Takshak's eyes had turned blood red.
Every word coming out of that prisoner's mouth… was like poison.
And the more he spoke… the deeper he struck.
Again and again… right where it hurt the most.
The chained man smirked, unfazed.
"Mahishasur… now that sounds like a name worthy of a demon," he said mockingly, glancing around.
"But this 'Takshak'… tell me something—has there ever even been a demon by that name?"
A pause.
Then his eyes locked onto Takshak.
"Or are you just a crawling… runaway… useless serpent pretending to be a king?"
The demons around stirred.
Uneasy.
Uncomfortable.
"Tell me," he continued, voice sharper now, "is a snake… who slithers, hides, and runs from battles… even worthy of being a Demon King?"
He laughed under his breath.
"Seems like demons aren't being born anymore… just fools and failures who don't even know how to choose their own ruler."
He tilted his head slightly.
"But then again… makes sense."
A cruel smile.
"As the people… so the king."
That was it.
Takshak snapped.
Before the man could say another word—
Takshak lunged forward, grabbed his face, and slammed him against the rough stone wall of Pataal Lok.
Dragging him across it, sparks and dust flying—
His voice roared with fury.
"Filthy human!"
"Your tongue is worse than a demon's! I don't even understand anymore—are you human… or something far worse?"
With a violent shove, he threw the man to the ground.
Then turned to his soldiers.
His voice thundered across the cave—
"Throw him into the fire!"
"Offer him as sacrifice!"
A dark grin spread across his face.
"Let me see… what his tongue says… when it burns."
The soldiers didn't hesitate.
They grabbed the man and began dragging him toward the blazing ritual fire.
Rough. Brutal. Merciless.
And then—
The man started laughing.
Loud.
Uncontrollable.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
With a single violent jerk—
He threw both the demons holding him straight to the ground.
Clank!
Crack!
The chains on his hands and feet…
Shattered.
For a second—
Everything stopped.
Takshak and Mahishasur both froze.
Their eyes widened in disbelief.
"Impossible!" Takshak roared.
"Those chains were forged from the bones of the Ashwini Kumars! Even the gods themselves cannot break them!"
The long-bearded man straightened up slowly…
And smiled.
Calm.
Mocking.
Deadly.
"Use your brain, you fake king," he said casually.
"Those chains are meant to bind divine blood… they work on beings with godly essence."
He chuckled.
"And me?"
He spread his arms slightly.
"I'm a dead man… brought back. Just a human."
"How did you even think those chains could hold me?"
He laughed again.
Takshak's anger rose even higher.
"Then what were you doing in that cell all these years?!" he demanded.
"If you could break those chains… why didn't you escape?"
Before the man could answer—
Mahishasur stepped forward and spoke, his tone serious.
"My king… the chains couldn't hold him… but the prison could."
A silence followed.
Then—
The man laughed again.
"Pathetic."
He looked at Takshak with pure disdain.
"You don't even need a prophecy to be defeated… you're already enough for your own downfall."
He glanced around the burning cave.
"But no matter… looks like I still have some time."
His voice turned colder.
"Guess I'll have to destroy this Pataal Lok myself."
He looked upward.
Searching.
Scanning the vast cavern above—
Trying to find a way out.
Takshak noticed.
His fury exploded again.
"Why are you all standing there?!" he shouted at Mahishasur.
"Capture him! Throw him into the fire immediately!"
Mahishasur charged forward.
Fast. Heavy. Deadly.
But the man didn't even look at him.
He was still scanning for an exit.
And just as Mahishasur reached him—
The man jumped.
High.
Effortless.
He vanished from that spot in a blink—
Dodging the attack without even turning around.
Takshak's eyes widened.
"He's aware of his powers now!" he shouted.
"Catch him! Throw him into the fire now—or he will become our greatest threat!"
Mahishasur growled and chased after him.
What followed…
Was chaos.
The man moved like the wind.
Jumping from one rock to another…
From one structure to the next…
Leaping across rivers of lava…
Flying through the air…
Always ahead.
Always laughing.
Mahishasur chased him relentlessly.
Step for step.
Speed for speed.
They moved so fast—
It felt like two high-speed cars racing through destruction.
After a while…
After this deadly game of chase…
The man suddenly stopped.
In front of him—
A glowing point of light.
Far above.
A way out.
Mahishasur rushed toward him—
But before he could reach—
THUD!
The man kicked him hard.
Sending him crashing far across the ground.
Then he turned.
Smiling.
Looking down at Mahishasur.
"At least… try to live up to the name of demons," he said calmly.
"Recognize your leader… and once in a while… look around and see if what's happening is even right."
His voice grew sharper.
"I've heard stories… of great demons. Beings who maintained balance in the world."
"Ravan… King Bali… warriors of wisdom and strength."
He shook his head slowly.
"But today… all I see…"
"Is a race of fools."
"Your so-called king… isn't even one of you."
He stepped back slightly.
"So maybe it's time you remember who you really are."
Mahishasur lay there…
In pain…
But more than that—
In shock.
And before he could react—
The man jumped.
High.
Higher.
In a single leap—
He soared toward the glowing light above…
And disappeared beyond it.
Gone.