Manas gathered his team: Arin, Mira, Kai, and Rian. He looked at each of them with determination and said, "We're a team now, so let's have each other's backs. Remember, strength lies in unity. No one fights alone."
The captain of Flamebrook, Zara, stepped forward, her expression as intense as her fiery aura. "Listen up, everyone! Each team has been assigned a number. Manas and his team, you're team number five."
As Zara walked down the line, her gaze piercing each group, she announced, "This isn't a test for the faint-hearted. I'll be your opponent. Groups will face me five at a time, and only those who give a proper fight will advance. Weakness will not be tolerated."
A hush fell over the competitors as the first team stepped up. Zara was ruthless, taking them down in mere minutes. Her strikes were swift, her movements like fire itself—intense and unyielding. Team one staggered back, defeated. The audience murmured nervously.
Team two hesitated, then backed down altogether, intimidated by Zara's overwhelming power. By the time team three fell, and team four, though fighting with all their might, couldn't hold their ground, the crowd grew tense.
Captain Zara looked at the remaining teams, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "Is there no one who can put up a challenge?" she asked, her voice carrying both the heat of her strength and a touch of disdain. "I haven't even shown my full strength yet. I'm waiting for a team willing to give me a real fight."
Manas felt the pressure settle over him and his team, but he turned to his friends and said, "It's our turn now. Let's give her the fight she's been waiting for."
The team nodded, ready to face the challenge ahead.
As Manas and his team stood in the ring, each member readied their unique abilities, determined to showcase their strengths. Zara watched them closely, intrigued but still critical, waiting to see if this team would truly rise to the challenge.
Arin stepped forward first, his confident grin showing his excitement. With a quick movement, he summoned a swirling gust of wind, channeling his Wind Vidya. The air around him spun rapidly, forming a controlled cyclone in his palms. He said to Manas, "Just watch—I'll push her back before she even knows what hit her." He sent the wind spiraling toward Zara, its force strong enough to rattle the ground beneath them.
Mira was next, calm and focused. She activated her Water Vidya, summoning a wave of water that she manipulated with precision. She flicked her fingers, and droplets of water formed into sharp, dart-like shapes, each glinting with a cutting edge. "This will slow her down," she said, nodding at her teammates. The water darts floated in the air, ready to strike at her command.
Kai stepped up, grounding himself as he activated his Earth Vidya. He stomped his foot, and the ground beneath him shifted and cracked, creating a barrier of solid stone. With a nod to Manas, he said, "If we're going to win, we need strong defenses." The wall of stone stood tall, ready to shield his team from Zara's attacks.
Rian, the quietest of the group, summoned his Lightning Vidya, a faint crackle of electricity coursing around his body. He looked at Zara, his gaze steady, and concentrated, sparks flickering at his fingertips. With a quick motion, he formed an electric spear, crackling with energy. "This one's for backup," he said, positioning himself in the back to strike with precision if the chance came.
Manas took it all in, watching his team with a sense of pride. Each of them had a strength unique to their Vidya, and together, they felt powerful. He clenched his fists, ready to stand with them.
Captain Zara smirked, crossing her arms as she observed the group. "Well, well," she said, amused, "finally, a team with some promise. Let's see if you can turn those powers into a real fight."
Ahhh !!
The tension in the air was thick as Manas's team launched their first coordinated attack. Arin moved swiftly, his eyes glowing with determination as he called out, "Wind Cyclone!" A massive vortex of swirling wind shot toward Captain Zara. The cyclone was fierce, ripping through the air with a deafening roar, its force enough to knock anyone off their feet.
Mira, not hesitating, followed up immediately, shouting, "Wave of Water!" She raised her hands, and a massive wall of water surged forward, crashing toward Zara, her control over the element precise, as if it were an extension of herself.
Kai, standing strong, took a deep breath and stomped his foot into the ground. "Earthquake Strike!" he shouted. The ground beneath Zara cracked and split wide open, sending chunks of rock tumbling toward her. The very earth seemed to rebel beneath her, attempting to trap her in its grasp.
