjusted her movements.
BAM!....
Esdeath's kick landed squarely on Ujjain's face with a loud, resounding impact. Her movements were sharp and relentless. Not giving him a moment to recover, she twisted her body mid-air and followed up with another powerful kick, flipping gracefully as her foot connected again.
BAM! BAM!...
The second and third kicks struck Ujjain's chest like a drumbeat. Her strikes were swift and precise, each blow pushing him back. But just when it seemed like she could press on with her momentum, Esdeath suddenly stopped and leaped back, putting distance between them.
"Lightning Charge!" she willed silently.
A surge of yellow lightning danced around her feet, crackling with energy. Her speed shot up in an instant, like a bolt of light streaking across the battlefield. Though the effect was fleeting, lasting only a few breaths, it was enough.
Esdeath dashed around Ujjain in a full circle, her white shoes glowing with an electric hue. They seemed to absorb the energy, turning vibrant yellow, as though they were alive with power.
Ujjain, still reeling from her earlier attack, recovered and glared at her with bloodshot eyes. "Let's end this, Esdeath Crimson!" he bellowed, his deep voice echoing through the arena.
His roar was a challenge, a declaration that the next exchange would decide everything.
Ujjain raised his massive fist, the sheer force behind it causing the air to hum with power. She charged straight at him, her electrified steps pounding against the ground like a drumroll leading to a crescendo.
But the sound of her own footsteps drowned out everything else, including the subtle whistle of Ujjain's fist slicing through the air.
It happened in a flash. His fist closed the gap and grazed her skin.
It landed.
Or so it seemed.
The world around her suddenly shifted. Time slowed to a crawl, and every motion became exaggerated. She could feel the cold touch of his knuckles on her cheek, and her instincts screamed at her to act.
"Not yet!" she thought fiercely.
Twisting her body with almost impossible precision, Esdeath dodged the blow at the last second. The cold sensation faded, replaced by the rush of air as she jumped into the sky.
Ujjain's eyes widened as he struggled to comprehend her sudden burst of speed. "When did she become so fast? No… it feels like I've slowed down!" he thought, panic creeping into his expression.
"Lightning Crash!"
Her voice rang out like thunder, and she descended from the sky, her leg glowing with concentrated lightning energy.
**BOOM!**
Her kick connected with his face, and the explosion that followed shook the ground beneath them. The impact blew half of Ujjain's cheek apart, sending a shockwave through the air. Blood sprayed like a crimson mist, and for a moment, it seemed like the battle was over.
But it wasn't enough.
Even as the five seconds of slowed time began to wane, Ujjain stood firm, his towering figure battered but unbroken.
Esdeath landed lightly on the ground, her breathing ragged. She clenched her ZK-20 weapon, pouring every ounce of her remaining mana into it. The liquid weapon shifted, elongating into a sharp rod that glimmered with a deadly light.
Without hesitation, she darted behind him, her movements fluid and precise. Ujjain turned, too slow to react, as she drove the weapon forward with all her might.
**Tsk!**
The rod pierced his chest, slicing through muscle and bone to reach his heart. Ujjain froze, his eyes wide with shock. For a brief moment, he looked as though he wanted to say something—but no words came.
With a soft thud, his massive body crumpled to the ground. Blood pooled beneath him, staining the arena floor.
Esdeath stood over his fallen form, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Her clothes were torn, her body bruised and battered, and blood dripped from her injuries. Yet, despite the pain, a faint smile played on her lips.
She had done it. After a fierce, grueling battle, she was the last one standing.