That horrifying memory of Dev's childhood, the blood-stained hands, and the piercing sting of the broken bangle were still vivid in his mind. The 6-year-old boy who had sat on his knees amidst the dust and blood that day, stood today as a 14-year-old warrior in front of his mother.
The bitter, astringent taste of the tears and blood from that day seemed to freshen in his mouth once again . He clenched his fist even tighter, the broken shards of his Prana-sword still digging into his palm. until then, I...Dev's voice carried a heaviness that could shake mountains. With moist eyes, he looked at his mother and completed that eight-year-old unfinished sentence, ...until then, I will never lose to any human!
Dev's words seemed to make the very currents of the wind grow heavy . A fresh stream of tears flowed from his mother's eyes. But this time, there was no helplessness in those tears; they held the unbreakable pride of a mother watching her son grow into a lion.
With both her trembling hands, she cupped Dev's face and kissed his forehead . Her voice held a strange, profound solace, Yes, my Dev... I have complete faith in my son.
The scene shifts.
Far from the scorching sun and the stench of blood and sweat of the training ground, we return to the quiet, white hospital room. A light, sweet fragrance of medicinal herbs and fresh flowers floated in the air.
Guru Kailash had just stepped out the door after giving Rudra and Maya some essential instructions. The sound of his heavy footsteps slowly faded down the corridor and settled into silence.
Now, only Rudra and Maya remained in the room. Rudra, half-sitting while leaning against the soft pillows of his bed , turned his neck to look at Maya. A strange restlessness flickered across his face.
"Maya..." Rudra swallowed hard, "What... what happened after my terrifying fiery explosion? When I was knocked out unconscious?"
Maya, who was sitting on the chair gently caressing her burnt hand, suddenly grew incredibly serious. The terror of that night flooded back into her eyes.
After you passed out, Rudra...Maya's voice trembled like a cold breeze, There at the mouth of the cave... three more ferocious 'Prana-Jivis' appeared.
Hearing this, the little color left on Rudra's face drained entirely. An ice-cold chill shot down his spine.
" What...? !Rudra's eyes widened in sheer panic. His breath hitched. Th... three more?! Then... then what happened? Did you defeat all three of them?"
Trying to mask his fear, Rudra forced a fake, nervous smile onto his face and joked, "Wow, Maya! Did you kill all three of them by yourself? I thought only your height and hair had grown, but your power is amazing!"
Maya narrowed her eyes and glared at Rudra as if she would eat him alive. What are you trying to say, Rudra?!Maya hissed furiously.
Rudra was genuinely terrified. He immediately threw both his hands in the air and stuttered, Sorry! Sorry, Maya! I was just joking! I wish that were true... I wish I had that kind of power. Okay... so what really happened? Who killed them?
Maya took a deep breath. The air in the room suddenly turned mystical.
Right at that moment... Guru Kailash arrived there, Maya's voice held a strange mix of reverence and awe. He used his 'Prana-Vayu' (Prana-Wind) technique.
Hearing this name, Rudra's eyes lit up. All his fear vanished into thin air, and like a little kid, he bounced on the bed with excitement.
What?! Guru ji himself?! Rudra yelled loudly. Did you see him fight?! People say he can appear anywhere in the blink of an eye! He can literally vanish! Tell me, Maya, what happened there? I'm so excited!
That spine-chilling scene of the night came alive before Maya's eyes.
A Prana-Jivi was charging at me with its red sword, ready to kill Maya began to explain, her voice mesmerizing. But right then... Guru ji's fingers took the shape of a glowing, cold iron 'knife' . I only felt a sharp gust of wind... Swoosh! And in a fraction of a second, Guru ji sliced that first Prana-Jivi into exactly five precise pieces!
Wow! Amazing! And then what happened?! Rudra, eyes wide open, scooted to the very edge of the bed. He was completely absorbed in the story.
And what happened next, I still can't believe it," Maya said, her own breathing growing heavier. I saw that in a single instant... Guru ji appeared right behind the second Prana-Jivi. It felt as if he dissolved into the wind. And there, without launching an attack, without even lifting a hand... he instantly materialized behind the third Prana-Jivi!
Rudra held his breath.
And he did nothing there either! Maya's eyes remained wide with shock. In a split second, he returned and stood beside me. I thought he hadn't done anything at all. But then... Splat! I saw... the necks of both those Prana-Jivis were sliced off and fell to the ground simultaneously! I couldn't even process when Guru ji cut their throats! His speed... was faster than sound and the wind!"
Hearing this, Rudra stood up on the bed in a mix of joy and sheer madness. He had goosebumps all over.
Unbelievable!! Rudra yelled, punching his fist into the air. I'm going to learn this technique too, Maya! Whatever it takes, I will learn it!
A fierce resolve began to burn in Rudra's eyes. After clearing this 'Astra-Yagya' competition... whoever wins it gets the chance to receive special training from Acharya's Best Student! I will win, and I will learn this speed!"
The scene shifts.
Far away from the bright white lights of the hospital, we are now inside a massive, old, and traditional wooden house (Dojo). This was no ordinary house; it looked entirely like a fierce combat arena.
The sharp scent of old, polished wood mixed with the ozone smell of colliding Prana filled the air.
Continuous sounds of clashing metals and heavy winds being sliced echoed from within—*Clang... Swoosh...
We look right into the center of the room. A boy is standing there. His body is glistening with sweat. But the strangest thing was... that boy had a thick, black blindfold tied over his eyes! He was completely in the dark.
Right in front of him... stood two 'Prana Clones' of Guru Kailash! And these were no ordinary clones; they were using the exact same 'Prana-Vayu' technique that Maya was just describing to Rudra. They were vanishing into thin air like smoke and abruptly reappearing.
The blindfolded boy held a highly bizarre and dangerous weapon in both his hands. They were iron rings—Chakrams. These Chakrams were as sharp as razor blades and as wide as the thickness of two fingers .
Just then... an incredible sight occurred.
The iron Chakrams gripped in the hands of that boy submerged in darkness suddenly began to glow with an incredibly intense, piercing Blue Light! That light radiated a strange chilling and lethal energy.
The two Prana clones of Guru Kailash standing opposite him morphed their fingers into those terrifying 'knives'. There was no emotion on their faces, only the intent of mechanical death.
Despite the blindfold over his eyes, the boy raised his head. A faint, fearless smirk appeared on his lips.
The clones took their positions. The boy tightened his grip on his glowing blue Chakrams.
And then... with a loud whoosh tearing through the air... those two ferocious clones and the mysterious blindfolded boy bolted toward each other at blinding speed, with the absolute intent to tear each other apart!
SWOOOSHHH!!!
(Author's Note: If you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know in the comments! You can also support the story by voting with your Power Stones. Thank you for reading!)