I didn't hear the blow land.
But I felt it—like a jolt up my spine. The Asura's body hit the tree with enough force to make the whole clearing tremble. Bark exploded. Branches cracked like bones. And yet… the silence around me never lifted.
He—whoever he was—moved like thunder trapped in human form. No wasted motion. No showmanship. Just clean, fluid destruction. His body twisted and turned with such precision, it felt less like combat and more like choreography—the rhythm of someone who had fought a thousand battles and never once been touched.
The Asura rose, snarling. In this form, it still looked human. Pale skin stretched tight over a wiry frame, eyes glowing dimly, arms flexing with slimy residue as it stabilized.
The man didn't speak.
He just stepped forward, and with a flick of his fingers, struck the Asura in the chest.
I didn't hear it. But the shockwave blew dust and leaves into the air.
The Asura stumbled, gurgling. Its foot dragged through the slime. Then, a punch—so fast I barely saw the wind break behind it—and another burst of invisible force knocked the creature back again.
I stood frozen.
Lakshmika coughed beside me, still hurt from the earlier strike. She tried to rise but staggered.
The Asura's eyes locked onto me.
It ignored the man. Ignored everyone.
It wanted me.
It lunged.
Lakshmika screamed, dragging herself between me and the beast.
That was it.
I ripped Vajra from its sheath. Not to fight—because I couldn't.
But because I had to try.
With everything I had, I hurled the blade.
It sang through the air—gold and white, cutting like a thunderbolt. The Asura snarled and knocked it aside mid-flight—but that tiny pause, that flicker of distraction, was enough.
That man was already there.
He slammed his elbow into the Asura's back, followed by a crackling palm strike to the spine. The beast coughed, staggered—its body flickering for a moment. Something within it twisted.
Just then—
Vines erupted from the ground.
They coiled around the Asura's legs, pulling it backward, slamming its limbs into the mud. Roots burst from beneath the mucus, climbing like hungry serpents. The air filled with the scent of crushed leaves and rich earth.
Anita had arrived.
Her staff—more like a twisted vine grown into shape—glowed with soft green light. Her eyes blazed, but not with anger—with focus. Power pulsed from her fingers into the ward, and the entire clearing responded.
"You're not touching them again," she said.
Ananya stood behind her now, hands glowing faint silver. Runes formed in the air, weaving a barrier around Anita and the Man. Her lips moved quickly. Even in silence, I could tell she was chanting.
A three-person formation.
Front line: The man and Anita.
Back line: Ananya.
Target: A Beast Asura.
The creature screamed. Its form shimmered—boiled. And then it changed.
Muscles expanded. Skin blackened. Horns split through its forehead.
The second phase had begun.
This wasn't the boy I'd seen earlier.
This was a monster.
His claws thickened. Magic poured off his body in heavy waves—corrupt, pulsing. The vines binding him burned away with a hiss. His roars grew sharper—inhuman.
He charged again.
Anita thrust her ward forward—roots burst from the earth, coiling into a shield.
The Man dodged, appearing at the beast's flank. His hands glowed now—not just with sound, but with rhythm. Every hit he landed was timed to a pulse. Even I could feel it—boom boom tap—boom boom tap—
Ananya kept chanting, and I saw Anita's body glow slightly with each verse. Every time she faltered, the glow returned, and her vines reformed. Support magic—clean and precise.
The three of them fought like they'd done this before.
But the Beast Asura was evolving mid-battle.
He took a hit, then slammed his fists together—and the ground ruptured.
Mucus and dark slime exploded outward like a geyser. Anita slid back. The man grunted and jumped clear.
Ananya stumbled. Blood trickled from her nose.
And yet—none of them stepped away.
The man was limping now, but his eyes burned brighter.
Anita raised her ward again, whispering something to the wind. The vines grew razor sharp. Bark formed into blades. Every tree in the clearing bowed slightly.
But before they could strike—
The Asura stopped.
Its body glowed, cracked, pulsing violently. Not with pain… with retreat.
A black sigil opened behind it—a portal, jagged and flickering.
It hissed in frustration, eyes scanning the field. Not rage. Not defeat. Just… calculation.
Then, before any of them could stop it—it fled.
It stepped backward, vanished through the portal—and was gone.
The clearing fell still.
Only then did I realize my legs wouldn't move.
My body ached. My throat burned even though no sound had passed through it.
I saw Anita rushing to Ananya. The man who moved like silence stood still, scanning the woods as if waiting for a second threat.
I turned slightly, saw Vajra lying far away… and then—
My vision tilted.
And everything went black.