Veer continued to relentlessly punch Abhijeet. Abhijeet's entire body was drenched in blood. In an attempt to protect himself, he turned his back to Veer, thinking it might shield him—but that proved to be his greatest mistake. As soon as he exposed his back, Veer began striking directly at his spine.
Veer had already decided—no matter what, he would not let Abhijeet walk out of the arena in one piece.
CRACK!!!
Suddenly, the audience again heard the chilling sound of bones breaking.
Abhijeet let out a scream of pure agony. His spine had fractured. He no longer had the strength to even keep his eyes open. After a few moments of screaming and crying, he collapsed unconscious in the arena.
Even after reducing Abhijeet to such a state, Veer found no peace. He still remembered how ruthless Abhijeet had been. If the roles were reversed, Abhijeet would not have spared him either. Thinking that, Veer continued striking the unconscious Abhijeet.
Only after venting for a while did Veer's rage begin to subside.
He composed himself and walked back to his position in the arena.
He had won the duel.
Not just the duel—but also the wager.
In truth, Veer's victory was due in large part to a ring crafted from a "mantra inscription." When their punches had collided earlier, Veer activated the ring, momentarily seizing control over Abhijeet's body.
All of this happened in less than a blink, so no one—neither spectators, elders, nor even the clan chief—noticed anything unusual about Veer's ring.
"What just happened?"
"Did Veer really defeat Abhijeet?"
The entire Mishra family was stunned. Something unimaginable had occurred in the arena.
Just then, Aman came rushing in. He cradled Abhijeet in his arms and began inspecting his body. When he realized that Abhijeet wasn't opening his eyes, fear gripped him. His hands trembled.
Abhijeet was his greatest strength—his hope for the future.
And now, everything was shattered. Enraged, Aman shouted at Veer:
"Veer, what you've done is unacceptable! This was just a match—but you tried to kill Abhijeet! If anything happens to my son, I swear I won't let you live!"
Before Aman could say more, Revati rushed to Veer's side and looked Aman dead in the eyes:
"Before you do anything to Veer, you'll have to face me. If you're ready to lose again, like last time, then come—fight me anytime!"
She spoke calmly, but Aman understood the weight of her words. After their previous fight, a deep fear of Revati had settled in his heart. He knew full well that she was far stronger than him, and he was no match for her. So, he turned to the elder, pleading for help.
Senior Amar Singh began inspecting Abhijeet's body. After a while, he looked at Veer in shock:
"Veer, what have you done? You've broken Abhijeet's spine. Do you know what that means? He will never stand again. He will spend the rest of his life bedridden. Not even a Level-7 Golden Damage Pill can heal him. You've destroyed his life."
Amar Singh's voice quivered. Abhijeet had been the most promising disciple of the Mishra family. Everyone believed he would one day bring glory to the clan and elevate it to new heights. Now, all that hope was gone—shattered.
"No! This can't be! Elder, there must be a mistake. Please examine him again!"
Aman's body trembled at Amar Singh's verdict—it struck him like lightning.
For any father, hearing that his son would never walk again was devastating.
"His spine is broken!!!"
"Even a Level-7 Golden Damage Pill won't work!!!"
Aman was so shaken that he burst into tears.
Ashutosh, too, was in a bad state. He had lost the wager—500 silver coins.
On the other hand, Somdutt was delighted.
"Veer, I won't let you live!!!"
Suddenly, the crowd heard Aman shout. Blinded by his grief, he lost all control.
He gathered all his strength and lunged at Veer. Four elephant-shaped auras appeared above his head.
Revati, already prepared, stepped in front of Veer. Instantly, six elephant auras appeared above her—and she delivered a punch straight to Aman.
With a single strike, Aman went flying across the arena.
"Aman... If you try to touch Veer again, I'll kill you myself. Don't forget—it was you and your son who wanted this duel in the first place."
Revati glared at Aman.
"Revati, you..."
Aman tried to speak but couldn't. He knew she was right. He and Abhijeet had proposed the match—and everyone knew it.
"Elder, you must heal my son. If you can't, then at least deliver justice. You saw what Veer did—it was just a match, not a war. And yet he tried to kill Abhijeet!"
Aman pleaded with the clan chief, collapsing to his knees in tears.
He had somehow endured Ravi's injury—but this was different. After Ravi was hurt, all his hopes were pinned on Abhijeet. Now Veer had crushed even that hope. Aman saw no future for his bloodline.
"Aman... According to Mishra family rules, when two warriors fight in the arena and one gets injured, the other isn't held responsible—unless he kills. Getting hurt in the arena is common. Today, your son was injured. If it had been my son Veer instead, would you have asked for justice? Would you have blamed Abhijeet?"
