Chapter 6: A Trial of Strength

After the discussion with guru Vishran. He lead us to the martial arena. After reaching here he said-

"Astras are powerful, powerful beyond the extent you all can imagine, they are gifts from the gods to us and they can do many things like this".

After he said that he extends a hand and suddenly a bright light appeared from nowhere and vaporised the nearby tree. Destroying it from the face of reality and just some shards of glasses and molted rocks remained there.

"This is the power of Sun Astra." He said and then points to his earrings.

The Sun Astra, a weapon of divine brilliance, was manifested in a pair of radiant earrings that adorned the Guru's ears.

Each earring gleamed like molten gold, etched with delicate sunburst patterns that seemed to pulse with the rhythm of the universe itself. At their center sat two fiery gemstones—small, but intense—like miniature suns.

It was really mesmerizing and terrifying

The entire group of newly awakened students—64 in total—stood dumbstruck. All they could see was a blinding column of light; the intensity of it made it impossible to discern anything else. In an instant, the tree before them evaporated, reduced to nothing by the sheer brilliance.

"Children, remember this spectacle," Guru Vishran said, his voice calm yet commanding. "Let this be a reminder of the power you must strive to achieve in the future. Just train and maybe you can do much more." His posture remained relaxed, as if he had merely shooed away a fly.

After that he instructs us to fight in the arena with our astras, though majority of us haven't awakened it but still I think it is dangerous for 10 year olds fighting with weapons that can potentially kill you.

"But I don't think anyone will call the child protection agency. Hahaaa being with Indra made me have his character too. " I thought chuckling to myself.

Now back to the scene

"Cool! It's a real fight," Indra said, grinning. "They're finally letting us use our Astras, but… well, we're still not great at them, so it's mostly hand-to-hand."

Amrita added, her excitement bubbling up, "It'll be dangerous, but I guess it still can't be helped"

The excitement and nerves rippled through the group as the 64 students, all between the ages of 10 and 13, gathered in the vast, circular martial arena.

Guru Suryakant, their martial instructor, stood tall in the center along with guru Vishran, his commanding voice issuing orders.

"Today, you will test your strength and skills. You are permitted to use your Astras if you can, but remember, it's just a practice and don't inflict serious wounds on your opponent."

The rules were simple: a one-on-one tournament until a winner was declared. It was clear that most of them, having little to no formal training, would resort to flailing punches, clumsy kicks, and brute force.

Still, everyone was eager to prove themselves with the tranning we had in one month, even if their Astras remained dormant for now.

As the matchups were drawn, Anuj found himself facing off against Ravi, a stocky boy with broad shoulders and a fierce grin. Ravi was older, larger, and clearly eager to dominate.

He was having leopard astra on his leg. He tried to run calling upon his astra but to no avail but still he came dangerously close to Anuj.

Anuj, who had yet to tap into Garudastra's powers, knew this would be difficult. Anuj tried to dodge, but Ravi's size was overwhelming.

A solid punch to Anuj's side knocked the wind out of him, and before he could recover, Ravi slammed him with a heavy shoulder, sending Anuj sprawling.

The match was over quickly, and Anuj was quickly eliminated, without knowing what to do.

"I guess just knowing about the future doesn't automatically give me powers," Anuj mumbled, his frustration simmering beneath the surface. "But seriously, how the heck did the protagonist become powerful so fast? I've been working hard for a month, and I still can't beat that hairless kid despite having 25+ years of experience from my previous life."

He clenched his fists, still smarting from the sting of his earlier defeat. "What on earth did they take to get that strong, that quickly? It makes no sense," he muttered, still dissatisfied

As he was thinking about all, his his friends trio laughed at him making him even more dissatisfied.

Now as the tournament continues, he and his friends watching from the sidelines, Anuj's disappointment turned to curiosity as the other matches began.

In the next match, Dev faced off against a boy named Raghav, tall and lanky with quick reflexes and using a whip like astra. As the fight started, Dev remained calm, raising his hand in an attempt to summon his Agniastra.

