BOOM!
The explosion rattled the entire neighborhood, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
"What the hell was that?!" Pralaya shouted, his heart pounding in his chest.
His father, for once, didn't have a drunken remark. Instead, he staggered toward the door, his face pale. Pralaya followed, stepping outside into the dimly lit street—
And then he saw it.
A Śūnyayoma.
A creature of nightmares.
A mass of tormented souls, denied entry into both heaven and hell, fused together into a single, wretched existence. Śūnyayoma were formed when more than a hundred souls filled with hatred, despair, and regret merged, given shape by their collective suffering. According to the Temples, these creatures were the children of the forsaken god Pralaya.
Each Śūnyayoma was different in shape and size, but all shared one horrifying trait—a swirling black void where their face should be.
This one was massive, its twisted body shifting like liquid shadows, constantly morphing. It stood over three stories tall, with long, jagged arms that dragged against the ground. Faint, distorted whispers filled the air around it—voices of the countless souls trapped within, murmuring in agony.
It wasn't rampaging. Not yet. It was looking for something. Or someone.
Then—
A blinding beam of light crashed into the Śūnyayoma, sending it staggering back.
Pralaya's eyes darted upward.
A figure hovered in the air above them, wrapped in flowing black robes, her silhouette illuminated by the moonlight.
Even before he saw her face, he knew what she was.
A Śūnyavāda.
The Śūnyavāda—Hunters of the Forsaken
Śūnyavāda were warriors, monks, and scholars who had awakened the power of karmic energy—the force that governed reincarnation and divine justice. It was their duty to hunt and destroy the Śūnyayoma when they emerged.
The air around the woman shimmered with golden Sanskrit symbols, pulsing with an ancient power.
The Śūnyayoma let out a distorted wail, its many voices overlapping in a nightmarish, inhuman symphony.
Then it attacked.
Its shadowy form lunged, stretching its arms unnaturally, forming jagged claws large enough to tear a building apart.
But the Śūnyavāda did not flinch.
She flicked her ornate staff downward, and golden symbols materialized in the air around her.
"Dharma Vajra Sutra—Unbreakable Radiance!"
A radiant golden barrier erupted in front of her, just as the Śūnyayoma's claws crashed into it. A shockwave of dark energy burst outward, shaking the street.
Pralaya was blown backward, his ears ringing. He barely managed to stay on his feet, his wide eyes locked onto the battle.
The Śūnyayoma screeched in frustration.
Its body split apart, unraveling into dozens of writhing tendrils, each one tipped with screaming, howling faces. They surged toward the Śūnyavāda from all directions, moving like living shadows.
She moved.
With inhuman grace, she twirled her staff, tracing glowing mandalas in the air as she spun. Each movement was precise, fluid—almost like a dance.
"Karmic Wheel—Hundred Lotus Strikes!"
Golden lotus-shaped projectiles burst forth from the mandalas, slicing through the tendrils with divine precision.
The Śūnyayoma reeled back, its body rapidly shifting as it tried to reform.
But the Śūnyavāda didn't let up.
She pressed forward, raising her staff high. Behind her, a massive ring of fire ignited, shaped like a spinning chakra, whirling at an insane speed. The sheer heat from it made Pralaya's skin burn even from a distance.
"Samsara Flame—Cycle of Purification!"
She hurled the chakra.
It tore through the Śūnyayoma's torso, slicing it in half. The creature let out a horrifying, cursed wail, its body unraveling into a storm of black smoke.
The swirling void where its face should have been began to crack.
The Śūnyavāda landed gracefully, placing her hand in a mudra—a sacred gesture of divine authority.
Her voice was calm, absolute.
"Karmic Judgment—Return to the Void."
A blinding pillar of golden light erupted from her body, engulfing the Śūnyayoma completely.
Its agonized screams echoed through the night… and then faded into silence.
The battle was over.
---
A Familiar Feeling
Pralaya exhaled shakily, only now realizing he had been holding his breath.
His entire body was trembling. But not from fear.
No… it was something else.
Something… familiar.
His father, who had been frozen in place the entire time, collapsed onto his knees, muttering prayers under his breath.
Then—
The Śūnyavāda turned to face them.
Her golden eyes met Pralaya's.
For a moment, something passed between them.
Recognition?
Understanding?
Or was it… something deeper?
Before he could speak, she turned away.
Without another word, she walked into the shadows—
And vanished.
Pralaya stood there, his heart pounding in his chest.
He didn't know why.
But something inside him told him
To go to where the battle just took place.