The laughter faded a little too quickly.
It lingered in the air, hollow and uncertain, before dissolving into silence again.
Pooja didn't seem to notice—or care. She casually flicked her fingers, and the faint flames around her dimmed, disappearing as if they had never been there.
Raghav let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "So… what now?"
Imran immediately nodded. "Yeah, I mean—we cleared this round, right? That thing was definitely the boss."
"Not necessarily," Isha said calmly.
Everyone turned toward her.
She stepped forward slightly, her gaze scanning the area. "The energy here hasn't settled. If that was the boss, the system would've reacted by now."
Almost on cue—
A faint vibration ran through the ground.
Everyone froze.
"…You had to say that," Raghav muttered.
The air grew heavier, colder.
And then—
A low, dragging sound echoed from the darkness ahead.
Something was moving.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Pooja tilted her head slightly, a faint smile forming on her lips. "Good."
That single word made a few of them tense up again.
Imran swallowed. "Why are you happy about that…?"
Pooja didn't answer directly. Instead, a small spark ignited at her fingertips once more.
"Because this time," she said softly, almost amused,
"I won't hold back."
The dragging sound grew louder.
Closer.
Closer.
And then—
A massive shadow emerged from the darkness.
Unlike the previous enemy, this one didn't rush forward.
It stopped.
Watching them.
As if—
It was thinking.
Isha's expression sharpened slightly. "…This one is different."
Raghav took a step back. "Different how?"
Before she could answer—
The creature moved.
Not toward the group—
But straight toward Pooja.
Fast.
In an instant.
The ground cracked beneath its speed.
"POOJA!" Imran shouted.
But Pooja didn't move.
She simply raised her hand.
And smiled.
Flames erupted.
Not small.
Not controlled.
But overwhelming.
The entire space lit up in an instant as a wave of fire surged forward, colliding directly with the incoming creature.
The impact shook the ground.
Heat blasted outward, forcing everyone else to step back.
For a moment—
Everything disappeared in flames.
Silence followed.
Then—
The fire split apart.
The creature stood there.
Burning.
But not destroyed.
Its body slowly regenerated, charred flesh reforming before their eyes.
Raghav's voice trembled. "…You've got to be kidding me."
Pooja's smile widened.
"Oh," she said, her eyes gleaming with excitement,
"now this is interesting."
Isha stepped forward beside her.
"…Don't get reckless," she said quietly.
Pooja glanced at her, still smiling.
"I won't."
Another surge of flames ignited around her.
"But I'm definitely going all out."
The creature let out a deep, distorted growl.
And this time—
The entire battlefield trembled in response.
The real fight had just begun.