Eclipse of Fate

It was two months from the tournament when Ruhi spent most of her time in her room. She trained really hard, following Navrat's every instruction and pushing her body and mind to their limits. Navrat, on the other hand, did not just see her just doing her routine efforts. He had been working full-time to refine her body before the ritual that approached. While his soul was ready to take the impact of the fall, the body of Ruhi was not something to be taken lightly. It had to be tough enough to survive.He used rare herbs, strong medicine, and techniques from ancient times in order to give the body power. Each procedure was precise because they could be endangered by a simple mistake. Through experience and fastidiousness, Navrat proved that every polish brought her a step closer to the summit of physical endurance. Ruhi would not doubt the judgment of a man under immense pressure; rather, she persisted with unbreakable resolveeven through the stringent process.Meanwhile, Xia kept a vigilant eye on Ruhi,tracking her every move with an intensity thatwould have unsettled anyone. She nevernoticed Oni, though. The shadow movedunseen, threading through the defenses ofHeaven Sky Sect like a ghost. He was there forintelligence gathering, and what he gatheredmade him realize that Ashant's injuries hadactually caused the sect to postpone its invasionof the Eastern Sects. But now, the moment wasapproaching. The Heaven Sky Sect's forcesprepared themselves, getting their troops tomove.Quiet night. Soft Moonlight. Ruhi sat,motionless inside her room, wearing flowingrobes of black and purple. Their shine wasfeeble in light. Her eyes snapped open into aglow like nothing of the world. The radiantpurple exploded out in the air, punching a holeright through the sky. Two pairs of dark purplewings unfurled from her back, majestic andcommanding. Unlike Ruhi’s radiant white wings,which symbolized purity and grace, these wingsexuded an aura of control and power—a clearreflection of Navrat’s dominance.With one powerful flap of its wings, she roseinto the night sky. A sonic boom echoed as shevanished into the darkness, headed towardsome unknown destination.The Heaven Sky Sect's army had decided to calla halt to their march for the day. They lay wellout of the capital city, lost in the heart of a greatmountain range that marked the edge of theEastern Sects. Thousands of soldiers under thecommand of Ashant and his nine generals, aswell as three intermediate immortal-stateelders, had camped around the valley coveredwith denseness of forest. The night was silentlywitnessing all this, except for a few rustling ofleaves and the far-off howls of wild beasts.Lines of tents spread across the valley floor, litby sparsely spread campfires. Soldiers sat ingroups, devouring their meals and boisterouslaughter. Others stood on guard, indistinct inthe darkness against the trees. Some of thelucky few slept, snoring into the night soundsaround them. It was a heavy, exhausted air thatseemed to have equal parts expectation: theyknew what they had to do: take the East forthemselves.Inside the biggest tent in the middle of thecamp, Ashant and his assistant Criax weresupposed to be running operations. Instead,their attention was riveted to a group of slavesworking near the cooking area. These wereelven women, delicate features and gracecontrasting with the rough and chaotic camp.Their hair shone with firelight, and theirexpressions revealed deep despair. Every movethey made was slow and calculated, as if a singlemiscalculation might provoke vicious reprisal.Ashant's lips curled into a lecherous grin as heleaned in toward Criax. "Look at them," he said,his voice low and dripping with cruelamusement. "Such fine creatures. It's almost awaste to leave them working here."Criax chuckled darkly, his eyes lingering on oneparticular elf with emerald-green eyes."Perhaps they need a change of scenery, mylord. A… hunting trip, maybe?"Ashant's grin widened, his eyes gleaming withsadistic delight. Rising from his seat, hemotioned toward two of the elves. "You two,"he commanded sharply, his tone devoid ofempathy. "Come here."The chosen elves froze, hands shaking as theyset down the pots they carried. They looked ateach other in terror and slowly approachedAshant, their steps hesitant and full of fear.They knew what was waiting for them, butdefiance was not an option. They had seenothers resist, and the consequences wereetched into their minds.