A tiny flicker of flame appeared in his palm, barely visible, but it gave him an advantage. Raghav, startled by the sight of the flame, faltered for a moment, giving Dev just enough time to land a well-aimed strike from his trident. Followed by a quick kick to Raghav's knee, sending him crashing to the ground.

Dev had won his first match, though the flame was weak and quickly disappeared.

Both gurus praised him for his awakening of his astra as it is still too early for the children to awaken this fast.

Next was Amrita's match against a girl named Sita. In her hand, Sita wielded a fan-like Astra, its edges gleaming faintly. Anuj immediately recognized it—Wind astra.

It was one of the most versatile Astras in the elemental system, granting its wielder various abilities such as increased speed, precise wind manipulation, and enhanced agility.

Amrita stood with her fists clenched, focusing hard. Sita was quick, darting forward to try and tried to knock Amrita off balance, without even attempting to awken her astra.

But Amrita raised her arm, and a small pool of water formed in the air between them. It wasn't much, but it was not enough to distract Sita.

As she ran forward she moved past the water pool thrown by Amrita but she slipped on the slick patch of ground where the pool had fallen.

Still somewhat confused from previous events. Amrita Seized the opportunity, She kicked Sita's legs out from under her, winning the match just by fluke with the use of her water astra's power.

Both Gurus, Suryakant and Vishran, were momentarily dumbfounded as they witnessed another Astra awakening. Dev's ability to summon even a flicker of Fire astra at such a young age was impressive, but still within the realm of expectation, given his raw talent.

However, when Amrita conjured pool of water with Water astra, their surprise deepened—it was rare for two students to awaken their Astras so quickly.

But the fights continued without giving them time to think, one after another. Larger students like Arjun, a hulking boy with a Weapon-type Astra, used their sheer size and strength to overpower their opponents.

Arjun's opponent, Naveen, was no match for the boy's brute force. Arjun swung his fists like hammers, knocking Naveen to the ground with a crushing blow to the chest, winning in a matter of seconds.

Meanwhile, Indra was up against Raj, another Weapon-type Astra user. Raj had a bow, though he couldn't fully manifest it yet. Indra, who held an advantage with sword in his hands, managed to evade Raj's wild swings with his bow.

With his quick reflexes, Indra sidestepped a punch and countered with a solid knock to Raj's ribs, using his sword knocking him off balance. A swift kick followed, sending Raj sprawling onto the ground. Indra had secured his victory with skill and speed.

Other students, like Pooja and Ashwin, struggled in their matches. Pooja, wielding a weak connection to the Earth with her Elemental-type Astra, tried to summon earth.

Ashwin, who had an Snake Astra, tried to use his agility to hit Pooja, but his opponent, was just standing there giving him a chance to knock her down with a few heavy blows, and after some time Pooja was down.

As the second round began, the crowd buzzed with excitement. The number of students had dwindled to 32, and the fights became more intense.

This time, Dev faced a tougher opponent—Vikram, a boy with incredible strength and a Weapon-type Astra, though he couldn't summon it yet.

Dev once again tried to summon his Agniastra, but this time only a faint ember appeared in his hand. Vikram charged at him not minding his astra as he had seen it in previous Match and moving forward, and despite Dev's efforts to evade, Vikram's strength was overwhelming.

A crushing punch to the gut sent Dev crashing to the ground. Though Dev had made it through the first round, his Astra's limited power hadn't been enough to secure victory in the second.

Amrita, now facing Leela, a quick and nimble opponent, found herself struggling. She had managed to summon pool of water, but Leela was fast and dodged Amrita's water. Despite her luck and use of Water astra in the first round, Amrita's abilities were still too weak.

Leela finally managed to trip her up with a quick kick, sending her tumbling to the ground, and Amrita was eliminated in the second round.

Indra, however, continued to impress. He faced off against Sanya, a girl with an Earth-element Astra. Sanya had managed to use the earth rod well in the previous matches, but Indra was faster.

