26. You are—

"Ahhhhh... Wahhhhhh..."

A monstrous roar echoed across the barren land, carrying with it an overwhelmingly destructive force. The ground surrounding Sid cracked violently, with deep crevices opening up in every direction.

Within a 500-meter radius, everything was reduced to dust, leaving only cracked earth in its wake.

"What now?" Miss Riya glanced back, bewildered by the sight.

"It's like a small catastrophe! Let's go!" Rudra's breathing was heavy, still traumatized by the events leading up to the present.

"Roar..."

The roar sounded again, this time more beastly. The vibration of the voice caused the air to hum, shattering the eardrums of anyone within range.

Whistle...

Destructive winds followed, whirling at a rapid pace and creating a sharp, piercing sound.

"Ahhhh..." Rudra suddenly screamed in pain, tumbling to the ground. He looked back in horror, only to see a monstrous figure materialize behind him.

.....

It was no longer human.

The chaotic aura surrounding Sid distorted his image to an extreme, making it impossible to distinguish his figure clearly. Aura wings stretched out endlessly, blending with the atmosphere, their reach seemingly infinite.

The roar, now heavily distorted by the chaotic aura, sounded ominous and unnerving.

This was no human. It was something far more sinister—a true monster.

Sid raised his hand, stretching out his fingers into sharp claws. With incredible speed, he swung his arm, the tips of his fingers slicing through the wind as they moved.

Sid's claws slashed across the bald man's shoulders, carving deep, bloody gashes that left them crippled. His hand didn't pause after the initial attack; it continued with relentless force, moving as if driven by an uncontrollable impulse. The hand swung back, striking Sid himself with brutal impact, causing his arm to flail uncontrollably.

But there was no reaction, which only heightened Rudra's terror. The hand moved again, this time in the opposite direction, slapping him away as it struck Sid once more.

Sid stood up, his hand recoiling back to its original position.

"It's like some f*cking mindless machine, killing indiscriminately without any care for injuries. And that extremely unnatural flexibility... Are we even dealing with a human?" Miss Riya exclaimed, picking up Rudra, who had been thrown aside, and fleeing once again.

"Cough... I can't pinpoint the enemy's aura, it's all over the place. Can't use my ability. Dammit, it's the worst kind of enemy. Cough... cough..." Rudra croaked weakly, his voice almost apologetic.

"Shut up! I can see that, dammit! Come on, the car is just up ahead." She urged, eyeing the car that had been tossed around in the chaos but was still largely undamaged.

"Rooar..."

The roar suddenly grew louder, frightening them. Sid's figure appeared before them at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He stood in their path, roaring like a beast. Raising his hand again, he made the same claw gesture, ready to strike.

"F*ck off! I've had enough!" Miss Riya shouted at the top of her lungs, her anger flaring. A dark red aura enveloped her body, followed by an ethereal pink aura that blended with it, causing her power to surge steadily.

She threw Rudra aside, delivering a powerful roundhouse kick to Sid's head. The impact sent him flying back, crashing down at a great distance.

"Come on! Quick!" she urged, helping Rudra up as they dashed towards the car.

Vroom... vroom...

The engine roared to life again. The tires spun at high speed, causing water from puddles to splash everywhere.

Sid charged at full speed, but his claws missed the car by a hair's breadth as it sped back towards the slums. He tried to chase after it but was unsuccessful.

Left alone in the field, Sid screamed and slashed at nothing, moving erratically like a mad beast.

.....

Meanwhile, inside the car.

Riya sat in the driver's seat, navigating through rocks as she sped towards the slums. Her eyes involuntarily glanced back from time to time, confirming if Sid was still in pursuit.

"He's definitely not normal. Just look at that monster. No wonder the boss took a liking to him. Let's go report to the boss on what happened, she'll handle the rest."

"By the way, what did you do at the end? Even I can't send that monster flying this easily, and I'm supposed to be a physical-type awakened." Rudra asked, lying weakly in his seat.

"Heh, you're not that smart, are you?" She smirked, pulling out an idol from her pocket. It was a figure of a woman, dressed in mature and seductive clothing.

"It couldn't be... Have you been selected?" Rudra's eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of the idol.

"Yeah," she replied casually, glancing at the idol with reverence in her eyes. 'Thank you, my lady. If not for your intervention, we would have been dead.'

(It's nothing. Just take things one step at a time. There's no need to recklessly head into danger on your own. Your true strength still lies in your ability to control minds.)

Hearing the voice in her head, it sounded like an old witch's, but at the same time, there was a touch of childlike magic to it.

Riya looked ashamed, her thoughts tinged with apology. 'But I still failed to control that kid's mind. And there was a shocking mind-control aura on him, more intimidating than mine. I completely lost.'

(Silly child. How could you not understand? That was your own mind control. It went berserk because of your lack of control over it. Not to mention, that guy is a bit special. I can't pinpoint why, though.)

'Huh? Are you sure? But what about the kid? If he goes around destroying the land, he'll soon be caught by the main city for research. Wouldn't that be problematic for your secrecy?'

(Worry not. I can still sense his presence, which means he's still under your control. Leave him be for now; he'll soon be your slave.)

'Yes, milady! I need to further my training to meet your expectations... Don't worry, I'll definitely complete the mission you've given me.'

(Sure, just don't die before that.)

Rudra sat beside her, silently observing the changes in her expression.

'So, she too has been chosen by a deity, just like the boss. Though, I don't know which deity it is...'

.....

Back at the Main City of Mumbai.

A man, covered in black from head to toe, still stood the same, his head lowered. The only difference was the growing admiration in his voice as he spoke.

"Sir, you were right. It's not as simple as we thought. The aura completely disappeared, as if it vanished into thin air. How should we proceed from here?"

"Hmmm... it definitely wasn't a mystic realm, was it?"

An old man stood by the window, gazing at the clearing sky as the last traces of the thunderstorm faded. His hair fluttered in the wind, adding a layer of dominance to his already heroic presence.

"Yes, sir! A mystic realm shouldn't vanish into thin air just after appearing. It takes time and effort for it to be cleared," the man in black replied without hesitation.

"Hahaha... now I'm rather interested in what it was." The old voice sounded amused as he turned around. A natural smile spread across the old man's face, framed by his thin mustache and white goatee.

"Yes, sir!" The man in black said before disappearing into the shadows.

The office fell quiet once again.

.....

"What's the matter? How come they escaped from this self-proclaimed Mr. Perfect?" Sid mocked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Shut up! When did I claim to be perfect?"

"Hehehe... Just listening to your long-winded speeches, you sounded like some know-it-all big shot!"

"What happened? Why's your aura so deflated now? Owww... is it because some random girl escaped your grasp? What a tragedy..."

"Ugh... why are you so annoying all of a sudden?"

"Why can't I be? Wasn't it you who was annoying just now? What's the matter? It shouldn't affect you, right? After all, you don't have a useless pride like me that gives you nothing... absolutely nothing. Isn't that soooo...?"

"Just shut up! You're trying to mock me? First, look at the situation you're in—can't even control your own body. Useless... f*cking useless."

"Hahaha... isn't it you who's getting all worked up now? Hmmmm... what was it called again? Right, a sore loser! Hahaha..."

"You calling me a sore loser? When you can't even see who I am, or where I am? What gives you the confidence?"

"I wouldn't have known before, but after this incident, I definitely know who you are."

"Hahaha... Yep! There's no mistaking it. I'm absolutely certain. You are—"