[23 August 2115]
Nanmangalam Reserve Forest, Chennai
The flames flickered wildly, as if something was sapping their strength.
From the heart of the horde, a towering figure emerged—its body covered in jagged, pulsating black veins, its eyes burning with a sinister glow.
Maharshi: What the hell is this now? Hirak?
Hirak (through communicator): I'm scanning it, but no obvious weaknesses yet. Power reading—Low-Tier Maha-Khatarnak Shreni's Srapit Aatma.
Sana: Great. Why the heck do we always end up with a Maha-Khatarnak threat?
Maharshi: This isn't an ordinary Srapit Aatma...
Jay: You mean—it's one of the corrupted humans?
Maharshi: I'm guessing… yes.
Suddenly, the dark figure vanished—and in an instant, reappeared behind Maharshi!
Before it could land a punch, Maharshi spun around and slashed—severing one of its hands! Mohit quickly activate his Agni Yantra.
Mohito : "अग्नि यन्त्र! धर्मस्य दिव्यज्वाला प्रकटस्व, सर्वापदां दाहं कुरु!"
He aim on that figure with his revolver.
Mohit : "अग्नि बाणः – भस्मं कुरु!"
A blazing bullet shot forward, its flames twisting into the shape of a piercing arrow as it hurtled toward the creature.
The Srapit Aatma didn't even flinch.
As the Agni Baan struck, its body absorbed the flames—the black veins along its chest glowing with a sickly crimson hue. The fire dissipated without leaving a single burn.
Jay: Bhai, seriously?! It just ate your attack like a snack!
Mohit (gritting his teeth): Impossible...!
The creature's severed hand twitched on the ground—then liquefied into a dark sludge and slithered back to its body, seamlessly reattaching.
Srapit Aatma (grinning): Weak.
Without warning, it lunged at Mohit with inhuman speed!
Mohit barely had time to react as a clawed fist swung towards his face.
But before it could land—
CLANG!
Maharshi's blade intercepted the blow, sparks flying! He gritted his teeth, pushing back against the monster's overwhelming strength.
Maharshi: Hirak, tell me you have something useful!
Hirak (urgently, through communicator): It's absorbing Agni-based attacks! You need a different approach!
Sana: Perfect! That means it probably has a limit... We just need to overload it.
Maharshi locked eyes with her—then smirked.
Maharshi: Sana, you thinking what I'm thinking?
Sana cracked her knuckles, golden energy crackling around her palms.
Sana: Let's find out.
She slammed her foot down—activating Vajra Yantra.
Lightning roared through the air as a blinding golden current surged toward the creature!
The Srapit Aatma's veins pulsated violently as it tried to absorb the raw energy—
—but this time, its body trembled.
The overload was working.
Maharshi (grinning): Now, Mohit—get ready to finish this.
Mohit reloaded his revolver, eyes narrowing.
Mohit: This time, it won't escape.
The Srapit Aatma let out a guttural snarl, its body shaking violently as Sana's Vajra Yantra poured relentless lightning into its core.
The pulsating black veins along its body flared wildly, turning unstable.
Jay: It's working!
The creature staggered back, trying to resist—but the overload was too much.
Its body cracked, dark energy leaking from its limbs like a shattered dam.
Maharshi (grinning): Mohit, now or never!
Mohit took a deep breath, raised his revolver—
—and loaded a special cartridge.
The chamber clicked.
Mohit: "अग्नि यन्त्र – मुक्तिसंधान बाणः!"
A soft golden glow pulsed around the bullet—almost holy, almost soothing.
Sana (blinking): Wait... Mukti Sandhan? Is this purification?!
Mohit (smirking): Just watch.
He pulled the trigger.
The bullet erupted forward, spiraling through the air like a comet of golden fire.
It pierced straight through the Srapit Aatma's chest.
For a moment—nothing.
Then—
A massive golden explosion engulfed the monster.
The creature let out a soul-wrenching scream—its corrupted form shaking violently.
Dark energy **didn't disappear—**it compressed.
Trembled.
And then—
It detonated.
A surge of unstable, corrupted energy blasted outward, consuming the remains of the Srapit Aatma in an instant.
The forest trembled as a shockwave of dark flames rippled through the air before finally fading.
Silence.
A scorched crater remained.
Maharshi (narrowing his eyes): That wasn't purification.
Mohit (casually spinning his revolver): Never said it was.
Jay: Your mantra… It sounded like you were cleansing it!
Sana (realizing, eyes widening): Mukti Sandhan was just a name...
Mohit smirked, holstering his revolver.
Mohit: If something cannot be purified, isn't it better to grant 'liberation' in an instant rather than let it suffer?
Maharshi: …You're hiding something.
Mohit (grinning): Maybe. Maybe not.
Before anyone could argue further—
Hirak's urgent voice crackled through the communicator.
Hirak: Guys… We have a problem.
Maharshi's expression hardened.
Maharshi: Now what?
Hirak (grimly): There's something bigger heading your way. Fast.
