Arjun vs. Damien – The Battle That Shakes the Gurukul

The tension in the arena was suffocating.

The stone-paved battleground stretched wide under the blazing afternoon sun, a battlefield where only the strong could stand tall. Spectators lined the elevated stands—nobles in their silk robes sat in luxury, sipping on fine wine, while the common folk squeezed together, their voices rising in defiance.

And at the heart of it all, Arjun and Damien stood face-to-face.

The air between them crackled. The heat of battle had begun to seep into their bones.

Arjun steadied his breathing. His chest rose and fell in rhythmic calm, though his muscles were coiled like steel wires. Damien, his opponent, was unlike anyone he had ever faced before. Fast. Unpredictable. A fighter who didn't just rely on brute strength but sheer overwhelming speed.

He hadn't expected Damien to be this fast.

From the noble stands, scoffs and chuckles echoed.

"Heh. He won't last long."

"Damien's just playing with him."

It was the same story every time—those born with wealth and status looked down upon the challengers who fought their way up. To them, Arjun was just another stepping stone beneath Damien's feet.

But in the far rows, among the civilians, voices of hope still burned bright.

"Arjun's not done yet! He just got started!"

"Come on! Show them you're more than they think!"

Arjun wasn't alone. He never was.

Across from him, Damien stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders. His knuckles cracked like thunder.

"Alright," he murmured, his voice carrying across the battlefield, "enough warm-up."

And then—

BOOM.

Damien lunged.

A human blur. His fist cut through the air like a cannonball, aimed straight for Arjun's skull.

Arjun's instincts screamed.

Move.

At the last second, he twisted to the side.

WHOOSH!

The punch barely missed, slamming into the stone ground with a deafening explosion. Cracks spiderwebbed across the battlefield, dust and debris flying into the air.

Fast.

Too fast.

Arjun leaped backward, his heartbeat hammering in his ears. If that had hit—

He clenched his fists.

No. He wasn't here to dodge forever.

A golden energy flared within his body, surging from his core like molten fire. His vision sharpened, the world slowing around him. For the first time in the fight, something clicked.

He could see Damien's movements before they happened.

Not just prediction—something deeper. As if his instincts and energy had fused into one.

Damien twisted mid-air, launching a brutal roundhouse kick toward Arjun's ribs. A strike fast enough to shatter bones.

Dodge? No. Not this time.

Instead—

Arjun stepped in.

A risky move. But the best fighters didn't just avoid. They turned an enemy's attack against them.

He ducked under the kick, let Damien's momentum carry him forward, and then—

BAM!

His elbow slammed into Damien's stomach, sinking deep into his core.

Damien's eyes widened in shock. His body staggered back, a visible dent in his stance.

For a moment—just a single breath—silence blanketed the arena.

And then—

"HOLY SHIT! HE HIT DAMIEN!"

The commoners erupted in cheers.

From the noble stands, gasps of disbelief rang out.

Arjun exhaled sharply, his hands tingling from the impact. He had felt it. That wasn't just a lucky hit—his body was different now. Stronger. Faster.

This breakthrough… it was real.

Across from him, Damien straightened his posture, rolling his shoulders. He wiped his mouth, his fingers coming away with a smudge of blood. Instead of anger, a slow, wide grin stretched across his lips.

Excitement.

"You..." Damien exhaled, his eyes burning with something primal. "You're interesting."

And then—

He disappeared.

What?!

Before Arjun could react, a fist slammed into his side.

BAM!

His feet skidded across the ground, his ribs screaming in pain. He barely kept his balance, gritting his teeth as the force rippled through his body.

Damien stood where Arjun had just been, calm, collected—deadly.

"Your attack was good," Damien admitted, flexing his fingers. "But can you keep up with this?"

And then—

He vanished again.

Arjun's mind raced. Think. Analyze. Adapt.

Damien wasn't just fast—he was overwhelming.

His speed wasn't just physical; it was a movement technique. A way to accelerate beyond normal reaction speed. If Arjun didn't find a way to match him—

He would lose.

Then—

He felt it.

The golden energy surged again, coiling around his senses like a second heartbeat.

And suddenly—

Time slowed.

Not in the way fear makes moments stretch—this was different. More like… clarity.

His instincts sharpened, and then—

There. Left.

Arjun twisted his body, just in time—

WHOOSH!

Damien's fist missed by a fraction of an inch.

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

"He dodged?!"

Damien's eyes widened—but only for a second. His instincts were just as sharp, and he was already moving into his next attack.

But so was Arjun.

His body moved on its own.

He counterattacked.

His fist shot forward, golden energy crackling like a comet.

BOOM!

It crashed into Damien's jaw.

A shockwave rippled through the entire arena.

Damien's body flew backward, crashing into the ground with a thunderous impact. Stone cracked beneath him, dust spiraling into the air.

And then—

Silence.

Even the nobles were stunned.

"He… knocked Damien down…"

In the stands, noble lips parted in disbelief. The commoners—silent for a heartbeat—erupted.

"HE DID IT!"

"HE'S NOT LOSING!"

Arjun exhaled, his chest rising and falling. His hands trembled—but not with fear.

With power.

He clenched his fingers, feeling the golden energy still humming beneath his skin. This strength—it wasn't just a fluke. It was real.

And yet—

From the crater of broken stone, Damien laughed.

A low chuckle at first, then a full-bodied laugh.

Then—

He stood up.

Blood dripped from his lips, but his grin never faded. His eyes shone with something beyond excitement—pure, unfiltered battle hunger.

He ran his thumb across his bleeding lip, tasting the iron.

"This…" he exhaled, tilting his head, "is getting fun."

Arjun's eyes narrowed.

The real fight…

Had just begun.