Author's Notes:

A bit of time working on this chapter as I have a few that follow and relate to it. While the end to RaK (Reborn a King) is pretty far, probably about under hundred chapters, may exceed depending on the cropping of plot material. I've already started looking into new stories to write. Below is a list that will be coming during and after RaK:

Farcry fanfic – Between Yearning and Ambition (AmitaXAjay Romance/Tragedy) Prototype released.

Farcry fanfic – RaK – Threads of Fate (Prequel short stories) First story covers the rise of Pagan.

XCOM fanfic – Undaunted Conquest (Reboot from old stories) To honor the first stories.

XCOM fanfic – All You Need Is Psi (Time returning protagonist) weak to strong

When will they release, hopefully soon. :)


The repeated memory of the cries for help in his subconscience died down as his eyes fluttered open from a long period of immersing himself with his spirit.

Mediating deep within the forest cabin he inhabited since the beginning of his life as Darshan, the wild was of no threat to him as he possessed both the whistle of the hunter's and a deep understanding of the spirits that inhabit the forest. When his eyes closed, it was absolute focus on the mantra handed down to him by the spirits of the restless Demon Banisher kinsman. Despite the generation gap of over hundreds of years since there was a true successor, their single utmost desire was from him to hunt down and destroy every last immortal demon that still walked the material earth. Even if their will was never passed, he would still do so. He'd killed possessed humans and animals, plenty of brahm rakshas from the dead clergy that lived in decadence, and Rakshasa roaming the mountain tops. Not many believed they existed though they worshiped gods like Banashur and Kyra. Only Darshan was aware of this and his aura allowed him to find them in hiding.

But out of all the resident demons he destroyed body and soul, there was one he failed to find. The one that destroyed his past life, one as a loving husband, doting father.

Until now.

Mohan's appearance was evidence of this, no one was as powerful or in possession of lifesaving boons like her. Everytime cycle, it was always Mohan. Though she never appeared in person, the Vedi compass shook with never before seen vigour to the presence of a demon. Whispering the will of the clan's utmost desire to crush all demonic entities. In fact, she even had a name. He had one for her as well, Cursed Witch. Despite the name, she was anything but a witch, it was too modest a category to class her under. Because her roots lay her to an origin once thought a myth.

The screams of his wife and child rung constant in his head once in a while. He'd come down a long and gruelling path to revenge. But he wasn't satisfied with merely killing her. For once, Darshan possessed a single clue to her constant loitering within the domain of Kyrat and the search for the gateways into Shangri-la in her several iterations of time. She struggled and failed in every opportunity to acquire what she solely desired.

The reason she appeared in Kyrat in the first place was for the same reason Darshan sought to kill her.

Over family.

So when he had the chance, he wouldn't just shrew her. He'd maim her, then destroy her only hope of reviving her family in front of her just to let her know the feeling of having loved ones taken away from her for eternity.

He'd prepared physically and mentally for their confrontation. The talismans all painted and slotted into his bag, the wooden runic blades were exalted and his temperament levelled. The last of the pages to the manual he recovered from the demon banishers ancestral temple had been mastered to its full potential. He wasn't the type to be satisfied with what was on the desk so he analysed each and every formation, hexing techniques and decrypted their function and talent. From that experience, he created his own hex and formations, every bit ruthlessly efficient and cruelly dominating as his personality towards demons were.

He was every bit ready to fulfil his clans sole purpose to seal and destroy immortal demons. While not taking part in mortal affairs directly, it didn't mean she wasn't going to watch the father and son fight for the lands. That was when he would go for her, when all her troublesome minions were away fighting.

"Bishal, aie!" He called the sleeping tiger to accompany him down the mountain towards the direction the Vedi compass pointed. Bishal yawned and got to its feet, the cub it once was got replaced with a fully grown white tiger. Though a few pounds lighter and smaller than its mother had been trained by him. Brought out into the wild and forced to understand the cruelty of the animal kingdom. Darshan forced it to kill to survive and survive it did, fighting and winning many chance encounters with wild beasts, large than it or in numerical advantage situations. It had earned scars from its last fight with a madden elephant and wore them proudly. Though he was Maya's Dharmic Guardian, what good would a paper tiger do as her protector against that cursed witch. So he beefed him up a bit. Bishal acted tamed but had a glint in its eyes that belonged to its proud line of tiger lineage, there was room for improvement but for now he would do.

