Chereads / Rakshak of Kalpa / Chapter 35 - 1.34 Fodder. (7.1k)

Chapter 35 - 1.34 Fodder. (7.1k)

Well, I now am a minion of the vicious demon Kali. The one who is supposed to corrupt this whole world. But things didn't seem like what they told in the stories. Will he get corrupted in the future? And what about Kalki? The Final Avatar of Lord Vishnu? Isn't he supposed to vanquish this Great Demon that is supposed to start the process of this world's destruction?

How I interpreted things is like this: Kali is the bona fide villain of Renewal. But in special Brahmands, that moniker is stolen by other powerful beings who are trying to serve their own interests. A special Kali is sent down into those Brahmands to get rid of the mutations and return the flow back to its natural order, reclaiming it's duty as the villain of that world to be vanquished as usual. Making sure that the Renewal follows the laws upheld by The Trinity. That was simple enough.

But the problem arises when the 'beneficial' parasite sent to get rid of the mutations becomes a mutation itself. That kind of problem is what we are facing right now in this Brahmand.

Honestly I didn't care whether my soul stayed as it was or got reconstructed after I relinquish my mortal body in future. But these developments were sure to make me entertained for the rest of my life. Is this what they call being in the right place at the right time? If I wasn't ordered to become Somi's caretaker, I would have probably been sitting around in the main sanctum with the other apprentices who are ignorant of the truth that this world is hiding.

Our talk lasted for three hours until Somi opened her eyes and looked around in confusion.

She sat up, inspected her body and found not a single scar anywhere.

"It was not a dream. I'm sure. What happened?" She turned to look at me and Kali.

Her voice was flat and devoid of any emotion. She was like a new apprentice learning to chant for the very first time. Simply uttering the words without any changes in amplification or frequencies.

I told her everything. How she was operated and lost her heart chakra. How this one eyed man saved her and gave her a new chakra after slaughtering every one in the institution other than the ones who were taking shelter in the main sanctum. I was asked not to talk about what happened to her real one.

"I see." She mumbled and placed a hand over her chest. She kept staring into the distance, with her eyes unfocused. "I... I'm missing something. Before... I was filled with it, but now just a hole remains."

"A person's heart chakra influences their emotions. With it replaced, you can now be logical even in extreme situations of stress and urgency. Considering your disposition and curses, it's better not to feel anything at all." Kali bluntly stated, forcing her to face her current situation.

"Still." Her monotonous voice was forcing me to reiterate whatever she was saying, inside my mind with added emotions in it. "I wanted to keep those moments close to my heart. They would have somehow gotten me through this life... But now it is like watching a clip from a movie and not understanding the context behind it. I can't even feel emotionally connected to the events or the characters in my memories. How pitiful."

I looked down unable to say anything. Knowing what had actually happened and how Kali was deceiving her broke my heart.

"You're also no longer Kalpa's guardian. I've gotten rid of her vessels inside you. By now you should understand why she isn't trustable." Kali kept giving her bits of information in digestible format. "So your Status and the Skills that were derived from her are no longer available for you. But no need to get nervous. I'll teach you guys how to hold your own against the geniuses of Ashrama or the minions of Asura who have technically been training for multiple decades. So look forward to it."

"What if I refuse? I have no reason to do anything after all this. What have I left to fight for?" Somi simply said.

"Your brother is still alive." Kali dropped another bomb. Her eyes widened but they failed to light up.

"What makes you say that?" She retorted, thinking that Kali was simply talking out of his ass.

Kali, the human-Demon stared at her for a few seconds looking for the proper words to say. "I'm not sure whether you know. Your brother is the Kalki Avatar. Kalpa Vriksha knows that she's going against the natural laws of Preservation, and the only one who can prove as an obstacle in her plans is none other than him. That's why she tried to nip him in the bud. He must be hiding somewhere, gathering his strength in order to take his revenge. The path we are gonna follow also has the same goal. To stop whatever Kalpa is planning. I'm sure our paths are bound to cross. You can help me until you find him again. You owe me that much for the artificial chakra I made for you sacrificing my own vessels."