Rian, calm and focused, brought his hands together, sparks flying from his fingers. "Lightning Spear!" he yelled, and an electric spear formed in his hands, crackling with raw energy. With a swift movement, he hurled it toward Zara with incredible precision.
But Zara was no ordinary opponent.
With a smirk on her face, she raised her hands and, with a single motion, her body lifted off the ground. She flew into the air, easily avoiding the cyclone and water wave as they crashed harmlessly into the ground. The rocks from Kai's earth attack scattered as Zara spun midair, her eyes glowing with an intense fire.
As Rian's lightning spear came at her, she raised a hand, and flames erupted in a fiery ring around her. The lightning struck the flames, dissipating into sparks and leaving Zara unharmed. She landed lightly on the ground, unscathed and unbothered, her smile never fading.
Then, in a move too fast for anyone to follow, she released a powerful flame wheel from her hand. It shot toward Manas's team with terrifying speed.
Kai reacted first, raising his arms and forming a towering stone wall to protect his team. The fire wheel slammed into the wall, and the heat was intense. Kai's muscles strained under the pressure of holding the defense, the flames pushing harder and harder against his barrier. "I can't hold this much longer!" Kai shouted, his body trembling from the sheer force of the flames.
Rian, desperate to finish the battle, surged forward, sparks flying from his fingertips as he charged. "This ends now!" he yelled, unleashing all the electricity he could muster. His body crackled with power as he hurled himself toward Zara.
But Zara wasn't phased. She sidestepped effortlessly, catching Rian's wrist in midair as he lunged toward her. With a sudden twist, she swung him through the air and, in a single movement, slammed him into the side of the ring with a bone-crushing punch to his stomach.
Rian crumpled, his body crashing against the wall of the ring with a painful thud. He groaned, his breath knocked out of him, as he slid down the wall, completely disoriented.
Manas watched in shock as his teammate was thrown aside like a ragdoll. The intense heat from Zara's attacks and the power she exhibited was almost overwhelming. His heart raced, and for a moment, doubt crept in. Was this truly possible? Could they defeat someone this powerful?
Arin, Mira, Kai, and Rian all stood there, hurt but still determined. Despite Zara's overwhelming strength, they weren't ready to give up. They still had each other, and that was the one thing that kept them going.
"Don't back down!" Manas shouted to his team. "We'll fight together! Let's give everything we have!"
As Manas watched his team struggle, he felt a surge of frustration rise within him. What am I doing? he thought, his fists clenched tightly. My team is giving everything they've got, and here I am, just watching from the sidelines, shouting encouragement while they risk it all.
In that instant, Zara shouted, "Fire Storm!" Flames erupted from her hands, swirling into a massive, blazing storm. The intense heat caused the very ground to crack, and with a shattering sound, Kai's stone wall finally gave way. Arin, Mira, and Kai were thrown backward, colliding with the ring's wall. They slumped to the ground, groaning in pain, their bodies battered and bruised from the relentless attacks.
Zara stood tall, her eyes blazing with a fierce determination. She smirked, looking down at Manas's team. "It's over," she declared, her voice cold and final. She raised her hand and, with a fierce motion, sent a spinning wheel of fire hurtling toward them.
Manas's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the flaming wheel spin toward his friends. Without thinking, he sprang forward, placing himself between Zara's attack and his fallen teammates. In that moment, his fear vanished. All he knew was that he couldn't let them down. They had fought bravely for him—for all of them. Now, it was his turn.
He planted his feet firmly on the ground and spread his arms, standing like a shield in front of his friends. The fire wheel came closer, the heat searing, the intensity almost overwhelming. But Manas didn't flinch. He focused, tapping into every ounce of strength he'd cultivated over his years of training, all the resilience his master, Lord Rudra, had drilled into him.
As the flames surged toward him, Manas could almost feel a dormant energy within him stir, something deep and powerful, something he'd barely begun to understand. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and then…