No one dared speak.
The laughter that had echoed through the fortress only moments ago had vanished so completely that even the crackling braziers sounded unnaturally loud. Several generals stood motionless. Ministers exchanged uncertain glances. The dancers remained frozen where they stood, afraid that even the rustle of silk might disturb whatever invisible force had settled over the palace.
Every gaze drifted between the colossal crimson pearl and the strange warrior standing silently behind Shukracharya.
The newcomer had not uttered a single word since stepping through the portal.
He neither acknowledged the assembled court nor looked upon Narakasura. His golden reptilian eyes remained fixed upon the crimson relic alone. It was as though kings, armies, and kingdoms meant nothing before that ancient prison.
Narakasura watched him for several moments before turning toward his guru.
"The future of the Asura race?" he repeated, his tone calm but filled with curiosity.
A faint smile touched the corners of Shukracharya's weathered face.
"Indeed."
He walked toward the relic with measured steps. As though sensing his presence, the pearl answered.
Thump.
The deep heartbeat rolled across the hall. The braziers trembled. Emerald flames escaping through the fractures climbed a little higher before settling once more.
Shukracharya stopped within arm's reach. Even then, he made no attempt to touch it. He simply allowed his hand to hover above its smooth crimson surface. There was reverence in that restraint. Perhaps even caution.
After a long silence, he spoke.
"For ages, our asuras have always been crushed by devas. Whenever our asura king gets a boon and overpowers them, then they will go to Vishnu, who looks for a solution to kill our kings."
Several elder generals lowered their heads.
Shukracharya continued.
"We built kingdoms that rivaled the heavens. They were destroyed. We seized Svarga. It was reclaimed. We performed austerities severe enough to shake creation itself. Yet whenever we obtained power, destiny found another path to take it away. It is like a farmer who waters the field with his own sweat, only to watch another harvest the grain."
The ministers exchanged thoughtful glances. Many had spent their lives believing defeat was simply the fate written for the Asuras.
"But today…" Shukracharya said softly, "…history chooses another road."
The pearl pulsed again.
Thump.
A faint tremor passed beneath everyone's feet.
"Do any of you know what truly lies before you?"
Narakasura folded his hands, "You said it was a divine treasure that can help us rule the world. But truly, what is it?" He asked.
Shukracharya extended his hand toward the crimson relic.
"Long before time, Lord Brahma used to have five heads. When he created Satrupa, the first mortal human, his fifth head couldn't let go of its gaze from her due to infatuation… Mahadeva, my aradhya… he punished Brahmadev, severing his head for good. However, when that happened, a drop of his blood fell into the ocean and rested there for a long time."
An audible gasp escaped several nobles.
Narakasura narrowed his eyes.
"So, this pearl… is actually the blood of Brahma dev?"
Shukracharya shook his head and continued the story.
"Not exactly. During the time of Samudramanthan, when Halahala was released and endangered the universe… my aradhya once again, to protect devas and asuras… he swallowed the poison and stored it in his throat. However, not all of it has been gathered in his throat. Several deposits of Halahala remained in the ocean. Some transformed into venomous creatures that now roamed the seas and the land, while some of them were collected by Nagas. But one of those deposits reached the pearl of Brahma that was lying calmly in the ocean. And when it did, this is the result."
He pointed at the massive pearl.
"What you see before you is not merely a divine treasure. It is a treasure that carries the creation essence of Brahma and the toxicity of Halahala."
The pearl answered as though it had heard its story.
THUMP.
This time the sound carried enough force to shatter several crystal goblets. Servants flinched. Warriors instinctively reached for their weapons. Though nothing visible emerged from the relic, every heartbeat seemed to press against the soul.
Shukracharya remained unmoved.
"Since the age of Treta Yuga, the kings of Matsya guarded this treasure on Samudra deva's orders. Perhaps, after losing everything in the Samudramanthan incident, Samudra deva wanted to safeguard this treasure from asuras and devas as well."
Narakasura slowly approached the pearl.
"So that is why they fought to the last. They understood what rested beneath their kingdom."
"They did," Shukracharya answered. "They gave their lives because they knew that they would likewise be destroyed by Samudra deva if they failed to safeguard it."
Narakasura stood before the relic, studying its endless crimson depths. A slow smile spread across his face.
"When you told me its location and instructed me to retrieve it… I indeed thought it was another divine treasure. It looks like even I underestimated it."
A trace of greed appeared on Narakasura when he looked at the pearl now.
Shukracharya then continued, his voice filled with passion.
"When the essence sleeping in this treasure merges with our Devavinashaka, he will essentially become immortal and invincible. Our race shall no longer depend upon boons granted by the Gods. No more waiting for destiny to favor another. No more fearing that whenever the balance tilts toward us, another incarnation of Vishnu will descend to undo everything we have built. The Asuras shall possess a champion before whom even the Three Worlds will hesitate."
The generals exchanged excited glances.
Shukracharya looked toward Narakasura, and the sternness in his face softened into approval.
"You have done more than conquer a kingdom. You have accomplished what generations of Asuras failed to achieve. History will remember your name. When we conquer the three worlds, you can rule this Bhu loka as you wish. So… entrust it to me."
The only answer was the slow, steady heartbeat of the relic.
Thump. Thump.
Narakasura stood without moving. His expression revealed nothing. Then, quite unexpectedly, he laughed—softly. There was amusement in it. Almost pity.
"…No."
The single word spread through the hall like the first crack in a frozen lake.
Shukracharya's smile disappeared.
Narakasura rested one hand upon the crimson pearl with the possessiveness of a king placing his hand upon his own throne.
"My revered guru," he said with perfect politeness, "I fear there has been a misunderstanding between us. You showed me where this relic rested. For that guidance… I remain grateful. But it was my armies that marched beneath the sea. My banners that reached the gates of Matsya. My soldiers who bled. My commanders who died. My kingdom that paid the price."
He looked directly into Shukracharya's eyes.
"When a hunter brings down an elephant after risking his own life, does the man who pointed toward the forest claim the tusks? I think not."
His hand settled firmly against the crimson relic.
"This prize… belongs to me."
Silence descended once more.
Behind Shukracharya, Devavinashaka slowly lifted his head. For the first time since entering the palace, his golden eyes left the crimson pearl.
They settled upon Narakasura.
There was still no anger in that gaze. No hatred. Only quiet recognition—as though, at last, he had noticed something worth looking at.