“We’re going on a little trip into the forest,”Ashant said mockingly, his tone dripping withfalse cheer. “Consider it a break from your usualwork.”The women’s faces paled, but they bowed theirheads in silent submission. They followedAshant and Criax into the shadowy woods, theirhearts pounding with fear.Above the valley, two figures stood there,shrouded in darkness. Each sat on a mountainpeak overlooking the camp. Their forms werealmost indistinguishable from the surroundingshadows, but sometimes the faint glow ofmoonlight revealed their sharp, otherworldlyfeatures. They were Oni and Ahoshin, Navrat'sloyal summonings, their presence as unsettlingas it was silent. Ahoshin’s gaze swept over the camp below, hisexpression cold and calculating. Throughtelepathic communication, Oni’s voiceresonated in his mind. “Master is approaching.Prepare to initiate the plan.”Far above the clouds, the faint purpleglimmered against a starry night sky. Not to anuntrained eye, it is just an especially bright starin the sky; however, movement, slow anddeliberate, points to something very muchmore significant. It becomes brighter with everypassing moment while steadily descending.Back in the camp, the soldiers remainedignorant of the danger surrounding them.Laughter and crude jokes filled the air as themen reveled in fantasies of wealth and power.Some boasted about the treasures they wouldclaim once the Eastern lands were conquered,while others bragged about the women theywould take as spoils of war. Greed and lustclouded their minds, leaving them blind to theperil that loomed above. As the purple glow in the sky drew near, Oni and Ahoshin began to prepare. The air around them thickened, becoming heavy with an oppressiveenergy that seemed to hum with unnaturalfrequency. Forbidden Art: Point Zero was noordinary technique. It was forbidden technique,even feared among the most audaciouspractitioners. Execution required absoluteprecision, for one misstep would annihilate theuser's very existence. But for Oni and Ahoshin,defeat was not in their vocabulary.Ahoshin's hands moved with intricate patterns;symbols glowed faintly before disappearing intothe night. The voice of Oni reverberated in theancient tongue that seemed to be carryingunnatural weight, echoing through mountains.Energy gathered around them; it formed abarrier invisible yet started to grow, expandingthroughout the valley within its reach.Within seconds, the method began to work. The earliest signs of its impact were faint. Menpaused mid-chew, their eyes glazing over as iflost in thought. Then, like a wave through thecamp, the illusions began. Each man's deepestdesires materialized before them, so vivid andtangible that they could no longer distinguishfantasy from reality.One man imagined himself sitting on a goldenthrone, piles of glittering treasure surroundinghim. Another thought he was lying in the armsof countless women whose laughter and touchintoxicates. Others dreamed that they wereunassailable warriors whose enemies hadbowed to their will. The camp resounded soonwith sounds of merriment and debauchery—laughter, cheers, and mumbling promises ofexcess.Ashant and Criax were not excluded. In theirheads, the two elven women they had draggedinto the woods became willing participants,their fear replaced by sweet smiles. Ashant'sbreathing was heavy as he reached out to touch one of the illusions, his face contorted withtwisted desire. Criax's expression was similar tohis, consumed by the fabricated reality.Illusions extended beyond mere visuals. Theyengaged all the senses, making it unbearablyreal. The rustle of silk, the scent of perfume, thewarmth of a touch-all of them felt genuine.Even the imagined moans and cries of elvenwomen echoed through the forest, furtherdeepening the delusion.The rest of the soldiers had their reflexes dulledand thoughts slowed by the barrier. Some ofthem wandered around aimlessly, clutching atempty air as they chased after theirmanufactured dreams. Those who tried to resistwere stuck in a never-ending cycle oftemptation and could not break free.From their vantage, Oni and Ahoshin saw thewhole melee with icy satisfaction. Thetechnique called for a focus of such tenacitythat strain creased the surfaces of their breaths,making sweat beaded on their brows. Theystayed firm because a slip of focus could upseteverything. Above them, the purple light descendedfurther, now a blazing beacon against the nightsky. As it approached, its form began to takeshape. It was no mere light—it was Navrat, hispresence commanding and unyielding. But tothose below, still ensnared in their illusions, itwas nothing more than a distant star.The Forbidden Art: Point Zero had done itswork. The Heaven Sky Sect's army was nowrendered helpless, their darkest desires laidbare. And amidst the chaos, Navrat prepared tomake his move.Navrat looked at the crowd lost in their desires,his blank eyes running across the mayhem.Ruhi, sharing his body, was filled with disgust atthe view before her. Her revulsion deepened asshe gazed upon Criax, her brother, wallowing inhis morbid fantasies. She could feel angerboiling inside her, but she was able to quell it byholding onto Navrat's steady composure.Taking a deep breath, Navrat started tocirculate his energy. It was time to end this. Hiseyes glowed with a radiant purple light as herecalled his grueling training with Nezu in thefoldable space—a dimension capable of curvingtime, amplifying it within to allow years oftraining to pass in a fraction of the outsideworld's time.In the foldable space, Navrat was still a boy butalready determined and driven. He stoodopposite Nezu, in the ethereal landscape, thickwith an oppressive aura of battles that hadshaped this place. The sparring sessions wererelentless, each more challenging than the last,as Nezu pushed Navrat