The Umbra moved first.
Its arm ignited completely, flames bursting outward as it swung toward them with overwhelming force.
The air itself distorted from the heat.
"Move!" Ishaan shouted.
He vanished from his spot.
Kabir jumped back just in time.
The attack slammed into the ground.
BOOM.
The street shattered.
Flames spread instantly across the cracks, crawling like they were alive.
Kabir landed, skidding slightly.
"…Yeah, this thing's not playing around."
Ishaan reappeared to the side, eyes locked on the Umbra.
"Stay sharp. Don't get hit directly."
The Umbra roared.
Then rushed forward.
Fast.
Too fast for its size.
Ishaan moved first.
He dashed in, circling from the side, forcing its attention away.
"Kabir, now!"
Kabir didn't hesitate.
He charged straight in.
The Umbra swung again.
A wide, burning arc.
Ishaan ducked under it.
Kabir pushed through the heat and drove his fist forward.
BOOM.
The impact landed clean.
The Umbra staggered back half a step.
Kabir grinned.
"…That worked."
But only for a second.
The Umbra's body flared.
Flames surged across its entire form.
A sudden burst of fire exploded outward.
"Back!" Aisha's voice echoed from a distance.
Too late.
The blast hit.
Kabir was thrown back.
Sliding across the ground, smoke rising from his arms.
"…Tch—!"
Ishaan jumped back, barely avoiding the worst of it.
His eyes narrowed.
"It's changing."
The Umbra's entire body was now burning.
Fire no longer just in its arms.
Every movement it made left flames behind.
The ground beneath it melted.
"This isn't good," Kabir muttered, pushing himself up.
Ishaan clenched his fist.
"…We can't get close like before."
The Umbra didn't wait.
It slammed both arms down.
Fire erupted outward in all directions.
A wave of heat surged across the street.
Windows shattered.
Debris ignited.
In the distance,
Screams.
Ishaan's eyes shifted.
A group of civilians.
Trapped.
Flames closing in around them.
"…Damn it."
Kabir noticed.
"…I see them."
For a split second, both of them hesitated.
Fight.
Or save.
Ishaan made the choice.
"I'll handle them. Hold it!"
Kabir looked at him.
"…You serious?"
Ishaan didn't answer.
He was already moving.
A burst of speed.
He shot toward the civilians.
Kabir exhaled slowly.
Then turned back.
"…Guess it's just me then."
The Umbra roared.
Its attention fully locked onto Kabir now.
"Yeah, yeah," Kabir muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Come at me."
The Umbra charged.
Kabir stepped forward.
Their clash shook the street.
Kabir blocked the first strike.
Barely.
The heat burned against his skin.
His feet slid back from the force.
"…Okay… that's strong."
The second attack came immediately.
Faster.
Kabir tried to counter—
Too late.
The blow connected.
He was sent crashing into a broken wall.
Dust exploded into the air.
Kabir coughed, forcing himself up.
"…Not done yet."
Meanwhile—
Ishaan reached the trapped civilians.
"Move!" he shouted.
He grabbed one, then another, pulling them out of the burning area with rapid movements.
The flames closed in.
Too fast.
Ishaan's eyes sharpened.
He moved faster.
One by one, he dragged them out.
A final burst.
He cleared the last person.
Behind him—
The fire collapsed inward.
For a moment—
Silence.
Then—
Another roar.
Louder.
Ishaan turned.
His eyes widened slightly.
The Umbra stood taller now.
Flames raging higher than before.
And Kabir—
Still standing.
But barely.
The Umbra raised both arms.
Fire gathering between them.
Condensing.
Growing.
"…That's not good," Kabir muttered.
The energy intensified.
A massive fire blast forming.
Ishaan's heart pounded.
Distance.
Too far.
Time.
Not enough.
"Kabir— MOVE!"
The Umbra brought its arms down.
And the fire exploded forward.