Then, as if the universe itself couldn’t bear the stillness any longer, Rajendra and Chandika finally stepped into the heart of the battlefield. Their auras collided like two forces of nature, creating a shockwave that rippled through every realm. The clash of their powers resonated like a deafening roar, heard by all who stood within reach, and those across distant lands felt the tremor in the fabric of existence.
Every warrior, every being in every realm, felt the weight of their power. It wasn’t just felt—it was feared. The ground beneath their feet shook as Rajendra and Chandika faced each other, their power so immense that even the very air seemed to tremble with the anticipation of their clash.
It had been the 10th month since the war began. Both sides had fought relentlessly, armies worn down, some wiped off the map, and many lives had been lost. The battlefield was chaotic, and the soldiers were fatigued. Only Rajendra and Chandika remained, the last standing forces of their respective armies, each one determined to settle the war once and for all.
With a growl of frustration, Chandika charged again. Her sword crackled with dark energy as she launched herself at Rajendra, determined to force him into a fight. The air around her seemed to distort, bending under the weight of her power.
Rajendra raised his defenses once more, his body bruised but unyielding. The clash between them intensified, but still, Rajendra did not strike back. Instead, every strike he blocked seemed more like a reluctant defense against a force he could not bring himself to fully confront.
Despite his resilience, there was a hesitation in his stance. Rajendra wasn’t attacking. He was defending, and this frustrated Chandika. Her strikes came faster, harder, but Rajendra’s calm gaze never wavered. As their auras clashed, something stirred in Chandika. She couldn’t place it, but it felt strangely familiar. It was as though she, too, was sensing something in Rajendra’s resolve, something that mirrored her own. The sensation lingered, but she tried to push it aside, focusing solely on the battle.
“Why aren’t you fighting back, Rajendra?” she taunted, her voice filled with anger. “Are you looking down on me? Why won’t you attack?”
Rajendra’s gaze remained steady, unwavering. “I’m not looking down on you,” he said quietly, his voice steady but filled with a quiet strength. “I simply don’t want to hurt you.”
Her eyes flashed with fury at his response. “You think you can stop me from defeating you by just defending? Stop pretending and fight properly!” With a roar, she charged again, her sword crackling with dark energy.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
The fight stretched on for days, their auras creating ripples across the realms. Neither side would yield, the tension between them growing stronger with each passing moment. Rajendra and Chandika, though locked in a fierce struggle, were now facing a more profound conflict—one that had little to do with their armies and everything to do with their own hearts.
As time passed, the energy in the air shifted. The cracks in their defenses were no longer caused by physical strikes, but by the emotional and spiritual tension between them. Rajendra began to sense the growing struggle in Chandika, the same hesitance that lingered in him, a reluctance neither could explain but both could feel.
And then, on the ninth day, it happened.
Rajendra, his body bruised and battered, stopped once again. His sword fell to the ground, and for the first time, he let out a heavy sigh. He didn’t look at her immediately; his gaze was focused on the ground beneath him, his heart heavy with an emotion he had long suppressed.
“Can’t we just stop?” he asked, his voice low but sincere, carrying the weight of a thousand unspoken words.
Chandika paused mid-swing, her sword still raised but her hands trembling. She had been so determined to win—so consumed by her need for supremacy—that she hadn’t even realized how exhausted she had become. She had pushed herself to the brink, but now, in the face of Rajendra’s question, she felt an unfamiliar sense of vulnerability.
“I... I can’t,” she muttered, though she could feel the emotion stirring within her. The energy between them, once so intense, now felt like an unseen force pulling them together.
Rajendra looked up, his eyes filled with something she couldn’t quite decipher. “Why are we still fighting?” he asked softly, the question hanging in the air between them.
Chandika’s grip tightened on her sword, but her voice faltered. “For supremacy,” she replied, though the words felt hollow even to her own ears. She didn’t know why anymore. What was the point of all this destruction? What had they truly gained from it?
Rajendra stepped closer to her, his voice filled with a quiet plea. “What will you do with that supremacy?” he asked.
Chandika didn’t answer immediately. Her heart raced, and she realized she didn’t have an answer. She had fought for so long, but now, facing Rajendra’s gaze, the reasons seemed meaningless.
“I... I don’t care,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “But I will defeat you.”
Without thinking, Rajendra moved forward and took her hands in his. “I don’t want to hurt you, Chandika,” he said, his voice almost breaking. “I want to protect you. I want you to be with me, forever.”
For a long moment, there was silence. Then, to his surprise, Chandika didn’t pull away. Instead, she hesitated, and then slowly, she wrapped her arms around him, her chest heavy with the weight of her emotions.
“I... I don’t know what to feel,” she whispered.
Rajendra held her close, his voice calm and full of emotion. “I love you, Chandika,” he said, his words filled with more than just love. They were an admission, a truth he could no longer deny.
Chandika’s heart skipped a beat. For a moment, the war, the chaos, and the destruction all seemed to fade into nothingness. “I love you too,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, but filled with a truth that both of them now understood.
And for the first time in months, the battlefield fell silent. The storm had passed, and in its place, a new beginning began to emerge.