Revati shouted at Aman. Her voice made it clear—she wouldn't be trapped by Aman's schemes again.
"Revati... Your son Veer broke Ravi's arm and now Abhijeet's spine. I believe he deserves punishment. He crippled Abhijeet intentionally to stop Aman's lineage from continuing. He violated the family rules. Also, everyone saw the match—when Abhijeet turned his back, Veer should have shown mercy. But he didn't. That shows how much hatred he holds toward Aman's family."
Ashutosh backed Aman's argument.
"Ashutosh, you're wrong. Abhijeet could have admitted defeat, but he didn't. He thought he could still win, and that's why he stayed in the fight. Also, don't forget—Veer is only at Level 3 of the Physical Path. If he hadn't attacked continuously, Abhijeet would've defeated him."
Somdutt interjected.
He was right. Had Veer not attacked continuously, Abhijeet would've overwhelmed him. And if that had happened, Veer would've not only lost the match—but possibly his life. Abhijeet had made it clear earlier what he intended to do to him.
"Enough! No more talk. The punishment, if any, will be decided in today's clan assembly. For now, the priority is Abhijeet's life. Take him to his room and begin treatment immediately."
Clan Chief Vardhan Singh silenced the gathering.
"As you command... Clan Chief."
Aman picked up Abhijeet and began walking toward his home.
Before leaving, he gave Veer a murderous look.
Seeing Aman's eyes filled with the intent to kill, Veer smiled inwardly. He had once been an assassin—such glares didn't faze him.
He felt no regret for breaking Abhijeet's spine. In his past life, such things were routine. If he were his former self, he would've killed Aman already. He knew countless ways to kill.
One by one, members of the Mishra family began leaving the arena. They were all saddened for Abhijeet—he was one of their own. But Veer wasn't. He was from the mysterious Singhania family, a name no one knew anything about.
Many disciples felt ashamed. Abhijeet, a fourth-level warrior of the Physical Path, had lost to a third-level warrior. It was humiliating.
"I thought Abhijeet was strong, but I never imagined he'd lose like this."
"If Veer is this strong at Level 3, imagine when he reaches Level 9! No one will be able to defeat him."
"I'm more curious—who trained Veer? Who helped him jump from Level 1 to 3 in just a month?"
Everyone was talking about Veer—the boy no one knew yesterday was now the center of all conversations.
Eventually, only four people remained in the arena: Veer, Revati, Diya, and Somdutt.
"Mother... What's wrong? You look worried."
Veer asked, noticing Revati lost in thought.
"Veer, do you even realize what you've done? You injured Abhijeet—the one everyone had high hopes for. Do you think the upcoming assembly will declare you a winner? No! They'll all try to punish you. That's what worries your mother."
Somdutt explained gravely.
"That's it? You forget the elders will be there too. They won't let anything happen to me so easily. After all, they still need me to treat them—twice more."
Veer responded confidently.
"If you think the elders will protect you, you're mistaken. Do you know why they're respected? Not because they're ninth-level healers, but because they are seniors of the clan. And they never make decisions or offer suggestions in assemblies."
Somdutt clarified.
Veer was stunned.
He had never imagined his trump card—the elders—would abandon him so easily.
They were his greatest support for the assembly, and now, the reality had turned his face pale.
Later, Veer returned home with Revati and Diya. The atmosphere remained tense. When he saw that his mother was still anxious, he tried to reassure her:
"Mother, don't worry. You're afraid I'll be punished in the assembly, right? But I have a solution—one that will make those same people take my side."
"What solution?"
Revati asked skeptically.
She still didn't trust his words.
"I can't tell you now. You'll have to wait until this afternoon."
Veer said calmly.
"You're hiding things from your mother now?"
"It's not that, Mom. I just need some time to prepare. Don't worry—I'll be fine."
Veer smiled mysteriously.
After speaking with his mother, he returned to his room.
Once he left, Revati turned to Diya.
"Diya... do you know what this plan Veer mentioned is?"
"I'm sorry, madam... I have no idea."
Diya shook her head.
In his room, Veer bathed and ate, then took some money from Revati and headed to the market with Diya.
The disciples who saw him were stunned.
"How is Veer walking around so casually after everything that happened?"
"Do you think he's trying to flee in fear of punishment?"
"You're crazy! Even if he tried, he couldn't escape. All the elders have their eyes on him."
"Say what you will—there's something different about him. If I were in his place, I'd be hiding
in my room. But look at him! He's strolling to the market like nothing happened. I've decided
—if he survives today's assembly, I'll become his disciple. Maybe then I'll meet his master..."