The rooftop had become a battlefield of fire, steel, and invisible war.
While flames from Devika Agnivarna illuminated the night, another conflict unfolded silently inside the mind of Captain Varun, the spear-wielding Rakshak warrior.
Varun stood trembling in the center of the rooftop.
His breathing was heavy.
Sweat ran down his temples.
But his grip on the spear remained tight.
"You… will not control me," he growled.
Across from him, Arivaan watched with quiet interest.
Inside his mind, the second bond pulsed faintly.
Unstable.
But growing.
The floating panel flickered again.
Primary Servant: Devika Agnivarna – Stable
Secondary Bond: Captain Varun
Bond Progress: 35%
Arivaan exhaled slowly.
"This one is stubborn."
Devika muttered through the link,
"You tried to control a trained Rakshak captain during battle."
"Fair point."
Varun suddenly slammed the butt of his spear into the rooftop.
BOOM!
A surge of spiritual energy erupted outward.
The force scattered dust and sparks across the broken tiles.
The other Rakshaks stepped back slightly.
Even Devika paused.
Varun's aura flared violently.
His eyes burned with fury.
"I will break your influence!"
Arivaan tilted his head.
"That sounds optimistic."
The captain raised his spear again and launched forward.
His attack was faster than before.
More aggressive.
More desperate.
Devika intercepted immediately.
CLANG!
Flames burst outward as her fire shield collided with Varun's spear.
But the captain pushed harder this time.
His raw strength forced the flames apart.
Devika slid backward slightly across the rooftop.
Arivaan blinked.
"Oh."
"He's stronger than expected."
Devika snapped,
"That's because he's forcing his energy beyond safe limits!"
Varun roared again.
"You… parasite!"
His spear flashed forward again.
Devika dodged and countered with a burst of flame.
But the captain pushed through it.
The rooftop battle intensified again.
Meanwhile—
Inside Varun's mind—
The real struggle continued.
Every movement felt like fighting invisible chains.
Each time he lifted his arm, a second force tried to guide it.
Each step carried resistance.
Each attack felt slightly… wrong.
Arivaan's influence.
Varun's thoughts raced.
Focus.
Control your breathing.
Anchor your will.
The captain had trained for mental discipline since childhood.
Rakshaks were taught to resist spiritual interference.
But this was different.
This wasn't illusion.
This was control.
The floating panel flickered again.
Bond Progress: 38%
Arivaan smirked slightly.
"Slow but steady."
Varun staggered for half a second.
Then roared again.
His spear erupted with glowing energy as he launched another attack.
This time he aimed directly past Devika—
Toward Arivaan.
The sudden shift caught everyone off guard.
Devika reacted instantly.
Flames exploded outward to block the attack.
But Varun forced his spear through the fire.
The blade shot toward Arivaan's chest.
At the last moment—
Varun twisted his body violently.
The spear struck the rooftop instead.
CRACK!
The stone shattered.
Arivaan blinked.
"You missed."
Varun grinned fiercely.
"No."
His arm trembled violently.
"I resisted."
Arivaan's smile faded slightly.
The panel flickered again.
Bond Progress: 37%
The number dropped.
Devika gasped.
"He pushed you back!"
Arivaan raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting."
Varun forced himself upright again.
His voice grew hoarse but determined.
"You're not the first mind manipulator the Rakshaks have faced."
Arivaan chuckled.
"But I might be the best one."
The captain lunged again.
But this time—
His attack pattern had changed.
Instead of clean precise strikes—
He moved erratically.
Unpredictably.
Every movement was an attempt to disrupt Arivaan's control.
Devika whispered urgently,
"He's scrambling his own rhythm!"
Arivaan nodded slowly.
"That's actually clever."
The floating panel flickered again.
Bond Progress: 39%
The number began rising again.
Varun's resistance slowed it—
But couldn't stop it completely.
The captain felt it.
The creeping pressure.
The subtle influence.
His fingers twitched again.
His foot shifted half an inch without permission.
Varun gritted his teeth.
"Rudra Sen!"
The hunter stepped forward instantly.
"Yes."
"If this reaches fifty percent…"
"…cut me down."
The rooftop went silent.
Several Rakshaks stared at him in shock.
Devika froze.
Arivaan raised an eyebrow.
"Well."
"That's dramatic."
Rudra Sen didn't hesitate.
"If that is your order."
Varun nodded.
"I would rather die than become his puppet."
Devika whispered softly,
"…He means it."
Arivaan studied the captain carefully.
Then smiled.
"I like this one."
The floating panel flickered again.
Bond Progress: 41%
The invisible war continued.
Two wills clashing inside one mind.
One pushing.
One resisting.
And the battle for Captain Varun's freedom had only just begun.