SALIM VS ANTONIE
"AHH!"
Salim's body trembled beneath the crushing pressure of Antonie's Dark Energy.
The ocean around him rippled violently.
His bow had fallen beside him.
His orange aura flickered.
Antonie stood several meters away, completely calm.
Salim's vision began fading.
Then—
everything went black.
INSIDE SALIM'S MIND
Salim opened his eyes.
He was standing in an endless darkness.
No ocean.
No sky.
No battlefield.
Only silence.
Then a voice echoed through the darkness.
"You lost to a Dark Wizard."
Salim looked around.
The voice continued.
"It's a shame someone like me has to be inside you."
Salim clenched his fists.
"He has some energy that I don't have."
His breathing became heavier.
"And it doesn't matter what I do…"
He lowered his head.
"I can't do anything to him."
A deep voice answered.
"You weak soul."
Salim looked up.
The darkness around him began moving.
The Eye of Mahakaal was furious.
"He's a Dark Wizard."
Its voice echoed.
"That doesn't mean he's the strongest."
Salim shook his head.
"I know."
"But what can I do?"
Salim looked at his hands.
"I don't have the energy inside me for that."
His voice became quieter.
"It doesn't matter how hard I try."
"I can't touch him."
The Eye went silent.
Then—
"Are you still that worthless kid?"
Salim's expression hardened.
The Eye continued.
"Salim…"
"Wake up."
"I, the Eye of Mahakaal, am not a good entity."
"I am bad."
Salim stared at it.
"But I still believe in you."
The Eye's voice became strangely serious.
"I believe in all of your forms."
"Your attacks."
"Your abilities."
"But do you know what I believe in the most?"
Salim didn't answer.
"Your will."
The darkness trembled.
"Strong opponents are defeated by strong wills."
Salim stared at the Eye.
Then he sighed.
"Butter on the bread."
The Eye went silent.
Salim narrowed his eyes.
"I know you so well."
He pointed at it.
"I know you're just trying to butter me up so you can gain my trust and make me give my will to you."
A pause.
Then—
"Oh."
The Eye laughed.
"You did figure it out."
Salim's expression dropped.
"You little shit."
The Eye's voice became insulting again.
"You're so weak."
"Go back to your family at this point."
"Don't fight, weakass archer."
Salim smiled.
"You got trapped, you weakling."
"I am not trapped!"
The darkness around the Eye suddenly expanded.
"I am simply like this."
"But when I find a real, good vessel…"
The pressure increased.
"I can use my full power."
"I was trapped inside a tornado for decades."
"And even from there…"
"I could still defeat Guru Achrya."
Salim's eyes widened.
"So imagine me…"
The Eye's voice became darker.
"…inside my perfect vessel."
"With complete control."
"The whole world could be mine."
Salim's expression changed.
For the first time—
he was genuinely scared.
His consciousness began fading.
"I…"
Salim struggled to remain awake.
"I'm about to fall asleep."
The Eye suddenly became serious.
"You can't defeat him."
"You lose."
"It's over."
"The country is done."
Salim's eyes slowly closed.
"But…"
The Eye continued.
"What if I help you fight him?"
Salim opened his eyes.
"And then we win?"
Salim immediately asked:
"WHY WILL YOU HELP ME?"
The Eye answered without hesitation.
"To stay alive."
"If you die…"
"I die."
Salim thought for a moment.
"How do I know I'll be able to control you after this?"
The Eye paused.
"Time limit."
Salim's eyes narrowed.
"A time limit?"
"You can put one on me."
Salim thought.
Then—
"Five minutes."
The Eye laughed.
"Five minutes is all you give me?"
"Yes."
The Eye's smile seemed almost visible in the darkness.
"That is enough…"
"…to defeat a small gang."
Salim opened his eyes.
THE BATTLEFIELD
Antonie looked toward the other battles.
"I should help the others at this point."
He turned away.
Then—
something changed.
Behind him, Salim's body began shaking.
Antonie stopped.
"What?"
Salim's feet slowly lifted from the ocean.
His body began floating.
His orange aura disappeared.
The water beneath him started spiraling outward.
Antonie slowly turned around.
"What the flip…?"
Salim's head lowered.
His hair moved in the strange energy surrounding him.
Then—
CRACK.
A third eye began appearing on his forehead.
Antonie froze.
The eye opened.
A brilliant light erupted across the ocean.
Antonie's expression completely changed.
"No way…"
The pressure in the atmosphere became overwhelming.
"The Eye of Mahakaal…"
A voice came from Salim.
But it wasn't Salim's voice.
Antonie took a step backward.
"You know me."
The Eye opened wider.
Antonie stared.
"Yes."
His expression became serious.
"You are the entity from the Dark Era."
The Eye smiled.
"I don't want to fight you."
Antonie lowered his hands.
"I want to recruit you."
The dark clouds above them twisted.
"We are trying to bring that era back."
Antonie's voice echoed across the ocean.
"Before all of this…"
"Before the current world…"
"Before the modern kingdoms…"
"It was Darmen's rule."
"The Dynasty of Devils."
