The chamber echoed with the screeching clash of bone against steel, a bone-chilling cacophony in the cavernous heart of the sacrificial den. Somewhere beneath the cracked murals of Mephisto's horrifyingly bad fashion sense, Chandra was currently engaged in a life-or-death wrestling match with what appeared to be a skeleton chimera—a bone-beast with three skulls, a lion's ribcage, a goat's pelvis, and, somehow, a snake tail that was both chatty and rude.
"You smell like raw onions!"hissed the tail as Chandra rolled across the ground.
"I've BEEN FIGHTING FOR AN HOUR, OKAY?!"Chandra barked.
Skeleton soldiers rattled toward him like a very poorly tuned xylophone band, wielding rusted swords and hollow grievances.
Suddenly, a faint scuffling sound came from the side passage. Then—a soft thud. A figure in dark robes and a veil-like mask leaned against the stone wall, arms crossed, ankle resting atop the other like he was auditioning for a rebel monk calendar.
"Do you need help, Chandra?" said Shadow Raja, voice silky, smug. "Or can you handle it?"
The entire room froze, including the chimera, whose snake-tail hissed, "New challenger...?"
Dark Wizard Nanda narrowed his eyes, staff glowing green with ominous energy. "Who... is this maggot?"
Raja casually twirled a dagger. "Maggot? Rude. And I bathed today. But yes, I'm the shadow stealing from your corrupt nobles. Surprised you noticed. That rotisserie bald guy in the south palace never did."
"You—you're the one who humiliated Lord Timmappa Nanda sputtered. "YOU'RE THE THIEF? The one spreading those pamphlets about my 'questionable beard oils'? YOU DARE—!"
Chandra, mid-flip as he kicked a skeleton's femur, shouted, "Shadow! Enough with the entrance! HELP, please!"
Raja sighed dramatically. "Dead skeletons. Really, Chandra? I trained you better than this behind Gurudev's back."
Chandra grunted. "You said not to use the secret technique in front of people!"
"Do you see anyone but us? Go demon mode."
Chandra's eyes narrowed.
He sheathed his sword, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. Sparks danced around him, thunder crackled above as if the heavens themselves were plugging in a particularly spicy toaster.
"Thunder Breathing: First Form—Thunderclap and Flash!"
A BOOM. Then he was gone—only streaks of lightning remained.
The chimera blinked.
Then all three of its heads fell off in one synchronized plop.
Raja applauded. "Oooh. Very theatrical."
But Chandra wasn't done.
"Second Form: Rice Spirit!"
Crack-KA-BOOM! Chandra vanished again, dashing between skeletons like a possessed flash mob. Five rapid slashes later, and the skeleton squad had become bone confetti.
Dark Wizard Nanda stumbled back. "Elemental swordsmanship?! Thunder... breath?! Who ARE you people?"
But it wasn't the thunder that scared him—it was the other guy.
The Shadow.
He couldn't sense him.
No aura.
No chi.
No mana.
He was... null.
A walking ghost.
Nanda let out a roar and slammed his staff into the ground. The runes pulsed green, the air stank of sulfur and late-stage necromancy.
"You want a real fight, little lightning bolt? Feel despair!"
Black tendrils rose from the ground, clawing toward Chandra, who stood calm, sword drawn.
"Thunder Breathing: Fourth Form—Distant Thunder!"
A glowing ball of lightning crackled into his palm. He tossed it forward like a casual fruit offering, and—
BOOM!
Bolts of lightning erupted in all directions, slapping away the tendrils like wet noodles.
Nanda grunted, shielding his face. "what kind of Maya this is, where did you learn it?!"
Chandra smirked. "Taught by the best." He nodded toward the barely-visible Shadow.
Nanda growled and fired a necro-beam from his staff.
Chandra flipped backward, then launched forward again.
"Third Form—Thunder Swarm!"
Lightning circled the wizard like angry wasps. Nanda screeched, staggering. His robes caught fire, then extinguished with a puff of ash.
"ENOUGH!" Nanda raised his staff with both hands, muttering in ancient demonic.
The ground trembled.
From the cracked earth, a shadow colossus rose—twenty feet tall, with claws and a stitched-shut mouth.
Chandra's team screamed. The princess threw a rock. It missed.
"Thunder Breathing: Sixth Form—Rumble and Flash!"
A cascade of long-ranged lightning attacks lanced forward, carving glowing glyphs into the monster's body.
Nanda laughed madly. "You're too slow, Chandra! This is the end!"
Raja, watching silently, murmured, "Time for the finale…"
Chandra nodded, face solemn.
He sheathed his blade.
Closed his eyes.
Breathed deep—inhale... exhale... thunder.
"Thunder Breathing: Seventh Form—Honoikazuchi no Kami!"
A flash of divine light.
Chandra disappeared into a streak of godspeed.
He reappeared midair, sword raised high. For a second, time seemed to pause.
Then—CRACK-KABOOOOOM!!!
The lightning bolt split the air—and Dark Wizard Nanda's head from his shoulders.
The shockwave shattered the colossus. The chamber walls trembled. Dust rained down like dramatic sprinkles of applause.
Nanda's decapitated head rolled twice before it stopped in front of Shadow Raja.
Raja crouched. "Pawn of Mephisto, consider yourself... discontinued."
Chandra exhaled and dropped to one knee. Sparks fizzled off his armor.
"...I need lot of sugar maybe mother handmade laddus,"he wheezed.
"I might have dislocated my leg."
Raja walked over, dusted off his shoulder.
Decapitated Nanda body fall on the Dark magic circle and his blood started spread around the circle and outside full moon become red moon.
Nanda body started attached itself and started to change and transformed into a grotesque Red humanoid form with horns.
Chandra and raja felt something moving behind their backs and stopped their tracks and turned around and saw the Humanoid form.
Raja become serious "Chandra go out and wait for the army, I will deal with the monster who just appeared without any permission."
Chandra "Shadow don't I feel its power from here It is way too dangerous lets run away and plan something after the army arrive."
Raja smiled " Chandra never doubt your brother, when I say I will take care of it then I will care of it, no need to worry, now go away I need to go full demon mode on that thing from the start."
Chandra never seen Raja this serious or battle hunger in his eyes "Good luck then, I will wait for you outside," and left the den limping.