The Grand Colosseum erupted into absolute chaos. As the gong echoed through the stadium, forty-six elite students charged simultaneously at the center of the arena. Weapons clashed, and a rainbow of Pran energy lit up the sky.
Kanha swung his massive iron staff, sweeping three students off their feet. Sambhab fired bursts of concentrated Blue Flames, keeping the frontline at bay. Karma stood as the ultimate shield, his dark wooden sword moving in a flawless, high-speed blur to deflect any projectile aimed at Daizy.
But from the corner of his eye, Karma missed one single detail.
Vikram, the arrogant leader of Crimson Peak Academy, was not running with the mob. He was walking slowly. A dark, sinister smile spread across his face as his red aura suddenly turned pale and translucent.
He activated his 3rd Chakra Signature Ability: Phantom Form.
"Watch out, Kanha!" Sambhab yelled as Vikram casually walked straight toward them.
Kanha roared and swung his heavy staff directly at Vikram's head. But a horrifying thing happened. The solid iron staff didn't hit flesh. It passed completely through Vikram's head, as if he were made of mist.
"What the—" Kanha gasped, losing his balance.
Before anyone could react, Vikram slipped effortlessly through the tight defensive formation like a ghost. He solidified his hand just as he reached the center, grabbing Daizy roughly by the collar of her uniform.
"Gotcha, little bird," Vikram sneered.
With a powerful leap fueled by his 2nd Chakra physical strength, Vikram jumped high into the air, completely clearing the mob of fighting students. He landed near the far edge of the arena, violently throwing Daizy onto the hard dirt.
[Flashback: Two Days Ago]
In the dark, luxurious corridors of the VIP Dormitories, Sera stood with her arms crossed. Standing in front of her was Vikram, holding a heavy pouch of expensive Pran crystals she had just paid him.
"Your mission is simple," Sera commanded, her purple eyes glowing with malice. "During the Battle Royale, isolate the boy with the teal aura. Karma. I want you to beat him. Break his bones, crush his pride, and bring him to my feet. But listen to me carefully... do not kill him. He is mine."
Vikram smirked, tossing the pouch of crystals into the air and catching it. "Easy money, princess. My Phantom Form makes me untouchable. But what if that little green healer gets in the way? The girl."
Sera fell completely silent. A dark, ugly shadow of jealousy crossed her beautiful face. She thought about Daizy, the step-sister who was always holding Karma's hand. The girl who dared to stand beside the storm.
For a long moment, Sera didn't say a word. Finally, she turned her back to Vikram.
"The healer..." Sera said coldly. "Just let her be. My business is only with him."
[End of Flashback]
Back in the arena, Vikram stood over a terrified Daizy. He remembered Sera's orders to spare the girl. But then he remembered the courtyard. He remembered Karma grabbing his wrist, completely crushing his pride in front of everyone.
"Sera told me to just let you go," Vikram hissed, pulling out a jagged, wicked-looking dagger from his belt. "But your little boyfriend humiliated me today. He thinks he's a hero. So, I am going to break his mind before I break his body!"
Daizy scrambled backward, her hands glowing with pale green healing energy. "Stay away!"
Vikram lunged. He was merciless. With a brutal, lightning-fast strike, he plunged the jagged dagger straight into the side of Daizy's neck.
A fountain of dark red blood sprayed onto the dry dirt.
The stadium gasped in sheer horror.
Daizy let out a choked, breathless gasp, her eyes widening in agony. But her instincts as a 2nd Chakra Healer immediately took over. Her brilliant green aura violently flared. She pressed her glowing hands against her own neck, forcing her cellular regeneration to work at maximum capacity. The fatal bleeding slowed down, the wound desperately trying to knit itself back together.
But Vikram didn't stop. He laughed cruelly. "Let's see how much you can heal!"
