Inside the distorted arena of the haunted house, death had already begun its dance.
Dozens.
No—hundreds of mouths surrounded Sharin from every direction.
Their jagged teeth clicked hungrily.
From each mouth, long, grotesque tongues slithered outward, each tipped with its own snapping jaw.
They moved like predators.
Alive.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then—
They attacked.
SHHHHKKK—!!!
The tongues lunged at once.
CRACK… RIP… SPLASH—!!!
Blood exploded into the air.
Lioran's heart stopped.
"SHARIN!!!"
Aishwarya's eyes widened in horror.
"…No…"
The sound of tearing flesh echoed through the arena.
Then—
Silence.
The tongues retracted slowly.
Blood dripped from their jaws.
The Kroor named Nimbuda stood proudly, its twisted smile widening.
But suddenly—
It screamed.
"SKREEEEEEEEAAAAAA—!!!"
Lioran blinked.
"…What?"
Nimbuda thrashed violently.
Blood sprayed outward—but something was wrong.
That blood…
It wasn't Sharin's.
Pieces of severed tongues fell to the ground.
Dozens of them.
Cut clean.
Nimbuda screamed in agony.
And then—
The black smoke appeared.
At the center of the battlefield, Sharin stood.
Alive.
Breathing heavily.
His body was covered in shallow wounds—but his eyes burned with calm focus.
In his hand—
A sword made of black smoke.
Its form flickered like a shadow given shape.
Its blade wasn't solid.
It shifted.
Flowed.
Breathed.
Sharin lifted it slowly.
"This," he said quietly, "is my new skill."
He swung it.
SHHHHH—
The blade passed through the air.
A massive stone pillar behind him split in half.
CRRRRACK—!!!
It collapsed instantly.
"I call it…" he said,
"Black Blade."
Lioran stared in awe.
"…He looks incredible."
Aishwarya whispered, "Is that really Sharin?"
Skanda smiled faintly.
"That," he said, "is the birth of a spirit."
Nimbuda roared in rage.
The ground trembled.
More mouths appeared.
More tongues lunged.
Sharin calmly tore a piece of cloth from his sleeve and tied it tightly around his bleeding leg.
He lifted the Black Blade again.
"Let's finish this."
The tongues attacked.
Sharin moved.
He dodged one—
WHOOSH
Cut another—
SHHHK
Stepped between two—
FWOOSH
Cut again—
SLICE
His movements were precise.
Efficient.
Beautiful.
Lioran frowned.
"…How is he cutting them?"
Aishwarya nodded. "Is that sword solid?"
Skanda spoke calmly.
"It isn't solid."
They turned to him.
"It's Prāṇa."
He pointed.
"Look carefully."
They watched.
A tongue lunged.
Sharin swung.
The blade didn't touch it.
It passed through like smoke.
And yet—
The tongue split in half.
Aishwarya gasped. "It didn't touch it… but it still cut it!"
Skanda nodded.
"That is Prāṇa-tability."
He continued,
"The Black Blade is pure Prāṇa given form. Its smoke is his attribute manifesting physically."
"When it strikes, it doesn't cut through physical force. Because Prāṇa itself is in life energy particle form. It can't be solidified." Skanda said. "When that sword passed through something, his Prāṇa-tability show cutting effect on that thing.
Lioran's eyes widened.
Within seconds, Sharin severed every attacking tongue.
Nimbuda screamed.
Its body trembled violently.
Then—
The ground split open.
BOOOOOOM—!!!
A gigantic mouth erupted beneath Sharin.
Before he could react—
It swallowed him whole.
"SHARIN!!!" Aishwarya screamed.
The mouth snapped shut.
Silence returned.
Lioran clenched his fists.
"…No."
Inside the mouth—
Darkness.
Absolute darkness.
Sharin landed on a slick, fleshy surface.
"I have to get out of here."
He lifted his sword—
But suddenly—
GRAB—!!!
Tongues erupted and wrapped around his arms.
His legs.
His throat.
He struggled.
"…Damn it!"
The tongues tightened.
Crushing.
Restraining.
Trying to consume him alive.
Outside—
The Kroor smiled.
"Is he… alright?" Aishwarya whispered.
Lioran shook his head.
"I know he is fine."
Suddenly—
Black smoke began leaking from the Kroor's massive mouth.
Skanda's eyes narrowed.
"…He's still fighting."
The Kroor screamed.
"SKREEEEEE—!!!"
Then—
CRRRRRACK—!!!
Black spikes erupted outward from that big mouth.
They pierced its flesh.
Blood exploded outward from Kroor's real mouth.
It collapsed.
Its massive mouth disintegrated.
From within—
A sphere of black spikes emerged.
It dissolved slowly.
Sharin stepped out.
Alive.
Breathing heavily.
But victorious.
Nimbuda lay dying.
Its body twitching.
Its life fading.
Sharin walked toward it slowly.
He placed his hand on the ground.
Black Prāṇa spread outward.
Then—
SHHHHHKKKK—!!!
Hundreds of black spikes erupted upward.
They pierced Nimbuda's body from every angle.
Its scream died instantly.
Silence fell.
Nimbuda was dead.
Sharin turned.
He smiled faintly.
"I win."
Lioran grinned proudly.
"You didn't just win."
"You dominated."
Aishwarya smiled too.
"You've become terrifying."
But suddenly—
Her instincts screamed.
She moved instantly.
She grabbed Sharin and jumped back.
"FLAME APEX!" She said.
FWOOOOOOOOSH—!!!
A massive wall of fire erupted before them.
A sharp object struck it.
It burned instantly.
Turning to ash.
"What was that?!" Lioran shouted.
Aishwarya's voice turned cold.
"Don't lower your guard."
"We're still in enemy territory."
They looked forward.
The blue Kroor stood there.
Its glowing eyes fixed on them.
"What are you doing?" Lioran shout.
It smiled.
A cruel smile.
"I was merely cleaning the arena," it said calmly.
It stepped forward.
Its presence alone distorted the air.
"If you're eager to fight," Aishwarya said,
"I'll be your opponent."
Flames ignited around her body.
The blue Kroor smiled wider.
The second battle had begun.
TO BE CONTINUED…