The Danava's roar is still rattling Arjun's skull as it barrels through the mist, a hulking nightmare of horns, claws, and glowing red eyes. It's built like a rhino crossed with a demon, all muscle and menace, and it's got Yaksha locked in a brutal tussle. The big guy's axe slams into the beast's shoulder, sparking green blood, but the Danava barely flinches, swatting Yaksha like he's a fly. Arjun's frozen for a split second, Nandaka dangling uselessly in his grip, lightning flickering in his hands like a dying lightbulb.
"Move, kid!" Yaksha bellows, ducking a claw swipe that craters the plateau. "This isn't a spectator sport!"
Arjun snaps out of it, adrenaline kicking in. "Right, right, thunder toddler's got this!" He thrusts his hands forward, willing the lightning to do *something*. A jagged bolt zaps out, wild and sloppy, sizzling into the Danava's leg. It stumbles, snarling, and shoots him a glare that says, "You're next." Arjun grins nervously. "Uh, hi? Nice horns?"
Yaksha uses the distraction, rolling under the beast and hacking its knee. The Danava howls, green ichor splattering, but it's still standing—pissed and focused. It spins, tail whipping toward Arjun like a freight train. He dives, hitting the dirt hard, Nandaka skittering away. "Bro, this thing's cheating!" he yells, scrambling for his sword.
"Stop whining and fight!" Yaksha growls, leaping onto the Danava's back, axe lodged in its spine. The beast thrashes, bucking him off, and Yaksha hits the ground with a thud, mask cracking against a rock. Arjun's stomach drops—big guy's down, and the Danava's stomping toward him now, drooling something nasty.
"Okay, okay, focus," Arjun mutters, snagging Nandaka. He grips it tight, breathing like Yaksha taught him—slow, steady, lightning in his veins. The tingling builds, hotter this time, and his hands glow blue. The Danava lunges, jaws wide, and Arjun swings Nandaka on instinct. A thin arc of electricity leaps from the blade, slicing its cheek. It's not much, but the beast recoils, roaring in fury.
"Hah! Take that, you oversized gecko!" Arjun shouts, adrenaline pumping. He swings again, lightning crackling louder, but the sword's still half-dead—more sparkler than storm. The Danava charges, and he barely dodges, its claws raking the air an inch from his face.
Yaksha's back up, mask half-shattered, blood trickling down his scarred cheek. "Stop playing with it!" he snaps, hurling his axe. It embeds in the Danava's chest, and the beast staggers, giving Arjun a breather. Yaksha stumbles over, panting. "You're wasting energy. Channel it—*all* of it—into the blade."
Arjun nods, sweat stinging his eyes. "Easy for you to say, pig-face." He plants his feet, gripping Nandaka with both hands. The Danava's recovering, ripping the axe free with a wet crunch, red eyes locked on them. Arjun closes his eyes, tuning out the chaos—breath in, breath out, lightning coiling in his chest like a snake. He imagines it surging, not just in his hands but through him, into the sword.
A pulse hits. His eyes snap open, glowing white again, and Nandaka hums—*hums*—like it's waking up. Blue energy ripples along the blade, jagged and alive. "Oh, hell yeah," Arjun whispers, grinning like a maniac.
The Danava charges, and this time Arjun meets it. He swings Nandaka, and a bolt explodes from the tip, slamming into the beast's chest. It's no baby zap—this is a full-on thunderclap, cracking the air and sending the Danava skidding back. Green blood sprays, and it crashes into a boulder, dazed but not down.
Yaksha whistles, low and impressed. "Not bad, kid. Now finish it."
Arjun's buzzing, literally—static snapping off his skin. "On it!" He charges, Nandaka blazing, and leaps, slashing downward. Lightning erupts, a messy, brilliant arc that rips through the Danava's neck. Its head lolls, body twitching, then collapses in a steaming heap. Arjun lands, stumbling, the glow fading from his eyes and blade. He's panting, shaky, but alive.
"Did… did I just do that?" he wheezes, staring at the corpse.
Yaksha limps over, clapping him on the shoulder hard enough to make him wince. "You did. Sloppy, reckless, and damn lucky—but you did."
Arjun laughs, half-hysterical. "Thunder toddler's leveling up, huh?"
Yaksha smirks, mask dangling from his hand. "Barely. Don't get cocky—Danavas don't travel alone."
The mist shifts again, and a dozen red eyes blink open in the haze. Arjun's grin drops. "You've gotta be kidding me."
Yaksha hefts his axe, cracked mask back on. "Lesson three: survive."