to refine his techniquesand, more importantly, his understanding ofcombat.On one such day, after a particularly intensesession, Nezu leaned back against a large stoneand observed Navrat's youthful enthusiasm.The boy's energy was unrelenting as hepracticed seals, blending techniques with aspeed and precision that belied his age."Navrat," Nezu asked suddenly, his tone calmyet probing, "what would you do if someoneyou loved betrayed you?"The question surprised him, but he answered itso quickly that his voice seemed steady. "Iwould find the root of the problem and destroythem one by one."Nezu's face transformed into an inquisitiveexpression. "So, you would seek revenge, evenif it means ripping apart more lives and invitinggreater hatred?""Yes," replied Navrat firmly. "I will do whateverit takes to protect the people I care about."A faint, enigmatic smile played on Nezu's lips."Interesting," he murmured before motioningfor Navrat to continue his practice.Back in the present, Navrat stood in the middleof the mess, his eyes piercing and unyielding.The earth shook beneath him as his powerwelled up, rippling outward like a tidal wave. Hishands moved with inhuman speed, formingseals so intricate that they left afterimages inthe air."Vicral Sword Technique," he whispered, hisvoice carrying an undeniable weight.In a flash, swords of light materialized aroundhim, each blade shining with an ethereal glow.They hovered protectively, spinning insynchronized harmony like celestial guardians.Each sword radiated fierce energy, their edgesglinting with a razor-sharp brilliance.Navrat didn't pause. His fingers continued theirrelentless dance, forming another complexsequence of seals."Serinal God Halo."Above the battlefield, a brilliant pure-energyring of light suddenly burst into existence,engulfing the entire valley. The brillianceemanating from this halo cut through thedarkness looming in every shadowy corner"Thousand Dancing Swords.The halo pulsed and released an unremittingstorm of blades. Thousands of swords were inthe air, each being a manifestation of Navrat'swill and precision. They floated for a little while,the gleaming surfaces mirroring thepandemonium down below, and thendescended together in a unified onslaught. Theblades moved with ease and swiftness, a deadlysymphony in motion.But Navrat wasn't done. His energy surgedagain, darker and more ominous than before.His voice, steady and calm, echoed across thevalley.Heaven's Domain: Fifth Fold—Eternal Death."A faint halo seemed to darken. It was filled witha growing evil energy seeping into the center ofits divine ring, where holy brightness onceresided and was now taint of wickedness. All ofthis combined formed a devastating techniquecapable of plunging an entire army into chaos.Navrat had aptly named it "Hellflare's DeathRing."The slaves and captives, who had not been hurtby the violence, sat in speechless horror as thehordes of swords destroyed everything on itsway. The camp, once a hub of cruel activities,was reduced to nothing but a graveyard of ashand broken earth. The swords go forward witha terrifying precision, sparing the innocentwhile leaving no trace of the oppressors.Four generals fell immediately, their bodiesdisintegrated before they could comprehendtheir end. The other five staggered, their once-formidable strength reduced to mere whispers.Ashant and Criax, though quicker than the rest,were left bleeding and broken, their powerdrained to the brink.Criax, his side bleeding, limped away from themelee. He stammered oaths under his breath,his assurance broken. Everything hurt from hiswounds; still, he found himself driven to surviveby a beastly desire to live."Master Ashant!" he called weakly, hoping torally back to the command. However, as hemoved, a figure coalesced out of the haze—alean figure shrouded in darkness.Criax froze. He couldn't even breathe anymore.The figure drew closer. Under the light of themoon, he noticed that her face was covered bya mysterious mask. His heart ran as he slowlyrecognized who this woman was."You. You are the girl who fought Ashant in thefinal round!" Criax exclaimed. His voicequivered. "How—how could you do this? Whoare you?The figure said nothing at first, her presenceradiating menace. Then, with deliberateslowness, she removed her mask, revealing aneerily familiar face.“So you don’t remember me Brother,” she said,her tone devoid of warmth.Criax’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Ruhi. Thiscan’t be. You—”“Why?” she interrupted, her voice cuttingthrough the night like a blade. “Why did youbetray us?”Criax laughed maniacally, his sanity slippingfurther with each word. "Betray you? You thinkI'd die like Father? Like those useless creatures?They were weak! Trash! They deserved to rot inthe dirt!"Ruhi's expression hardened, her disgustpalpable. Without hesitation, she raised herhand. A flash of white light erupted, and in aninstant, Criax's head rolled to the ground. Shelooked skyward, her voice trembling withemotion.Mother. Father. I couldn't protect you, but Ihope you're at peace now."She steadied her strength for a moment andspoke in a low whisper, "Navrat, take