The Vanara tribe's battle arena buzzed with excitement. There was no referee, no rules—the fight would start as soon as both sides entered.

As Ujjain spotted Esdeath, his face lit up with excitement. His fighting spirit burned, and he let out a loud laugh, showing all his teeth. "Today's the day you die—"

BANG!

Before he could finish, a loud shot rang out. Esdeath had fired her gun straight at his leg without any hesitation. But to her surprise, the bullet didn't even leave a mark. Instead, it was deflected with a metallic clang as a glowing golden barrier appeared around his leg.

Ujjain sneered, clearly annoyed. "You couldn't even let me finish my sentence?"

Esdeath's eyes narrowed as she recognized the glowing shield around him. "A Golden Body Qi Essence Stone?" she murmured, realizing he was protected by a rare defensive power.

In the game's storyline, Ujjain was just a minor character who didn't have much screen time before his death. Because of that, Esdeath hadn't known what special moves or hidden powers he might have. Still, she'd assumed he was on the strength path, given his barbarian background, with Rank D awakened strength and a tough physique. She'd guessed they had a fifty-fifty chance of winning.

But now, seeing him with the powerful Golden Body Qi Essence defense, her calculations shifted. "With this," she thought, "our chances just dropped to forty-sixty."

Yet instead of feeling nervous, Esdeath felt her excitement grow. The challenge only fired up her fighting spirit. She grinned, ready to throw everything she had into this fight.

"Let's go!" Esdeath shouted, darting to the side, while Maruti charged straight at Ujjain.

As she ran, Esdeath's thoughts raced. "I don't have any defensive stones like Bronze Skin, Bronze Muscle or Body Qi,Nor I have same level of strength as him. If he gets in even two hits on my head, I'm dead for sure. Only Predictor has a chance of matching his strength." She kept her distance, knowing her safety depended on keeping out of his reach.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Esdeath fired three shots in quick succession—one aimed at his head and two at his chest. At the same time, Maruti reached Ujjain, throwing powerful punches to meet his attacks head-on.

SLAM! BOOM! BAM!

The sound of their fists colliding echoed around the arena. Maruti grinned, impressed. "Not bad at all!" she said, throwing punch after punch.

But Esdeath's bullets were useless. Ujjain's entire body was still shielded by that golden glow, blocking each shot like stone against an ant's bite. He smirked, barely glancing her way as he fought with Maruti. "Stop poking me from the sidelines like an insect," he sneered. "If you're so brave, come fight up close."

Esdeath wasn't going to fall for that. She kept her distance, watching for any chance to strike.

Suddenly, Ujjain crouched down, slamming his hand into the ground. Maruti sensed danger and leaped back just as—

SWISH!

Sharp mud spikes shot up from the ground, barely missing her.

Watching from his seat, Mourya felt a chill. "Why is he fighting like he actually wants to kill them?" he muttered, feeling uneasy.

"So, he has earth affinity?" Maruti thought, keeping a safe distance from Ujjain, trying to figure out her next move.

But this was exactly what Ujjain had wanted. Turning his back on Maruti, he focused on Esdeath. With a swift move, he stomped on the ground, forming a square platform beneath his feet. It lifted him up, shooting him forward like a speeding arrow aimed straight at Esdeath.

Ujjain clenched his fist, pulling back to strike Esdeath square in the face as he charged toward her. Just as he was a few steps away, Esdeath dropped her gun, quickly ducking down to aim for his legs.

Caught off guard by her sudden move, Ujjain couldn't slow down. In one swift motion, Esdeath grabbed both his legs, tripping him.

WHAM!

A fierce kick smashed into Ujjain's face—it was Maruti! She had a speed booster essence stone just like Esdeath did. Her foot was engulfed in flames, making it look like she wore fiery shoes that matched her affinity for fire and increased her speed drastically. She didn't stop there. Flipping in mid-air, Maruti spun around and aimed another kick at the back of Ujjain's head.

But just as her kick was about to land, Ujjain caught her foot effortlessly, sneering, "Nice try!" With ease, he lifted Maruti off the ground, holding her like she weighed nothing.

BAM!

He smashed her down hard, then picked her up and slammed her in the opposite direction.

BOOM!

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Still, he didn't release his grip. Raising her once more, he threw Maruti into the air, sending her flying a long distance away.

Esdeath, lying on the ground, smiled, aiming her gun at Ujjain. "Who said my bullets can't pierce you?"

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

In just one second, Esdeath fired six bullets in rapid succession. Each shot carried far more power than before, surprising even Ujjain.