"So he's the Kalki Avatar. Hmm." Her voice and her words showed what her priorities were, and left me feeling seriously uncomfortable. "Things do make a bit of sense judging from what you've been saying. But a lot of things aren't adding up. How do you know about all these things? And how did you know I would be here at this time? I have a lot of questions."

"I have seen everything happen once already, in a Brahmand I had destroyed out of spite, instead of giving it a chance to Renew. The ripple effects from that Annihilated Brahmand have spread into the others, corrupting the Mokshas there. The Preserver gave me a chance to redeem myself with a new mission. To undo what I have done. I have to get rid of the corrupted Mokshas in these mutated worlds to bring back natural order, after which his Avatar will sever me from this Brahmand and send me to the next." Kali slowly explained everything for her again.

Somi pressed her hands over her temples and massaged them.

"So you want to stop Kalpa from acquiring all seven artifacts, right?" She asked in a concise format, "Why are we supposed to gather and bring them back then? Let's send all our forces to a single temple and simply destroy one of the artifacts. You're supposed to bring back things to their order, not make it worse."

"Having the power and means to do it, why wouldn't I?" Kali retorted.

"Then what makes you and Kalpa different? Why should I work with you instead of her if the outcome is the same?" She asked, getting heated.

"You naive little girl. People keep using you for their own means and still you don't understand? For God's sake, take control of your life for once!!! If it was Kalpa, you will again have to spend thousands of years in that dark lonely place, devoid of any human interaction!! This time, you decide how you want your life to turn out. Be selfish. I'll take care of your curse too, so that you can live a life however you want. With whoever you want, and can also be of help to your brother. I'm giving you a chance like this and you're acting like this..." Kali's words sent red hot rage through my blood vessels but I kept enduring. What a convenient was to dodge her questions.

He truly is a sadistic demon. He also had a hand in making her like this. And now he's manipulating her to do his bidding. Be selfish? People are using her for their own gain? Isn't that something he's also doing?

Somi fell into a deep thought and went quiet.

"You're a fucking hypocrite. You act like a sage, all the while robbing off her ability to feel anything at all. And you're asking why she's acting like this..." I whispered walking upto him.

"That's what I'm supposed to be. I'm selfish, and I take what I want. And I won't hesitate to end you incase you try to talk about it. I'm always watching over everyone related to me, so don't even think about trying anything against me." He whispered back aggressively.

"From one form of slavery to another. How many humiliations do I need to bear just to make sure that I stay alive?" I was getting too brave muttering this standing right beside him.

Somi cleared her throat a few minutes after we stopped bickering and started talking, "I know you won't be answering my questions anyway, but still I'll ask them. I want to make sure that you know what kind of an impression I have about you."

Kali kept glaring at her.

"Did you know me from your previous experience? In the Brahmand that you destroyed? Since you arrived here from a different Brahmand, you must have a version of you already living in this world. Where do you come from? What's your real name? Who are you trying to save, after retrieving the seven artifacts? How do you plan on curing both of my curses which no one have been able to analyse for all these generations? Who do we have to fight during these retrieval missions? What else is left... Yeah, now i remember. Is your version in this Brahmand following the same path as you? Won't we be in a problem with two Demons of the End existing in the same Universe?" Somi finally stopped her barrage of questions.

Kali: "Kalpa's actions have been sending ripples of changes in this World. Something might have already changed in him. He might have gotten more vicious or gentler than me, who knows? I have to be careful and not come in contact with him right now. But now, since you won't be imprisoned in Kalpa's personal dimension after being offered to her by this Institution, the possibility of you two meeting in the future has been removed. He might possibly have a normal life going forward." Kali carefully chose his words before replying to a few of her questions in one go.

He indirectly implied that they met inside Kalpa's dimension in his actual Brahmand. This got a bit interesting. His life must have changed after meeting her version there... That's why he knew what went on in this Institution and came here to save her... In turn giving his version of this world a chance to live a different life that he had followed.