He waited sixteen years in this era to achieve his vengeance upon the witch and he wasn't about to let anyone interfere with his objective now.

He would kill all that got in his way.

Including this realms Ajay Ghale.


In the command centre of Lanka at the most protected area in the fortress, Ajay sat with the Bastion Commandants and Field Commanders taking part in today's defense against the Golden Path spearhead. The picture of their strategy was quite similar to the Russian defense of Stalingrad, forcing the Germans to fight block by block whilst a counter-attack force assembled from outside the city to pincer the weary germans. Yuma's elite Royal Guards were that counter-attack force placed in reserve at the rear to conserve their energy to fight the Golden Path as they withdrew and aid Maya and Unit 58.

"Any sign of the storm subsiding?" Amita asked.

"The last weather forecast from the charts says the Eastern Winds in Nation of Yinke have blown the storm away from their country." A liason officer of hers answered.

"Still, I can't believe we're fighting thirty-thousand warriors." The Royal Army colonel who was the last bastion commandant spoke.

In truth, all of them trembled. The pressure was intense even before the arrival of the Golden Path, but no one spoke of it.

"They're really pouring everything into this assault."

"…" Amita realized the strategic importance of maintaining her position in Lanka. It was Badala's trust in her that granted her one of the bastions in Lanka which was the symbol of absolute power over Kyrat. She was not about to let Mohan take it from her.

"The odds of four thousand against thirty thousand don't bode well." The Colonel lamented.

"But if we succeed, the feat becomes legendary." Ajay exclaimed as he entered the command centre. The conclave of officers stood and saluted, the Tigers did the same.

"At ease, are the men ready?"

"They are, sir. What of the general?"

"Busy overseeing more important things in the Royal Fortress, seeing the bigger picture."

Although he said it, he actually never heard it from him. Layak was the one to tell him so, Arjun was in a non-conversational mood. Something to do with his disappearance a week earlier, he freaked him out and the General dispatched soldiers throughout the lands looking for him. To think at a time like this Arjun would have something akin to a hissy fit with him. Well, it was his fault for not informing him beforehand.

"Her royal highness gave us access to a battery of pack howitzers in Utkarsh and a helicopter assault battalion once the storm clears."

"What are the rules of engagement, your grace?" The Colonel asked on everyone's behalf.

It was clear that once the spearhead came, they'd be surprised to find a fortress that was not there before. Then word would reach Mohan and the Devas of it to see for their own eyes.

"Report then kill, there is no civilian presence for ten miles so that will be our engagement parameters. Colonel Raja will oversee defense of the walls, Amita will focus on all logistical concerns, Major Pan will observe and call in the artillery and gunship support on heavy enemy concentrations as well as requisition medivac when required. I'll be in the front to impose on the spearhead and perhaps preoccupy the Devas if they're there." Ajay distributed the various positions to the Commandant and Field commanders that were present.

"I'll assume that all of you have read our strategy on the dousers High Command handed you and burnt it after reading." He looked to check as they all nodded including the Tiger Field Commanders, they all knew the sequence of events that would occur and what were the signals to initiate. They had spent a week studying the material and the latest amendments done by Arjun based on the intelligence changes and the progress of Lankas construction.

"Permission to speak, sir."

"What is it?"

"What are the odds of us winning?" It was unauspiscious to ask when their odds weren't in their favour but it was a question they all yearned from Ajay who was aware of the bigger picture. If it were Arjun in place of him he'd scold them and send them off his theatre of operation.

"I certainly can't measure that, I'd love to say it would be a crushing victory on our end. But as life has always been for me, nothing ever goes the way we design it to turn out."

""…."" Made the question the officer asked sound a little naïve.

"You are all elite soldiers and warriors of Kyrat, the Golden Path is threatening the sovereignty of our country. Whether we win or not, doesn't matter. We absolutely cannot let them take Lanka, we cannot let them even take a single step on this bridge. If that happens….. The Golden Path will reside to its hidden nature and condemn every person that lived their lives behind the mountain walls of the Himalayas a traitor to their righteous cause. From there, I assume you can imagine what happens next."

A chill ran down all of their spines. Though he never mentioned it, his explanation gave a very clear mindset of how the Golden Path worked. Based on interpreting things at their conveniences and distorting facts, the movement was entirely impulse driven. They pictured the Golden path arriving in the Uttar Region, to bring about a new era of massacre to the Himalayas.

But now Ajay saw a fire of determination in their eyes.

