The evening sun dipped low, casting long shadows over the snow-covered forest. Security drones moved in silent patterns beneath the growing darkness. In the distance, the facility glowed like a warm oasis in a frozen wasteland.
Inside his room, Om sat hunched over his desk, eyes red-rimmed and sunken. His hair was a mess, dark circles painted beneath his weary eyes. He hadn't eaten since breakfast.
He stared at the interface before him. Lines of glowing code floated in the air, shifting like constellations.
[Master Om, it has been a full day.]
[I recommend rest. Fatigue is counterproductive.]
Om's stomach growled audibly.
Grrrrrrr!
"…I think you're right."
He stood up slowly. "Let's ask Mr. Raj. He might have snacks."
Meanwhile, in Raj's Room...
Raj lounged on his bed, watching a web series on his phone.
Suddenly—
Thunk!
His phone slipped and smacked his nose.
"OW! MY NOSE!"
Blood trickled down. He reached up to stop it—only to realize his arms weren't responding.
"My hands? What the—?!"
He tried to move them. Nothing.
His whole upper body began to squirm like a worm on fire.
"Just… move… dammit!"
Wriggling like a wave, he chanted,
"Pump the blood! Pump it! Pump it!"
He started doing an impromptu dance, completely forgetting the bleeding.
Knock! Knock!
He opened the door, blood still flowing from his nose.
Om stood outside, jaw dropped.
"…What happened to you?"
Raj blinked. "What happened to me?"
"Mr. Raj, you're bleeding!"
He paused, then said calmly, "Yes. I am."
A beat later—
"OH NO! I'M BLEEDING! WHY AM I BLEEDING?!"
Panic took over. He ran in circles around the room, arms flailing, looking like a bloody tornado.
"ZERO! Suggestions!" Om asked aloud.
[Hit him.]
Without hesitation, Om lunged and punched Raj across the face.
A moment later, both sat on the bed. Raj's nose stuffed with cotton, cheeks dabbed with antiseptic as Om handled first-aid.
"So… why were you bleeding again?" Om asked.
Raj muttered between groans, "My phone betrayed me."
"And instead of stopping it, you… danced?"
Raj looked away, cheeks red. "Don't ask…"
When Om was done patching him up, Raj asked, "So, why'd you come here?"
Om hesitated. "I… I was a little hungry. Thought you might have snacks."
"Oh! You skipped lunch too. Hold on."
Raj shuffled to his closet, pulled out a packet of chips, and handed it over.
"Here. Take it. There's more if you need."
Om tore it open and ate, grateful.
Raj smiled, watching him.
Then his eyes lit up.
"Hey Om! Want to hear about my battle?"
"No," Om replied instantly.
Raj dropped to his knees in despair.
"But why?!"
"I have the recording. I'll watch it later," Om said casually.
Raj paled. "They… recorded it?"
Then a wicked grin spread across his face. "Perfect! After watching my super cool moves, Om will beg to become my sidekick!"
He burst into villainous laughter.
"MWAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Om stared. "…Idiot."
[Master! I can transfer the data now.]
"Do it."
[Transfer complete.]
"That was fast."
[😊]
Om asked, "Can Mr. Raj summon skeletons without his throne?"
Raj, still dreaming, replied, "Yup, I can."
Then he froze. "Wait… how do you know that?!"
Om smirked. "That's a surprise."
Raj crossed his arms. "Hmm. Suspicious…"
Om finished the chips. "Mr. Raj, can I have another one?"
Raj handed over another pack. Om thanked him and left.
Back in Om's Room...
He sat at his desk. "Zero, open the weapon selection mail."
[Mail accessed.]
"So, against Mr. Raj, the best weapon would be…?"
He scrolled. Zero transferred the data directly to his mind.
[List complete.]
Om sighed. "This is going to be tough."
[Criteria?]
"I'm going to battle a god inheritor."
"In the last fight, Raj didn't even try. He didn't use a weapon."
[Known abilities:]
Godly Inheritor: Death God – Yama
Attributes: Death, Fire, Shadow, Darkness
Can phase through physical matter
Can summon territory, skeleton army, and fog
Strong area control
Weakness: Energy-based attacks
Displayed superhuman strength and reflexes
Om leaned back. "He's a damn fortress…"
"But maybe... physical defense is still a weak point."
[What if it's not?]
"Then we lose."
He grinned. His eyes sparkled—not with fear, but challenge.
"Zero, shortlist all AOE weapons."
[Fifteen results found.]
"Compare 7, 11, and 13."
AOE Weapon Comparison
No. 7 – Skyfire Rain
Magic/Elemental
AOE: 35m
Damage: 2%/hit
Effect: Meteors, burning, stun
No. 11 – Seismic Drum
Sonic/Seismic
AOE: 40m
Effect: Shockwaves, terrain cracks, disorientation
No. 13 – Graviton Core
Gravity-based
AOE: 28m
Damage: 5%/sec
Effect: Pull + Implosion
"Zero, do vibrations affect fog?"
[Yes. Vibrations disrupt smoke and fog flows.]
"But what if his fog has both shadow and smoke properties?"
[Possible, Master. But physical contact is required for the kill.]
Om nodded. "Then we time it right."
[Recommended: Seismic Drum.]
An image appeared—an hourglass-shaped drum with gem-embedded strings. (like the damru of Lord Shiva.)
"Zero, simulate a battle using Seismic Drum."
[As a normal human?]
"Yes."
[Initiating simulations…]
An Hour Later...
Knock Knock!
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Raj. Dinner time!"
[Sim Results: Wins – 0 | Losses – 111]
Om sighed. "Zero, continue simulations until I say otherwise."
[Yes, Master.]
He stood and followed Raj to the dining hall.
At the Dining Table
Narad turned to Om. "How's your assistant?"
"Zero's awesome."
"You named it Zero? Clever."
Om asked, "Mr. Narad, how come I've never heard of tech like Zero?"
Sara cut in, "Because only two exist."
Om blinked. "What? Why?"
Sara answered calmly, "They're artifacts. Discovered in the Forbidden Zone. Among the ruins found by the original 70 survivors."
Narad added, "And it cannot be used by just anyone."
Raj leaned in, curious. "Wait, what are we talking about?"
No one answered him.
Om turned to Sara, "Why did I get it? What is this place really?"
Sara deflected. "The second one is currently used by Mr. Arnold."
Both Om and Raj froze.
"Whatttt?!"
They stood up simultaneously, knocking over their chairs.