(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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Brahmāstra World...
Ooty...
Back in the world of Brahmāstra,
The quiet hills of Ooty glowed with an ethereal light.
At the heart of a secluded clearing,
Rudra sat cross-legged, his figure enveloped by a radiant pillar that rose high into the air.
The brilliance shimmered, gathering itself into the shape of a transparent lotus bud,
As though the very cosmos were sculpting it—
Waiting for the moment it would bloom into a divine lotus.
Before this wonder stood his childhood friends—
Shiva, Sandeep, and Ravi—
Each frozen by the sight.
"____"
"____"
"____"
Beside them, Tejas and Meena lingered in hushed silence, their awe heavy in the air.
Shiva's fists clenched at his sides.
'Why does it have to be him? If only he had died back then...'
He thought bitterly.
He still felt his so called father who lost his mind is the reason for all these things.
To think all this is caused by someone who he was related to his blood made him want to spit in his own face in disgrace.
The glow felt divine,
But he couldn't shake the dread gnawing at his chest.
He knew this light wasn't just beauty—
It was a shield, a calling, a chain.
And his brother and friend was right at its center.
Gulp~
"____"
Sandeep swallowed hard, eyes darting between Rudra and the glowing lotus.
His usual easy grin was gone, replaced with unease.
"If he's this deep in meditation… what will happen if something—or someone—tries to break it?"
Ravi's lips tightened, his hand hovering his forehead where his goggles type Astra—Mantradrishti Astra.
He wasn't one to question fate, but every instinct screamed that danger was already on its way.
"We'll protect him. No matter what."
Tejas could barely breathe, his gaze locked on the golden cocoon.
He had studied scriptures and seen diagrams in his family's old texts, but nothing compared to this—
Seeing a living man merge with the divine.
"So this… this is what it means to carry destiny."
Meena, hands clasped against her chest, whispered a silent prayer.
Her heart ached at the sight of Rudra so still, so distant.
Rudra was one of her few friends who treated as nicely and valued her other than her boy friend Shiva.
"Stay safe, Rudra… please."
Inside the lotus bud,
Rudra remained unmoved.
His body was perfectly still, his breathing deep and steady,
As if the chaos of the outer world could not touch him.
In that silence, it was impossible to tell whether he was meditating…
Or already drifting somewhere far beyond mortal reach.
The luminous lotus pulsed softly, like the heartbeat of heaven itself.
And around them, the air grew heavier, charged with the promise of something vast.
Meanwhile,
In a nearby tent,
Junoo and Amirtha sat across from one another, maps and scrolls spread out on the floor between them.
The night outside was unnervingly quiet, yet inside the tent the air was thick with tension.
Junoo leaned forward, her brow furrowed.
Frown~
"Dealing with the enemy lines is one thing,"
"____"
"Dealing with Dev is a headache,"
Amirtha said at last, her tone carrying the weight of old battles.
"Long ago—when Shiva was born, Dev's soul split into two halves: good and bad. The Dev we face now is no longer the one we once knew. This… is an asura(demon) in human disguise."
Junoo frowned, fingers drumming lightly on the wooden table.
Frown~
"And worse, he still carries several corrupted Astras right?.. That man was once hailed as a 'once in a millennium talent,' according to Guru Arvind and now every ounce of that brilliance has been twisted."
At that moment, the tent flap rustled,
And Guru Arvind stepped inside, his presence commanding the room without a single word.
His eyes fell on the maps, then on both women.
"You speak truth,"
He said, lowering himself onto a stool.
Sigh~
"I wasn't there during their last clash. But with what Amirtha has told us... Against Amirtha, Dev only used the Agni Astra(Fire divine weapon)—and even then, his flames could have swallowed the battlefield whole."
"He tried to sway her, to bend her will with fire. But…"
Guru Arvind glanced at Amirtha with a mix of pride and concern,
"she chose the unthinkable. She broke the Brahmastra itself. A taboo. One that scarred both her and him."
Junoo's gaze shifted sharply to Amirtha.
