Chapter 20: The Storm Unleashed

The air broke with dark energy as the presence of the south filled the space around them. Arjuna’s heart was beating in his chest, every instinct was screaming at him to fight, but the immense power emanating from the south was unlike what he had never felt before. The ground beneath them was disturbed, and the very earth seemed to retreat from the black magic seeping into it. His vision blurred as the overwhelming force pressed against him like a heavy weight, making it difficult to breathe, to think.

Mira was gasping, her face pale as she struggled to maintain her legs. Kunal grabbed his arms tightly, but his eyes betrayed his fear. Radhika stood firm, her posture one of quiet defiance, but even as she struggled with the oppressive force of the South’s power.

“You’re all so predictable,” South’s voice boomed, taking in the vast expanse like a thunder. Her smile widened, a disturbing glint in her glowing eyes. “Do you really think you can stop me?” That you can undo the damage you’ve already done?

Arjuna’s fists clenched, the codex pulsing towards him as though it was alive, reacting to the surge of dark energy around him. He could feel it – a change in the fabric of reality, breaking down barriers between worlds. The Asur region was being rebuilt, twisted into something else, something worse. And the South was the architect of all this.

“No,” said Arjuna, forcing words behind his clenched teeth. “You don’t get to win. It ends now.

South’s laughter was low and menacing, the sound of it cooling down Arjuna’s spine. “How naïve,” he joked. “Do you think this is the final battle?” Some heroic stands? No, Arjuna. This is just the beginning.

With the wave of his hand, the ground beneath them exploded, causing rocks and debris to fly into the air. Arjuna instinctively raised his hand to shield himself, but the sheer force of the explosion knocked him off his feet, causing him to spread to the ground. The others weren’t much better – Meera was leaning backwards, Kunal dodging the falling debris, and Radhika sliding on the torn earth.

“Get up!” muttered Arjuna, forcing himself to his feet. Her body screamed in protest, but she didn’t have time to care. The South was already advancing, his form a blur as he descended on them with impossible speed.

Arjun could barely track her, but he didn’t need to. The codex hummed, sending a pulse of energy through him, and he knew what he had to do. With a roar, he concentrated all his strength in a single, powerful strike.

“Astra Flood!”

A beam of light shot from his outstretched hand, slicing through the air southward, which seemed to anticipate the attack before it even reached him. With an accidental flick of his wrist, the South summoned a dark shield of energy that absorbed the explosion, scattering it into the atmosphere like a dying star.

“You still don’t understand,” South said, his voice a sick mix of amusement and contempt. “The areas are already mine. The cosmic balance has changed. Your little tricks won’t save you.

Arjuna’s mind raced, trying to find a weakness, trying to understand what the South really was. But the more he fought, the more he realized that the South wasn’t just trying to destroy them — it was trying to rewrite the very laws of the universe.

“Radhika!” shouted Arjun. “We need to hold him long enough to find out what he’s doing!”

Radhika nodded, her eyes narrowing with determination. He raised his staff high, chanting an ancient mantra. The air around him shimmered with golden lights, a protective barrier formed between them and the south.

“This barrier will hold on for a few moments,” she said, breathless. “But we need to stop him before he finds a way to dissolve it.”

Kunal, once a strategist, surveyed the battlefield. “We can’t fight him head-to-head. We need to hit him where it hurts, find out what power he’s getting.

Arjuna’s eyes were twinkling towards the south, who stood motionless, almost in a meditative state, his hands raised as if he were being attracted by the very energies of the Asura realm. The ground beneath his feet shifted with his every move, as if he were commanding the realm.

“The South is tapping into the core of the Asura region,” said Arjuna, his voice tight with realization. “He’s using his energy to fuel his power.”

“Then we stop him from drawing on it,” Kunal said, already going into position. “If we can break the link between her and the core of the realm, it can weaken her.”

Arjuna shook his head. “We don’t have much time. Radhika, Kunal – keep him distracted. Meera, help me find a way to disrupt her relationship.

The battle resumed with renewed urgency. Radhika fielded herself, her moves were swift and precise as she deflected the attacks of the south, her staff glowing with golden energy. Kunal, nimble and resourceful, used the terrain to his advantage, darting among jagged rocks to strike south from unexpected angles. Mira, her hands glowing with protective light, shaking the ward and shield, creates obstacles that briefly slow down the attacks of the South.

But the South was relentless. With every attack, the very land seemed to bend and turn, as if it were part of his will. Arjuna himself could feel the energy of the region flowing south, making him stronger with every passing moment.

“We can’t keep it!” called Mira, her voice tense as it blocked another wave of dark energy. “His power is limitless!”

Arjuna’s mind raced, the weight of his position settled on him. The codex once again pulsed on her side, and an idea struck her - a way to break the connection with the realm of the South, a way to stop her. But it would take away everything he had. He could feel the risk, the danger of it, but there was no other option.

“Stay focused!” shouted Arjuna, his voice taking on the chaos. “I’m going to the core. Keep him busy!”

Without waiting for a response, Arjuna charged forward, pushing past the obstacles of the dark energy the south had set in. The air around him was thick with pressure, but he ignored it, focusing only on his target. His feet barely touched the ground as he dashed toward the center of the Asura region, where the core was located.

Behind him, he could hear the fight raging, Radhika’s chants and Kunal’s screams, the sound of their struggle fading as he came closer to the heart of the realm. The closer he got, the stronger the pull became, the energy of the Asura realm almost suffocated in its intensity.

And then, he saw it.

Core. A huge, pulsing orb of dark energy, its surface cracking with raw power. It hovers in the center of a huge, crumbling temple, radiating its energy outward, filling the very atmosphere with a sense of inevitability.

Arjun knew what he had to do. The Codex had given him the knowledge, the tools - but it would come at a great price.

With a deep breath, Arjuna raised his hand, focusing all the energy he could muster into a single, devastating blow.

"Weapon Nation!He shouted, releasing the full force of his power.

An explosion of energy hit the core, sending a shockwave through the Asura region. The world shook as the orb broke, shattered into a thousand pieces. The South screamed angrily, breaking his connection to the core.

But it wasn’t over. The South’s anger boiled over as his body began to glow with a dark, ill-lit light. The real battle had just begun.

Chapter end