The storm raged above the **Crimson Peak**, lightning **splitting the heavens** as two figures stood amidst the ruins, ready to **tear each other apart.**
Manav **cracked his knuckles**, the **cold wind whipping through his dark hair.** His eyes were locked onto the beast before him—Erythros, the monstrous survivor of the Crimson Nova Disaster.
Erythros **let out a guttural roar**, his **four muscular arms flexing**, claws gleaming under the blood-red sky. His **burning golden eyes** locked onto Manav with **pure, primal fury.**
Then, without warning—
**They clashed.**
---
Erythros **lunged first**, his speed **inhuman** despite his massive size. His right claw **swiped forward**, aiming to **tear Manav in half.**
But Manav—
He **was already gone.**
**A blur.**
Manav **sidestepped effortlessly,** ducking under the monstrous claw. His body moved like **a shadow slipping through cracks in reality.**
**Boom!**
Erythros' attack **shattered the ground**, sending stone debris flying.
Manav **reappeared behind him**, his dagger flashing. With a single motion, he **slashed upward**, carving deep into Erythros' **back.**
The beast **roared**, spinning around with a **second claw strike.**
Manav twisted his body, leaning back **just enough** for the claws to **graze past his face.** He countered immediately—
A **vicious elbow to the ribs.**
The impact sent a **shockwave** through Erythros' body, making him stumble.
Priya, standing at a distance, **watched in horror.**
*"Manav… how are you moving like that?!"*
She had seen him fight before, but this—this was **something else.** His movements were **inhuman, precise, deadly.**
Manav **didn't reply.**
Instead, he **vanished again.**
---
Erythros snarled.
*"You fight well, mortal."*
He stomped the ground, sending a **shockwave** that **ruptured the battlefield.** Stone **split apart**, cracks **spreading like veins of destruction.**
Manav was **unfazed.**
His feet **barely touched the ground** before he **exploded forward**, dagger **twirling in his grip.**
He **flickered in and out of sight**, his movements **unpredictable**, his dagger carving through the air like **a whisper of death.**
Erythros swung—
Missed.
Manav ducked—
**Boom!**
His knee **slammed into the beast's chin**, snapping its head back.
Then—
**A spin. A flash of steel.**
Manav's dagger **tore across Erythros' chest**, leaving a deep, blackened wound.
Erythros roared and **backhanded** Manav with **monstrous force.**
**CRACK!**
Manav was **sent flying**, smashing into a ruined pillar. **Blood dripped from his lips.**
Priya gasped.
*"Manav!"*
But then—
He **laughed.**
---
*"You rely too much on your strength,"* Manav said, wiping blood from his chin.
Erythros **growled.**
*"Strength is everything."*
*"Then let's see how much you have left."*
Suddenly—
**Darkness.**
The battlefield **shifted** as Manav **invaded Erythros' mind.**
Erythros **staggered**, his vision warping. The world became **distorted**, shadows **stretching unnaturally.**
*"What… is this?!"*
Manav's **voice echoed** from nowhere—
*"This is your own mind, beast."*
Erythros felt **his thoughts twisting.** The faces of **creatures he had slaughtered** during his years of existence **appeared around him**, whispering.
*"You are nothing but a failed experiment,"* Manav's voice taunted.
Erythros **roared**, swinging his claws—
But there was nothing.
Just **illusions. Nightmares. Guilt.**
He **screamed**, trying to **shake the voices away.**
But then—
**BOOM!**
He **snapped back to reality.**
And Manav was already **in front of him.**
---
Manav **didn't waste time.**
He **drove his dagger into Erythros' stomach**, twisting it.
Erythros **snarled in pain**, swinging wildly.
Manav **dodged, weaved, countered.** His style wasn't just **aggressive**—it was **overwhelming.** He fought like **a predator who had already decided its prey was dead.**
A punch. A slash. A knee to the ribs.
Erythros **barely kept up.**
*"You're slowing down,"* Manav mocked.
Erythros **refused to fall.**
He **grabbed** Manav's arm, yanking him **off the ground** and—
**SLAM!**
Manav's body **crashed through the ruins, breaking stone walls.**
Priya **gasped.**
Erythros **panted**, his golden eyes filled with **rage.**
*"You fight like a demon,"* he admitted.
Manav **stood up from the rubble, his face shadowed.**
*"Demon? No. I'm just someone who doesn't lose."*
---
The battle continued.
Neither side **relented.**
Blades clashed against claws.
Blood **stained the battlefield.**
Priya **stood frozen**, her mind racing.
*"Manav… how are you doing this?"* she whispered.
She gathered her courage and yelled—
*"Do you have aura?! How did you get aura?!"*
Manav **paused for half a second.**
Then, he **smirked**—but said **nothing.**
Erythros took the **opening.**
His **massive fist** swung at **blinding speed.**
**BOOM!**
Manav **barely blocked in time**, skidding backward.
But instead of looking **worried**—
He **grinned.**
*"This fight… is fun."*
Lightning **crashed above.**
The **battle was far from over.**