"Vidisha and Somi. I have answered enough of your questions. But this time I have to ask you this. First of all, you don't have a choice other than being a part of my plan. As the only two Manavas in contact with me, only you can help me retrieve the artifacts. I want to save my version along with his family and friends in this Universe. I don't want him to turn out like me. The things I went through, I don't wish those upon anyone else. Kalpa only saved the people of Satya Marta in my actual Brahmand from what I have seen. But I want to save the other Manavas too... Please help me." He looked at me and Somi and joined his palms, bowing his head down slightly.

It was impressive performance but I was going to do it either way. I have had the most fun in just a day by simply accompanying him compared to the two years I spent here.

"Can you give me part of your vessels too? But... shouldn't you also have Kalpa's vessels in essence?" I asked him getting excited at the prospect of finally being able to Awaken.

"I used to have her vessels before. But this vessel transplant method was taught to me by Shukracharya, the Guru of Asuras. The vessels I shared with Somi are technically derived from Shukracharya himself, but from my actual Brahmand. You should know how special it is then. If you decide to receive them, you can't back out from this mission anymore. Are you sure? By now you should already know what entails betraying or double crossing me." He described the origin of his vessels. An artifact of another Universe was growing inside his body.

"That's cool. I did sign up for this from the very beginning, so you don't have to worry about me. It fills me with excitement thinking about all the doors that have suddenly opened up for me within the span of a few hours." I said, elated. Guru Shukra's vessels... So impressive!! "Operate on me right now!!! Good Demon Sir!"

I was surprised at my current state of mind. Is this anticipation born from the possibilities of getting stronger that is tickling my dormant warrior Kshatriya blood? I felt a sudden harmony between my body and mind, giving me a certain peace. Something I realised I have been missing for all these years.

He gave me a slight smile watching my excitement.

"Somi, you should still have people you grew up with in Alik. Don't you want to save them?" He asked looking back at her.

"Why go against the natural laws set up by the Trinity?" She asked instead, "By now you should already know what comes from defying the Deities..."

"I know. But the guilt of knowing a way that makes it somewhat possible and not acting on it will surely eat me up from inside. I decided long ago to not give up on my chances anymore. Not to leave any opportunities unexplored that will make me regret later on. I'm gonna use everything at my disposal to make sure I finish what I have started. I hope you understand, since you already know the despair of being tossed around by the whims of entities more powerful than you." Kali looked straight at her making me wonder what kind of regrets he was talking about. Suddenly, I remembered the piece of bark where he had hidden Somi's actual heart chakra. Shit... I realised as a shiver went down my spine.

Things didn't turn out well for the Somi in Kali's actual World. A few of his phrases were now making sense. He's indeed deceiving her, but trying to provide both himself and Somi of this world to lead an alternate life other than what they had transpired in the other Brahmand.

I realised I felt a new found respect for this guy. Who in their correct minds would even do something like this? I'm not sure what kind of conflicting feelings he's currently going through, but he's surprisingly holding up well.

I wouldn't mind helping him in these quests, I thought for the nth time reaffirming my first decision to take his side.

It also made me feel quite happy, thinking how this person's intervention allowed both me and Somi to alter our fates and find a new direction that probably didn't point towards the tragedy that our lives were going to turn into. The price we have to pay inexchange: being targetted by everybody in Satya and be named the minions of a World Destroying Demon.

I always used to think what the perspectives of the villains were in the epics. Knowing that I too will be called one, just because we are opposing a 'supposedly' good entity in the eyes of others made me thrilled. It is just a matter of perspective. If they win, we will be branded as the ones who tried to sabotage the people of Satya. If we win, we will brand them as villains who were trying to abandon the innocent people of Alik.

"How long will you two need to become strong? If you learn what I'll be teaching properly, it will take about a couple of decades to internalize it all..." Kali wondered out loud.

