"Shit! Ambush. Protect the Second Prince!"

A Royal Guard screamed like a Banshee alerting the whole squad as he moved in to protect the prince. Akash returned to his senses as he heard battle cries all around him. Just as he was was about to look around and make sense of his surroundings, he suddenly focused on a bright object flying towards him.

Akash's brain slowly identified the object as a giant spear, which was hurdling towards him so fast that the air appeared to rip in front of it.

"What the fuck, did I arrive in Valhalla after my death! Those fucking light novels were actually true?"

Akash cursed in anger with all the hair on his body standing on its end readying himself for the inevitable collision.

However, the spear crashed into his armor before he even had the chance to brace himself for the impact.

~ Klink ~

The giant spear had penetrated his armor and went through beneath his chest slightly avoiding his lungs as it got stuck in his body.

Akash felt his ears ringing, the sky and the earth spinning as he coughed blood. His body with heavy steel armor was knocked back, like a weak human blown away by an ancient cannon.

"Aargh, Dammit."

Akash cried in pain as he was blown away like a doll from the impact.

"Retreat!"

"Form a wall around the Second Prince."

"He needs immediate treatment from the Imperial Mages."

"Fast. Move. Move. Move."

Akash made out some of the battle commands being given and heard the chaotic footsteps of all the warriors around him.

'Second Prince? Imperial Mage? Form a wall? Yep, definitely Valhalla. These goddamned Vikings!'

Immediately, he felt his body collide with a warrior. He felt the sensation of pain flooding his entire body as he fainted.

...

2 days later, Paschim Palace

Akash woke up for the second time in this world. His brain felt sluggish as he could only vaguely perceive his surroundings.

Suddenly, his brain felt as if it was clobbered with a club and sharp pangs of pain filled his mind and soul as memories of another soul were magically transferred into his mind. As he started to assimilate with those memories, he once again lost control of his whole body. All he could do was listen to two female voices whispering beside him.

"Your highness, will the prince survive his coming mission in this condition? If the heir apparent wants him dead, probably no one in this Empire can save the Second Prince now."

From the fearful and subdued tone of this woman, Akash imagined her to be a dasi(servant) of a Queen in Ancient India.

"My son, Ashoka will not die this easily. If the Crown Prince corners us too much and does not leave a way out for us, he can forget about ever peacefully succeeding the throne of The Mauryan Empire."

Another gentle voice but with a regal touch interrupted angrily.

Akash tried very hard to open his eyes and get a glimpse of these two to make sense of this chaotic situation he had found himself in. As his heavy eyelids finally budged open, he was surprised by his surroundings.

He found himself inside what appeared to be a luxury ancient Indian palace, with a majestic and intricate interior, royal furniture and a warm smell of sandalwood; as if he was in heaven. He was shell shocked. He started observing his surroundings after he felt that he had control of his whole body again.

Two ancient Indian style beauties sat elegantly before him as they observed his every move intensely with single minded focus.

The one that was farther away was a young woman dressed in a traditional saree, her black hair elegantly styled into a bun.

'Queen's maid.' Akash nodded imperceptibly to himself as he observed her.

As he finally sat up, he realized that he was lying on a dark purple, gold gilded lotus shaped bed with a soft velvet pillow behind him.

A very beautiful woman sat beside the bed with motherly worry written all over her face.

As soon as he saw her face, Akash finished assimilating with all the memories of the foreign soul and instantly realized his current situation.