The sky above the battlefield was bruised with grey clouds, as if the heavens themselves were holding their breath. Dust hung in the air. The air was thick with tension, sweat, and the stench of blood.
And then—it erupted.
The Shield's strongest fighters unleashed hell.
They weren't just fighting. They were reclaiming something. Pride. Honor. Dominance.
Tarun led the onslaught with the fury of a wounded lion. His body was built like a tank, and he moved like one with jet fuel in his veins. He didn't dodge—he endured. Every punch he took only seemed to wake something darker inside him. He grabbed a Demolition fighter by the neck and slammed him into the ground so hard the earth cracked. Another came at him from behind—Tarun turned and roared, delivering a brutal elbow to the gut, then an uppercut that sent the enemy spinning into the air.
"Come on!" Tarun bellowed, daring more to face him. None did. Not willingly.
To his left, Deep danced through chaos. Unlike Tarun's wild ferocity, Deep was calculated precision—a silent blade. He didn't need to look twice. Every strike he made was deliberate. A knee to the ribs. A twist of the wrist to dislocate a shoulder. A kick to the temple. Two enemies down within seconds. His expression never changed. Calm. Deadly.
One opponent managed to scratch him.
Deep looked down at the mark. A scratch. Just a scratch.
He smiled.
The next second, that opponent was unconscious with a shattered nose and dislocated jaw.
Dev moved like a ghost. Silent. Unrelenting. His eyes held no fear, no hesitation—only purpose. He didn't scream. He didn't roar. He simply dismantled. Foes came at him in pairs, swinging pipes and chains. Dev didn't flinch. He slipped between them and struck with fluid brutality—one jab to the ribs, a pivot, then a ruthless punch across the throat.
A scream.
Then silence.
Three down. Four. He kept moving. A shadow of efficiency.
Elsewhere, Jai and Roy fought side by side—a sight many thought they'd never witness again. The shield a d legacy past had been filled with rivalry, betrayal, and blood. But today, they were united by a bigger cause.
Roy was a juggernaut, his rage barely contained, fighting like every punch was vengeance. Jai was the counterbalance—elegant, tactical, vicious in a way that seemed almost beautiful. They moved like two sides of a sword—cutting through enemies with synchronized carnage.
"Left!" Jai shouted.
Roy didn't look. He trusted. He swung wide, catching a rushing fighter across the jaw and hurling him into the dirt.
"Your right," Roy warned.
Jai ducked, twisted, and drove his fist into the gut of a taller fighter, then kneed him in the face. Blood sprayed. Bones cracked.
Priyanshu was fire incarnate. His movements were untamed, erratic, but every hit landed. He didn't fight like a soldier—he fought like a man who had something to prove. He flipped over a broken bench, spun midair, and crashed his foot into the side of someone's face. One moment he was beside Deep, the next assisting Dev.
"Keep pushing!" Priyanshu shouted. "They're breaking!"
And they were.
The Shield surged forward, an unstoppable tide. Despite being outnumbered, they moved like gods among mortals. Unity. Brotherhood. Ruthless precision.
The Demolition line buckled. Their formation broke under pressure. What started as an even match had become a slaughter. Panic spread through enemy ranks. Some shouted orders. Others fled. A few dropped their weapons and begged.
But The Shield didn't stop.
Tarun grabbed one who tried to run and flung him like a ragdoll into a group.
Deep stepped over another unconscious fighter and signaled a push.
Roy and Jai charged into the crumbling center.
Dev moved to flank.
And then—
Kaashi stepped forward.
The battlefield seemed to pause as he entered the fray. Tall. Composed. His eyes scanned the chaos. The Shield's banner-bearer.
And then he saw him.
Eddie.
At the far end, untouched by the carnage, stood the leader of The Demolition.
While his men fell like dominoes, Eddie hadn't moved a muscle. His arms were folded. His expression unreadable, save for the slight, infuriating smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
Kaashi's gaze locked on him.
It was silent between them. Even the chaos faded into the background. For a moment, there were no others. No soldiers. No allies. Just two men. Two kings. Only one would remain standing.
Kaashi clenched his fists. "The leader is mine."
Eddie raised an eyebrow. That smirk widened.
"Fight me, then."
Time stopped.
Kaashi charged.
It was a blur—a blur of motion, fury, and destiny. Kaashi's feet struck the earth like thunder. His aura surged, radiating heat and raw intent. Fighters around them scattered, knowing what was about to happen would be seismic.
But Eddie didn't move.
He waited.
And then—
One step.
One strike.
Faster than anyone could see.
A single blow.
CRACK.
Kaashi's body twisted midair before slamming into the ground with a sickening thud. The dust rose. Blood trickled from his mouth. His arms twitched once—then went still.
He didn't get back up.
Silence.
Complete, agonizing silence.
Time seemed to stop. For one unbearable moment, the battlefield stood frozen—locked in disbelief.
Tarun's fists trembled. "No… That's not—he can't—"
Dev stopped in his tracks, eyes wide.
Deep took a half-step forward, not out of strategy—but out of instinctive fear.
Roy turned to Jai, confused. Jai had no answer.
Priyanshu fell back beside Dev, whispering, "Was that… real?"
It was.
Kaashi had fallen.
The Hope. The symbol. The unshakable pillar that held The Shield together tonight—defeated in a single strike.
And Eddie?
He just stood there.
Smiling.
A chill crept into the hearts of The Shield's fighters. The confidence they wore like armor began to crack.
They weren't invincible.
They weren't untouchable.
If Kaashi could fall… so could any of them.
From the enemy lines, a roar erupted. The Demolition fighters, who had moments ago been on the verge of collapse, now surged forward with new life.
They had seen their god slay a king.
"Strike now!" one of them shouted.
"They're scared!"
And they were right.
For the first time, The Shield hesitated.
And that hesitation was a crack—and from cracks, empires fall.
Eddie raised a hand, and his warriors obeyed.
They came like a wave.
The Shield, once dominant, now staggered. The tight formations broke. Coordination slipped. They weren't fighting in rhythm anymore. They were reacting. Desperate. Disoriented.
Deep tried to regroup them.
Tarun refused to retreat but moved without direction.
Dev covered the wounded but was losing ground.
Jai and Roy fought harder, but with rage—not focus.
And in that chaos… Eddie stepped forward again.
The tide of the battle had turned.
And for the first time since the war began—
The Demolition surged forward.
And the tide of the battle turned.
---
To be continued...