The forest had become a battlefield of fire and poisonous gases.
Smoke drifted between the towering trees as two warriors stood facing one another.
Neither was willing to admit defeat.
Kamali pressed a hand against her stomach where Aishwarya's previous punch had landed. The pain was still there, reminding her that she had underestimated her opponent.
Across from her, Aishwarya slowly steadied her breathing.
Her right hand remained injured, forcing her to rely solely on her left.
The same was true for Kamali.
For a few moments, silence hung over the battlefield.
Then Aishwarya smiled.
"Your CO₂ Dome is an incredible technique."
Kamali remained expressionless.
"But it has one weakness."
She pointed toward the invisible dome.
"It's a double-edged sword."
"It suffocates me..."
"...but it suffocates you as well."
Kamali didn't deny it.
Instead, she calmly assumed her fighting stance.
"Even if that's true..."
Her eyes sharpened.
"...it doesn't mean you can defeat me."
Aishwarya also raised her guard.
"I know."
She smiled to herself.
"Senior Harshita's advice worked once, but I can't expect the same trick to succeed twice." She thought.
Kamali slowly raised her head.
"Aishwarya."
Her voice was calm.
"Let's finish this."
"No more tricks."
"No more analysis."
She clenched her left fist.
"Let's decide everything with our own strength."
Aishwarya nodded.
"That's fine."
She smiled confidently.
"Although..."
She admitted honestly,
"You still have two advantages."
Kamali raised an eyebrow.
"You have far more combat experience than I do."
"And..."
She laughed lightly.
"You can hold your breath much longer than I can."
Kamali smirked.
"What?"
"Are you scared now?"
Aishwarya's smile only widened.
"No."
She tightened her fists.
"I'm excited. Because defeating someone stronger than me..."
Determination filled her eyes.
"...is much more satisfying."
Kamali gritted her teeth.
"Don't get carried away!"
Yellow Prāṇa erupted around her.
She thrust her left hand forward.
"HCL Splash!"
A stream of corrosive yellow gas shot toward Aishwarya.
Without hesitation—
Aishwarya responded.
"Flame Balls!"
Several blazing spheres burst from her hand.
The attacks collided.
BOOOOM!
A violent explosion shook the forest.
Smoke engulfed the battlefield.
Out of the smoke—
Kamali appeared first.
"Ammonia Torch!"
A dense stream of irritating gas surged toward Aishwarya.
"Fire Apex!"
A blazing wall erupted before her.
The two attacks collided.
Another explosion echoed across the forest.
The smoke had barely cleared when—
Aishwarya dashed straight through it.
"Take this!"
Her left fist ignited with blazing fire.
"Flame Impact!"
Kamali remained perfectly calm.
"CO₂ Dome."
The invisible dome expanded instantly.
The flames surrounding Aishwarya's fist disappeared the moment she entered.
But—
She kept charging.
Kamali caught the punch with her left hand.
Then kicked Aishwarya square in the stomach.
THUD!
Aishwarya was thrown backward.
She rolled across the ground before quickly getting back to her feet.
Without hesitation, she retreated outside the invisible dome.
Fresh air filled her lungs again.
"What happened?" I thought you wanted to defeat me." Kamali smiled confidently. "Are you scared now?"
Aishwarya ignored the provocation.
Instead—
She slammed her fist into the ground.
"Infernal Eruption!"
Silence.
Nothing happened.
Not even a spark.
Kamali laughed.
"Didn't I already tell you?"
"As long as the CO₂ Dome exists..."
"...fire can't appear inside it."
Aishwarya said nothing.
She punched the ground again.
"Infernal Eruption!"
Still nothing.
Again.
"Infernal Eruption!"
Again.
"Infernal Eruption!"
Again.
Again.
Again.
Her fist repeatedly struck the earth.
BOOM!
"Infernal Eruption!"
BOOM!
"Infernal Eruption!"
BOOM!
Her knuckles began bleeding.
Yet she refused to stop.
Kamali folded her arms.
"I understand now."
She smiled knowingly.
"You're just trying to stall."
Aishwarya ignored her.
Another punch.
"Infernal Eruption!"
Kamali continued speaking.
"You think I'll eventually run out of breath."
She laughed.
"But you're mistaken."
"I only need to deactivate my technique for a second..."
"...take one breath..."
"...and activate it again."
She shrugged.
"It barely takes two seconds."
Aishwarya continued punching.
Her blood stained the ground.
"Infernal Eruption!"
Kamali slowly walked toward her.
"And while I move closer..."
"...you'll eventually be forced back inside my dome."
She smiled victoriously.
"No matter what happens..."
"I win."
Still—
Aishwarya never stopped.
Another punch.
"Infernal Eruption!"
Another.
"Infernal Eruption!"
Another.
The earth suddenly trembled.
Kamali frowned.
"...What?"
A loud cracking sound echoed beneath her feet.
CRACK...
The ground grew unbearably hot.
Tiny fissures spread across the earth.
Kamali immediately jumped backward.
"What is this?"
Her expression changed.
The heat continued rising.
More cracks appeared.
The ground beneath her feet looked ready to collapse.
Aishwarya slowly smiled.
"You thought..."
She wiped the blood from her hand.
"...I was trying to attack you."
Kamali stared at her.
"You weren't?"
Aishwarya shook her head.
"I was never trying to erupt flames."
She pointed toward the cracked earth.
"I was storing them."
Kamali's pupils shrank.
"What?"
"I continuously injected fire beneath the ground."
Aishwarya explained calmly.
"The intense heat melted the rock below."
"It has already become molten lava."
Silence.
Kamali looked beneath her feet.
Her face turned pale.
"...Impossible."
Aishwarya smiled.
"You are standing directly above a layer of molten rock. If you move carelessly, the weakened ground will collapse and you'll fall straight into it."
Kamali froze.
For the first time—
She felt trapped.
Her mind raced.
"If I stay inside the dome, I'll eventually run out of breath. If I move, The ground might collapse."
She clenched her fists.
"There's only one option. Deactivate the dome and take one breath then jump away immediately."
She took a deep breath.
"...Let's do it."
The invisible dome disappeared.
Fresh air rushed into the battlefield.
Kamali inhaled deeply.
Then—
She leaped away with all her strength.
"I'm out!"
She smiled triumphantly.
But—
While still in midair—
She looked down.
The ground hadn't collapsed.
Not even a little.
It remained completely intact.
"...What?"
Confusion spread across her face.
Aishwarya smiled.
"You walked right into my trap."
Kamali's heart skipped a beat.
"What trap?"
Only then did she notice—
Dozens of blazing fireballs had already been floating silently around her.
Hidden by the smoke.
She had jumped directly into their center.
Her eyes widened in horror.
"No..."
Aishwarya stretched out her hand.
Her eyes shone with confidence.
"Flame Ball Barrage!"
Every fireball shot toward Kamali from every direction at once.
She had nowhere to dodge.
Nowhere to escape.
The forest erupted.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A deafening explosion consumed the entire battlefield.
Flames roared into the sky.
Smoke rolled through the trees like a raging storm.
For several long moments...
Nothing could be seen within the inferno.
TO BE CONTINUED…