"Both of us will need to practice Dhyana from the very beginning. I don't want to take chances until I can awaken all seven of my chakras properly." Somi said, after calculating things for a while. "We'll also need other artifacts and weapons to augment our strengths. It will take much more than a couple of decades..."

"Why don't we do something?" I thought of something, "Your Kavach gets stronger the more time and constraints you give into creating it right? Why not use the Prana beads you harvested from here and put up barriers around the temples where the artifacts are, until we finish our training?"

"I'll need a lot more than a few hundred Prana beads for a barrier of that class." Kali replied with certainty.

"Why don't we go on a mindless slaughter around the world?" I suggested and shut my mouth realising the gravity of what I said. "I'm sorry, I have no idea why I said that... Forget about it."

Somi was looking at me with wide eyes, making me feel the guilt even more.

"Since we are a team right now, I would like to follow a path where all three of us can agree on the decisions we take going forward. Unless people are coming to kill us or blocking our way voluntarily, we won't be dealing with them. Knowing her, she will only co-operate under these conditions." He glanced at Somi for a while and looked away after she affirmed that it was truly the case. What am I going to do with this girl... Sigh.

What else can we do then?

"Since it's only me and Somi in the team, why don't we create constraints in such a way that only two people from each of the three different camps can enter the temples?" I added.

"That's a good constraint. I have to calculate how much energy I'll require for a barrier of this kind. The only thing left is...." Suddenly his lips burst into a smile. His single left red eye shone with greed.

"Your wishes have been granted, Vidisha." He said turning towards me, "Our energy sources have appeared by themselves. I was right to leave the survivors alone."

"You mean the Kuru Kingdom have sent reinforcements already?" I asked, getting excited at the prospect of witnessing an Omnipotent Being slaughter hundreds of lives, all over again. Am I getting crazy? Well, it doesn't matter. They should have known to mind their own business and not come bothering the End Bringer Kali. My Kshatriya blood was boiling already. The very characteristic I have been ignoring till now was slowly lighting up within me like a smoldering fire being reenergized with the introduction of a newer vicious fuel. Is this what my parents craved? Were they too bored working ordinary jobs and living quiet lives? Is this why they left me all alone in the hands of apathetic relatives??

"Come outside. You need to see the level that you'll need to achieve in order to be of any help to me. Anything other than strength in this world is not acknowledged. People will only respect those powerful than them. Whenever you're fighting someone, show them the utter difference in your skills, make them despair so that others can learn from their examples not to ever cross you. Only then will you be able to do what you truly want. This is what you'll need to truly strive for, instead of being pushed around by others anymore." He said, in a long uninterrupted speech.

Right after we returned to the surface, we found the unawakened apprentices surrounding us with hostile looks on their faces. Being unawakened, their Prana beads would be considered peanuts when compared to the massive amount of energy that we required. There's no reason for Kali to shoulder the burden of murdering these innocent people.

I stood in front of them and stared at their faces for a while. They were nervous, and unsure of what was coming next.

"He does not wish to kill you. It's better you all stand down instead of making things complicated. I implore you, do not give him reason to act. Please, go back to the main sanctum and wait for the battle to be over. He won't lay his hands on you, I guarantee you." I acted as a mediator to stop an unnecessary bloodbath.

"I knew something was wrong with you. To have sided so easily with someone who killed our seniors and teachers." One of my senior apprentices shouted back at me, "You disgust me. Maybe you were in cahoots with this Demon from the very beginning. We shouldn't have brought up a backbiting snake like you."

"Yes, I was her working under him from the very beginning. I only helped punish the offenders who have been carrying out inhumane experiments in the name of pursuing knowledge here." I lied instead of defending myself. "I will say, that they got what they deserved. I'm not sure whether you all were a part of the experiments or not, but since the main culprits have been taken care of, I don't want to bother you guys anymore. Go into the shelter and don't stand in our way anymore. Your teachers took a second to die helplessly, and you all won't even take one millisecond."

Surprisingly, they didn't create a nuisance after hearing what I said. Sometimes you can't help appreciating people who are sensible. Makes things hassle-free.