A loud, unnatural roar echoed from deep within the forest—
—and the ground trembled beneath their feet.
Sana (groaning): Oh, come on!
The deep, guttural roar vibrated through the forest—so powerful that leaves shook loose from trees.
The ground rumbled.
Something was coming. Something massive.
Maharshi instinctively tightened his grip on his sword.
Maharshi: Hirak, how big are we talking?
Hirak's voice crackled through the communicator.
Hirak (grimly): At least Mid-Tier Maha-Khatarnak Shreni. Maybe higher.
Sana (muttering): Oh great, let's just fight a damn top-tier next. Why not?
Jay: That roar… doesn't sound like a normal Srapit Aatma.
The air thickened.
A dense, suffocating pressure settled over the forest—like something was actively warping the curse energy in the atmosphere.
Then—
A massive shadow emerged from the treeline.
Twisted. Hulking.
It stood at least 10 feet tall, its body composed of dark, jagged rock-like armor fused with pulsating black veins.
Its head resembled a horned beast, with two massive, curved tusks protruding from its lower jaw—its eyes burning with an eerie crimson glow.
And then—it spoke.
???: "मृत्यु... या मोक्ष...?" (Death... or liberation...?)
Maharshi's blood ran cold.
Jay (whispering): Did it just speak...?
The creature's voice was distorted, layered with multiple overlapping tones, like several voices speaking at once.
It took a thundering step forward—the ground beneath it cracking from sheer force.
Hirak (urgent): Guys. That's NOT a regular Srapit Aatma.
Maharshi: oh no.
Hirak: That thing is something else.
The creature lifted one clawed hand—and a dark, jagged symbol ignited across its chest.
An ancient Yantra.
Sana (horrified): That's... That's a Vajra Yantra!
Jay: Wait—WHAT?!
Sana: That thing can use my technique?!
The air crackled with unstable curse energy.
Suddenly—
A blinding arc of lightning erupted from the creature's palm—
—and shot straight toward them.
Maharshi: SCATTER!
The team barely dodged as the lightning blast struck the ground—
BOOOOM!
The entire forest floor exploded, sending flaming debris flying in all directions.
Maharshi landed in a crouch, eyes locked onto the creature.
His mind raced.
Maharshi (thinking): A Vajra Yantra… on a Srapit Aatma?
Sana gritted her teeth.
She felt something familiar in that attack. Too familiar.
And then—
She froze.
A memory surfaced.
—A dark room. Cold metal restraints. The faint hum of machines. A voice speaking in hushed tones.
Voice 1: "...Synchronization rate unstable. The subject is rejecting it."
Voice 2: "We don't need stability. We need results."
A sharp pain in her back. A flash of blinding energy.
Her breathing hitched.
The creature turned its gaze toward her.
Its eyes locked onto hers.
And then—
It spoke again.
???: "सना...?" (Sana...?)
Her stomach dropped.
Maharshi caught the change in her expression immediately.
Maharshi (sharply): Sana—what's wrong?!
But Sana couldn't move.
Because in that moment—
She remembered.
And she realized—
She knew this monster.
She knew that voice.
The distorted echoes, the layered tones—somewhere, beneath all that monstrous corruption…
It was human.
Or at least—it had been.
Her breath hitched as fragmented memories surged through her mind—visions of a past she had never been allowed to remember.
A cold lab. Wires piercing into her skin. Scientists observing from behind reinforced glass.
And beside her—
A boy.
Sana: No… No way…
The monster took another step forward, its glowing red eyes locked onto her, its grotesque form radiating pure Srapit Shakti. Yet, through all that corruption, its gaze held something terrifyingly familiar.
Sana: It can't be…
Maharshi's voice snapped her back to reality.
Maharshi: Sana! What do you know?!
She couldn't answer. Her mind was reeling.
But Mohit had no patience for hesitation.
Mohit: I don't care what this thing is—it's attacking, and we're fighting.
He raised his revolver, clicking open the chamber, loading a special round.
Mohit: We end this. Now.
But before he could fire, the monster vanished.
A gust of cursed wind slammed into them as the beast reappeared mid-air—its massive claw arcing downward, crackling with black lightning!
Maharshi barely had time to react.
CLANG!
His sword intercepted the blow, but the force sent him skidding back, his boots carving trenches into the dirt.
Maharshi (gritting his teeth): Damn…
Sana shook herself out of her shock. Now wasn't the time to freeze.
Sana: Maharshi! Its Vajra Yantra isn't normal! It's corrupted!
Mohit (irritated): No shit! But does it have a weakness?!
Sana clenched her fists, golden sparks dancing between her fingers.
Sana: Maybe... If I can disrupt its Vajra flow—!
She launched forward, activating Vajra Yantra, her entire body becoming a conduit for pure lightning.
The monster turned, its black veins pulsating, sensing the familiar energy.
And then—it did something horrifying.
It mimicked her stance.
The same golden lightning crackled around its claws.
