Madhu and Kaitabha gripped their colossal hammers, their bodies suddenly freezing mid-motion.
What…?!
A flicker of confusion passed through their eyes as they instinctively pressed their backs together, their gazes locking onto Vishnu with wary intensity.
Then, in a tone far too casual for the battlefield, Madhu spoke.
"Madhu Kaitambha, listen to me!" He waved a hand, forcing a weary sigh. "I'm old now, no longer a young warrior. This fight has gone on long enough, don't you think? I'm exhausted!"
He paused for effect, then gestured vaguely at the shattered cosmos around them—the remnants of broken planets, drifting meteorites, and the empty void where celestial bodies once shone.
"How about this? We take a little break. A short one. Say… a thousand years? Then we fight again, refreshed and well-rested."
Vishnu exhaled softly, his expression unreadable, as if momentarily lost in thought. His gaze traced the ruins of the starry expanse before shifting upward to Svarga.
The celestial realm stood empty. Hayagriva was gone. The devas were absent. The very power of Svarga had faded into silence.
"Hayagriva is dead," Vishnu murmured. He shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips.
"Svarga lies unclaimed, its throne abandoned. What a shame… such glory, nobody is here to claim it." As he spoke, the void beneath him shimmered, rippling like the surface of a tranquil lake.
Then, without warning, a radiant white lotus blossomed from the emptiness. Its petals unfurled, immense and pristine, forming a divine resting place. With effortless grace, Vishnu reclined upon it, one arm draped lazily as the lotus slowly began to close around him.
A faint smile played on his lips.
And just like that, he was gone within the petals.
"Uh… wait?"
Madhu and Kaitabha exchanged glances, their minds racing.
A silent beat.
Then, Madhu's eyes gleamed with sudden realization. He leaned in and whispered urgently.
"Brother! This is our chance. The moment he falls asleep, we strike! We sneak up and kill him before he wakes!"
Kaitabha nodded, gripping his hammer tightly. He stepped forward, his movements cautious. But just as he prepared to advance, something tugged at his instincts.
A strange feeling.
He turned his head slightly, just in time to catch Madhu subtly inching backward.
Kaitabha narrowed his eyes.
"Brother… why aren't you coming with me?"
Madhu stiffened.
"W-what? What are you talking about?" he stammered, his face flushing.
Kaitabha's gaze darkened with suspicion. "You're trying to ditch me, aren't you? You want to run off to Svarga alone!"
"I'm not! I—I would never—what nonsense is this?!" Madhu blurted, his voice cracking under pressure.
He hadn't expected to be caught so quickly, especially not by his own thick-headed brother. He fumbled for words, his composure slipping further by the second.
Kaitabha's expression was deadpan.
"If you're going, I'm going too."
Madhu groaned. "Fine, fine! We'll go together."
And just like that, the two asuras—maces in hand—glanced back at the gently pulsating lotus before taking an unspoken vow.
If Vishnu was truly asleep… then Svarga was theirs for the taking. Madhu's face darkened, and he let out a deep sigh, shaking his head.
Hayagriva is dead. That meant only one thing. It was their turn to claim Svarga's throne.
A seat of such power could elevate them beyond their current limits. Many had coveted it, fought for it, and perished in pursuit of it. But now, the opportunity lay wide open.
Madhu's lips curled into a grin.
"Together, then!"
With a single thought, the two brothers surged forward, vanishing in an instant as they hurtled toward Svarga.
---
The celestial realm was in chaos. With the fall of Hayagriva, panic spread like wildfire among the remaining asuras.
They knew.
Vishnu must have helped the devas once more.
To remain in Svarga now was to invite certain death. One by one, they abandoned their posts, scattering like leaves in the wind.
But amid this exodus, two figures moved against the current. Madhu and Kaitabha strode through the turbulence, their long strides steady and deliberate as they made their way toward Indra's throne in Amaravati, the celestial capital of Svarga.
And then, they saw it.
A golden throne.
The moment their eyes fell upon it, time itself seemed to slow. The throne was magnificent, exuding an aura of divine majesty. Its armrests gleamed like molten gold, its surface draped in pale golden satin, soft as the clouds that cradled the heavens.
Madhu and Kaitabha inhaled sharply, their gazes locked onto the seat of dominion.
For a brief moment, neither of them moved.
Then—
Madhu took a step forward.
Tread. Tread.
But as he ascended the steps, another set of footsteps echoed beside him. His eyes flicked sideways, meeting Kaitabha's determined gaze.
A beat of silence.
"Younger brother!" Madhu called out, narrowing his eyes. "Let me take this seat. Let me be the Lord of Svarga."
Kaitabha hesitated, his expression unreadable. A flicker of resentment crossed his face.
"Why must I always be the one to step aside?" he muttered.
Madhu placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, his tone shifting to persuasion.
"Brother, listen. You shall have the Patalaloka. When the time comes, I will rule Svarga, and you can even rule the Bhu Loka."
Kaitabha blinked, his mind processing the offer.
That… didn't sound so bad. His footsteps halted. He remained frozen in place, considering the prospect.
Madhu, meanwhile, fixed his eyes on the throne once more, his gaze gleaming with ambition as he stepped forward.
But just as he was about to claim his seat—
A fragrant breeze stirred through the temple. Soft footsteps echoed behind them. And then—a voice, silken and serene, floated through the air.
"Two brave and fearless warriors."
Madhu and Kaitabha stiffened.
"It seems you have triumphed in battle and earned the glory of Svarga."
Their heads snapped around.
Their eyes widened.
What a beauty!
