Iblis's sword hovered in the air, gleaming with cold precision, his gaze fixed on Nivaan. Blood streamed from Nivaan's eyes as his body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Iblis smirked, confidence radiating from him. "Hah! What a fool. Falling straight into his grave."
Then, without warning, a thunderbolt struck the ground near him. Startled, Iblis took a step back. "What was that? Where did it come from?"
Before he could react further, a storm of lightning rained down around him. None struck directly, but the barrage kept him on edge. Ten bolts… fifty… a hundred… a thousand… exhaustion took over as the relentless storm continued.
Finally, Iblis fell to his knees. A colossal bolt struck him, leaving him incapable of dodging.
Out of the chaos, a figure appeared, one he thought dead. Nivaan stood casually, drinking a beer, eyes cold and calculating. Iblis froze.
"How… how are you alive?" he stammered.
Nivaan's lips curved into a cruel grin. "How are you, dog?"
Iblis spat venomous curses, swearing that if he survived, he would hunt Nivaan and his family to their deaths.
Before the words could finish, a thunderbolt ten times larger than before struck Iblis, sending him sprawling. A text appeared before Nivaan's eyes:
[YOU HAVE KILLED A CANDIDATE OF BRAHM]
[OBTAINED BRAHM'S SWORD X1]
Nivaan picked up the sword, turning it over in his hand. "What a weak blade," he muttered, and with a flick, dissolved it entirely.
He returned to his room as if nothing had happened. His friend noticed his absence. "Where were you?"
"Got lost… there was a blackout outside," Nivaan replied casually. Concern crossed his friend's face, but Nivaan ignored it.
He resumed his studies, headphones in, Punjabi music flowing through him. Jazz B's voice filled the room, soothing, yet his mind wandered to memories of nights spent in his hometown, gazing at the stars.
The next day, Nivaan walked to college. Suddenly, the ground beneath him vanished. A portal engulfed him, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar city. Towering buildings loomed overhead, signs written in foreign script. He was in China.
People stopped to stare as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. Then, a deafening blast shook the city. Three buildings collapsed simultaneously. Screams filled the streets. Civilians ran, some trapped under falling debris.
Amid the chaos, a girl hovered in the air, blood flowing from her left arm, her right shattered. Another girl emerged from the rubble, scratches marking her face. Rage radiated from her in waves, making the ground quake.
"How dare you ruin my face?!" she shouted, her voice echoing like thunder. "I will make you pay with your life!"
A meteor tore through the sky toward her. In response, she summoned a colossal spear from the wreckage around her. Towering like a small island, it clashed with the descending meteor, sending massive chunks of debris raining down across a ten-kilometer radius.
Amid the destruction, the girls noticed a strange absence: no bodies, no casualties. Then, a portal opened between them. From it, Nivaan emerged, masked, eleven spheres orbiting him like planets.
A twelfth sphere appeared overhead, growing larger until it burst, scattering people across the area in panic.
Nivaan snapped his fingers. Both girls fell to the ground, crushed by invisible pressure.
The girl with the broken arm croaked, "Are you… a candidate of Brahm?"
Nivaan tilted his head, not understanding her words.
The other girl tried to resist, attempting to peer into Nivaan's soul. Her eyes bled instantly, and she collapsed.
Nivaan glanced at her briefly before addressing the speaking girl. "Is this the best the Chinese candidates have to offer? You fell the moment I released my essence."
A flash of light split the sky. Three figures appeared, a young man leading, two older men flanking him.
The young man gazed at the fallen girls. "What a pity. They had potential to carry my lineage."
One old man spoke. "Don't worry, young master. These are just pawns. We can find more soon."
The other turned to Nivaan. "You're not from this region. All candidates are bound by treaty: no interference in foreign territories until battle day."
Nivaan raised an eyebrow. "Are you all retarded?"
Confused, the three stared at him. The young boy swallowed a strange pill. "Fellow candidate… why are you here before the battle begins?"
Nivaan smirked. "Do all candidates greet their guests with questions as soon as they arrive?"
The young boy, Li Yin, blinked in shock. "I am Li Yin, a candidate of Brahm from the Sichuan region."
Nivaan removed his mask. "Are you the cause of all this destruction?"
Li Yin's eyes widened. "We… we ask for your understanding, but what happens here is none of your concern. Outsiders are irrelevant."
The two old men drew their swords to attack. But as the blades left their sheaths, green flames consumed them, leaving nothing behind.
Nivaan released one of Lumivahn's authorities: Fear the Great. Instantly, terror overwhelmed Li Yin's mind. He began releasing memory bubbles uncontrollably and fainted.
Nivaan tied him and teleported him to a remote mountain.
Hours later, Li Yin awoke, bound upside down to a tree, flames engulfing him, healing him even as they burned. The cycle repeated until he fainted again.
Nivaan approached, slapping him awake. "What is your real name?"
"Lin Wao," he admitted.
"And the two girls?"
"My concubines… my apprentices. I shared part of my power with them."
"Why the battle?" Nivaan pressed.
"To decide who inherits my seed first," Lin Wao answered.
"Enough for today. Enjoy your night," Nivaan said, smirking. Flames rose again around Lin Wao, consuming him as punishment and lesson alike.