The rooftop of Ujjaini stood broken and silent under the pale moonlight.
Dust from the destroyed building still drifted through the air, settling slowly across the cracked stone. The surrounding Rakshak warriors had formed a cautious circle, their weapons raised but their expressions conflicted.
Because the enemy they faced…
Was standing inside the bodies of their own allies.
At the center of the rooftop stood Devika Agnivarna and Captain Varun.
Both unmoving.
Both waiting.
Both controlled by the same mind.
Inside Devika's body, Arivaan exhaled quietly.
The floating panel flickered again.
Primary Host: Devika Agnivarna
Secondary Host: Captain Varun
Host Stability: 83%
Mental Load: Rising
Arivaan frowned slightly.
"Hm."
Varun's voice spoke calmly.
"Command?"
Arivaan shrugged.
"Wait."
Across the rooftop, Rudra Sen stepped forward slowly.
The hunter's silver blade still glowed faintly from the earlier battle, but his posture had shifted.
More focused.
More dangerous.
"You've lost your body," he said calmly.
Devika crossed her arms, her voice carrying Arivaan's tone.
"Temporary setback."
Rudra Sen didn't smile.
"You're now a parasite."
Arivaan chuckled.
"That's a harsh description."
The hunter's voice remained cold.
"You survive by hiding inside others."
Devika tilted her head slightly.
"That's called adaptation."
Varun stood beside her, spear raised.
Arivaan could feel the tension in the Rakshak formation.
They wanted to attack.
But none of them wanted to strike their own captain or their fellow warrior.
Rudra Sen understood that hesitation.
Which was why he spoke clearly.
"Listen carefully."
The Rakshaks turned toward him.
"If we destroy the hosts…"
"…the parasite dies."
Devika sighed.
"Well."
"That's inconvenient."
One Rakshak stepped forward nervously.
"But… sir… that means—"
"Yes," Rudra Sen interrupted calmly.
"That means we lose them."
Silence spread across the rooftop.
Devika muttered inside the shared mind,
"You see?"
Arivaan chuckled.
"Humans are predictable."
Varun spoke quietly.
"Your orders, master."
Arivaan considered the battlefield.
Seven Rakshaks.
One elite hunter.
Two controlled bodies.
But controlling two hosts without his original body drained his mental energy faster.
The floating panel flickered again.
Host Stability: 80%
Devika whispered faintly within the shared mind,
"You can't hold us forever."
Arivaan shrugged mentally.
"I don't need forever."
Across the rooftop, Rudra Sen raised his sword.
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Rakshak formation."
The warriors moved immediately.
They spread across the rooftops in a wide arc.
Two moved behind Devika.
Three positioned themselves near Varun.
They were no longer hesitating.
Devika sighed.
"Looks like they made their decision."
Arivaan smiled.
"Good."
Rudra Sen pointed his sword forward.
"Host destruction protocol."
The Rakshaks attacked.
Two warriors charged toward Varun.
Their blades flashed through the air.
Varun reacted instantly.
His spear spun in a defensive arc.
CLANG! CLANG!
Steel collided with steel.
At the same moment—
Devika launched forward.
Her flames exploded across the rooftop.
A massive wave of fire forced two Rakshaks to retreat.
But Rudra Sen moved through the flames again.
His silver aura parted the fire like water.
The hunter dashed straight toward Devika.
CLANG!
His blade collided with Varun's spear.
The impact sent sparks across the rooftop.
Varun slid backward slightly.
Rudra Sen's voice remained calm.
"You're unstable."
Arivaan shrugged through Devika's voice.
"Still functional."
But the hunter attacked again.
His sword struck Devika's flame shield.
Then Varun's spear.
Then Devika again.
He wasn't targeting them individually anymore.
He was attacking both hosts at once.
The floating panel flickered.
Host Stability: 76%
Arivaan frowned.
"That's annoying."
Devika whispered urgently,
"He's damaging our bodies."
Arivaan shrugged.
"They're durable."
But the hunter kept attacking.
Rudra Sen's blade flashed between the two servants.
Each strike carried brutal precision.
Each impact pushed them closer to their limits.
The Rakshaks joined the assault.
Three warriors attacked Varun simultaneously.
Devika blocked the attacks with a wall of flame.
But the pressure kept rising.
The floating panel flickered again.
Host Stability: 72%
Devika whispered,
"You're losing control."
Arivaan exhaled slowly.
"Not yet."
Rudra Sen stepped forward again.
The silver aura around his sword brightened.
"You cannot maintain two hosts under this pressure."
Arivaan smiled faintly.
"Watch me."
But the hunter didn't hesitate.
He raised his blade again.
This time—
The strike aimed directly at Devika's chest.
Because Rudra Sen had already made his decision.
If killing the hosts was the only way to stop the parasite—
Then that was exactly what he would do.