"And now he knows the clear boundary between them. He won't underestimate us again."
Amirtha's jaw tightened.
"____"
"No… but neither should we underestimate him. The next time Dev moves, he won't hold back. He will come at us with everything—every cursed Astra, every ounce of his rage."
Silence fell between them, broken only by the sound of the night wind rattling the tent.
"____"
"____"
"____"
The weight of the truth hung heavy—
Dev was no longer a man, but a storm cloaked in human skin.
Meanwhile,
Ruined Citadel...
Far away in the heart of a ruined citadel,
Dev stood upon a blackened dais, the air around him humming with a terrible energy.
The chains of his confinement had finally shattered,
And for the first time in years,
He breathed the freedom of his own will.
Before him knelt his slaves—
Zor, Raftar, Naman—
Their eyes burning with renewed ferocity.
Behind them stood the elders who had chosen his side:
Maria, Surya Vardhan, and Marthereya.
Their once-ancient bodies, wrinkled and brittle, now radiated with restored youth, their skin smooth, their frames powerful, their eyes gleaming with the hunger of men and women reborn.
The years of decay had melted away, replaced with vigor as if time itself bent to Dev's will.
A wicked smile curled across Dev's lips as he watched them rise, eager and restless like predators unleashed.
"____"
Surya Vardhan was the first to step forward, his voice thundering as he addressed the hall.
"Look at what has become of us! And look at what those cowards chose!"
His glare hardened as he spat the name.
"Vedan—after his death, he dragged the Council down with him. Blind fools, narrow-minded elders who would rather clutch their hollow titles and safe paths than embrace true power."
"They scorned us, branded us traitors, yet clung to their illusion of order."
Maria's voice dripped with venom as she added,
"They chose stagnation. We chose eternity. And now, Dev has given us more than immortality—he has given us purpose."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the hall.
The slaves pounded their fists against their chests, roaring in unison.
" Brahma Dev!... Brahma Dev!... Brahma Dev!... Brahma Dev!... Brahma Dev!... Brahma Dev!... Brahma Dev!... Brahma Dev!... Brahma Dev!... Brahma Dev!... Brahma Dev!... Brahma Dev!... Brahma Dev!... "
At the far end of the chamber,
Twenty trembling figures were dragged forward—
The Brahmansh, disciples of the fallen elders who had rejected Dev's call.
Some were bloodied, others bound, but all bore the same defiant stare.
They had refused to bow, refusing the crimes and betrayals that stained Dev's faction.
Dev's eyes narrowed as he looked upon them.
"____"
There was no pity in his gaze, only disdain.
To him, they were pests—
Remnants of a decayed order clinging to ideals long turned to ash.
"You cling to the order even your masters gave up,"
Dev said, his voice low, resonant, and cruel.
"But know this—your masters are not fools, and soon, so will you be. The age of half-measures and cowardice is over. My reign… begins now."
A storm of cheers rose behind him as his followers dropped to one knee, chanting his name.
The chamber shook as if the very stones were bowing to Dev's resurgence.
The bound Brāhmaṇāsh stood defiantly in chains, their eyes burning with righteous fury despite the blood and dirt staining their faces.
"____"
"____"
"____"
One of the eldest among them leaned forward and spat directly into Dev's face, his voice trembling not with fear but with conviction.
"You are no savior—only a monster in human skin. An Asura(demon) hiding in the guise of a man! You are the shame of the Brāhmaṇāsh, a foul shadow of what we once stood for."
Others followed, their voices rising like a chorus of condemnation.
"You lost your soul the day you sought Astra by force!"
"You expect respect? You deserve only contempt!"
"A failure—an empty husk, ruled by greed and bloodlust!"
Their words struck like arrows, echoing in the chamber,
But Dev did not falter.
Instead, he let the insults wash over him, his lips curling into a cruel smile.
His eyes gleamed with the cold fire of someone who no longer cared for honor or kinship.
Slowly, he raised his hand to wipe the spit from his cheek, smearing it across his face like war paint.