She stood before them like an ethereal vision—graceful, poised, divine. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing a face of breathtaking elegance. Clad in a shimmering golden dress, she carried herself with effortless nobility.
Her dark eyes, deep as autumn waters, glowed with an untainted radiance, like a celestial princess untouched by the world's corruption.
Madhu's mouth went dry.
"Who… are you?" he muttered, momentarily dazed.
The woman met his gaze, a soft smile playing on her lips.
"I am just an Apasara of this Sabha." As she spoke, her delicate fingers idly twirled a lock of her midnight hair, her voice carrying a melody of both grace and mystery.
Madhu blinked.
Then, grinning broadly, he stepped forward with confident strides.
"Beauty, I like you!" he declared, walking straight toward the Devi without hesitation.
The Devi giggled, sidestepping Madhu with effortless grace. A playful glint danced in her eyes as she tilted her head, her voice laced with teasing charm.
"I only favor the bravest of warriors."
Her seductive gaze lingered on them, her pink lips parting slightly in an enchanting smile.
Madhu's chest puffed out instantly. "That's me! Without a doubt, that's me! I am the bravest warrior!" he declared.
Boom!
Before he could say more, Kaitabha lunged forward, shoving Madhu aside. He straightened his posture, thumping his chest with both hands in exaggerated confidence.
"Devi, it is I who is the bravest! Even Vishnu was powerless before me, had to sleep for a thousand years to recover his might, and soon, I shall be the King of Svarga!" His eyes burned with ambition. "Marry me, and you shall be my queen!"
Madhu, now recovering from the shove, turned red with fury. He shot a glare at his brother. "Get lost! I am the rightful King of Svarga!"
With that, he turned back to the Devi, eyes pleading with earnest determination. "Believe me, I am the bravest warrior! I would do anything for you!"
Kaitabha scoffed, stepping forward. "So can I!"
Madhu growled, pointing at his brother. "Kaitabha, step aside! That is no way to address your future sister-in-law!"
Kaitabha's eyes twitched. "What nonsense! She is meant to be my wife!"
And just like that, the argument exploded.
The two brothers stood face-to-face, their fingers jabbing at each other as their bickering escalated, voices clashing like steel against steel. Their rivalry, so fierce mere moments ago, had devolved into something almost childish.
Mohini watched them with a playful glint in her eyes, a soft laugh brushing past her lips. She raised a graceful hand to her mouth, as though to hide her amusement, but the sweetness in her voice danced clearly through the air.
"Oh? You would truly do anything for me?"
At her words, Madhu and Kaitabha straightened instantly, as if her voice alone tugged invisible strings within them. They nodded with eager devotion.
"Yes! Anything you desire!"
"Without hesitation!"
Her smile widened, subtle and knowing. She leaned in slightly, her tone softening into something sweet and coaxing, as gentle as a lover's whisper.
"Then… would you be willing to die for me?"
The question fell from her lips like silk, smooth and bewitching. The forest held its breath.
Mohini blinked slowly, tilting her head just enough to let her golden hair slip across her shoulder. Her tongue slid lightly across her lips, unhurried, as if savoring a secret. A delicate fragrance stirred the air around her, invisible yet heavy, wrapping itself around the two Asuras like a silken noose.
Neither flinched.
"I would, without a doubt!" Madhu declared, his voice filled with pride.
"For you, Devi, I would embrace death without fear!" Kaitabha cried, his eyes shining with desperation.
Mohini smiled again, softer this time. The trap had closed, and they never even saw it.
Their devotion had turned into a competition, their greed disguised as love. They no longer saw the deception, only the desire to claim what they believed was theirs.
For a fleeting instant, something in the Devi's expression shifted. A shadow passed over her eyes, like the movement of a celestial body before the sun. In that fraction of time, there was no mirth—only an unfathomable depth, something ancient, something divine.
And then—
BOOM.
A thunderclap ripped through the Svargaloka, shaking the very fabric of the heavens.
The stars shuddered. The vast oceans of existence rippled. The devas in their abodes turned their heads, sensing a force beyond comprehension.
A voice, deep, vast, eternal, echoed through the great celestial hall.
"Then perish, Asuras."
Asuras.
Asuras.
Asuras.
The word did not simply echo—it warped the air, bending the fabric of Maya, distorting time and space itself.
Madhu and Kaitabha's eyes widened, their pupils dilating in sheer horror. Their great bodies—strong enough to challenge the gods—felt suddenly small, insignificant before the presence that now stood before them.
The Devi—no—the being before them was no longer the celestial beauty who had entranced them.
Her lips moved, but the voice that emerged was not hers. It was the voice of the eternal, the preserver of the cosmos. The one who rests upon the serpent Ananta, whose breath sets the rhythm of creation.
"Vishnu?!"
Their shock turned to rage, their fury tainted with something colder—something they dared not name.
Fear.
A tremor ran through the air.
Uh-huh!
Before they could react, the Devi's hands shimmered—no, shifted—and something began to take form.
A Gada—not an ordinary mace, but the Kaumodaki, the divine weapon of Vishnu—manifested in her grasp, its mere presence causing the air to hum with power. The weight of dharma itself seemed to rest upon it, for it was not just a weapon—it was justice made manifest.
Madhu and Kaitabha instinctively stepped back.
The Devi—no, Vishnu—smiled.
A smile that was neither cruel nor kind.
It was simply inevitable.
His voice, now unmistakable in its divine authority, was calm. Unshaken.
"Madhu Kaitambha."
He lifted the Gada, its golden surface glinting with the light of the Surya, the radiance of a thousand suns bound within its form.
"You were born of tamas. Let tamas reclaim you."
---
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