over. Thisbody is yours."Navrat's energy gathered forward, and his voicesounded steady. "You've grown stronger, Ruhi.They would be proud of you." Saying this, hedisappeared into the mist and moved towardsthe next target.Ashant regrouped with the five survivinggenerals, their bodies battered and bruised.They braced themselves as a figure emergedfrom the shadows, wielding a greatsword thatshimmered with deadly intent.It was Ahoshin, her monstrous smile revealingher eagerness to fight. “Shall we begin?” shesaid, her voice cold and taunting.Meanwhile, two of the elders had found eachother, and now, they were to join forces, but awoman cloaked in a purple aura stood betweenthem and her mask was hiding her face. Shealone stepped forward from behind it as ifpower would burst out of her.The last elder, in his efforts to find his brothers,was confronted by yet another figure, Oni,whose swirling dark energy sent a chill throughthe air. "Good sirs," he said mockingly, "howabout I entertain you tonight?The two elders, empty of their task, facedNavrat, with the combined power of bothemitters exuding an oppressive pressure thatseemed to press down the air itself. Navratmaintained a calm look in his eyes as he setDemonic Art: Blood Lust into motion, and hisaura gained strength, magnifying his strengthand velocity to superhuman levels.The elders struck first, their movementsperfectly coordinated. The first elder hurled acolossal wave of crimson fire toward Navrat,roaring like a living inferno. The second eldersimultaneously conjured jagged spears of ice,which rained down from above in a deadlybarrage. Navrat moved with uncanny precision,activating Shadow Step to weave through theonslaught with fluid, almostetherealmovements. His hands formed rapid seals as hecountered."Particle Disintegration!" he declared,unleashing a concentrated beam of energy. Thebeam struck the fire wave and ice spears,exploding into a deafening blast that shook theground and sent both elders sliding backward.Before they could recover, Navrat pressed theattack. "Calamity Art: Origin of Destruction!" heroared. A tidal wave of dark, pulsating energyerupted from him, sweeping across thebattlefield like a tidal wave. The raw destructiveforce forced the elders to erect hasty barriers.Their defenses held, but the strain was evidentas they staggered under the sheer magnitude ofthe attack.Taking an opportunity, one of the old menclosed the distance with blinding speed andbegan to engage Navrat in close combat. Theclash was savage, each blow a calculated try toexploit openings. Navrat parried and counteredwith precision that was almost mechanical in itsefficiency. Meanwhile, the second elder flankedNavrat, planning to seize the advantage byexploiting his divided attention.But Navrat was ready for the trick. With a swiftmovement, he launched Heaven's Domain andits folds in succession."First Fold: Infernal Flames!" Black fire ragedover the battlefield and the elders could notconcentrate fully to put it out."Second Fold: Prison of Ice!" A frigid auracovered the battlefield as a cage of ice that noone could break into formed around one elder,confining him within its crystal prison."Third Fold: Wind Sphere!" A violent vortex ofslicing winds enveloped the second elder, itsrazor-sharp currents shredding through hisdefenses and leaving him vulnerable.Navrat's voice darkened as he unleashed thefinal fold. "Fifth Fold: Eternal Death."The battlefield was consumed by a suffocatingdarkness that seemed to devour light andsound. The two elders, with their immensepowers, were unable to withstand theoverpowering force. The crushing weight of thetechnique bore down on them, breakingthrough their defenses and leaving themvulnerable. Their screams echoed briefly beforebeing swallowed by the abyssal void.As the darkness receded, Navrat stood amidstthe destruction, his aura steady andunwavering. The two elders lay defeated, theironce-mighty forms reduced to lifeless husks.Navrat's expression remained emotionless ashe surveyed the aftermathAmoung the devastation of war, Navrat stood in the middle of chaos. Ground cracked and charred under his feet as the barrier's energy coalesced into a pulsating ball, which released blinding brilliance illuminating the valley, which was drenched in red blood. He breathed deeply; inside, he could still be seen, though outwardly calm, and whispered to himself, "Time to break through.".Summoning his loyal shadows, he gave them a clear command. "Protect this body at all costs." The shadows, silent yet deadly, materialized around him, their presence imposing. Navrat seated himself on a jagged stone, the radiant orb hovering before him like a sun condensed into a single point.Turning his attention inward, he spoke softly to Ruhi, his voice steady with determination.