Footsteps echoed through the shattered forest.
"You two have been defeated, kids. There's no need to resist anymore," Ruckus said calmly, almost gently.
Armeet forced himself upright, blood dripping from his chin. His grip tightened around the broken hilt of his sword."Defeat comes after my death. As long as I breathe, I am not defeated—RuckUS STEFANI!"
Ruckus smiled, not amused, but understanding."This isn't fiction, young one. You're not the main character—just a pawn who happened to awaken early."
He took a slow step forward, crimson mist curling around his feet.
"You wanted to see a main character fight?" he continued. "Fine. I'll show you one."
His eyes darkened.
"I was always meant to fall today. I knew it the moment I stepped into Parina. Whether I die or not is irrelevant. Everything I've done here was a suicide strike—to wound your nation so deeply that it would one day kneel before the Union and beg for survival."
Sukheer clenched his teeth. Armeet stood frozen.
"Since the Marinabad incident… since the rise of Gobiemo Sangrieto… the world has begun to shift," Ruckus went on. "Parina is nothing but a spark. The metamorphosis has already begun."
His gaze locked onto Armeet.
"I have had my revenge against the Surya Dynasty. You, Kid Surya… and you, the clever one—I suggest you survive today and choose your alliances wisely. The ocean is vast, and the small fish don't survive alone."
He turned away.
"Goodbye, young warriors."
For a moment, neither Armeet nor Sukheer spoke.
"Why does it sound like he's trying to redeem himself now?" Armeet muttered.
Sukheer smirked weakly. "We'll psychoanalyze him later—if we survive. Call your Ajikage, man."
Several hundred meters away, two figures halted at the edge of the forest.
Jayantaka's expression hardened. "Someone's approaching."
Pannival narrowed his eyes. "Someone… strong."
The trees ahead exploded apart as Ruckus punched a path through them, splintered trunks flying like shrapnel.
"Oh?" Ruckus chuckled. "Look who decided to show up. The Pannival of the Malwai Empire… and an old man who reeks of war."
Pannival stepped forward, calm as still water."You must be Ruckus Stefani—the Union agent causing disturbances in my capital."
"I'm honoured," Ruckus replied, bowing slightly.
The forest fell silent.
Then—
They vanished.
In less than a heartbeat, Pannival and Ruckus collided mid-air. Pannival's hand clamped around Ruckus's throat; Ruckus caught Pannival's wrist, blood surging like chains.
"Impressive reflexes," Pannival said evenly.
He twisted his grip.
"But not enough."
Bones cracked.
Ruckus snarled as his right arm shattered grotesquely."The Kingdom of Blood," he declared.
"Oh," Pannival remarked, almost bored. "An Ace Move."
Ruckus's eyes widened. "How did you—"
"Focus on the fight, Stefani," Pannival interrupted coldly. "Or you'll lose more than limbs."
"Recover."
Blood surged, reconstructing flesh and bone in seconds. Ruckus flexed his restored arm and grinned."Very well. Let's fight seriously, Pannival."
He struck.
The impact sent Pannival crashing through a massive banyan tree, its ancient trunk splitting apart with a thunderous roar. Gasps rippled through the battlefield.
Ruckus flash-stepped upward, landing atop the shattered banyan, blood blades forming around him like a crown.
Pannival emerged from the debris, cloak torn, eyes sharp—unshaken.
The air itself trembled.
This was no longer a battle between warriors.
This was an execution waiting to happen.
"Come on, Stefani," Pannival said calmly, his voice carrying through the broken forest. "Show me everything you have left."
Ruckus snarled and launched himself forward, blood erupting from his back like wings. He twisted mid-air, muscles tightening, and drove his fist toward Pannival's chest with murderous intent.
But Pannival was already gone.
He leapt upward in a clean, effortless arc, slipping past the whipping blood-tentacles as if they were slow-moving vines. Before Ruckus could react, a fist crashed into his blind spot—his back.
The impact thundered.
Ruckus was hurled forward like a cannonball, smashing through bark and branches. Instinct took over. He stabbed his blood-tentacles into a towering tree, anchoring himself before the momentum could tear him apart. The tree groaned, roots cracking, leaves raining down.
Before he could recover, one tentacle snapped forward, coiling around Pannival's leg. With a brutal yank, Ruckus slammed him into the forest floor, the earth buckling beneath the force.
Leaves exploded upward as Pannival struck the ground.
Ruckus didn't hesitate.
More tentacles burst forth, pinning Pannival's arms and legs against the bed of crushed leaves and soil. One tentacle hardened, sharpening into a crimson spear aimed directly at Pannival's heart.
"This is the end, Pannival Mahaji Malwai!" Ruckus roared.
"Oh?" Pannival replied, unbothered.
The spear lunged.
For the first time, Pannival strained—just slightly.
He exhaled.
"The last time… indeed."
He snapped his fingers.
"Novari Tribe Special: Zolverin."
Reality warped.
A transparent, spherical barrier bloomed around Pannival, veins of glowing violet Naritti converging at its core. The blood-tentacle struck the sphere—
—and rotted away instantly, crumbling to ash mid-thrust.
Every tentacle touching the barrier dried, cracked, and collapsed as if centuries had passed in a heartbeat.
Jayantaka clapped slowly, a satisfied smile on his face.
Ruckus staggered back. "What now, old man?!"
Pannival rose, floating effortlessly within the sphere, cloak fluttering as though kissed by divine wind. Calm. Untouchable. Above the battlefield.
"A defence technique?" Ruckus scoffed, though unease crept into his voice. "You'll drain yourself dry. I won't even get the credit of killing you."
Pannival smiled faintly."Oh, child. Forgive me if I've disappointed your fantasies."
He brought his hands together.
"Tathastu."
The ground trembled.
From soil, roots, and fallen leaves, four figures rose, humanoid and ancient.
Kira.
Embodiments of the self.
Rage stepped forward first—bare-chested, fists clenched, eyes burning.Kind followed, calm and measured, walking in a curved path.Child skipped ahead, laughing softly, dragging a blade without a handle, blood dripping freely.Wise remained still, watching, waiting.
"Let the game begin," Pannival declared.
The forest had become an arena.
Ruckus surveyed the scene—Rage to his left, Kind to his right, Child approaching head-on. Trapped. Or so it seemed.
"Head-on," Ruckus muttered. "That's all I need."
He charged Kind.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he zigzagged forward, blood-tentacles snapping outward. Kind's eyes followed him—not fearful, not aggressive—understanding.
Tentacles brushed Kind's form. His smile widened.
He glanced back at Pannival.
Pannival nodded.
In an instant, Kind vanished and reappeared behind Ruckus, arms locking around his waist. A knee slammed into Ruckus's torso—once, twice—each impact hollow and brutal.
Ruckus gasped, his tentacles retracting as he desperately gathered Naritti.
"Ghh—!"
With a snarl, he drove two blood-spears straight into Kind's lungs.
Kind coughed. Blood spilled from his lips.
Ruckus didn't hesitate.
Every remaining tentacle pierced Kind's body, pinning him in mid-air. Naritti was torn out violently, streaming into Ruckus like smoke.
Pannival closed his eyes.
Kind's body trembled.
Then—
BOOM.
The figure burst apart, dissolving into dust and falling leaves.
Silence followed.
The forest mourned.
For the first time, Ruckus stood breathing hard—not victorious, not confident—but cornered.
And for the first time, Pannival's expression carried sorrow.
One Sepoy down. Ruckus Stefani emerges victorious in the first round.
[To be Continued in Chapter 50]