"But that's when the fun part begins." Ajay said with a fearless smile.

"Because if we succeed…."

They all turned towards him as he had some unfinished things to say. His next sentence shook them to the core of their beliefs in the the impossible becoming true.

"We will wipe Golden Path from the annals of history. Permanently."


An unfamiliar calmness came over Kyrat, the complete silence of the winds and empty vastness returning.

It was the signal that Golden Path had been waiting for two months to arrive and it was finally here. The day of reckoning for the Royalists was about to fall upon them, through their actions. Thirty thousand warriors mobilized across the snowy paths towards King's bridge, all on high vibes that the Royalists would be shocked to see their numbers and shiver in place.

But Vasu knew better than that. There were spies carefully embedded into their organisation that would have informed them of the numbers in advance to give them time to prepare. They had to make use of now when the Army's helicopter fleet had not been brought out of their hangars piled with snow. Sabal had already been dispatched towards the meddlesome Royal army barracks near Baghadur. A total of three thousand warriors against an estimate of three battalions that were stationed there, though the number could have changed it wouldn't exceed a thousand. Sabal was in the safest possible outcome. The question he still asked himself was why Mohan bothered to tolerate that rascal after all he'd done and said.

"Hatred is the most powerful fire, caring only to retaliate, to take revenge at the cost of anything and everything. Given time, it morphs the individual that carries it into something else. It's the very quality I look for."

"Hatred is an inquenchable flame that burns brightly, one who bears it cares not for his surroundings, only that his rage be directed at the person that brought those feelings into him. Ready to sacrifice everything for the feeling of satisfaction. Pagan's demon is one such example, an indomitable spirit to crush Golden Path. Sabal will be my answer to him."

These were the words Mohan left for him. But all Vasu saw was an incapable coward that sacrificed for his own gain, how was such a person capable of fighting a person of Badala's character? Even if he did receive the resurrective powers of the mistress and the strength bestowal, Badala was more cunning than him as well as experienced in close quarter fighting. Wouldn't the Devas-… wouldn't himself be sufficient for the task with their newly acquired strength?

A dispatch came running towards the temporary command centre tent out along the long trail that the convoy of troops and supplies moved along the frozen riverside Shanath's Naccarapur Town. The last major town before King's Bridge.

The dispatch huffed and puffed before approaching Vasu and whispered in his ear due to the sensitivity of the info.

"What?!" Vasu couldn't control his overflowing emotions, because of the impossible happening.

The next fifteen minutes, he spent travelling by fast jeep towards the area which the scouts reported to him. At the ridge, he spotted Mohan standing there with his back turned already, he had apparently received the same message. As Vasu walked up the slope towards where his brother was, he spotted the reason for his arrival in the distance.

"My god….."

"Arjun's been busy." Mohan said calmly.

"But that was just two months!"

"It's clear he had support from the two Demons." Mohan referred to both the Demoness of Durgesh and the Demon of Lakshman.

"This…." Vasu still had trouble believing what was in front of him.

Spread along the entire mountain pass where King's bridge should have been visible was a grey stronghold. But unlike the ones he was familiar to, judging from the distance it dwarfed any that existed in Kyrat. Like a mountain citadel, the sun shone through the gaps and presented the grand majesty of the fortress he dared call it.

"It appears incomplete." Mohan said as he observed through the binoculars in his possession. When Vasu heard it he checked for himself and in seeing so a feeling of hope returned to his senses.

"Prepare to lose ten thousand at least, and assuming they anticipated this day be ready to lose two-thirds because the demon will be there." An image of Badala inhabiting the mighty fortress appeared in his mind.

Vasu looked to Mohan with determination.

"Not if I can help it."


"Move it! They're almost here!"

"On the double!"

Ajay stood at the parapet from his villa overlooking the battlements being manned by the soldiers, a grand total of four thousand troops garrisoned within Lanka. The Officers and NCOs went about shouting for the men to quicken the pace as the enemy was already sighted in the distance of the ridge where the large town of Naccarapur next to Shanath Arena lay.

Ajay waited patiently whilst he checked his equipment, armor and weapons. He had just finished calibrating his newly built compound bow, setting the draw weight to the highest torque. He intended to kill everything that got hit by the arrows.

"You've been awfully quiet for some time, is it really so hard to imagine a smooth conversation?" Ajay said to Daisy who seemed to dwell on some internal thoughts.

"Nothing ever goes to plan."

