Chapter 4: Wrath in the Wasteland
The heat was unforgiving. Winds howled across the cracked dunes as Aadi and his group reached the canyons that marked the outer territory of the Santa Beat King. The land trembled beneath their feet. Something massive moved beneath the sand.
Then it burst forth.
A beast three times the size of anything they had faced before. Its tusks curved like blades, its body armored with plates of bone and black scales. Its eyes glowed red — the mark of a King Santa Beat.
Aarna raised her blade, sweat pouring from her face. "It's bigger than we expected!"
The team of eight warriors fanned out, but the beast was fast — faster than it should be. It crushed boulders with every step, its roar shattering stone.
They fought hard.
Sparks flew.
Screams rang out.
One by one, the warriors were thrown, cut, or slammed into the sand. Aarna took a heavy blow to the side, rolling across the ground, coughing blood.
Aadi had seen enough.
His face changed.
Quiet fury.
He launched forward like a storm. With a single command, Vaayu ignited with blue lightning. Aadi didn't waste time. He dodged under a swinging claw, leapt over the beast's snapping jaws, and slammed the spear deep into its skull.
Boom!
The King Santa Beat's head exploded in a shockwave. Its massive body dropped, shaking the canyon.
Silence.
Heavy breathing filled the air. The others staggered to their feet, bleeding and exhausted.
Aarna spoke first, her voice rough. "You held back."
Aadi turned, eyes narrowing.
"You didn't fight with full strength," she said. "If you had, this wouldn't have cost us so much."
The others murmured in agreement.
One added, "If you do that against the Emperor Santa Beat, we're dead."
Aadi clenched his fists. "I was protecting you—"
"No," Aarna interrupted. "You were calculating. But we can't afford calculations when the next thing we face could end everything."
Aadi looked away. "Fine. Next time, I won't hold anything back."
---
Three days later
They stood before the jagged cave mouth that led into the heart of the central sands — the home of the Emperor Santa Beat. The ground here pulsed like a living thing. The sky above had turned a deep, unnatural red.
Aadi stepped forward, spear glowing, and turned to face the group.
"This is it," he said. "Inside that cave is death. If you're even thinking about fear, turn around now. I'd rather go in alone than carry corpses back."
The group said nothing, but their eyes betrayed them. Doubt. Exhaustion. Fear.
Aadi shook his head and walked away.
He returned to the clan.
But what waited for him there wasn't support.
The warriors he trained had lost respect. The elders kept their distance. The younger soldiers whispered that Aadi had gotten reckless. That he'd broken tradition. That he had made them weak by going alone.
And worst of all — the clan cut off his training.
No sparring.
No resources.
They treated him like a threat.
Useless.
For the first time, Aadi felt the bitter sting of betrayal. Not from enemies — but from those he risked everything to protect.
Still… he didn't stop.
---
A week later, the group returned to the cave — scarred but determined. The betrayal had hardened them. This time, there were no warnings.
They entered the cave together.
The stench hit them first — blood, decay, and something ancient.
Then they saw it.
A mountain of muscle and bone.
The Emperor Santa Beat.
It stood nearly 30 feet tall. Black and gold fur shimmered like armor. Its roar cracked the cave walls. Its four tusks gleamed with poison.
The battle was hell.
Every strike shook the earth. Every movement of the beast felt like a force of nature. The warriors fought with everything they had, blades breaking, bones cracking.
Aarna was thrown into a wall.
Two warriors collapsed from exhaustion.
One lost an arm.
But they didn't stop.
And at the heart of the storm, Aadi moved with perfect control — swift, brutal, efficient. Every strike from Vaayu weakened the Emperor. Every dodge brought him closer.
Then — with a final leap, Aadi drove the spear straight into the beast's heart.
Silence.
The Emperor let out one last roar… then fell.
Dead.
The cave shook, dust fell from the ceiling. The others collapsed, too exhausted to stand.
But Aadi?
He was still on his feet.
Bruised. Bloodied.
But breathing steady.
Only 80% of his strength had been used.
He looked at the fallen Emperor, then at the sky above the cave opening.
"I'm ready," he said softly. "Now… it's time to see what this tournament in the center of Deadland really is."
---
Next: Chapter 5 – The Tournament ?