--9:30 AM — Ujjain, Old City Alley
The ancient alleyway looked like it had been bombed out from inside — black scorch marks on brick, cracks spiderwebbing through old temple stones. Wisps of steam rose from pools of rainwater where Aadiv's flames had hissed and died moments ago.
In the center of that chaos stood two figures, swords drawn — each breath rolling off them like mist in the morning heat.
Aadiv's eyes glowed dark red, the void swirling faintly behind him like a living scar in the air. His katana — Kurokagetsu — pulsed with a hungry ember light, its veins flickering with each beat of his heart.
Opposite him stood the unnamed guy — the storm himself. The double-edged long sword resting on his shoulder crackled faint arcs of lightning that danced around his wild grin.
---Aadiv dragged the back of his hand across his mouth, smearing blood along his jaw.
His voice was calm — but the flame under his skin wanted to roar.
> Aadiv (low):
"You're not from here. You don't belong here."
The stranger just laughed. His hair stuck to his forehead, rainwater dripping from the ends — it made him look like a boy who'd just run through a monsoon for fun.
> Unnamed Guy:
"Not from here? Who are you to say who belongs, Aadiv?"
Hearing his name from this stranger's lips made something behind Aadiv's eyes twitch. The flame flared around his feet, leaving little scorch rings on the cracked stones.
> Aadiv:
"You've known me long enough to say my name. But not yours?"
---The stranger's grin widened — eyes flicked down to the black katana flickering with voidflame.
> Unnamed Guy:
"That blade suits you. A living flame locked in the dark, just like you."
Before Aadiv could answer, the guy lunged — sword flashing, lightning sparking down the length of the blade. Aadiv's katana snapped up to parry. Sparks exploded in the narrow alley, stone cracked under their feet.
They moved too fast for the eye to follow — shadows danced up the ruined walls as sword met sword, flame met thunder.
Every strike made the air hotter, the ground slick with sudden steam. A merchant hiding behind a broken cart gasped as the shockwave of their next clash shattered the cart's wood into splinters.
---> Unnamed Guy (taunting):
"Where's that rage, Aadiv? Show me more! Or did the void already eat you alive?"
Aadiv's eyes flared — the shadows at the corner of the alley curled like a black flame seeking to consume the light.
> Aadiv (voice like embers):
"You want my darkness? Fine."
His katana slid into the void — disappearing for half a heartbeat — only to reappear at the stranger's ribs in a blink. But the stranger twisted, moving like the wind caught in a thundercloud. Sparks exploded where steel grazed steel.
They clashed again — a dozen strikes in the space of a breath.
---Suddenly, the stranger leapt back, boots skidding on broken stone. His sword lowered — just enough to show he wasn't done.
> Unnamed Guy (laughs, voice echoing with static):
"Still got it. The flame that won't die."
He pointed the sword at Aadiv's chest, but his grin softened — something old flickered behind his wild eyes.
> Unnamed Guy (lowers his voice):
"How many times do I have to knock on your door for you to remember my name?"
Aadiv's hand flexed on his katana's hilt. The void behind him pulsed — a heartbeat in the shadows.
---A distant roll of thunder echoed across the rooftops. Somewhere high above, black clouds coiled like a serpent awakening.
Aadiv tilted his head, flamelight flickering over the scar on his knuckles.
> Aadiv (quiet, almost disbelief):
"…Shaurya?"
The stranger's grin spread, sharp as lightning splitting a midnight sky.
> Shaurya:
"There it is."
He slung the double-edged blade across his back, letting the static fade into his skin. Sparks crackled once, then died.
> Shaurya (walking closer, smirking):
"You're strong, Aadiv. Stronger than they think. But your flame's chained up by ghosts."
Aadiv's eyes narrowed — a flicker of heat coiling at the corner of his mouth.
> Aadiv:
"Say that again, and I'll burn the storm out of your veins."
Shaurya laughed, clapped him once on the shoulder — but his fingers lingered on the katana's scabbard, feeling the void's chill.
> Shaurya:
"Save it for later. The real fight's not with me."
---Unseen above them, a figure leaned on the rooftop ledge — a shape half hidden by monsoon mist. Heavy gauntlets glowed faintly with lightning veins across the metal.
Devesh's eyes gleamed, a grin creeping across his face as he watched the two brothers clash like old gods waking up.
> Devesh (voice low, echoing in the mist):
"So that's the flame… and that's the storm. Good."
He flexed his colossal fists, stone cracking under his weight.
> Devesh:
"Let's see who still stands when the earth shakes."