The moment the floating panel flashed "Bond Progress: 5%", everything on the rooftop changed.
The Rakshak Spear Captain staggered slightly, his weapon trembling in his grip. A sudden pressure flooded his mind—an invisible force pressing against his will.
"What… is this?!"
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
Across from him, Devika's flames burned brightly, but her eyes widened with shock.
"You actually started the bond!"
Arivaan shrugged casually, though the strain behind his calm expression had begun to show.
"Seemed like a good opportunity."
But inside his mind, the sensation was anything but simple.
Two connections.
Two minds.
Two bodies.
The pressure doubled instantly.
The floating panel flickered again.
Primary Servant: Devika Agnivarna – Stable
Secondary Bond Initiated: Rakshak Spear Captain
Bond Progress: 7%
Arivaan blinked.
"That's slower than expected."
The spear captain gritted his teeth, gripping his head with one hand while still holding the glowing spear in the other.
"You… filthy villain!"
He forced himself forward through Devika's flames, stabbing his weapon toward Arivaan.
But Devika intercepted instantly.
CLANG!
Flame and spear collided violently.
The captain stumbled backward again.
Rudra Sen moved immediately.
"Everyone—fall back!"
The other Rakshaks reacted quickly.
The archers and swordsmen retreated to the surrounding rooftops, widening the distance between themselves and Arivaan.
But the spear captain remained close.
Too close.
Arivaan smiled.
"Smart move."
Rudra Sen's voice hardened.
"He's targeting proximity."
Devika whispered through the link,
"Your control needs distance, right?"
Arivaan shook his head slightly.
"Not exactly."
Another wave of pressure surged through his mind.
The floating panel flickered again.
Bond Progress: 11%
The spear captain roared in frustration.
"You think you can control me?!"
He slammed the butt of his spear into the rooftop.
A burst of spiritual energy exploded outward, scattering sparks across the broken tiles.
Devika stepped back slightly under Arivaan's command.
"Careful," she muttered.
"That man is stubborn."
Arivaan chuckled.
"I noticed."
But the captain's resistance was intense.
Unlike Devika, who had been caught off guard during the first bond, this warrior was actively fighting back.
Every second of progress required effort.
The pressure inside Arivaan's mind intensified.
Devika felt it through the Command Link.
"You're straining."
Arivaan shrugged.
"Just a little."
Across the rooftop, Rudra Sen raised his sword again.
"We interrupt the bond."
The surrounding Rakshaks nodded.
Two warriors dashed forward simultaneously.
Another arrow streaked through the air.
Devika reacted instantly.
Flames erupted outward.
The rooftop exploded into chaos again.
But this time—
Arivaan couldn't relax behind her.
Maintaining two connections demanded constant concentration.
The floating panel flickered.
Bond Progress: 13%
Arivaan frowned slightly.
"Slow."
Devika whispered urgently,
"You're trying to dominate a trained warrior's mind!"
Arivaan shrugged.
"True."
Rudra Sen dashed forward suddenly.
His glowing blade cut through Devika's flames with terrifying speed.
CLANG!
The sword struck Devika's flame barrier.
But the hunter didn't stop.
Instead, he drove forward aggressively.
"You're distracted."
Arivaan smirked.
"That's the point."
Rudra Sen swung again.
But Devika blocked the strike.
Her flames surged brighter as she pushed the hunter back.
Still—
Arivaan felt the strain increasing.
Two voices.
Two movements.
Two streams of sensory information.
It was like trying to watch two battles at once.
The panel flickered again.
Bond Progress: 18%
The spear captain dropped to one knee briefly.
Sweat rolled down his forehead.
"You… won't… control me!"
Arivaan studied him calmly.
"You're stronger than average."
Devika muttered,
"That's because he's a captain."
The captain roared again and launched forward.
His spear cut through Devika's flames like a lightning strike.
BOOM!
The clash shook the rooftop again.
But his movements had changed.
Subtle.
Slower.
The floating panel flickered again.
Bond Progress: 22%
Arivaan smiled slightly.
"It's working."
Rudra Sen noticed immediately.
"He's weakening."
The hunter turned toward the other Rakshaks.
"Pressure him harder!"
Three warriors attacked at once.
Devika fought them back with blazing bursts of fire.
But the pressure continued growing.
Arivaan's breathing grew slightly heavier.
The mental strain intensified.
Devika whispered again,
"You're pushing too hard."
Arivaan grinned.
"Maybe."
The panel flickered again.
Bond Progress: 25%
The spear captain staggered backward again.
His grip on the weapon trembled.
"No… this…"
His eyes widened suddenly.
For a brief moment—
His arm twitched.
Not by his will.
But by Arivaan's.
The captain froze.
Devika blinked.
"Did you just move him?"
Arivaan laughed quietly.
"Just a finger."
Across the rooftop, Rudra Sen's expression darkened.
"Halfway to control."
Arivaan raised an eyebrow.
"Not even close."
The wind swept across the rooftops again.
Because this battle had entered an entirely new phase.
Arivaan was no longer just fighting the Rakshaks.
He was invading one of their minds while the others tried desperately to stop him.
And the bond was only beginning.