19. Astra

I stepped forward, keeping my eyes on the woman—Junoon. Her name echoed in my head, and the realization of who she was made my pulse quicken.

"Junoon," Brother Bhargav said, his voice steady, but body alert. "What brings you out here in the middle of the night?"

Her smile widened, the kind that didn't reach her eyes. "I could ask you the same, but we both know you're in way over your head.

Brother Bhargav shifted beside me, his hand inching toward a box.

"We're not here to play games," he said through gritted teeth.

Junoon tilted her head slightly, the amusement never leaving her face. "Oh, but you are, Scientist. And the stakes are much higher than you can imagine."

Brother Bhargav took a step forward, positioning himself between me and Junoon. "If you wanted a fight, you've got it. But don't make the mistake of thinking you can walk away from this easily."

"Brother."

"You have to escape from here and tell Uncle everything. Now Go."

Junoon's eyes gleamed. "You've walked right into it. You think you can challenge me? You don't even know what you're up against."

She raised a hand, and the shadows with tint of red seemed to respond to her call, swirling around her fingers. The ground trembled beneath us as her power grew. "Let me show you what real power looks like."

In an instant, she unleashed a wave of dark and red energy. We barely managed to dodge, rolling to the side as the blast hit the ground, sending chunks of stone and debris flying. Bhargav, as quickly as ever, equipped  his Vanar Astra. Golden light burst from his Body, lighting up the courtyard.

"Vanar Astra!" Brother Bhargav roared, charging forward, his body engulfed in Golden glow.

Junoon smirked, raising both hands to meet his attack. Her dark energy clashed with nothing as he just Dodge and only with Kick, sending shockwaves through the air. But even with that the ground cracked beneath them as their powers collided, but neither side gave an inch.

"You really think jumping around can defeat  my shadows?" Junoon taunted, pushing back with even more force. "You're out of your league."

Bhargav gritted his teeth, but I could see the strain on his face. His Vanar Astra burned bright, but Junoon's darkness seemed endless, swallowing up his flames little by little.

I couldn't wait any longer. I rushed in, dodging shadow creatures that rose from the ground around us, taking the knife from inventory, and

go slashing through them.

But no matter how many I cut down, more appeared, like they were drawn from the very night itself.

"Dev!" Bhargav shouted, struggling to hold the line. "I can't hold this much longer, You have to escape fast!"

I knew that I couldn't leave him, I have to do something—fast. I leaped toward Junoon, aiming for a decisive blow. But she saw me coming. With a flick of her wrist, a tendril of shadow lashed out, wrapping around my arm and yanking me back.

"Did you think it would be that easy?" she sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "You don't understand. You're already too late."

She threw me to the ground, the force of her power slamming into me like a tidal wave. I hit the pavement hard, gasping for breath, my vision swimming.

Brother Bhargav's Astra Glow flickered, dimming as Junoon's darkness pressed in on him. He was losing ground, and fast. "I... can't hold it..."

Junoon's laugh echoed in the air. "You were fools to challenge me. This battle was over before it even began."

I forced myself to stand, every muscle screaming in protest. But why am I fighting like this.

'I am really a fool forgetting things in critical movements.'

'Hide Presence'

"Hm?, Where did he go, go catch him, I want him alive."

'Adrenaline Rush'

With her distracted, I pulled Bhargav into the shadows of the alley.

"Don't Say anything, just stay here."

"Hey, Babe are you looking for me. You know, I think I have fallen in love."

Her eyes flickered with a dangerous light. "You are nothing but a fool ? think you're prepared to face what I am?"

Without warning, she raised her hand, and a surge of dark energy crackled to life in her palm. The ground trembled beneath me as shadows swirled around her. The air thickened with a foreboding energy, but I didn't flinch.

"Stand down," Junoon said coldly.

I clenched my jaw. "Why would I?"

"Don't you know why?" She raised an eyebrow. "You're chasing something you don't fully understand. And you're going to lose everything in the process."

'Adrenaline Rush'

Before she could respond, I lunged at her. My movements were as blur as  shadows going forward. She dodged,  but my instincts kicked in as I spun to to give her a swift kick, aiming for her side.

But Junoon was fast—too fast. She deflected the blow with ease, twisting around and launching a strike of her own. I blocked it, the force of her attack sending a sharp pain through my arm.

"You can't win this, accept Defeat." she hissed, her voice venomous.

I grinned despite the pain. "If you can be mine."

We exchanged blows, the clash of power and precision filling the air. Each strike she threw was fueled by something dark, something that pulsed with an unnatural energy. But I was quicker, just a little ahead of her attacks.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw brother Bhargav engaging with of her shadows, his movements swift and brutal. But Junoon was the real threat.

She spun, her hands weaving through the air as she summoned another wave of energy. It came at me like a storm, but I was ready this time. I tapped into the strength I'd been holding back and charged through the onslaught, closing the distance between us.

With a swift move, I caught her wrist and twisted, forcing her to drop the energy she was conjuring. Her eyes widened in surprise as I slammed her against the wall, my forearm pressing against her throat. While I also use Harem mark on her.

"You're not as powerful as you think," I said, my voice low.

She struggled for a moment before smirking again, her gaze defiant. "Neither are you."

Suddenly, a burst of dark energy exploded from her, knocking me back. I landed hard on the ground, but before I could react, she was already on me, her blade manifest from the Dark energy aimed at my throat.

But I wasn't done.

With a sharp twist, I disarmed her and kicked her back, flipping to my feet. Before she could react-

With one swift strike, I slashed through the last of her defenses, landing a solid blow across her chest. She stumbled back, the shadows around her flickering and fading.

"You... haven't won..." Junoon gasped, her voice weak as the darkness around her dissolved. "This isn't over."

The ground beneath us shook, and the air buzzed with energy. Somewhere in the center of the courtyard, the piece we had been searching for shimmered into view, glowing faintly in response to moonlight light. It had been hidden by Junoon's shadows, but now, with her power collapsing, it was revealed.

I glanced at brother Bhargav, who had regained his footing, his eyes filled with confusion. He saw it—the piece, but not the part of Brahmastra.

Junoon's form flickered as she backed away, the once confident villain now cornered. "You think this changes anything?, I will heal myself and I will be back!" She screamed in frustration, and before I could say anything, she dissolved into the remaining shadows, vanishing into the night.

Her presence disappeared entirely, and the courtyard fell silent. But Brother Bhargav Voice broke it.

"Do you also have an Astra" he said, still in disbelief.

,"No... But soon I will have one.."

I walked over to the piece, its soft glow a beacon of hope amid the aftermath of battle. As I picked it up,

The familiar notification sound chimed as the system displayed the latest reward.

-Mission : Get the Piece of Brahmashirā ✓

Reward :Astra Authority (AA)

The warmth inside me grew, and suddenly, I felt it—pure energy, something ancient, something that hadn't been part of it until now, surged through my veins, igniting my entire body in a radiant glow.

I exhaled, letting the light around me dim. The tension drained from my body, replaced by a profound sense of relief. Brother Bhargav walked up beside me, his gaze fixed on the glowing piece in my hand.

"Why were you glowing like that?" he asked, puzzled.

'Astra Authority : Vanar Astra'

Brother Bhargav didn't notice the sudden glow radiated from Vanar Astra as it vanished.

I smiled and pointed down to my foot.

"Because of this." I lifted my leg slightly, revealing a shimmering anklet around my ankle.

"It's Vanar Astra," I explained.

Brother Bhargav's eyes widened.

"Do you have the power to summon Astras?"

I nodded. "Not just summon them, Brother Bhargav.

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To be Continued. . .

Word Count:1444