Rana roared sending Pauravi's body flying across the gardens and slamming it hard against the tree. A gasp left past her lips, agony flaming her body.

He let his dark magic loose on her, making her screams ring in the air.

"Stop it!!!!" Dhara and Bhanu shouted.

"Please let my daughter go!!!" Gandhari sobbed.

"Let me lose you bastard! I will show you better!" Bhism roared.

"Fucking pathetic bitch. You are scared of true fights! Fight your equal you bloody bastard!" Yuyutsu was tugging hard on the invisible restraints.

Pauravi's hand tightened around her sword as she forced herself to her feet once more, her legs barely able to support her weight.

Every part of her body ached, each movement a reminder of the damage she had already sustained. But she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of giving up.

Bhanu sobbed louder, "Please no!" She begged.

"I will kill you," Pauravi snarled, though her voice was weak, the conviction wavering under the weight of her pain.

He smirked, his dark magic crackling around him like a storm. "That's more like it."

He didn't wait for her to strike again.

This time, he attacked first, sending a barrage of dark energy straight toward her.

Pauravi barely had time to raise her sword, using it as a shield to deflect the blast, but the force of the impact sent shockwaves up her arms, nearly knocking the weapon from her hands.

She staggered back, her breath ragged, but she refused to fall. Not yet. Not while her family was watching. Not while they needed her.

But Rana wasn't done.

He moved with a speed that was almost unnatural, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

He grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground with ease. She gasped, clawing at his hand, but his grip was like iron, unyielding and merciless.

Her family screamed in horror.

"Rana!!! I will slay you fucking bastard let her go!" Roared Bhism.

"Let her go!" Kauravas roared.

"Oh god please father! Oh please please I'm begging you!!" Bhanumati screamed, her cries piercing the sky.
Pauravi's hand tightened around her sword as she forced herself to her feet once more, her legs barely able to support her weight.

Every part of her body ached, each movement a reminder of the damage she had already sustained. But she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of giving up.

Bhanu sobbed louder, "Please no!" She begged.

"I will kill you," Pauravi snarled, though her voice was weak, the conviction wavering under the weight of her pain.

He smirked, his dark magic crackling around him like a storm. "That's more like it."

He didn't wait for her to strike again.

This time, he attacked first, sending a barrage of dark energy straight toward her.

"Rana!!! I will slay you fucking bastard let her go
"You evil man! My Sons will slay you!" Kunti warned.

"Pauravi!!" Gandhari screamed with Dhritrashtr.

"Don't-don't listen to him!" Dhara's voice broke through, raw with desperation. "We'll fight this together! Don't give up, Pauravi!"

But Rana, with a flick of his wrist, sent a shockwave of magic toward Dhara. It hit her square in the chest, and she screamed, collapsing to the ground in agony.

"Dhara!" Pauravi's scream was filled with terror as she watched her friend writhe in pain.

Rana laughed-a cruel, mocking sound that sent chills down Pauravi's spine. "Fight me, Pauravi. If you win, I'll let them go. Isn't that what you want?"

Pauravi could barely stand, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her defeated. She wiped the blood from her face, struggling to keep her grip on her sword, and locked eyes with the man she hated most in the world.

"I will kill you," she spat, her voice trembling but filled with fury.

Rana smirked, stepping forward with casual arrogance. "Then come and try."

With a scream of pure rage, Pauravi lunged at him, swinging her sword with all the strength she could muster. But Rana was faster, his dark magic wrapping around her like chains.

He disappeared, reappearing behind her in the blink of an eye, and slammed his fist into her back. She cried out as the force sent her crashing to the ground, her sword slipping from her grasp.

"Come now, Pauravi," he sneered, towering over her. "Is that really all you've got?"

She gasped for breath, her entire body throbbing with pain. She tried to stand, but he kicked her in the ribs, and she coughed up blood.

The taste of iron filled her mouth, her vision swimming as she lay on the ground, broken and defeated.

Her family's voices reached her ears, their screams of anguish.

Gandhari begged Rana to stop. Kunti cried out for mercy. Bhism yelled for her to get up, but his voice was filled with desperation, knowing she couldn't.

Rana crouched beside her, his hand twisting in her hair as he forced her to look up at him.

"Oh, Pauravi," he whispered mockingly, his face inches from hers. "Why do you make me do such violent things? I wanted this to be easy, for you to just accept your fate. But you always make it harder on yourself."

Tears filled Pauravi's eyes, mixing with the blood on her face. She could feel her strength fading.

Her body was failing her, and her heart was breaking at the sight of her family-her mother, her aunts, her friends-all of them watching her fall.

And yet, despite everything, there was one thing that kept her going. One name that echoed in her mind like a prayer.

Duryodhan.

She wouldn't die here. Not yet. Not until she saw him again.

"Your silence is telling," Rana said, smirking as he pressed his boot against her chest, applying just enough pressure to make her gasp in pain.

"But I think you've suffered enough, haven't you? It's time to end this."

As he raised his hand, dark energy crackling around his fingertips, ready to strike the final blow, the ground beneath them began to tremble.

He paused, his brow furrowing in confusion as the rumbling grew louder. It wasn't the natural quake of the earth; it was something else-something powerful.

