The Final Stage: Samhara

Haruno, though bruised from the impact, refused to back down. Her Army of Spiders swarmed the battlefield, thousands of miniature spiders crawling forth from her fifth soul ring. They surged toward Ravihiro, each one lethal in its own way, aiming to overwhelm him with sheer numbers.

Her sixth soul ring ability, 1000 in One Spider, activated next. From the shadows of the battlefield, a colossal spider materialized, its legs sharp like blades, its presence terrifying. This beast could merge the strength of thousands into one attack, making it a fearsome and nearly indestructible force.

Ravihiro, still in the second stage of the Tandav, danced between the spiders with ease, but Haruno’s abilities were pushing him to his limit. She was growing stronger with each strike, her determination fierce.

The spirit in Ravihiro’s ring spoke urgently in his mind. "She’s becoming more dangerous with each second. You’ve taught her well, but if you don’t end this now, her power will overwhelm you. Are you going to hold back any longer?"

Ravihiro’s eyes glowed with resolve. "No… It’s time."

He shifted his stance, his body glowing with an intense aura. His voice echoed through the battlefield.

“This is the final stage of Tandav—Samhara, The Dance of Dissolution.”

With this, the ground beneath Ravihiro trembled. The energy around him intensified, and his martial soul, Kageha, finally emerged in full form. The sword, dark and shimmering with ethereal energy, materialized in his hand, its blade humming with raw power. The spirit within his ring gasped in awe.

"So… this is Kageha."

Haruno’s eyes widened as she saw the sword for the first time. The sheer pressure from the weapon was enough to send tremors through the earth.

Ravihiro spoke softly, his voice calm but dangerous. “Samhara is the dance of destruction and rebirth. Everything you throw at me… will be undone.”

He raised his sword, and the battlefield responded. The spiders swarming him were disintegrated in an instant, their bodies dissolving into nothingness as the energy of Samhara erased them from existence. The colossal 1000 in One Spider charged at him, but with a single swing of Kageha, Ravihiro sliced through the air, severing the massive beast in two. Its body crumbled into dust before it even hit the ground.

---

The Duel’s Conclusion

Haruno stood frozen, her breath shallow as she felt the overwhelming power of her brother’s final technique. She was powerful, but Ravihiro had tapped into a force beyond anything she had expected. Her soul abilities faltered, and she struggled to keep her martial soul active in the presence of his unstoppable might.

Just as she prepared to make one last desperate attack, she heard Ravihiro’s voice in her mind, echoing through the battlefield.

"Enough, Haruno."

She paused, confused. Then the spirit in Ravihiro’s ring spoke, not just to Ravihiro but to both of them. "The gravity formation you've been using… its gravity has increased tenfold. Right now, it’s almost crushing you both. If you continue… you might destroy yourselves."

Ravihiro lowered his sword, and the energy of Samhara faded into the air. He turned to Haruno, his eyes gentle. "I never intended to hurt you, Haruno. But I needed you to understand the gap between us. This duel was never about victory—it was about pushing ourselves to our limits."

Haruno, panting and exhausted, fell to her knees. She knew she couldn’t continue. Yet, despite her frustration, a smile crept onto her face. “You’re holding back… aren’t you, brother?”

Ravihiro smirked, the spirit in his ring chuckling in his mind. "Of course, I am. But next time… I won’t."

---

One Year Later: The Tandav Revealed

A year passed after their duel, and the two siblings continued their training. Haruno’s strength grew rapidly, her martial soul evolving into a formidable force, and Ravihiro deepened his understanding of the Tandav, learning its secrets one by one.

One day, while sparring with Haruno, Ravihiro began teaching her the secrets of Tandav. He had learned about it through ancient texts stored within the spirit of his ring, knowledge passed down from an ancient civilization lost to time.

“The Tandav,” Ravihiro explained, “is more than a martial technique. It is a representation of the cycle of life and death, creation and destruction. It has three stages: Pralaya, the stage of destruction, where one unleashes pure power to erase all forms. Srishti, the stage of creation, where you harness the energy around you to shape reality. And finally, Samhara, the stage where both forces coexist, where life and death are one.”

Haruno listened intently, her eyes widening as she grasped the depth of the technique. The spirit within Ravihiro’s ring was equally surprised. "I had no idea this world even knew about Tandav… this is knowledge from beyond realms."

Ravihiro nodded. “It’s rare. Few can master it. But with the strength you’ve shown, I believe you can learn it too.”

---

The Suspense of Mastery

As they trained, Haruno began learning the first stage of Tandav under Ravihiro’s guidance, her body moving gracefully through the powerful, destructive steps of Pralaya. She could feel the surge of energy within her, a force unlike anything she had ever known.

Ravihiro watched her carefully, his own training having advanced to a new level. He had begun working on techniques far beyond even Samhara—ones that could manipulate spiritual energy in ways he never thought possible.

But there was a tension in the air, a sense that something greater was approaching. Both Ravihiro and Haruno felt it in their bones, as if the universe itself was preparing them for something monumental.

In the coming days, they would face challenges that would push them to the edge of their abilities, and the full power of the Tandav would soon be tested in a way neither of them could foresee.

For now, they continued to train, unaware of the forces that watched them from the shadows, waiting for the moment to strike.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***