Diru felt his soul being pulled toward one of the monuments. His feet moved without hesitation.

Nakula stood majestic before him. Diru had felt from the very beginning that Nakula would be the vessel for his Vivid Dream. Among the Asura, the majority were typically chosen by Bima or Arjuna. Nakula and Sadewa held a nearly equal following, while Yudhistira claimed the fewest.

Perhaps it was the inherent nature of the Asura race to favor muscle over mind when solving problems. Boku and a few others were true outliers in that regard. Yet, to this day, no Asura other than Moku had ever been chosen by Gatotkaca. Even Nash, Moku’s eldest son, had failed to earn the recognition of the Engine of Doom; he was acknowledged only by Yudhistira.

The criteria for Gatotkaca’s favor remained a mystery. The ability to wield the weapons of all five sovereigns was a tantalizing prospect, but for Diru, Nakula was more than enough. He admired Nakula’s combat style. If he could master it as skillfully as Swa, then Garyu would no longer be an insurmountable threat. Still, Diru remained a realist; even with a Vivid Dream, he might only manage to fight the mage to a standstill.

Without further delay, Diru pressed his soul’s imprint into the statue of Nakula. Instantly, his connection to the Pandava surged, intensifying until he could summon that realm into reality. His consciousness snapped back into his physical body. Seeing the massive orb of light closing in, Diru no longer felt a shred of fear. He smiled.

[Vivid Dream: Nakula’s Playground]

An Orb Intent manifested before him. Diru caught the sphere of energy in a crushing grip. There was one word he had long yearned to speak. Though he didn’t fully grasp its ancient meaning, every time he saw Moku shout it with such burning passion, Diru wanted to do the same. This was the moment.

"HENSHIN!!"

Diru slammed the Orb Intent into his chest just as the giant sphere of light consumed his position.

BOOM!

Garyu felt the horrific heat radiating from his massive sun. The temperature was high enough to liquefy mountains; it should have been impossible for Diru to survive. Yet, no spark of victory touched Garyu’s face. His brow furrowed, his expression soured, and his teeth ground together in a feral snarl.

"How?! How are you not dead?! How many times must I kill you before you truly vanish, you goddamn cockroach?!" he shrieked in a fit of rage.

Before him, it was not a pile of ash that remained, but a figure encased in an awe-inspiring suit of full body armor. The suit was forged from a lightweight yet incredibly resilient alloy, adorned with energy circuits that pulsed with light. Its surface bore intricate patterns resembling dragon scales. The helm featured a transparent visor, while at the center of the breastplate, a Dragon Core throbbed, radiating pure energy.

This was the Kekayon Armor.

"Hehehe... Round three, bitch!"

Diru drew the shimmering twin blades from his back. His body lunged instantly, performing a zigzag maneuver that left Garyu unable to track his trajectory. In the blink of an eye, Garyu was within the reach of Diru’s steel. The searing heat radiating from the mage—which had previously melted Diru’s armor—could not even scratch the surface of the Kekayon Armor. The Tirta Manik Swords swung in a beautiful arc, seeking Garyu’s throat.

Garyu, now fully on guard, activated a repelling force to blast Diru away. However, the thrusters on the Kekayon Armor flared instantly, counteracting the push. Diru managed to graze Garyu’s neck before his body was finally hurled back.

"Hehehe... how does it feel? Did you just see your life flash before your eyes?" Diru taunted, rebalancing himself in mid-air.

"YOU!"

Garyu was beyond reason. He slammed his foot into the earth and unleashed the highest tier of his sorcery.

[Domain: Stellar Graveyard]

With the other human mages dead, Garyu no longer needed to restrain the collateral damage of his Domain. Had he used this earlier, Diru would have been a helpless man waiting for death. But things were different now. Diru had mastered his Vivid Dream. Even as a fresh awakening, it was common knowledge among the Asura that a Vivid Dream stood superior to a mage’s Domain.

The battle resumed on a catastrophic scale. Garyu used the Stellar Graveyard to call down a lethal meteor shower from the heavens. Meanwhile, Nakula’s Playground turned the world into Diru’s personal arena; he flickered in and out of existence at will, weaving through the falling stars as if playing a game of tag.

Diru constantly pressed for a vital strike, but each time he closed the distance, he was repelled before he could land the finishing blow. Garyu, in turn, grew increasingly frustrated trying to catch the elusive warrior. Every time Diru’s silhouette appeared, he would vanish and reappear elsewhere in a heartbeat. The ruins had truly become a caldera of magma, looking as if a volcano had just violently erupted.

Yet, Diru knew this fight would still end in his defeat. It wasn’t that his technique was lacking or that Garyu was stronger, but rather that his Dragon Prana was nearly spent. Opening the gate of evolution had replenished his reserves, but maintaining both a Vivid Dream and the Kekayon Armor consumed a staggering amount of energy.

Even so, Diru had made his peace with death. He had no intention of walking out of here alive. He only wanted to offer one final stand; if he could die taking Garyu with him, it would be a monumental victory.

"Is that truly what’s on your mind?"

Suddenly, a voice he knew all too well echoed in his head.

"Kuja?!"

An Asura appeared in the center of their battlefield. He looked exhausted, but there were no significant wounds on his body. Diru could sense that Kuja was now far more powerful than when they had first departed Progenitor City.

"What?! How?! This is impossible! How are you still alive after facing Lord Jurna?!" Garyu screamed, his voice cracking as he saw Kuja’s arrival.

"Oh, that Level 6 Constellation Mage? He almost sent me to meet Uncle Laya, but unfortunately for him, I was slightly superior."

Kuja gave a thin smile before turning toward Diru, completely ignoring Garyu, whose face had turned as white as parchment. "You can rest now. Don’t worry—I’ll leave this mage’s body for you," he said, his tone chillingly calm.

"Is that so?" Diru whispered, a faint smile touching his lips. His tensed muscles relaxed; his Vivid Dream faded, and the Kekayon Armor disengaged. He placed absolute trust in his captain. "Good then," he muttered softly before finally losing consciousness.