He chuckled, low and dark, sending a shiver through even his own followers.
Chuckle~
"Failure? No..."
Dev's voice was calm, almost mocking.
"I am the only one who saw the truth. While you clung to fragile ideals, I claimed the strength to reshape the world. You call me Asura(demon)?"
His grin widened, sharp and merciless.
"Then let the world tremble before the Asura(demon) who will rule it."
With a flick of his hand, he turned toward Zor.
"Release them."
The hulking warrior grinned, his massive frame moving with eager brutality.
Chains clattered as he unlocked the prisoners, shoving them forward into the open.
The once-proud Brāhmaṇāsh, though weak and bloodied, still stood tall, glaring at Dev with unyielding hatred.
Dev stepped closer, his shadow looming over them like a stormcloud.
"You spit in my face,"
He whispered, his voice a venomous hiss.
"Now, let me show you the price of defiance."
As Zor stepped forward, his heavy boots thudding against the stone floor,
The bound Brāhmaṇāsh stiffened.
One by one, the chains binding their wrists and ankles clattered to the ground.
They stood bewildered, exchanging wary glances.
"____"
"____"
"____"
"Why… why release us?"
One whispered, his voice hoarse.
Another spat at Dev's feet again.
"We oppose you—we will never follow you."
But Dev only raised a hand, silencing them with a look.
"____"
His cruel smile widened.
From the shadows,
Naman emerged, carrying a large silver plate.
Upon it lay a heap of strange red stone chains,
Their surfaces glinting faintly as though blood itself pulsed within them.
Naman bowed, presenting them to his master.
Dev plucked one chain from the pile, letting it dangle in his hand.
Its links clinked with an eerie resonance, filling the chamber with a sinister hum.
He lifted it high for all to see.
"These,"
Dev began, his voice smooth and deliberate,
"are chains forged from stones that feed on the mind. Whoever wears them will be freed of doubt, freed of hesitation… but in return, their thoughts will bend to my will. They will be corrupted, yes—but in that corruption lies strength."
He draped the chain across his palm, eyes glinting with dark delight.
"At first, I thought to bind you all with these,"
He continued, his tone dripping with mockery.
"Make you my slaves, hollow shells with no will of your own."
The Brāhmaṇāsh stiffened, glaring, their confusion deepening into dread.
"But now—"
Dev's voice rose, and then he burst into a booming laugh.
HAHAHAHAHA!
The sound echoed violently off the stone walls, shaking the very air.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
His laughter carried with it something unnatural, something that made even his own men flinch.
"Now I shall give you power,"
Dev thundered.
"Power to wield your Astra once more."
At his command,
Raftar stepped forward, carrying bundles wrapped in cloth.
He unraveled them, revealing the gleaming Astras the Brāhmaṇāsh had once been stripped of.
The weapons hummed faintly,
As if recognizing their old masters.
Raftar's eyes gleamed with a mixture of pride and hunger as he laid the Astras before their former wielders.
His gaze darted toward Dev, expectant, eager for what was to come.
"Take them,"
Dev hissed, his voice curling like smoke.
"Take your Astra back. Bind yourselves with my chains, and rise again—not as Brāhmaṇāsh of the past, but as warriors reborn in my image. Defy me, and you'll die powerless. Accept me, and you shall know strength beyond anything you ever imagined."
The Brāhmaṇāsh stared at the weapons, then at the pulsing red chains, their breaths quick and uneven.
A moment of silence stretched between them all.
"____"
"____"
"____"
Dev folded his arms, watching with an expression of cruel satisfaction, savoring the tension.
The freed Bramansh stood firm, gripping their Astra with renewed resolve.
Their chains now gone, their eyes burned with defiance.
One of the elder warriors stepped forward, voice like thunder,
"We would rather die as heroes than bend to a monster like you, Dev! You are no Brahmansh—You have no right's to demand respect from us."
Others joined in, their words cutting deeper than steel, hurling curses and vows of resistance.