The first bullet hit his golden shield of Qi but didn't break through. The second and third cracked it, and by the fourth, her bullet pierced his abdomen, followed by the last two that struck the same spot.

"How…?" Ujjain muttered, struggling to understand how her gun could fire so many rounds at once.

He didn't know that Esdeath's weapon wasn't an ordinary gun. It was the ZK-20 in the shape of a gun. She had infused it with a Rank D Speed Aggressor stone to make it fire faster and a Rank E Fire Fuel stone to boost its power.

Blood trickled from the wounds on his body and mouth as Ujjain looked at her, stunned by her unexpected strength.

"Hehehehe... Hahaha!" Ujjain's laughter suddenly echoed, filling the tense silence and confusing even Esdeath. She glanced back, uncertain and slightly wary of his strange reaction.

Without waiting for a second thought, Esdeath quickly dashed across the battlefield to Maruti's side, reuniting with her ally. Maruti, coughing as she brushed dirt off her clothes, lifted her head just in time to see something incredible. The gunshot wound on Ujjain's body was healing right before their eyes, flesh mending until the wound completely disappeared.

Her eyes went wide in surprise. "He... he even has a Healing Essence Stone?" Maruti exclaimed, disbelief lacing her voice.

Esdeath clenched her teeth, though excitement sparked in her gaze. "With that, our chances have dropped to 30-70," she muttered, calculating their odds with grim satisfaction.

But Ujjain's mind held a secret truth. "Hehehe... Perfect. They actually believe I have a healing essence stone," he thought, grinning slyly. "But in reality, I only have a one-time healing stone, An expenditure type that vanishes after one use. I started with two, and now I've used one, which means... I can only heal once more!"

Esdeath steadied herself, determination hardening her expression. "Predictor," she called to Maruti with fierce resolve. "Let's go all out this time!"

Rather than drawing her gun, Esdeath decided against using her ZK-20, knowing its massive mana cost would only drain her faster. She'd already felt the toll; her mana had plummeted from 68 to 46 in mere seconds after using it. She'd need to save her strength for a truly critical moment.

Maruti pulled her hand back and reached into her track suit's jacket , revealing a shining iron sword she had kept hidden. Esdeath responded by activating two of her own essence stones. She activated both at once: the Moonblade Essence Stone and the Moonnail Essence Stone.

The moment Esdeath activated the moonblade essence stone, a sharp green crystal blade extended from her palm, shimmering like a slice of emerald moonlight. But as she pressed her moonnail essence stone, the energy shifted, covering her entire hand in a layer of sleek, green crystal. Five sharp points, each about five centimeters long, jutted out from her fingertips like deadly claws. This weapon had a name: "Knife Hand."

Esdeath grinned, admiring the weapon. "With this, I can pierce through his defense too," she murmured to herself, a thrill sparking in her chest.

Both sides let out fierce roars, charging forward as the battle began in full force. Maruti was the first to strike, her voice ringing out as she called her move. "Abhimanyu Sword Style—Phase Two: Straight Slash!"

Her sword moved so smoothly, it looked as though it was slicing through water, leaving a faint ripple in the air. In one fluid motion, Maruti brought her blade down, landing a straight, clean slash across Ujjain's broad chest.

"Tch..." Ujjain scowled, stepping back with a look of irritation. But he had no time to counter, because in the next instant, Esdeath lunged at him, her crystal-coated fist crashing down where he stood. He barely dodged, her hand slamming into the ground with a force that cracked the earth, showing just how powerful her Knife Hand was.

Esdeath didn't relent. She pressed forward, her strikes coming rapid-fire, each hit aimed to break through his defenses. Ujjain's expression grew tense as he raised his hand, channeling the energy of his own essence stone. His hand transformed, becoming encased in thick, impenetrable stone— known as Stone Hand.

The clash of their powers was intense. Esdeath's swift, relentless blows crashed against Ujjain's solid defense, green crystal clashing with rugged stone in a dazzling display of sparks and sound. Yet, Esdeath was holding the advantage, and she knew why.

Maruti was by her side, her blade flashing in sync with Esdeath's strikes. As Esdeath drove forward from one side, Maruti's sword would slice from the other, keeping Ujjain constantly on the defensive, unable to block both attacks at once. It was a relentless combination of strength and precision, and Ujjain was visibly struggling to keep up, his movements growing slower with each passing second.

The audience watched, their eyes wide with amazement, whispering among themselves. They couldn't believe what they were seeing—Esdeath and Maruti working together in perfect harmony, taking the lead with skill and strategy.

