Layla stood in front of Arata, her slender form deceptively delicate. Her eyes gleamed with cold fire, and the faint crackle of electricity filled the air around her. She didn’t flinch as Arata sized her up, her resolve unwavering. There was a stillness to her presence, like the calm before a storm, and Arata knew better than to underestimate her.

Soraya had fallen, the power of the Whale now within Arata’s grasp. But there was no time to dwell on his victory. Layla’s stance shifted ever so slightly, and Arata could sense the energy building within her—static, wild, and uncontrollable.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Arata said, his voice steady, though his body tensed in anticipation.

Layla’s lips curled into a subtle smile, almost mocking. She moved with blinding speed, the crack of lightning accompanying her as she dashed forward, her body a blur of movement. Arata barely had time to react before she was upon him, her fist charged with electricity.

The first strike connected with his side, sending a jolt of searing pain through his body. Arata grunted, his muscles spasming as the lightning coursed through him, but he quickly retaliated. He twisted his body, his fist driving toward her, but Layla was too fast. She ducked beneath his punch, her lithe form weaving around him with deadly precision.

The air crackled with each of her movements, the room filled with the smell of ozone as she launched another attack. Arata felt the sting of her strikes as they landed—small, sharp bursts of electricity that left him momentarily stunned. His muscles burned, his body struggling to keep up with her speed.

But Arata was no ordinary opponent. He had faced enemies faster than her before. Summoning the element of earth, he slammed his foot into the ground, causing the floor to ripple beneath them. Stone pillars shot up from the ground, aiming to trap Layla in their grasp, but she was quick, her body darting between the stone spikes with ease.

She leaped into the air, her form twisting as she somersaulted over one of the pillars, and with a snap of her fingers, lightning arced from her hands, crashing toward Arata. The bolt struck him square in the chest, sending him flying backward into the wall. His back hit the stone with a sickening thud, the impact knocking the wind out of him.

For a moment, everything was a blur, his vision swimming from the shock. But Arata was far from beaten. He dug his fingers into the ground, steadying himself as he pushed through the pain. His body surged with energy, the element of earth responding to his will. The floor beneath him cracked, the stone rising to form a barrier between him and Layla’s next attack.

The lightning hit the wall of stone, but it wasn’t enough to break through. Arata stood behind it, catching his breath, his mind racing. Layla’s speed was a problem, and her lightning strikes were relentless. He needed to find a way to slow her down, to gain the upper hand.

He grinned to himself, an idea forming in his mind.

He stepped out from behind the stone wall, his eyes locking onto Layla. “You know, you’re fast,” he admitted, rolling his shoulders as he prepared himself for the next round. “But I wonder—how well do you handle pressure?”

Layla’s eyes narrowed, her smile fading slightly. “What are you talking about?”

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Arata didn’t respond. Instead, he slammed his hands into the ground once more, his power surging through the earth beneath them. The ground trembled violently, the floor shifting and cracking as massive stone columns erupted around the room. But this time, they weren’t just aiming for Layla—they were closing in on her from all sides, creating a cage of stone that slowly constricted.

Layla’s eyes widened, realizing what he was doing. She moved quickly, darting between the pillars as they closed in, but the space was shrinking. Arata kept the pressure on, the stone columns moving faster, their jagged edges forcing Layla to stay on the defensive.

Her speed was impressive, but even she couldn’t keep it up forever. Her movements grew more frantic as the space around her dwindled, the room becoming more and more suffocating. Finally, she miscalculated, her foot catching on one of the stone spikes as she tried to leap over it.

It was all the opening Arata needed. He seized the moment, raising his hand toward the ceiling. With a roar, the stone above them groaned and buckled, and in an instant, a massive chunk of rock broke free, crashing down toward Layla.

She tried to dodge, but the weight of the rock was too much. It slammed into her, pinning her to the ground with a deafening crash. The air crackled with residual electricity, but her movements were slower now, her body struggling beneath the weight of the stone.

Arata approached, his eyes cold and calculating as he stood over her. “You fought well,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion. “But it’s over.”

Layla’s eyes blazed with defiance, even as her body lay trapped beneath the rock. She snarled, raising her hand in one last attempt to strike him with lightning. But Arata was faster this time. He grabbed her wrist, his grip like iron as he twisted her arm, forcing her to drop the attack.

“You’re strong,” she hissed, her voice strained. “But you haven’t seen anything yet.”

Arata raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her words. But before he could ask what she meant, the ground beneath them shook.

It wasn’t his doing this time.

A deep, rumbling laugh filled the room, and Arata turned to see Usman standing at the far end, his hands folded behind his back, a look of satisfaction on his face.

“I see you’ve bested two of my wives,” Usman said, his voice smooth and calm. “Impressive. But you’re not finished yet.”

Arata’s eyes narrowed. “I figured as much.”

Usman smirked, gesturing toward the last remaining woman. She stepped forward, her movements slow and deliberate, as if she had been waiting for this moment. Her name was Zahra, and there was something different about her—something that made Arata’s instincts flare with caution.

Zahra was tall, her long, dark hair flowing like a river of night behind her. Her eyes were a piercing green, and her presence filled the room with an overwhelming sense of power. Unlike Layla and Soraya, Zahra radiated an aura of confidence, as if she knew exactly how this battle would play out.

“I am Zahra,” she said, her voice soft but commanding. “The final challenge before you can reach my husband.”

Arata studied her carefully, sensing the raw power within her. She wasn’t just strong—she was dangerous. And there was no telling what her elemental ability might be.

“I don’t care what you throw at me,” Arata said, his tone firm. “I’ll defeat you just like I defeated the others.”

Zahra smiled, a chilling expression that sent a shiver down his spine. “We’ll see.”

She raised her hand, and for a moment, the room seemed to hold its breath. Then, with a flick of her wrist, the air around them grew heavy, the temperature dropping rapidly as frost began to form on the ground.

Arata’s eyes widened slightly as he realized what she was. She controlled ice—a powerful and dangerous element.

The air crackled with energy, and Arata knew this fight would be unlike any other. Zahra’s power wasn’t just about strength—it was about control, precision, and the ability to turn the environment against him.

As the room filled with an icy chill, Arata braced himself for the battle to come. His body tensed, his mind already racing through strategies to counter her abilities.

But one thing was certain: this was going to be a fight unlike any he had faced before.