Using his developing instincts with Vajra astra, he dodged Sanya's clumsy strikes, and when she attempted to use her rod again, Indra capitalized on her distraction. With a quick series of jabs and a powerful kick, he knocked her to the ground, winning the match with ease.

In another corner of the arena, the larger students continued to dominate. Arjun once again used his size and strength to overpower his opponent, Rohit, a smaller boy with an Elemental-type Astra linked to fire.

Rohit was nothing like dev and can't do anything and was no match for Arjun's brute force. Arjun charged forward, landing a heavy punch that knocked Rohit out cold.

As the tournament progressed, the matches became more brutal. The weaker students were eliminated, leaving only the stronger, more experienced fighters.

Indra, still holding his own, faced off against Arjun in the next round. The two boys circled each other, each sizing up the other's strengths. Indra, knowing he couldn't match Arjun's power, relied on his speed.

He ducked and weaved, landing quick strikes when he could, but Arjun's relentless attacks eventually wore him down. A powerful blow to Indra's chest sent him crashing to the ground, and Arjun claimed victory once again.

The final matches were fierce, with only a handful of students left standing. One of the last battles was between Arjun and Vikram, both towering figures who had relied on their size and strength throughout the tournament.

The fight was brutal, with each boy landing heavy punches and kicks. But in the end, it was Vikram's superior endurance that gave him the edge. Arjun, though strong, began to tire, and Vikram took advantage.

With a final, crushing punch, Vikram knocked Arjun out cold, emerging as the winner of the tournament.

The arena fell silent for a moment as the dust settled. Guru Suryakant stepped forward, his expression calm but firm. "You have all fought well,"

He said, his voice carrying across the arena. "But remember, these fights are only the beginning of your training. Strength alone is not enough. You must continue to hone your skills, learn discipline, and master your Astras if you wish to become true warriors."

"Amrita and dev" Guru Vishran began, his voice filled with a tone of Satisfaction and admiration, "You who have awakened their Astra in such little time... This was no ordinary achievement."

Guru Suryakant nodded in agreement, adding, "For both you and Dev to summon your Astras so early in your training is beyond remarkable. It's not just talent; it's a deep connection to your Astra. Most students struggle for years to reach where you are today."

Amrita and Dev though still exhausted, felt a surge of pride well up within them. The astonished looks from her peers only added to the moment.

"Continue your path." Guru Vishran said, his voice steadying. "This is only the beginning of what these astras can offer. You've unlocked the first thread of its power—now you must cultivate it with discipline."

Amrita and dev bowed respectfully to the Gurus.

As the tournament was concluding the Garudastra remained frustratingly silent, as elusive and unresponsive as ever and he felt envy that Amrita and dev were able to use their power. But he knew that if he kept pushing himself, he would one day be able to unlock his full potential.

As the students began to leave the arena, Anuj's friends gathered around him. "Tough day, huh?" Indra said with a grin, though he was still catching his breath from his own grueling match against Arjun.

"Hey don't make fun of me" Anuj replied, forcing a smile. "I will get stronger."

Anuj, still cursing his defeat, felt a mix of emotions. He had been knocked out in the first round, and watching his friends and other students perform better had only fueled his annoyance.

Amrita nodded, still rubbing her sore arm. "We're all still learning. It's just going to take time."

"Don't say anything," Indra grumbled, his tone both frustrated and admiring. "Do you even know how cool it was when you summoned that water? I was mesmerized. I want to awaken my Astra too," he added, the envy clear in his voice.

Dev, as always, with his serious teaching voice. "We need to keep training. Today showed us how far we still have to go, but it also showed us what we're capable of."

"Yes teacher " Indra and I bowed together, making Dev blush, and then all of us laughed to our heart content.

And with that, they departed to their dormitories, each lost in their own thoughts, replaying the events of the day. The arena's echoes of battle still rang in their ears—the punches, the flashes of Astras, the cheers and groans. They will need a heavy rest of they want to get over this.