He delivered a brutal, Pran-infused kick directly to her ribs. Daizy was launched across the dirt. Before she could even process the pain, Vikram was on top of her again, striking her mercilessly. She tried to maintain her healing barrier, but the sheer trauma was too much. Her green aura flickered, sputtered, and finally died out.
Daizy collapsed onto the ground, completely unconscious, her body battered and bleeding heavily into the dust.
"DAIZY!"
A roar of pure, unadulterated agony ripped through the arena.
Karma had seen it all. The calm, composed storm inside his chest instantly turned into a violent hurricane. His teal eyes practically glowed with blinding rage. Leaving Kanha and Sambhab to fend off the remaining attackers, Karma exploded forward, shattering the ground beneath his boots as he sprinted toward Vikram at god-like speed.
High up in the VIP Box, Principal Vardhan slammed both of his massive fists onto the stone railing. The marble cracked under his sheer fury.
"This is an outrage!" Vardhan roared, his terrifying aura flaring as he glared at the Principal of Crimson Peak Academy sitting beside him. "Killing is strictly forbidden in this tournament! Your student just slit a girl's throat!"
The Crimson Peak Principal casually took a sip from his teacup, a smug, irritating smile on his face. "Calm yourself, Vardhan. Look closely. She is a healer. She sealed the fatal artery before she passed out. She is not dead, merely unconscious. Brutal? Yes. But is it against the rules? Absolutely not."
Vardhan gritted his teeth, his massive chest heaving. He looked down at Daizy's unmoving, bleeding body. He didn't care about the rules or the pride of Vedas Heritage. To him, his students were his children.
"I am stopping the match," Vardhan declared, raising his hand toward the surrender bell to forfeit the round and send in the medical team.
"Stop."
A cold, slender hand grabbed Principal Vardhan's thick wrist.
Vardhan turned in shock to see Sera stepping out from the shadows of the VIP box. Her purple eyes were fixed on the arena below, completely devoid of empathy.
"Sera? Let go of me. Your own sister is bleeding out down there!" Vardhan barked.
"She is weak. Weakness has a price," Sera replied, her voice chillingly calm. She didn't even look at Daizy; her eyes were locked entirely on Karma. "Do not ring that bell, Principal. Do not interfere. Look at him. Look at the rage. This is how true diamonds are forged under pressure. Let the boy fight."
Vardhan hesitated, disturbed by the sheer darkness in the top student's eyes.
Down in the arena, Karma closed the distance. He swung his dark wooden sword with everything he had. The Storm Hand Style created a massive, razor-sharp wave of teal energy aimed directly at Vikram's chest.
"Die!" Karma screamed.
Vikram just smirked. He didn't block. He didn't dodge. He just stood there.
SWISH.
Karma's powerful slash passed completely through Vikram's torso, hitting nothing but empty air. The teal energy wave continued past him, crashing into the arena wall.
Karma's eyes widened in shock. His momentum carried him forward, leaving him wide open.
Vikram instantly solidified his fist, coating it in dense red Pran, and slammed a devastating uppercut into Karma's jaw.
Karma was thrown backward, tasting blood. He quickly recovered, flipping onto his feet, and launched a relentless flurry of attacks. Punches, kicks, and sword strikes rained down on Vikram at impossible speeds.
But it was completely useless.
Swish. Swish. Swish.
Every single attack phased right through Vikram's ghostly body. But whenever Vikram wanted to strike, he would instantly solidify just his fist, or just his foot, delivering brutal, bone-crushing blows to Karma.
"What's wrong, Rank 1?" Vikram laughed wildly, landing a heavy kick to Karma's injured ribs. Karma coughed up blood, falling to one knee. "You look so fast, but you can't even touch me! You're just a helpless little boy watching his girlfriend bleed out!"
Karma wiped the blood from his mouth, panting heavily. His body was taking massive damage. He looked past Vikram, seeing Daizy lying completely still in the dirt.
He couldn't touch his enemy. His speed was useless against a ghost.