The air was tense...
Not even a single monster was moving.
Yash looked up — an old man was standing on the terrace of a building… like an ancient warrior.
His clothes were floating in the air… long hair… a sword tied to his back.
Yash and Ishan both felt a sudden warmth due to his presence.
They were speechless… only one question ringing in their minds —
"Who is he?"
Suddenly… that man vanished from his spot.
Yash and Ishan looked around — they didn't understand.
Then, out of nowhere — the man teleported just in front of them.
Both turned back, startled — both were stunned.
That man… was completely unbothered by the monsters.
As if their existence didn't even matter to him.
That man… began to move straight towards the mantis monster.
The same mantis — who had looked like the god of death until now — was standing completely still, unable to move even an inch.
---
The ancient warrior went to Anaya's corpse… and looked at her broken, scattered body…
And said just one sentence —
"I came a little too late…"
Just then, a monster lunged from behind to attack him.
He said —
"Come, insect. You want to kill me?"
He simply moved one hand back…
The monster was really close — and in the next moment — the man grabbed its head and ripped it from its body.
A stream of blood scattered in the air.
---
Yash and Ishan were completely speechless… only watching…
There was only one question hanging in their minds —
"Has God himself come… for the rescue of this destruction?"
Then… that man unsheathed his sword.
Fear was evident on every monster's face.
Everyone was drenched in sweat — but no one was able to move.
It felt like some kind of power was holding them…
---
Suddenly, a voice echoed —
"Thunder Step — 3rd Form: The Speed of Death."
The man disappeared in front of Yash and Ishan…
And in the next moment — appeared back on the same spot.
He was sheathing his sword.
Both of them couldn't understand —
"What even happened?"
The monsters were standing there just like before…
---
But it didn't take long for Ishan to understand.
Ishan (shocked): "He slashed the monsters with such speed… that we didn't even notice!"
Yash (surprised): "What do you mean?"
Just then… a voice was heard —
Each monster was scattering into pieces with screams.
Their blood was dripping on the ground…
In front of them — the same monsters who had been unstoppable just now — a human… or perhaps God… had slashed them.
---
Yash and Ishan — both spoke in unison:
"Is he a human… or God?"
Then they saw — that man was approaching them.
Yash and Ishan were looking at him with surprised eyes.
The man came to them and asked:
"What are the names of you two?"
Yash hesitated a bit before saying —
"My name is Yash."
He looked at Ishan and said —
"This is my friend, Ishan."
The man smiled gently at them.
Fear and tiredness were evident in their eyes — as if they had seen a whole life in a moment.
"You both are still alive... this is a miracle. Perhaps... we were meant to meet each other by fate."
Yash and Ishan were just looking at him without a word.
Then, Ishan gathered some courage and asked —
"What... do you mean?"
The man chuckled, then said —
"If I had not come yet, perhaps both of you would not have been alive anymore. But you both are still alive... this is fate."
Both looked at each other — confused, lost.
The man understood that they were still too young to understand his words.
He placed his hand on his head, took a deep breath, and said —
"Have I gone crazy... talking like this to children? Whatever... My name is Ashwatthama. And I was a teacher at Gurukul — The Ancient Academy."
Yash and Ishan were still stunned.
Then Ashwatthama looked at them and asked a question straight:
"Do you both want to become strong?"
Both were silent for a moment. Senses had stopped working.
Then... both said in unison —
"To become strong… what does it mean?"
Ashwatthama:
"This world is no longer the same as it was before. Now, whoever wanted to stay alive had to break their own limits. Both of you had a desire to live. When the whole city had become a mountain of corpses... where two children were still alive... it was a miracle."
Yash and Ishan looked at each other.
Wanting to say something, but couldn't find the words.
Ashwatthama spoke again —
"Maybe... this time, you both had lost someone really close to you..."
Both went completely silent after hearing this.
Tears in eyes... pain in the heart.
Ashwatthama:
"But if you didn't want something like this to happen ever again... then come with me. If you wanted to become strong..."
Yash and Ishan looked at each other again.
Tears in their eyes... but a new passion on their faces.
Ashwatthama gave a small smile and said —
"Come with me... now you both are also a part of The Gurukul — The Ancient Academy."
Saying this, Ashwatthama started moving forward.
Yash and Ishan looked at each other and nodded... and started following him.
---
Yash imagined his past in his mind…
His father had been killed by monsters…
His mother had handed herself over to the monsters in order to save Yash.
Yash had just looked at them at that time... he hadn't had the strength to save them.
Ishan was also walking... his eyes blurred by tears.
He had lost his family... monsters had eaten his family alive in front of his eyes.
At that moment, he had had no choice except to run.
Both had witnessed their friends dying in front of them...
Both wiped their tears and thought in their minds —
"If I were strong, then I could have saved everyone.
Now I have to become strong... so strong that I can fight against any danger in the world.
To protect... whom I love.
Now I have to become strong... this is the only way to solve everything."
---
Now I had understood...
This time wasn't like before.
This was a new era... where only the strong would survive.
Where only strength was the law.
The era of Death.
The era of Gods.
The era of Immortals.
The Age of Immortals.
— To Be Continued...