Sana's heart nearly stopped.
Sana (whispering): No way…
Mohit: Oh, screw this thing!
He flipped his revolver and fired a shot directly at its skull.
The bullet, coated in Agni Yantra flames, disintegrated on impact.
Jay (shouting): Bhai! That's not working!
The monster's glowing red eyes shifted—this time, toward Mohit.
???: "तुम... अशुद्ध हो..." (You… are impure…)
It vanished again.
And in the next instant—
It reappeared directly behind Mohit.
Before he could react—
A massive lightning-coated fist slammed into his chest.
Mohit: GAAH—!
He was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing through multiple trees before smashing into a boulder.
CRACK!
The rock split apart.
Mohit gasped, struggling to breathe. His entire body burned from the corrupted Vajra energy that had surged into him.
Jay: MOHIT!
Maharshi's rage flared.
Maharshi: That's it. Jay,Zeel cover me! I'm breaking through its defenses!
Jay,Zeel (grinning): On it!
Jay quickly raised his staff and activate his Vayu Yantra.
Jay : "ओम् वायवे गतिसंहारक, अनिलशक्ति संचारय, यंत्रं प्रवर्तय!".
Zeel: Engage Pravartak Mode—Target Lock, Execute!
Maharshi launched himself toward the monstrous Srapit Aatma, his sword blazing with raw intent—but then— a wave of grotesque, decayed zombies surged between him and his target. Their rotting limbs clawed forward, shrieking with an unnatural hunger.
Jay and Zeel reacted instantly.
Jay's aerial blades whirled through the air, slicing through the undead horde, sending limbs and heads flying in a gruesome rain. Though it slowed their advance, the creatures kept coming, their grotesque bodies stitching back together at a terrifying rate.
Zeel took aim. Her pulse steady, her fingers locked on the trigger.
Zeel: finish them.
She fired—a searing energy bullet shot through the night, colliding with the Srapit Aatma's chest. The impact rippled through its form, halting its movement for just a second.
One second— but that was all Maharshi needed.
Maharshi closed the gap, his sword raised high, the fire within him roaring to life.
Maharshi: "अग्नि यन्त्र! धर्मस्य दिव्यज्वाला प्रकटस्व, सर्वापदां दाहं कुरु!"
His blade exploded into searing flames, a holy fire meant to purge all evil—but the moment it struck the creature's flesh—
Nothing.
The flames died, sucked into the creature's veins, absorbed like fuel instead of destruction.
Hirak's voice crackled through the communicator—urgent.
Hirak: Maharshi, stop! Fire's useless! It's absorbing the flames—like it's feeding on them! You need another approach!
Maharshi's mind raced. His jaw tightened.
He adjusted his grip.
Maharshi: If that's the case... then let's see if you can handle this!
He thrust his palm forward—lightning crackled through his veins, surging into his sword.
Maharshi: "ओम् वज्राय विध्यमानं, विद्युत् शक्ति संचारय, यंत्रं प्रवर्तय!"
The night exploded in light.
A deafening thunderclap split the air. Maharshi's body vanished, leaving behind only the crackling echo of electricity.
The Srapit Aatma swung its grotesque fist—
But it hit nothing.
Maharshi reappeared behind it in a flash of pure speed. His sword—no longer a blade—had become lightning itself.
His team stared in shock.
Sana's breath hitched.
Sana(shock) : Maharshi... knows Vajra Yantra?!
The storm raged in his eyes.Then—he struck.
A single, blinding arc of Vajra-clad steel drove straight through the creature's corrupted Vajra core. For a heartbeat, time stood still. Then—
BOOM.
For the first time—
The monster screamed.
A distorted, agonized howl of both pain and recognition.
And then—
It spoke again.
???: सना... मदद करो... (Sana… help me…)
Sana's breath hitched.
Her worst fear was confirmed.
This wasn't just any monster.
This was someone she knew.
Maharshi, still pushing his sword into its core, caught the flicker of horror in her expression.
Maharshi (shouting): Sana! Who is this?!
She could barely form the words.
Sana (whispering): It's… It's…
But before she could finish—
The Srapit Aatma detonated a pulse of dark lightning, sending everyone flying backward.
The ground trembled violently.
As the dust settled—
The monster was still standing.
But something was different.
Its body was shaking. Its black veins were flickering unstably.
And then—
It stared directly at Sana.
???: "तुम... भाग नहीं सकती..." (You… cannot run…)
A jagged Vajra symbol glowed across its forehead.
And before anyone could react—
It vanished—disappearing into the depths of the forest.
The battlefield fell silent.
Only the sound of burning leaves and crackling energy remained.
Jay (panting): It… retreated?
Maharshi, still catching his breath, turned sharply to Sana.
Maharshi: Sana. Who. Was. That?
Sana didn't answer. She was still staring at the place where the monster had stood.
Her hands were shaking.
Because for the first time in years— She remembered his name.
Sana (whispering): ...Ayaan…?
To be continue