“Brace yourself, Ruhi. This will not be easy, butwe’ve endured worse. Together, we’ll emergestronger.”Ruhi’s voice, though strained, echoed withinhim. “I trust you. Let’s do this.”The painful process began. The orb’s energysurged, enveloping Navrat and Ruhi’s sharedbody in a blinding cocoon of light. The energycoursed through them, refining their forms atan excruciating pace. The barrier warped time,stretching it so that what felt like a year withinwas barely a month outside. Every second wasagony, their bodies reshaped and their soulsreforged by the relentless energy.One day, the light grew dim, and the energy thatwas sustaining the barrier dissipated. Navratslowly opened his eyes, serene, composed, anaura of enormous power emanating from him.He could feel the boundless energy flowingwithin him, each beat resonating in newfoundstrength.He looked to Ruhi whose soul now shimmeredwith an immortal light. Despite her injury, shewas steady on her feet, no longer faint butperfected to an impossible level. "Ruhi," Navratdeclared proudly, "You've been quite thedistance."Ruhi nodded steadily. She had come, after all.And so have you. Finish what we began.Navrat extended his control over her body, andan intense, radiant aura burst forth. The sheerpressure of his presence was unimaginable,shaking the very air around them. Two shadowsapproached, bowing deeply. "Congratulations,Master," they said in unison, their voices tingedwith reverence.Navrat regarded them with a rare smile. "Itseems you two have evolved as well."Oni, always elegant, answered, "Our genes areattached to yours. As you become stronger, soshall we." And with that, they disappeared intoNavrat's realm, remaining loyal.Navrat stood up from the ground. His stepsmade him defy gravity. Walking on air—a gift ofimmortals—he was scanning the battle field. Hedirected his gaze in a far direction, his voicechallenging the invisible. "Death Valley, huh?Let's see what you have.He suddenly felt a strong presence approaching.A sly smile played on his lips as he condensed apurple orb in his palm. Spreading his wings, heaccelerated with newfound speed, vanishinginto the horizon without a trace, his energysignature entirely erased.Five minutes later, an outline appeared alongthe edge of the valley. Xia looked at the scenebefore her framed by the blood-red remnantsof the battlefield, her silhouette etched eerilyagainst the light, bone-white skeletonsscattered on the ground, a grim testimony tothe carnage that had unsealed itself. Her eyesnarrowed into suspicion as she scanned thearea."Did she do this?" she muttered to herself,incredulity creeping into her voice. Her eyessettled on the solitary purple orb lying amidstthe debris. She reached for it hesitantly, and itexploded softly with a small pop.A well-known voice echoed in her mind. "Xia, Ihope things are going okay. I know you havemany questions that I will answer you when thetime comes. But for now, do not try to followme. I shall meet you and Zanith soon. Yourfriend, Navrat."Tears welled in Xia's eyes, rolling down hercheeks as she clenched the now-empty space inher hands. "Damn you, bastard," shewhispered, her voice trembling. "So you'rereally alive. You better finish whatever you'redoing quickly."273With a deep breath, Xia composed herself.Determination replaced her sorrow as sheturned away from the battlefield. "Zanith needsto know." She vanished into the night, her pathset.Far Away In an ancient, ruined chamber, a figurelay reclining on a throne of stone. The air washeavy with malice; his aura was oppressive. Aninformer knelt before him, quaking as hedelivered the word.The figure's eyes flashed with cruel amusement."So, that old bastard finally made his play." Hisvoice dripped with venom. "Find that boy andkill him at any cost.A cold smile spread across his face as he spokea name, his voice dripping with venom. "Waitfor it, Rudra Dev. I'll take everything from you."On the other side a realm of nothingness—aplace not touched by existence—had an ancientfigure sitting in front of a glowing board whose274pieces were akin to an advanced version ofchess. He moved a piece with his steady hand,and faint ripples spread across the emptyexpanse.A young man emerged from the darkness. Hisvoice was tinged with irritation. "How muchlonger do you intend to keep me in the dark?I've done everything you asked. Killed my ownbrother! It has been two hundred years, andstill, you give me no answers!"The ancient figure smiled softly. He neverlooked up from the board. "Killed him? Really?Do you really think so?The young man stumbled, confusion marring hisface. "He fell that night. He didn't even fightback. Why? He was strong-strong enough todestroy all of us if he wanted to. But he didn't.And then the figure looked up, his eyes sopiercing they seemed to cut through theemptiness. "Exactly. He didn't fight back275because he didn't want to. Even suppressed by my ring, not even an immortal-state fighter could have stopped him if he wanted to escape. You didn't kill him. He let it happen because he couldn't bring himself to kill you.The young man clenched his fists as the weight of the words settled over him. His voice shook with suppressed anger. "Then why? Why would he let himself fall?The faint smile of the figure returned, a shadow of something far deeper. "All in due time, Akansh. Trust me when I say, everything is part of the game. Either we win it all, or we lose everything. Be patient. Your answers will come when the time is right.