Dev did not flare with anger—
Slowly, he raised his hand, and the chamber grew heavy with his aura, suffocating and dark.
"Die as heroes?"
He sneered, his laughter echoing like a quake through the cavernous halls.
"Heroes are forgotten… but power endures."
With a gesture, he motioned to Zor, who had stepped aside after unbinding them, and to Raftar and the elders now smirking with anticipation.
"Return their toys,"
Dev ordered.
Raftar moved forward, carrying a chest.
One by one, the Astra were returned—
The weapons humming with power, eager to taste battle.
The Bramansh tightened their grips, expecting a trap, but standing resolute nonetheless.
Then Dev reached for the crimson chain of stones once more, letting it dangle from his fingers.
"As I said before,"
He said, voice cold as steel.
"Corrupt your minds, strip away your wills, and forge you into my blades. But… I've changed my mind."
He tossed the chain aside, the red stones clattering like bones.
His cruel grin widened, his aura surging until cracks split the ground beneath his feet.
"It has been… far too long since I've stretched my limbs."
He stepped forward, shadows curling around him like living flame.
"Come, all of you. Strike me with everything you have. You'll make a fine warm-up before the real war begins."
Zor and Raftar laughed darkly.
The traitor elders sneered in cruel delight.
The Bramansh raised their Astra high, preparing to launch their attack.
Dev spread his arms, welcoming them with a gesture dripping with arrogance.
"Show me if any of you still remember what it means… to fight a god."
The Bramansh roared and surged forward,
Astra blazing with raw power—
Swords of fire, spears of lightning, hammers that could shatter stone with a wave.
Each strike was thrown with the desperation of men who knew this was their last stand.
But Dev?
He barely moved.
His feet glided across the ground as though the battle were a dance.
He ducked beneath a blazing spear, letting it whistle past his ear.
He twisted his torso lazily, avoiding a crushing hammer strike that split the stone floor into jagged fragments.
A sword wreathed in flame slashed toward his neck—
He leaned back, the blade passing harmlessly before him, sparks kissing his hair.
"Is that it?"
He mocked, his voice carrying over the clamor of steel and magic.
"So eager to prove yourselves heroes, yet you swing like frightened children."
Another warrior hurled his Astra—
A spear charged with lightning—
Straight at Dev's chest.
With a flick of his wrist,
Dev plucked it from the air and spun it between his fingers, laughing.
"Tell me,"
he sneered, tossing the weapon aside,
"when your precious ancestors passed these toys, did they imagine you'd be this pathetic?"
Every dodge, every taunt only fueled the Bramansh's desperation.
Their breaths grew ragged, their strikes wild, their eyes wide with the sinking terror that no matter what they did—
It wasn't enough.
Dev wasn't even fighting back.
He was savoring their helplessness.
Then, suddenly, his laughter cut off.
He crouched low, then leapt into the air with a predator's grace.
His hands clapped together with a thunderous crack.
CLAP!
The anklets on his legs flared with a molten red glow.
The ground shuddered.
A chorus of spikes and chains of jagged earth erupted upward, twisting like serpents. In an instant, every Bramansh was snared—
Pinned, bound, their Astra clattering uselessly to the floor as the earth itself swallowed their resistance.
One warrior, through sheer will, managed to tear free of the rocky binds.
He stumbled forward, gasping, his Astra dimly glowing in his trembling hand.
For a heartbeat, hope flickered in his eyes.
Dev blurred.
In a flash, his hand clamped down over the man's face.
"____"
His grip was merciless, fingers digging into flesh.
With a cruel chuckle, Dev drove him forward—
Chuckle~
Slamming him down onto a spike of stone that jutted up like a fang.
A sickening crack.
The spike punched clean through his face, silencing his final scream.
Dev released him, letting the body slump against the stone like discarded meat.
His lips curved into a dark smile as he surveyed the others—
Still struggling, still failing.
"Heroes,"
He whispered, wiping his bloodied hand on his cloak.
"You were never more than insects."
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(Author's POV)
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