Nightmare

Dipendra took a deep breath and solemnly handed the gurukul's books to the village chief, saying, "These are the priceless treasures of the gurukul. It is our duty to protect them."

The chief bowed his head, accepted the books, and saluted Dipendra with respect.

Dipendra gripped the reins of his horse and rode off into the quiet, cold night. The villagers stood with torches in hand, watching him disappear into the darkness. As he grew further away, his figure vanished from sight, leaving only the fading sound of the horse's hooves echoing in the night.

Dipendra's face was filled with unwavering determination.

There were no tears, no signs of regret or sorrow. His eyes burned with the fire of anger and purpose. He moved forward, cutting through the darkness like an unstoppable force. The cold wind lashed against his face, but his focus remained on the path ahead.

By the time midnight struck, he arrived at an open field. In the distance, he saw thousands of soldiers gathered around fires, trying to keep warm in the bitter cold. Torches illuminated the area, and the soldiers were engaged in different activities—some were eating, some sharpening their weapons, and others chatting casually.

But Dipendra's sharp gaze was fixed solely on his goal.

He pulled his horse to a halt and slowly approached the camp. As he moved closer to the fires, many soldiers began to notice him. His blood-soaked clothes, his crimson-stained sword, and the fierce expression on his face made them all alert.

One soldier recognized him and shouted, "It's Dipendra!"

All the soldiers immediately stood up, their chatter dying down in an instant. The atmosphere turned tense, and every pair of eyes was now fixed on Dipendra.

Dipendra didn't utter a word. He walked slowly to the center of the camp, his presence radiating authority and power. His gaze fell upon a senior commander standing among the soldiers.

In the middle of the encampment, Karl sat with several prominent warriors of the Raghsi community, indulging in a feast of meat and wine. The air was filled with the smell of roasted meat, and laughter echoed around the campfire.

As Dipendra approached, his towering silhouette illuminated by the flickering flames, Karl noticed him. With a smug smile, Karl raised his goblet and said, "Big brother, come join us! Enjoy the celebration. There is wine, there are rewards-everything you could want!"

Dipendra didn't respond. His piercing gaze locked onto Karl, and anger burned in his eyes. Slowly, he drew his sword, its blade glinting dangerously in the firelight. Without a word, he hurled the sword high into the dark sky.

The blade soared like a shooting star, disappearing momentarily into the night before crashing down to the ground with immense force. As it struck, a blinding light erupted from the impact. A powerful slash radiated outward, slicing through several ordinary soldiers of the Raghsi community while leaving many others gravely injured.

Where the sword landed, it created a massive crater-60 feet in diameter and 20 feet deep.

The ground shook violently, throwing some soldiers off their feet.

Karl's smug expression vanished, replaced by fear. Before he could react, Dipendra closed the distance between them in a flash and delivered a devastating kick to Karl's chest. The force of the kick sent him hurtling 40 feet away, crashing into a tent with a loud thud.

As Karl struggled to get up, Dipendra muttered coldly, "Mountain Shadow Technique, Third Form: Mountain Assault."

Suddenly, twelve enormous shadowy mountain figures rose around Dipendra, each standing 20 feet tall, circling him ominously. Their sheer presence sent chills down the spines of the soldiers.

Fear spread like wildfire through the Raghsi warriors. Whispers of "He's unstoppable!" and "This is no ordinary man!" rippled through the camp.

Karl, clutching his chest in pain, roared in desperation, "Attack him! Kill him! Don't let him escape!"

At his command, the strongest warriors of the Raghsi community surged forward, weapons drawn, ready to take on Dipendra.

Dipendra stood in the center of the chaos, his sword now back in his hand, his shadowy mountains circling him like an impenetrable barrier. His face was devoid of fear, his eyes burning with vengeance.

The stage was set for an epic clash.

Amidst the thousands of soldiers from the Raghsi community, Dipendra stood firm, taking a deep breath. Determination gleamed in his eyes, and suddenly, he surged forward with lightning speed. His movements were so swift that no one could match him.

In his very first strike, Dipendra brought down 12 senior warriors of the Raghsi community. With his second attack, he slew 16 more. Every swing of his sword carried the message of death.

The ordinary soldiers, numbering in thousands, couldn't stand against his Mountain Shadow Clash technique. The swirling shadows tore through their ranks, crushing and cutting them down. In mere moments, hundreds of soldiers lay lifeless on the ground.

Soon, panic spread among the troops, and they began to flee to save their lives. But amidst the chaos, the leader of the Raghsi community stood firm. His eyes burned with a mix of anger and hesitation.

The leader clashed swords with Dipendra. They struck at each other with their respective Shadow Techniques, but it quickly became clear that Dipendra's skill and strength were overpowering the leader.

The leader, gravely injured and gasping for breath, glanced toward Karl. Karl, still confident in his power, stepped forward with the remaining warriors and stood in Dipendra's path.

Meanwhile, the leader mounted a horse and attempted to flee. Seeing this, Dipendra decided to give chase. But Karl blocked his way, launching an attack using an advanced style.

Karl's strike was so powerful that Dipendra was thrown back 25 feet. However, Dipendra rose to his feet, seething with anger. Gripping his sword tightly, he muttered: "Mountain Shadow Technique: Second Form, Mountain Shadow Strike."

Suddenly, 12 Mountain Shadow figures emerged around Dipendra. These swirling shadows rushed forward and clashed with Karl and the 8 remaining warriors.

In the terrifying encounter, all the warriors except Karl were severely injured. They fell to the ground, and only the shadow of death loomed in their eyes. Their screams of agony echoed, shattering the morale of the remaining soldiers.

Karl, still standing, refused to acknowledge his impending defeat. His face showed both tension and fear.

Dipendra raised his sword high and marched toward Karl with an unyielding determination. Karl, visibly shaken but unwilling to back down, gripped his sword tightly and prepared for the clash. Both warriors simultaneously roared: "Advanced Style: First Form, Energy Slash Strike!"

Their swords collided with immense force, generating a blinding flash of light. The energy crackled through the air, illuminating the battlefield for a brief moment. In the aftermath, Karl's sword shattered into pieces, leaving him stunned. He could barely comprehend Dipendra's sheer strength.

Before Karl could recover, Dipendra launched his next attack. The strike connected with Karl's two-inch-thick iron chest plate. With a thunderous sound, the armor shattered into fragments, scattering across the ground. Karl staggered backward, terror now painted across his face. To him, Dipendra appeared as an unstoppable force, a harbinger of death.

Without wasting a moment, Dipendra sheathed his sword and delivered a powerful kick to Karl's chest. Karl fell to the ground, writhing in pain, blood spilling from his mouth. Dipendra stepped closer, his anger evident, and unleashed a flurry of punches at Karl's face. The blows were relentless, and Karl's teeth shattered, falling one by one onto the blood-stained earth.

Though Karl had successfully delayed Dipendra long enough for the leader to escape, his own life now hung by a thread. Dipendra stood over him, glaring down with fury. His voice thundered, reverberating across the battlefield:

"The Raghsi community will face its end. I could kill you right now, but we were both trained under the same mentor. Consider this your chance to redeem yourself. Change your path, or next time, there will be no mercy."

Without waiting for a response, Dipendra turned and strode toward his horse.

Mounting it swiftly, he set off into the dark night, his mind focused on tracking down the fleeing leader. The clatter of his horse's hooves echoed in the stillness, as the warrior disappeared into the shadows, leaving Karl behind to grapple with his humiliation and shattered pride.