The corridor of the Kaal-Chhaya fortress trembled violently as the battle began.
Moments earlier, dozens of villains had rushed forward with weapons raised, confident in their numbers. But now the air was filled with the smell of burning iron and scorched cloth.
Standing calmly at the end of the corridor was a single woman.
Her orange hair shimmered in the flickering light of the flames that danced around her fingers.
Devika Agnivarna.
Among the Rakshak warriors of Aryavarta, her name carried considerable weight. She was one of the most powerful elite warriors of the Rakshak Sabha, feared for her devastating fire abilities and relentless fighting style.
And tonight, she had come alone.
Arivaan watched the scene from behind a cracked stone pillar as sweat slowly rolled down his temple.
Why did it have to be her…
The moment Devika had appeared in the corridor, the battle had turned completely one-sided.
Her eyes glowed faintly as flames curled around her palms like obedient serpents.
"Come on," she said casually, tilting her head slightly. "If you're villains, at least try to fight properly."
The commander of the Kaal-Chhaya unit snarled.
"Don't listen to her! Attack!"
With a roar, several soldiers charged forward.
Swords flashed.
Spears lunged.
Axes swung through the air.
But Devika didn't move.
She simply raised her right hand.
A moment later—
BOOOOOM!!
A pillar of blazing fire exploded from her palm.
The heat wave rushed through the corridor like a violent storm.
Three soldiers were instantly thrown backward, their weapons flying from their hands as their armor glowed red from the intense heat.
One man slammed into the wall with a painful scream.
Another collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
Arivaan instinctively ducked lower behind the pillar as a wave of heat passed over him.
This is insane…
The fight hadn't even lasted ten seconds.
Yet half of the charging soldiers had already fallen.
Devika stepped forward slowly through the smoke.
The flames around her hands flickered brighter as she walked.
"Is that it?" she asked.
Her tone sounded almost disappointed.
"For an organization that claims to threaten the kingdoms of Aryavarta… this is rather underwhelming."
The commander gritted his teeth.
"You arrogant—!"
He raised his sword and charged toward her himself.
Devika sighed softly.
"Another one."
She flicked her fingers.
A small ball of fire shot forward like a blazing arrow.
The commander barely managed to raise his sword in time.
CLANG—BOOM!
The impact forced him backward several steps.
Even from where he was hiding, Arivaan could see the commander's arms trembling.
The difference in power was overwhelming.
A few remaining soldiers hesitated.
One of them whispered nervously,
"C-Commander… we can't win this."
Another soldier shook his head in panic.
"That's an elite Rakshak! We should retreat!"
But the commander refused to back down.
"If we retreat now, the entire fortress will fall!"
He turned and pointed toward the remaining soldiers.
"Everyone attack together!"
Reluctantly, the surviving villains charged again.
Arivaan remained frozen behind the pillar.
Charging straight at her again…?
That's suicide.
But orders were orders.
The soldiers rushed forward with desperate shouts.
Devika watched them calmly.
Then she slowly raised both hands.
Flames gathered rapidly in her palms, growing larger with each passing second.
The air temperature skyrocketed.
Even several meters away, Arivaan could feel the scorching heat pressing against his skin.
"Fine," Devika murmured.
"If that's what you want."
She thrust her hands forward.
FWOOSH!!
A massive wave of fire surged down the corridor.
The entire hallway erupted into a sea of flames.
Wooden support beams cracked.
Stone walls blackened.
Weapons melted.
The soldiers caught in the attack screamed as they were thrown aside by the explosive force.
When the flames finally faded, the corridor had become a disaster zone.
Most of the attackers were already lying motionless on the floor.
The remaining few struggled to stand.
Arivaan slowly peeked around the pillar.
His stomach tightened.
It's over.
This wasn't a battle.
It was a massacre.
Devika brushed a bit of ash from her shoulder as if nothing unusual had happened.
She looked around at the fallen soldiers.
Then she sighed again.
"Honestly… I expected more resistance."
One of the injured villains tried to stand up behind her.
Devika didn't even turn around.
She snapped her fingers.
A small spark shot backward and knocked the man unconscious instantly.
Her awareness was terrifying.
Arivaan clenched his fists.
How can someone fight like that…
Even their commander looked shaken now.
His breathing had grown heavy, and his armor was badly scorched.
Yet Devika still looked completely composed.
She stretched her shoulders slightly.
The flames around her hands flickered lazily again.
"If there's no one stronger than this…"
She glanced toward the deeper corridor of the fortress.
"…then I suppose this organization ends tonight."
Arivaan felt a chill run down his spine.
The Kaal-Chhaya Sangh had existed for years.
They had survived countless confrontations with heroes.
Yet tonight, one Rakshak warrior might destroy everything.
The commander suddenly turned.
His eyes scanned the corridor frantically.
Then they stopped on Arivaan.
"You!"
Arivaan froze.
"M-Me?"
"Yes, you! Soldier 505!"
Arivaan stepped out from behind the pillar nervously.
"Yes, commander!"
The commander rushed over and grabbed his shoulder.
"The situation is worse than expected."
Arivaan glanced toward Devika, who was still calmly approaching.
That's an understatement…
"We cannot reach the central command," the commander continued urgently.
"So you will go."
Arivaan blinked.
"Go… where?"
"The eighth floor command chamber."
Arivaan's eyes widened slightly.
That was where the leaders of the Kaal-Chhaya Sangh operated.
A place ordinary soldiers rarely visited.
"You will inform the leaders about the attack," the commander said quickly.
"And request reinforcements."
He shoved a small insignia into Arivaan's hand.
"Show them this."
Arivaan stared at the metal emblem for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"…Understood."
Behind them, Devika's flames began gathering again.
The commander turned toward her.
"All units! Prepare to attack again!"
Arivaan didn't wait to watch what happened next.
He turned and sprinted toward the stairwell.
Behind him, another explosion of fire shook the fortress.
The battle was far from over.
But Arivaan had already realized something important.
Tonight…
The Kaal-Chhaya Sangh might truly fall.
And if he didn't find a way out soon—
He would fall with it.