The sky above the mental battlefield twisted violently.
The blazing white flames of Devika's awakened bloodline clashed against the dark chains of Arivaan's Manas-Bandhan, turning the entire landscape into a storm of fire and shadow.
Floating islands of burning stone shattered and drifted through the air.
The battlefield itself was breaking.
At the center of the chaos stood Arivaan.
His shadowy form flickered slightly now.
The floating panel beside him glowed erratically.
Control Stability: 59%
Host Resistance: Critical
Arivaan sighed.
"Well."
"That's inconvenient."
Across from him, Devika stood surrounded by white-hot flames.
Her power surged like a blazing sun.
Beside her, Captain Varun steadied his spear.
His mental form had grown stronger since breaking free.
Two warriors.
One controller.
Varun pointed his spear toward Arivaan.
"You're weakening."
Arivaan shrugged.
"Temporarily."
Devika smirked.
"That's what every losing enemy says."
Her flames surged higher.
The sky cracked again.
Chains fell apart under the heat.
Arivaan raised his hand.
More chains erupted from the darkness.
But Devika burned through them instantly.
The floating panel flickered again.
Control Stability: 56%
Arivaan frowned slightly.
"Your power spike is interfering with the system."
Devika laughed.
"Good."
She launched forward again.
Her blazing fist slammed into a wall of shadow chains.
BOOM!
The barrier shattered.
Varun moved with perfect timing.
His spear thrust forward like lightning.
Arivaan twisted sideways.
The spear grazed his shadow form again.
The floating panel flashed violently.
Control Stability: 52%
Arivaan clicked his tongue.
"That's annoying."
Varun stepped forward again.
His voice calm.
"You're losing control over this mind."
Arivaan crossed his arms.
"Technically it's still my ability."
Devika pointed at him.
"Not for long."
Her flames erupted again.
The entire mental world trembled under the explosion of power.
Chains across the sky shattered like glass.
The floating panel flickered wildly.
Control Stability: 48%
Arivaan blinked.
"…Well."
"That's a milestone."
Varun stepped forward.
"You can't maintain the bond anymore."
Arivaan tilted his head.
"Not with two minds fighting back."
Devika smirked.
"That's the point."
She charged again.
Her flames roared across the battlefield like a solar storm.
Arivaan raised both hands.
A massive wall of chains erupted from the ground.
But Devika smashed through them.
Varun attacked from the side.
His spear spun through the air with brutal precision.
Arivaan barely avoided the strike.
The floating panel flickered again.
Control Stability: 45%
Arivaan exhaled slowly.
"Alright."
Devika raised an eyebrow.
"Finally worried?"
Arivaan smiled faintly.
"Not exactly."
He snapped his fingers.
The mental battlefield shifted.
The ground beneath them shattered.
New chains erupted everywhere.
But this time—
The chains didn't target Devika.
They targeted Varun.
Dozens of shadow restraints wrapped around the captain's arms and legs.
Varun growled.
"Trying to isolate us?"
Arivaan nodded.
"Correct."
Devika's eyes burned with fury.
"Let him go!"
She launched forward again.
Her flames incinerated the chains around Varun.
But the distraction worked.
Arivaan used the moment.
He stepped closer.
His shadow form grew darker.
The floating panel flickered again.
Emergency Stabilization Protocol
Devika frowned.
"What are you doing?"
Arivaan smiled faintly.
"Buying time."
Varun broke the last chain binding him.
But Arivaan had already moved.
The shadow chains across the sky surged downward.
Not toward Devika.
Toward the center of the mental world.
The entire battlefield trembled.
Devika realized what he was doing.
"You're reinforcing the bond!"
Arivaan shrugged.
"Something like that."
The floating panel flickered violently.
Control Stabilization Attempt
Stability: 47%
Varun raised his spear again.
"You're desperate."
Arivaan chuckled.
"Maybe."
Devika pointed at him.
"You're about to lose."
Arivaan tilted his head.
"…Possibly."
But his eyes remained calm.
Because even now—
He wasn't panicking.
And that meant he still had something left.
The sky above the battlefield cracked again.
Shadow chains and white flames collided in a massive storm.
The entire mental world shook under the pressure.
The floating panel flickered one more time.
Control Stability: 43%
Devika smiled.
"You're collapsing."
Arivaan sighed.
"…Perhaps."
But then—
The shadow chains across the sky began shifting again.
Reforming.
Rebuilding.
Because even if his control was weakening—
Arivaan wasn't finished fighting yet.