"They got good education. Makes me feel guilty thinking about the good teachers who died by my hands. From their perspective, they were just researching bloodline traits for making the Kuru kingdom stronger and protecting this place from a Demonic Intruder." Kali mumbled with a solemn tone.

"The terrain is in our favour. And you got no time to think about useless things. The ground and skies of the northeastern side are filled with enemies... We have to decide whether we really need to fight or flee away from here. We can think of collecting energy in a different manner." I summarised the situation looking at the wide array of militants that were heading towards our direction.

This institution is situated at the top of one of the plateaus that is part of a small range located in the north west of the country which is currently occupied by the Kuru kingdom. It's capital is towards our northeast, and also the direction from where the enemies are arriving.

A hybrid of rocky and sandy terrain surrounded us, with occasional trees here and there. There were some villages to our south which will hopefully be out of scope for this battle. The enemies looked like a torrent of ants rushing out of a toppled ant hill. With hundreds and thousands of soldiers both on the ground and floating in the skies.

And still they were unable to defeat the forces of Ayodhya, leading to the fruitless death of my parents.

From what I have heard, Rishi Valmiki's secret ancient Ashrama, where Lord Rama had trained to one day vanquish the Demon Ravana had reappeared in the form of a dungeon. Apparently it was hidden from Satya for thousands of years.

It was discovered in the territory of Ayodhya, but was close enough to the borders of Kuru. Getting greedy over the prospects of acquiring a huge stash of divine missiles and weapons that might have been stored away in the Ashrama, the Kuru kingdom relentlessly attacked Ayodhya, trying to wrest away ownership of the newly found dungeon.

Kshatriyas were sent to fight the wars and a lot of them never returned. Funny how a simple decision that some idiot finalised while sitting on his golden throne that he received just because he was born into the family, was able to destroy so many families, reducing them to mere beggars.

Even if my parents were a part of this army once, I looked forward to its destruction. "Ultimately, the only ones who suffer will be the people these soldiers left behind in their homes. How far have I fallen. To wish my fate upon countless innocent lives, just because I am bitter..." I unknowingly said it out loud, gaining Kali's attention.

"War is complex, Vidisha. The moment all these warriors decided to come here and take my life, they can't turn back unless it is done. One way or another. Still, if you two want, I'll give them a chance to dishonour themselves by letting them flee from the battlefield before the siege starts. More than that, I have nothing that I can do." Kali uttered the words without emotions. What can I even expect from him? He has already seen the destruction of his birth Brahmand. Which was done by his own hands.

"They have quite the impressive army." Somi walked up to the entrance which opened up a view of the yellowish barren plains, that isolated our institution from outside interference.

There were Pakshiraja's descendants which carried soldiers in the air. Those winged horses had white pearly fur that glistened in the sunlight. Behind the troop of winged horses were giant eagles, who seemed to have been derived from Garuda, carrying Dhanurdhars for aerial bombardment. On the ground were the descendants of Airavat, huge elephants with four tusks that had the height of three storied buildings. Animals that looked like Sharavas and Yalis were also there on the ground carrying more Dhanurdhars and Yoddhas who looked ready to jump down and rush here anytime.

The front line was made with numerous Surakshaks, holding their reflective golden shields, that created a somewhat elliptical circumference all around the military force.

At the far end of the ellipse were Vaidyas and Rishis who had ready to launch spells manifested over their heads.

The Yali and Sharavas were truck sized terrifying guardian beasts that usually were experimental hybrids of powerful animals. They usually had the bodies of lions or elephants as a base, with extra advantageous perks from other animals. Their bizarre appearances got most of my attention. Their round protruding eyes were horrible and nightmare inducing. How did they even manage to tame them properly and bring them out into the battlefield? These beasts are usually responsible for protecting sacred sites and temples. What happened within two years? Or were they already doing this for years?

"You want to meet them once just for the sake of formalities?" Kali simultaneously glanced both at me and Somi.