"The Lacod…"
Antonie paused.
"…used to rule."
Salim's body remained floating.
Antonie continued.
"The era of pain."
"The era of suffering."
"The era of death."
The Eye stared at him.
"Kid…"
Its voice was calm.
"You talk too much."
The darkness around the Eye intensified.
"But I am not something to be recruited."
The Eye pointed toward Antonie.
"And I am here to defeat you…"
"…for my vessel."
Antonie's expression hardened.
"Bad choice."
He raised his hand.
"You can't fight me at full power while inside that vessel."
The Eye smiled.
"If I push the vessel too far…"
"It could kill Salim."
Antonie nodded.
"Exactly."
The Eye's smile widened.
"I know."
"I don't need my full power."
RUDRA
The Eye raised one hand.
Energy gathered around Salim's fingers.
A bow appeared.
Antonie's eyes narrowed.
The Eye pulled the string.
An arrow formed.
"Let's begin."
The arrow launched.
Antonie moved.
The arrow curved.
Antonie dodged.
It curved again.
His eyes widened.
He moved sideways.
The arrow followed.
WHOOSH!
It struck him.
Antonie was thrown backward across the ocean.
He recovered instantly.
"So…"
He looked at Salim.
"You can control attacks remotely."
The Eye laughed.
"Let's start, shall we?"
Antonie charged.
He disappeared into a wave of Dark Energy.
He appeared directly in front of Salim.
His fist swung.
Salim's body barely moved.
The Eye raised its hand.
Another arrow appeared.
Antonie dodged it.
Then another.
Then another.
The arrows moved through the air from impossible angles.
Antonie kept moving.
Left.
Right.
Above.
Behind.
Every time he tried to reach Salim—
an arrow forced him away.
Antonie gritted his teeth.
"Enough!"
He unleashed a wave of Dark Energy.
The ocean erupted around them.
But the Eye simply floated above it.
The attack passed beneath him.
The Eye looked around.
Then smiled.
"IT FEELS GOOD…"
The third eye shone brighter.
"…TO BE HUMAN AGAIN!"
Salim's body rose higher into the sky.
Lightning began forming above the clouds.
Antonie looked upward.
"You're enjoying this."
"Of course."
The Eye spread its arms.
"I haven't felt freedom like this in centuries."
Antonie's aura exploded.
"Then I'll send you back."
He fired a massive Dark Energy blast.
It tore through the sky.
The Eye raised one hand.
The blast touched his palm.
And disappeared.
Antonie froze.
"What…?"
The Eye absorbed the Dark Energy.
Antonie's expression changed.
"No."
The Eye's voice became deeper.
"Dark Energy…"
"It still has energy."
"And energy…"
"Can be consumed."
Antonie's eyes widened.
"This guy…"
"He's something else."
But then Antonie noticed something.
The third eye flickered.
Only for a moment.
Antonie smiled.
"You have a limit."
The Eye looked at him.
Antonie raised his hands.
"I don't need to defeat you."
"I just need to stall you."
The Eye's expression became colder.
"You try a lot."
He slowly raised his bow.
"But nothing will happen to me."
Antonie unleashed another barrage.
Dark Energy beams crossed the sky.
The Eye moved between them.
One beam.
Two.
Three.
He twisted through the attacks.
An arrow flew past Antonie's shoulder.
He ducked.
Another arrow came from behind.
He spun.
Blocked.
Then another struck the water beside him.
Antonie looked up.
The Eye was already above him.
Lightning cracked across the sky.
The Eye slowly descended.
His body became surrounded by an enormous aura.
Antonie stared.
"What are you?"
The Eye answered.
"I am Rudra."
The battlefield seemed to stop.
Antonie's eyes widened.
"Rudra…"
"So that's your real name."
Rudra smiled.
"Yes."
Antonie gathered everything he had left.
A massive Dark Energy sphere formed between his hands.
"This isn't over!"
He launched it.
Rudra didn't dodge.
He flew straight toward it.
The lightning above him exploded.
Rudra crossed his arms.
The Dark Energy sphere struck him.
For a moment—
everything disappeared inside the explosion.
Antonie smiled.
"I got him."
The smoke cleared.
Rudra was still standing.
Untouched.
Antonie's smile disappeared.
"What…?"
Rudra raised his bow.
"Last minute."
Antonie's eyes widened.
"Wait—"
Rudra disappeared.
A flash of orange and white crossed the battlefield.
Antonie barely had time to react.
Rudra struck him once.
Antonie was sent crashing into the ground.
The Dark Energy around him shattered.
Silence.
Rudra floated above him.
Then—
the third eye began closing.
His aura disappeared.
Salim's body dropped.
Rudra's presence vanished.
The Eye of Mahakaal was sealed once again.
Salim landed on the ground and caught himself on one knee.
He breathed heavily.
For a few seconds, he simply stared at his hands.
Then he smiled.
"I won…"
He looked toward the unconscious Antonie.
"Rudra is crazy."
The ocean became still.
But somewhere deep inside Salim's mind—
the Eye of Mahakaal smiled.
Five minutes were over.
And Salim had survived.