The pale moon sank slowly behind the jagged cliffs.

  Lioran stood in front of him

  Lioran’s eyes narrowed. “I know you,” he said quietly, voice cutting through the silence. “You’re the one who saved me… when that wolf attacked.”

  Bheem gave a faint nod. “Yeah, I remember.”

  “Then why?” Lioran’s tone hardened. “Why attack us now? I saw you… you launched that missile at us. Why try to kill the people you once saved?”

  For a brief moment, Bheem’s expression faltered. “How did he see me from that distance?” he thought.

  “Tell me,” Lioran demanded, his voice edged with restrained fury. “Why are you trying to kill us?”

  Bheem’s eyes turned cold. “Because it’s my job,” he said simply. “I had orders to eliminate you.”

  “Orders?” Lioran repeated, his fists clenching.

  “I saved you that day,” Bheem said calmly, “because I didn’t know who you were. If I had known you were my target… you wouldn’t have survived.”

  The words sank deep into the night air.

  “Oh,” Lioran exhaled, his expression unreadable. “So that’s how it is.”

  Then, a faint smile tugged at his lips. “Fine. Let’s do it then.”

  He stepped forward—but his legs trembled. The moment his foot hit the ground, pain surged up from his torn muscles. His arms, still wrapped in blood-soaked bandages, twitched.

  Bheem tilted his head. “Do you really think you can fight me… in that condition?”

  “I don’t know,” Lioran said through gritted teeth. “But I’ll still protect my friend.”

  From behind him, Aishwarya’s eyes softened. Despite her pain, his words sparked a warmth in her heart.

  “Oh?” Bheem said mockingly. “And how do you plan to protect her—like this?”

  “Like this.” Lioran threw Prā?a Sphere on him.

  “SHHHHHH!” The air trembled as the sphere burst forward—

  “BOOOOM!”

  Smoke billowed. Dust swirled around them.

  But as it cleared, Lioran’s breath caught.

  Bheem stood completely unscathed.

  “What…?” Lioran muttered. “That hit directly. How is he not even scratched?”

  Aishwarya, struggling to stand, pressed her palm to the ground. “Use your Prā?a Vision,” she said.

  Lioran blinked and use his Prā?a Vision. His eyes turned into a golden glow.

  “FSSHHHH!” The world changed around him. Threads of energy came alive, pulsing in waves across the battlefield.

  Then he saw it—Prā?a cloak so dense it rippled like molten metal, wrapping around Bheem’s body.

  “That’s why,” Aishwarya said, coughing weakly. “That thick Prā?a cloak around him… it’s a barrier. None of our attacks are reaching him.”

  Lioran’s jaw tightened. “So what do we do?”

  “We just have to keep hitting him,” she said, standing beside him despite her trembling knees. “Attack until his stamina runs out and that barrier fades.”

  He hesitated. “…We?”

  “Yeah,” she said, a faint smirk appearing. “You and me.”

  “But you’re injured,” he said.

  “Oh, first look at yourself,” she shot back, touching his arm gently. He winced in pain. “See? You’re worse.”

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  Before they could speak again, Bheem raised his arm. “WHUUMM!” A glowing Prā?a sphere shot toward them.

  They dodged it.

  “KRAAAA-THOOOM!” —the sphere detonated, blasting a crater into the ground.

  “Sorry,” Bheem said flatly, lowering his smoking hand. “I don’t have time to listen to your chatting.”

  “Then let’s end this,” Lioran said.

  He shot forward first, boots cracking the soil. Aishwarya followed right behind.

  Lioran swung his arm—his Prā?a Fist ignited with golden particles.

  “THUDD!!”

  His punch collided with Prā?a cloak and stopped.

  “Ghhh—!” Lioran gasped as pain shot through his arm.

  “See? You’re worse than me,” Aishwarya muttered, appearing behind Bheem. She gathered Prā?a into her leg until it glowed with a deep crimson hue.

  “Prā?a Kick!”

  “WHAAAAAM!” She spun and kicked—but again, Prā?a cloak stopped it.

  Both were thrown back, skidding across the ground. “SHRRRHHH!”

  Bheem didn’t even move. “Is that all?”

  They didn’t answer. Instead, they attacked again—and again. Blasts of Prā?a streaked across the air like comets.

  “BOOM!”

  “KRRRAASH!”

  “FWWOOOOOM!”

  But every strike—no matter how fierce—stopped by his Prā?a cloak The night sky lit up with their desperate battle, and still, he stood untouched.

  Minutes passed. Their breathing grew ragged.

  Lioran staggered, sweat dripping down his face. His arms trembled each time he tried to lift them. “My… stamina…”

  Aishwarya dropped to her knees, clutching her ribs. “Because of those earlier fights and my injuries… I don’t even have enough Prā?a left for one more attack.”

  Bheem watched silently, arms folded. “You both tired yourselves out trying to exhaust me,” he said. “But I’ll tell you something—I can maintain this thick Prā?a cloak for two whole days.”

  Lioran and Aishwarya’s eyes widened.

  “Two… days?” she whispered. “Is he even human?”

  “So… all our efforts…” Lioran’s fists shook. “They were useless.”

  Bheem’s gaze darkened. “Now, you both die.”

  He lunged forward, his right arm glowing bright blue.

  “WOOOOOMM!” His Prā?a Punch cut through the air like thunder.

  “Prā?a Sigil!” Lioran roared.

  “KRAAAK!” A golden sigil flared in front of him.

  Bheem’s punch connected—

  “BOOOOM!”

  The sigil cracked. Then shattered.

  “GGGhhh!” Lioran screamed as the impact sent him flying backward, his body crashing against the rocky wall. “THUD!”

  Bheem raised his fist again, Prā?a swirling around it. “It’s over.”

  Before the next blow could land—

  “Flame Wall.” Aishwarya unleashed a torrent of flames, forming a blazing wall between them.

  “Stay away from him!” she shouted.

  The flames roared—but Bheem didn’t stop. His Prā?a Punch tore through the fire like paper, scattering embers everywhere. His Prā?a cloak shielded him completely from the heat.

  His fist burst through the flames—

  “SHHHHHH!”

  —but Lioran used Prā?a Swift.

  Lioran dodged the blow at the last second. The punch missed, striking the big rock instead, sending debris and sparks flying.

  Bheem stepped back, eyes narrowing. “You dodged that?”

  Lioran, panting heavily, staggered to Aishwarya’s side.

  “We need a plan,” She said.

  “I have,” he said suddenly, a small, sly grin appearing on his face.

  “What plan?” she asked suspiciously.

  “This one.” He grabbed her hand—and started running.

  “What—wait!?” she shouted. “Your plan is to run?!”

  “Exactly!” Lioran shouted over his shoulder, dragging her with him. “Run first, plan later!”

  They darted through the crumbling valley, leaping over rocks and burnt ground.

  Bheem stared after them, confusion flashing briefly in his eyes. “That technique…” he murmured. “How does he know that movement?”

  He started following them.

  TO BE CONTINUED…