"Honestly, I don't care. I'm not sure whether anyone of them will even take your offer, fearing that they'll be violating their code of conduct as Kshatriyas. We will only be losing energy for the barrier creation if people actually listens to you. Ask Somi, she holds the moral key for this decision." I said casually. If my parents were given a chance to return back to me, after reaching the battlefield, would they have taken it? Knowing our warrior blood, they probably wouldn't. So all of this is simply a waste of time.

I like that he's considering our inputs in finalising a decision. Maybe it will come in handy later on.

"Let's go talk with them once." Somi said, "You are strong enough to protect us incase things go downhill."

"We are already going downhill to the plains for the sake of meeting them... It can't get any worse than that. I'm sure they'll just humiliate us and send us back, thinking we are afraid of them." I noted, considering basic human tendencies when they think that they have the upper hand.

Kali touched my shoulder gently and the space around us rippled, dissolving the scene in front of me. In just a few seconds, the ant like enemies far away from me now looked so ginormous that I had to raise my head to meet the eyes of the warriors sitting on top of the elephants' heads.

"I want to talk once before we fight. Will you allow me to do so? Who's your commander?" Kali shouted at the top of his voice as the front line of Surakshaks parted in the middle giving way to a sage like soldier, with a long white beard.

"I was hoping to know what happened to the people inside. Did you slaughter all of them? It's been hours since they communicated with us seeking help." The bearded Commander was well mannered, totally different from what I had expected. Where is the hot headed stereotypical war monger commander that I wanted to see die after acting over confident?

Kali with his loud voice started announcing, his voice also being projected inside our head: "The institution was a secret facility for human experimentations, where people with bloodline traits were being studied. I simply tried to save a victim of these malicious practices. I have only killed whoever tried to stand in my way or opposed me. I had given them a chance to leave the battlefield before the slaughter started. Many had complied and are now taking shelter within the main sanctum of the Institution temple. If you wish I can take one brave volunteer to show that I'm stating the truth. All this unnecessary bloodshed is not required at all. Just make sure that all such facilities in this Kingdom are destroyed and I'll move away from here without harming any of you."

Murmurs started in the army, from different directions.

"I'll go with you to check it once." One young man with a silver armour came out and raised his hand. "I have friends here in this army. Even though I'm new, and haven't experienced a lot, I don't want my friends to die to a disaster like you. Please, guide me."

All four of us returned to the main sanctum through the space ripple and found the girls sitting quietly on the floor. They simply looked like they were waiting for a train journey to end with nothing else to do.

"Yes they are truly fine. Let's go back, I need to tell this to as many people as possible. To be honest, we are fed up of King Kshemaka. His greedy nature and spontaneous decisions destroyed a whole lot of lives, both on our and the enemies' side. Thank you for giving us this chance. I might be looked down as a coward, but atleast I'll be alive." The young man said and waited for us to teleport back.

"I'm Vedant. A pure blooded Kshatriya just like you all." Vedant announced after we arrived back at the front lines of the army, "The innocent apprentices who were not associated with the experiments have been spared. They are safe and sound, waiting inside the main sanctum for this all to blow over. We have already seen what happened in the war with Ayodhya, following the wishes of our eccentric king. Neither I, nor this person wants unnecessary bloodshed. Let us return to our families back home. Many of our colleagues have already returned to the cycle leaving their helpless families behind. I don't want the same thing happening to mine..."

The reaction was varied. Some were angry, some were thoughtful. Some directly started to accuse him of treason and cowardice.

"I think it's better for them to know who you are." I suggested Kali. Maybe that will deter them and make them truly doubt their abilities in this situation.

"What exactly are your orders? That you got from your king?" Kali asked the Commander this time.

The bearded man looked around with a conflicted look.

"Tell me the truth." Kali boldly persuaded.

"To get rid of everything here." He whispered, making sure only Kali could hear.

"You wish to follow such a ridiculous order?" I asked, incredibly frustrated. "What if we decide to flee right now? What are you going to do?"

"Then we will get rid of the facility and go back on our way, after retrieving the research results. Why am I even telling you all this?" The commander glanced at Kali, with a doubting look.

