I would like to apologize for the delay but friends, I did not delay it intentionally. I was feeling very sleepy. I had written the chapter but I could not update it, so I hope you will forgive me and yes, I have not written this chapter long. I have just tried to write as long as I could while trying to beat my sleep.
Sanjay Malik could have attacked Aditya earlier if he wanted to, but he refrained from doing so because he underestimated Aditya. He assumed that Aditya was a weak warrior who had only shown up to create an impression. Little did he know that Aditya possessed the strength to take down all his warriors. However, after losing more than half of his comrades, Sanjay's rage reached its peak. He resolved to kill Aditya at any cost. Without further delay, he launched a powerful attack on Aditya.
The attack was so swift that Aditya could not react in time. The force of the strike sent Aditya crashing into a wall, which collapsed upon impact. Although Aditya was a Planet-level warrior, the universal system had limited his strength to the initial stage of the Noble level, making it difficult for him to withstand the punch of a Peak Noble-level warrior. While the attack didn't cause him severe injuries, the pain was intense. Mustering his strength, Aditya managed to stand up again.
Now, Aditya's focus was solely on Sanjay Malik. He wanted to make Sanjay his primary target. As Aditya scrutinized Sanjay, he suddenly heard the system's voice in his mind:
**"Host, since you are about to fight a Peak Noble-level warrior, your power will now be upgraded to match that level. I trust you won't disappoint me. However, let me make it clear that you must kill him. As for why he intended to bomb Mumbai, I have already extracted that information from his mind, so don't concern yourself with it."**
Aditya nodded in agreement. With his strength now elevated to the Peak Noble level, he prepared himself for the battle once again. He faced Sanjay and said, "I don't know why you wanted to terrorize this city with bomb blasts, but I'll tell you one thing—you've made a grave mistake by coming here, and you'll pay the price for it. You want to kill me, and I want to kill you. Let's see who prevails."
Without further delay, Aditya launched a powerful attack on Sanjay Malik. To his astonishment, Sanjay stopped the attack with just one hand. Aditya couldn't hide his surprise. The system had told him that his strength was equivalent to warriors of higher levels, yet his attack didn't even faze Sanjay.
This left Aditya doubting his abilities. He had believed that he would always triumph against warriors of equal level. But now, facing an experienced warrior like Sanjay Malik, he realized the gap in his combat skills. As these doubts clouded his mind, the system spoke again:
**"He didn't stop your attack because he is your equal in strength. He managed to counter it because he has fought many life-and-death battles. His experience allowed him to identify flaws in your technique. This is why I wanted you to start from the beginning—to teach you that no warrior is weak at their level. Even if you used your Planetary-level powers against him, he could still escape your grasp effortlessly. I want you to defeat him on equal footing to build your combat skills and earn points for future upgrades. If I wanted, I could kill him with a single mental attack, but that wouldn't help you grow."**
Aditya could only nod, knowing that the system wouldn't offer more help. He decided to change his strategy. He thought, *If I can't defeat him, I should at least escape and regroup.* With this plan in mind, Aditya bolted out of the building.
Seeing Aditya run, Sanjay yelled, "Running away? But where will you go? It's too late to escape. I won't let you leave alive!" Sanjay immediately launched another devastating attack. The attack was so intense that Aditya could sense its power as it approached.
He thought, *This man may be a Peak Noble-level warrior, but the intensity of his attack feels like that of a Half-Step Saint-level warrior.* Desperate to evade the attack, Aditya tried to leap into the air. However, he could only manage a height of 15 to 20 feet. The attack reached him, and he collided with another wall, which also crumbled under the impact. Aditya's condition worsened, and he struggled to find a way out.
Just as he contemplated fleeing, the system's voice intervened:
**"Don't even think about running. If you do, I will ensure you remain stuck at the Planetary level forever. You need to face situations like this to grow stronger. This is the only way to train you to handle future challenges. Remember, your father became a great warrior because he faced countless battles. I'm not pushing you for my amusement; I want you to emerge as a true warrior. If you run now, you will never surpass your current limits."**
Hearing this, Aditya clenched his teeth in frustration. He realized he had no choice but to fight Sanjay. This realization felt like a commander burning the retreating ships of his army to ensure they fight to the death. The system had metaphorically done the same to Aditya, cutting off any possibility of escape to force him into combat.
Gathering his resolve, Aditya stood up once again to face Sanjay Malik. Seeing Aditya's determination, Sanjay was momentarily surprised but quickly resumed his aggressive stance. He advanced towards Aditya, preparing another powerful punch. Aditya braced himself and decided to engage Sanjay in hand-to-hand combat.
As their clash intensified, the entire building began to shake. It was clear that the structure wouldn't hold much longer. Both warriors decided to take the fight outside. Under the open sky, their battle resumed with even greater ferocity.
Sanjay launched another devastating attack, but Aditya couldn't evade it. The impact left him injured yet again. Despite this, Aditya refused to give up. He thought, *I've failed many times today, but I won't let this defeat define me.*
Meanwhile, Sanjay was hovering in the air, aided by a machine. Aditya felt a pang of despair but quickly steadied himself. He noticed that Sanjay had drawn a gun imbued with fire-elemental energy. It was clear that the battle was far from over.