The break of dawn came with a soft rumble along Indrapura's horizon. On the peak of Kurukshetra Arcology, the Synapse Arena—a geodesic dome made of crystalline material—spread its polyhedral panels wide to show a zero-gravity coliseum with spinning holo-rings and fractal walls changing colors. Spectators in anti-grav seats wore neural relays, poised to witness every duel in hyper-immersive synesthesia.
In the staging chamber, rivals readied. Yudhrath clicked on his HUD, activating adaptive shields and tactical subroutines. His platinum limbs shone under calibrated offer cables. "I will demonstrate strategy is paramount," he said, voice modulated through his exo-suit.
Arjuna stood nearby, the curve of his energy bowship strapped across his back like an extension of his neural spine. He closed his eyes, invoking Vishwakarma Protocol—an ancient combat AI reconfigured for pinpoint attacks. "Symphony shot by shot," he breathed, synched mind and machine into harmonious perfection.
Bhima's bulk exosuit whistled as its power cores accelerated. He stiffened his enhanced arms until the room shook. "Strength will break walls," he snarled, experimenting with his seismic gauntlets' capacity.
Karan-Astra stepped out of the darkness, nanocell armor rippling over him in glowing patterns. His stealth neural net connected to Vyasa-OS, accessing real-time feeds on the biometrics and code signatures of enemies. "Knowledge is the sharpest blade," he gasped, calibrating micro-drones to monitor every step in the arena.
Spectator drones provided live feed, projecting strategic information onto holo-screens floating over the arena. Company logos burned in neon across the arena: IndraDyne Cybernetics, AstraGenesis Labs, VyasaSoft Dynamics. Betting algorithms calculated credits as probabilities shifted with each fighter's approach toward the arena gates.
The first bout began with Yudhrath against a cyborg mercenary from the Outer Rim. Their battle shook the arena's gravity grid—shields exploding, energy discharges crackling. Yudhrath's tactical finesse outmaneuvered brute strength, taking his first battle in the midst of a tidal wave of fragmentation grenades and holo-decoys.
Next, Arjuna battled in the fractal maze, where stealthy arrows hit weak points in an opponent's exosuit. Each shot resonating like a chord in a celestial symphony, he received triumphant applause.
Bhima's battle was a display of kinetic strength. He shattered spinning holo-walls with earthquake gauntlet strikes, showering the battlefield with shards of code and energy.
Throughout the day, alliances were forged in secret data-channels. Arjuna traded coordinate loops with Yudhrath to catch more dangerous foes; Bhima offered brute force as a backline presence; Karan-Astra intercepted the enemy's strategies, passing them along through secure channels.
Above him, Dhirendra observed from his observatory satellite, eye implants documenting each duel's outcome. Kunti and Gandhini observed from their avatars, their pride moderated by knowing that only blood would determine the heir.
By the evening, there were four remaining: Yudhrath, Arjuna, Bhima, and the hidden prince. The arena was reconfigured to its ultimate shape—a vast open area with a single, floating holo-ring. No wall, no cover; just skill, will, and imagination.
They entered individually. Yudhrath deployed his tactical array, anticipating any vector. Arjuna's bowship launched its final salvo. Bhima burst forward like a meteor. Karan-Astra deployed his micro-drones, blanketing the void in a glittering swarm. The battle commenced—light to light, code to code, flesh to fusion. Flashes of energy and information tangled in a spectacular dance of futurist warfare. As their paths coiled toward collision, the fate of House Anvaya rested on the horizon, waiting for the ascension of the rightful heir.