"Because you already know what you've been ordered to do is wrong." I answered, looking around at all the people who were still left looking at us with hostility.

"Do they know?" Somi asked this time, "That they are supposed to destroy all evidences here? Along with the people who used to work there?"

"The King didn't have a choice. If knowledge of this goes out, the other Kingdoms will surely come together to put sanctions on us. The people living in Kuru will be doomed. I can only hope they don't have ears within our army itself. Maybe they have already gotten wind of these facilities." The commander looked down and somehow got the words out of his mouth.

"Go back with Vedant. I'm saying this for the last time. If I destroy this whole army, the next time when Ayodhya or the southern kingdoms attack, you won't be able to fend them off." Kali berated the Commander in a threatening tone.

Suddenly, the army which was separating into two, the ones who were following Vedant away from the battlefield and the ones who had decided to stay, started dispersing from the middle. The ground began to wildly quake, breaking my balance as Somi supported me with her hand on my shoulder. She broke off contact in an instant as soon as I stabilized.

The space rippled around me and Somi, teleporting us away from the battlefield as soon as Kali anticipated the incoming danger.

A huge tree burst out from the ground glowing with a dark green energy. It rose and rose gaining height to touch the clouds. Even from this far, it looked massive.

The clouds separated with golden light streaking down through its newly created gaps, opening multiple golden portals that connected to the Divine Lokas above. The Devatas have decided to join in this hunt for Kali.

Like a bunch of glistening stars, the forces of Swarga came down from the portals, blinding us for a brief moment. Horses carrying golden fiery chariots, divine soldiers with pure white Armor and blessed golden swords, divine damsels with powers of illusion, and a few four handed Devatas with Ayudhapurushas hovering over their heads arrived like an unending tsunami, forcing the previous flying troops from Satya to come down to lower altitude.

"Aren't we in deep shit now? Will he be able to fend off against so many forces?" I asked, looking at Somi with a worried expression.

"It's a good thing, now that I've stopped feeling anxious, worried or anything at all. This state of my emotions has its own advantages it seems." She only said. Guess I should stop asking things like these to her from now on.

"Do Devatas really have the leisure to pursue me with Rahu and Ketu already on the run? What if he uses his random teleportation again?" Kali looked up from where he was standing and asked, his voice echoing through the whole battleground.

"They'll soon be caught. You don't have to worry about that, End Bringer Kali. We are only making sure to take care of you before you grow any stronger. With Kalpa's blessing, we are only going to get rid of a pest that has been bothering her lately." One of the four handed Devatas looked down from above and answered haughtily.

"Your father must be quite worried about you Vudha, to have sent you here away from Bhuvar Loka." Kali simply laughed back at the Devata who had answered him, "Is he still hiding like a coward knowing that Rahu is on the prowl looking forward to gobble him up?"

"Your provocations won't work on me, Kali. My father Chandra along with Surya are actively hunting for the two Asuras. He just sent me here on a vacation." Vudha didn't break his composure and answered to the provocation with the best of his abilities.

"This man before you is the manifestation of everything that has been corrupting this World. Don't fall for his sweet words. I suggest the cowards who ran away from the battlefield to return and obtain the glory of destroying this seed of Destruction before it can fully bloom. Stand with us, brave and courageous Kshatriyas, for the sake of keeping this World safe." One of the divine damsels used her hypnotising voice to raise the morale of both the armies from Swarga and Satya.

This is getting out of hand. My heart was beating loud in tension. After all this, if Kali dies here, everything will end. No wait. If we can just run away now... We are already free. Yes some of the soldiers and the apprentices here have seen me with the Demon, but it is only a really small percentage in the world. I can just flee and somehow live the rest of my life in hiding.

But do I truly want to do that? This scene in front of me, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers against a single man brought forth complex emotions from my heart. My blood was getting hot with excitement, as if preparing to join the fight. It didn't matter which side I was on, I just wanted to stand there, right in the middle of it all and bask in the glory of a war, where countless ideas and morals clashed with each other. Where thousands of swords, weapons and bodies pierced and destroyed each other. I clenched my fists and grabbed my thighs to stop them from trying to run down the hill.