"They… they're actually winning?" one spectator gasped, his voice full of disbelief.

"Unbelievable! I thought they'd be crushed in under two minutes!" another person muttered, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe his own eyes.

Then, as the realization settled in, the crowd's excitement erupted. Cheers began to echo around the arena, building in volume with each passing moment. Many shouted loudly for Ujjain, their voices mixing into a roar of encouragement, while some cheered for Maruti with equally hopeful cries.

However, a quiet tension rippled through a few spectators who hesitated to cheer openly for Maruti and Esdeath. They exchanged nervous glances, worried that cheering too loudly might draw the attention – and possibly the anger – of powerful figures like Rowan or Mourya.

But their hopes were quickly crushed.

"I never thought I'd have to go all out against some Rank E awakened. Now I'm pissed!" Ujjain growled, his eyes narrowing with irritation. He stopped dodging, standing firmly in place, a new intensity burning in his gaze.

In the next heartbeat, Ujjain unleashed his Rank D aura – powerful enough to almost feel like a Rank C. A thick, greyish energy poured from his body, surrounding him like a storm. The weight of it slammed into Esdeath, forcing her to her knees with sheer pressure. The gap between Rank E and Rank D was like a wall. Rank D awakened could unleash an aura that pressed down on their opponents, unlike Rank E. Ujjain's aura might not match a true Rank C, but it was more than enough to make Esdeath's legs buckle.

"He… he's actually close to Rank C…" Esdeath thought in shock, her heart pounding.

But beside her, Maruti was still standing, though she felt the crushing weight too. The pressure didn't affect her as badly as it did Esdeath. With a determined look, Maruti seized her chance and dashed toward Ujjain, her sword aimed straight at his neck, hoping to end it in one decisive strike.

Her blade connected, slicing into his neck. But instead of cutting through, the sword embedded only a few centimeters deep and stopped, hitting something hard as steel. Ujjain's neck was incredibly sturdy, far tougher than she'd imagined.

A smirk spread across Ujjain's face as he used this moment to grab Maruti's wrist in an iron grip. With a swift movement, he pulled back his leg, gathering his strength.

Maruti had always been proud of her strength. Her bronze skin and brozne muscles essence stone gave her impressive power, and recently when she read her diary she discovered that she had Pink gorilla strength Stone too that boosted her abilities even more. She'd thought she could match Ujjain's strength.

But Maruti hadn't known about the other essence stones Ujjain possessed: black bear strength, white boar strength, Brown elephant strength, pink gorilla strength – all combined with an iron bone essence stone and a white jade skin essence stone. His body was fortified beyond what either Esdeath or Maruti could handle alone.

With every ounce of power, Ujjain unleashed a brutal low kick directly into Maruti's leg.

BAM!

The force of his kick tore through the air with a loud shockwave, echoing across the arena. A sickening CRACK! sounded as the blow connected, and pain shot through Maruti's leg.

Her Left leg's bone shattered under the impact, her muscles tore, and blood poured from the open wound. The agony was instant and overwhelming. She crumpled to her knees, gasping in shock and pain, her voice escaping in a strangled cry.

"Holy… holy shit!" she stammered.

"Ahhh!" Esdeath roared, gathering every ounce of her strength as she struggled to get back up. She charged at Ujjain, her face twisted with determination and rage.

But before she could close the gap, Ujjain turned swiftly and caught her wrist with a vice-like grip. Without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed the top of Esdeath's green crystal weapon, which had a sharp, knife-like tip, and snapped the point off.

*Clink!*

A shattering sound rang out as the crystal tip broke off in his hand. With a cold smile, Ujjain took the sharp piece and, without mercy, drove it into Esdeath's left eye.

A searing pain exploded in her head as the tip pierced deep, breaking through her eyeball. Blood poured down her cheek as the crystal remained embedded in her eye, leaving her vision in that eye completely gone. Her breaths came in ragged gasps as agony overwhelmed her senses.

But Ujjain didn't stop there. He released her hand and, with ruthless precision, slammed his fingers into her right eye. Esdeath's mind barely had time to register the fresh wave of pain before Ujjain used his brute strength to yank her eyeball out of its socket.

The entire arena fell silent, horrified by the cruelty of the scene. People in the stands froze, too shocked to look away.

With a twisted grin, Ujjain opened his mouth and placed Esdeath's eyeball between his teeth, biting down with a sickening crunch. A crazed glint danced in his eyes as he chewed, but Esdeath couldn't see it. Her world had gone completely dark.

"Hehehe… It's over!"