She, barely able to lift her head, forced a smile through the pain. "That's my man," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Rana's eyes narrowed in fury. "Then he shall die too."

Before he could attack, the sky above them split with a deafening roar, and a figure dropped from the heavens, landing between Pauravi and Rana with a force that shook the ground. Dust and debris swirled in the air, and as it cleared, Rana's smirk faltered.

Duryodhan stood tall, his muscles taut with fury, his eyes blazing with unbridled rage. His armor gleamed under the moonlight, and the sheer force of his presence seemed to darken the air around him.

He was a god of war incarnate.

"Get away from her," Duryodhan growled, his voice low and dangerous.

For the first time, Rana faltered. But it lasted only a moment before he sneered. "Ah, Duryodhan. You always did have a flair for the dramatic."

He didn't respond with words. Instead, he launched himself at Rana, his fist connecting with the sorcerer's jaw in a brutal punch that sent Rana staggering back.

The battle between them was like nothing Pauravi had ever seen.

Rana's magic crackled in the air, dark and malevolent, but Duryodhan was relentless.

Every blow he delivered was fueled by rage-rage at the sight of Pauravi's bloodied body, rage at the years of torment and betrayal.

Rana conjured dark flames, sending them hurtling toward Duryodhan, but Duryodhan batted them away as though they were nothing, his eyes never leaving his target.

"You thought you could defeat me?" Duryodhan snarled, driving his fist into Rana's gut. "You thought you could break her?"

He coughed, blood spraying from his lips as he stumbled, but he quickly regained his footing, his face twisted in fury. "You think you've won, don't you?" he spat, wiping the blood from his mouth. "You're just as foolish as she is."

Duryodhan's response was swift and brutal.

He grabbed Rana by the throat, lifting him off the ground as though he weighed nothing. "You don't know what it means to win," he growled. "But you're about to lose."

He hurled Rana to the ground with a bone-cracking force, and the sorcerer cried out in pain as he hit the dirt.

But even as he lay there, battered and bleeding, he began to laugh-a low, maniacal sound that sent a chill down everyone's spine.

"You think you've beaten me," Rana rasped, his voice hoarse with pain. "But this isn't over. Not yet."

Duryodhan narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening on his weapon as he prepared to deliver the final blow. But before he could strike, the sound of footsteps echoed through the courtyard.

Ayushman appeared at the entrance, his body battered and bloody, his face a mask of exhaustion and pain.

"Ayushman!" Dhara cried out in relief, rushing toward him. "Thank the gods you're alive!"

But as Ayushman approached, something in his eyes flickered-something dark and unsettling.

Duryodhan took a step forward, his gaze never leaving Rana. "Ayushman, get the others to safety."

He didn't respond immediately. He simply stared at Rana, his eyes cold and calculating.

"Ayushman?" Pauravi's voice was weak, but filled with concern. "What's wrong?"

Slowly, Ayushman's lips curled into a smile-a smile that sent a chill through Duryodhan's heart.

"I'm sorry, my friend," he whispered, his voice barely above a murmur.

And then, in a swift motion, he plunged a dagger into Duryodhan's side.

The gasp that escaped Pauravi's lips was echoed by the shocked cries of their family.

Duryodhan stumbled back, his eyes wide with disbelief as he clutched his side, blood seeping through his fingers.

"Ayushman," Duryodhan rasped, his voice filled with pain and confusion. "What-why?"

He stepped closer, his face twisted with remorse-but not enough to stop him from twisting the blade deeper. "I'm sorry," he repeated, his voice breaking. "But this was the only way."

Pauravi screamed, her voice raw with horror and disbelief. "No! No, this can't be happening!"

But it was. Ayushman had betrayed them all.

As Duryodhan fell to his knees, the bonds that had once held Rana captive began to dissolve, and the sorcerer slowly rose to his feet, a dark grin spreading across his face.

"You see?" Rana said, his voice filled with triumph. "I told you this wasn't over."

Duryodhan's body slumped to the ground, his eyes glassy with pain.

"What a fool." Ayushman shook his head, rolling his eyes heavenward.

Rana spat blood on the ground, wiping the corner of his lips, with arrogance lining his eyes.

"You bastard we trusted you!" Yuyutsu roared, snapping out of the momentary shock.

The hope that had risen in their chest defeated, as he gazed at the one man they considered family.

"What kind of joke is this?" The first born of Gandhari asked. His eyes glaring at the man towering over him, blood seeped down his body.

Ayushman glared at him, as he gave him a sickening grin, "A twisted joke of fate, isn't it? Old friend." He hissed as he twisted the dagger in Duryodhan, who choked agony flaming his body, as he felt the blade move within him.

"Arya!!!" He could hear his two wives screams, "Putr Duryodhan!!!" His parents, Bhism, Vidur and Kunti screaming on top of their voices.

"Bhraata!!" His brothers were fighting hard against the restraints. Through his blurry eyes he saw everything.

But mostly he saw his friend.

One man he trusted more than life.

One man who had been his trusted partner.  Now stood as his enemy. Why?

What had he done?

Ayushman push Duryodhan, letting him fall. He pressed his boot on the hilt of the dagger, making it sink deeper, agony like never before throbbed through him.

"It's the end brother. It's the end of you Kuruvanshis."

Was all Ayushman said, his menacing laughter ringing through the sky. . .

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