"You got a crazy look in your eyes. Are you okay?" Somi asked flatly.

"No. I'm not fine. This feels so alien, like something I have never felt before. This adrenaline rush is hurting me, forcing me to do something and not just stand around here." I pointed at the battlefield, "My whole body is trembling at the prospect of becoming a part of that epic. The first chapter of Kali's story. The Beginning of the End for this cycle... Not even my parents saw a mystical scene like this."

"If you feel too restless, just ask me for help. It will take a while since you're a female, but with enough time I can render you paralysed for some time."

"Umm, no thank you. I can control myself."

"My offer still stands and extends to the soldiers that have arrived a few moments before. You can turn around and go back to where you came from. Once I start, I won't stop until all your lives have been reduced to zero. With no left to oppose me anymore." Kali warned one last time.

The group that had separated earlier, rejoined towards the end of the mass of enemies that stretched to the ends of the horizon. This is it then. Poor Vedant won't be able to go back to his family. He looks young enough. Is he already married? With little children to take care of? Or is he fulfilling his duties as a child, taking care of his parents in their time of old age? There were so many people down below, with so many stories and people related to them, who are probably currently praying to the very Gods for their survival, who themselves forced these soldiers into a war with an invulnerable Being.

The divine soldiers above took out conches from their dimensional spaces and started blowing them. The sounds meshed together to amplify the vibrations, signalling the commencement of War. A one versus million war.

The huge tree in the middle of the enemy camp sent a green wave that spread across our enemies, coating them with an aura.

A huge thunder cloud gathered above Kali as the enemy sorcerers started chanting. Blinding weapons that twinkled like four ended stars appeared en masse from the divine soldiers as they prepared to hurl their divine missiles at the Demon of End.

Kali floated up to the sky and came to a halt at a height between the ground and sky forces.

The clouds gathering above turned black and occasionally sent tendrils of lightning across the sky as more and more power accumulated there.

"Give it your all." Kali announced confidently as a huge pressure fell over the world. Standing this far didn't spare us from its effects either. We were forced to our knees as the scenery seemed to lose its colors turning everything gray. A thick dark red smog was now accumulating around the place where Kali was floating moments ago. It changed shapes, stretching to create a hundred headed snake that looked like it was sitting coiled on the ground, with its hood spread out in all its glory. A dimensional crack appeared over the smoky head, releasing a huge diamond shaped gem that nestled on the middle section of the hood. The smoke slowly turned bluish, deep blue and finally resembled the black waters of Kalapani, an ocean home to terrifying sea monsters, sending an eerie feeling all across the battlefield.

Then the skies shattered with a blinding lightning strike, and hundreds of thousands of missiles poured into the majestic snake from above and below. The explosions aggregated and birthed a huge ball of fire, that expanded and expanded, touching the ground and decimating everything that was within a few kilometres around Kali.

The Surakshaks below strengthened their shields to block the incoming impact and got blown away from the shockwave getting team killed by their own allies. The Devatas and divine soldiers literally had no concern for the lives that were lost as a collateral.

The ball of fire had dug itself into the ground below, leaving a hemispherical crater with spider web like cracks spreading away from it.

It devoured the Kundalini Snake form of Kali, glowing brighter and brighter to the point that the whole scenery was bathed in white. Then it dissipated in an instant, leaving Kali's Snake Form unharmed. As if it didn't even happen in the first place.

A momentary wave of hesitation rolled over the masses of enemies before they regained composure again. But now, it was time for Kali's counter attack.

The coiled snake tensed its body, constricting and then releasing it with full force, slashing its tail across the Manava army on the ground. It happened in just a millisecond. After the tail returned back to its coiled formation, a huge shockwave originated on the right side of the enemy troops, bringing out an amused smile from my lips. The slaughter has started. And it won't end until one side is obliterated.