Meanwhile, at the winding road leading toward the mountain ridges, the air shimmered faintly as Betty stepped out of the mist, her face unusually soft, her smile disarmingly sweet.
"Angad," she purred, her tone almost affectionate. "You look even more handsome than before. Come with me, hmm? Once you agree to stand by your mother Taamsi, we could finally be together. You and me, forever."
Angad's expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "Firstly, I don't consider that witch my mother," he said sharply. "And secondly, you can't harm Mishka. Not while I'm here."
For a fleeting moment, something flickered in Mishka's eyes — a quiet, unspoken warmth at his words. But she quickly masked it, stepping forward and shoving him gently aside. "I can protect myself," she said coolly.
Betty tilted her head, her human form flickering, eyes gleaming with malice. "Brave words for someone who's about to die."
Mishka's tone shifted — calm, deadly, certain. "Didn't Taamsi tell you who you were coming to face?" She gave a slow, dangerous smile. "No? That's fine. See for yourself."
Her hand stretched sideways, and the air around her rippled. Her nails lengthened — black, sharp, almost metallic — while her eyes burned an unearthly yellow. Her long braid twisted like a serpent, hissing through the air as her aura exploded in waves of dark energy.
Angad stumbled back, eyes wide. "Oh my God…"
Betty hissed, her sweet mask shattering into a demonic grin. "You… you're a daayan."
Mishka smirked, her voice low and fierce. "I prefer to be called a Reeva Daayan."
The ground trembled slightly as the wind surged around them, dark clouds gathering above — the battle between two dark forces about to ignite.
In the dense heart of the forest, the fog thickened like smoke, curling around the gnarled roots and skeletal trees. The growling grew louder — guttural, echoing from every shadow — until the ground itself seemed to tremble with rage.
Yuvaan sighed, unimpressed. "Either come out or shut up already," he said lazily, folding his arms. "You might give yourself a headache with all that noise. What's wrong, huh? Did your girlfriend dump you?"
A furious roar shook the forest as the Vish Purush emerged from the mist — his body scaled and glistening, eyes glowing like molten venom. Each step he took left black scorch marks on the ground.
Kiara's breath caught in her throat. "Yuvaan… be careful," she whispered, clutching her mangalsutra.
But Yuvaan only smirked, completely unfazed. "Chill, sweetheart," he said smoothly, glancing at her with that familiar teasing spark. "You worry too much."
He then raised his hand dramatically, miming the act of pulling an invisible arrow from a quiver. "Let's see…" he murmured, aiming at the approaching monster. "Bang."
A sudden burst of invisible energy shot forward — unseen yet powerful — striking the Vish Purush square in the chest. The creature let out a violent snarl as it was hurled backward, crashing into a tree with a thunderous crack. The forest shuddered, leaves scattering through the air like sparks from a flame.
Kiara blinked, stunned. "What the—"
Yuvaan turned toward her, flashing a roguish grin. "What can I say? I shoot to impress."
The Vish Purush stirred again, angrier than before, its claws digging into the earth as a hiss escaped its venomous lips — the real fight was only beginning.
Next Scene
Betty let out a piercing shriek as her wings unfurled, slicing through the air like blades. She soared upward, her fanged grin glinting under the dull grey sky. "You really think you can fight me, little witch?" she taunted, swooping down toward Mishka like a vulture closing in on prey.
Mishka didn't flinch. Her lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile. In one smooth motion, her long braid slithered through the air like a living serpent, wrapping tightly around Betty's leg mid-flight.
Before the chudail could react, Mishka yanked — hard.
Betty screeched as she was flung downward, crashing into the dusty road with a deafening thud, leaving a small crater where she landed.
Angad winced, blinking at the impact. "Oops," he muttered under his breath, half-shocked and half-impressed.
Mishka turned to him with a subtle smirk. "Told you, I don't need saving."
---
Meanwhile, deep within the forest, the Vish Purush let out another roar and lunged straight at Yuvaan — his claws dripping venom, his massive form blurring through the mist.
But Yuvaan didn't even flinch. With a faint sigh, he slightly stomped his foot against the ground. A pulse of dark-blue energy erupted from beneath him, rippling outward like a shockwave.
The Vish Purush was instantly thrown back, his body slamming into a tree trunk so hard that bark splintered in every direction.
Kiara stood frozen, watching the display in disbelief. Her eyes widened as Yuvaan dusted off his hands, utterly calm, as if he'd merely flicked away a fly.
She let out a small huff. Even in this situation, she thought, he's still trying to act cool. Really?
Yuvaan looked over his shoulder, catching her expression, a sly grin forming. "What?" he said casually. "You didn't think I'd break a sweat for this, did you?"
To be continued…