"Ha! I should be the one saying that to you. But if you want my opinion of Jason I'll give it."

"Alright."

"His personality seems to match that Vaas fellow more than it does with your friend. So lets assume he's Vaas. How do you tell a murderous buccaneering pirate to take the peaceful option?"

Daisy seemed more and more unconvinced that Jason's case was salvageable from Ajay's explanation.

"How much do you want to save this kid?"

"Everything I've got!" The determination shone in her eyes, Ajay chuckled. It was the same eyes that looked at him all those years ago in the states. The one that had the power to change his fate, even by a little bit.

"Here." Ajay handed her a capsule which she took.

"What's this?"

"A satellite tracking device, something a friend of mine gave me."

It was a swallowable homing beacon given to him by Paul Ferenc the Israeli Mossad agent. Daisy looked at it for a second and stashed it away.

"If you get into trouble, swallow it. The membrane will dissolve in five, triggering the device with chemical reactions and we'll know exactly where you are."

"How soon can you get to me?" She said in a joking manner.

"Twenty, give or take."

"Ha! Couldn't you do better?" She said grinning. Turned Ajay's expression was still serious.

"Daisy. This'll depend on your status. If you aren't there with Jason when we find you, my brigade will be forced to kill him."

The seriousness of his warning made it clear where his line with tolerance towards Jason was. Hoping that by a very small chance, their friend was redeemable.

"Ok. I'll do my best."

"Mmmm. If you come across Willis's location that'll be helpful."

"Find Willis, got it!" Daisy went to her designated area where it was marked on the GPS handed to Jason via spies in the Golden Path.

"I wish you all the best, there might be a glimmer of hope for him. But I still can't see it. Just promise me you'll prioritize your own safety above everything else. You came here with everyone, you should leave the same way." Daisy looked hesistant to say something after Ajay had indicated that they were to leave after this fiasco. She wondered why he wanted that to be so, even after this near chance coincidental meeting with him in Kyrat.

"I look forward to your next debrief, agent Lee." Daisy couldn't help but chuckle at his obvious attempt to lighten the mood.

"I will." She said with a smile before leaving. She turned back to look at him as Ajay was already occupied with sorting his own stuff, then left.

Ajay went back to his tuning his bow, upon completing the task he drew the string with much effort and entered the cut-off weight greatly reducing the amount of tension.

"Stay safe…." He murmured.


It was ten in the morning, so the sun had risen high up in the air by now. Shining upon every single feature.

What the Golden path saw was a humongous grey concrete fortress structure unlike anything they'd ever seen. The sight and the motives of their commanders to storm that building sent shivers down their spines. When it came to the Golden Path, their operations were fairly limited to guerrilla warfare. Hit and run style, when it came to stronghold battles they would always have three times the defending garrison in manpower to attack and even then, sustained numerable casualties.

But before them lay and entire field of open ground approximately twelve hundred metres followed with a combination of barbwire, anti-vehicle trenches, possible landmines then cross the shallow moat. And to the structure itself was a sloped wall that looked deceivingly climbable but exposed anyone to shots from the defenders and mired them from advancing. And to think that they had to get through all of this besides the precise shots from the garrison soldiers and heavy weapons inside. The only area that did not have such defences was the large reinforced gate which was built in a drawbridge as there was a river moat dug around it. Unless the Devas were with them, the men refused to join the attack. The fortress had achieved its primary feature, a physically intimidating citadel that deferred and discouraged attacks against them.

"They're here!" The forward lookout called out to Ajay and the field Commanders on the wall.

The Golden Path appeared out of the forest and of the large town of Naccarapur just off Shanath arena. And entire line of yellow from the armbands they wore on their sleeves stretched from end to end of the forest line, yet that wasn't even a third of the force that had yet to arrive to the front. This was merely the vanguard of elite meant to test the wall and if possible storm it.

As if Ajay would make it so easy for them

"Colonel Raja, I leave executive command of the fortress to you." Ajay said over the radio.

*Yes, your grace. May the king's light shine upon you! Out.*

Ajay walked upon the length of the wall, fully equipped. Against the sandbags and harden concrete were the over a thousand of the forward defenders. All wore uneasy expressions, they watched as Ajay passed them.

"Your grace."

"Milord."

"Sir, be safe."

They gave him their compliments as he passed, Ajay nodded curtly in response. He looked over the walls and saw what they were all anxious about. From afar, the Golden Path attempted to rouse their spirit and frighten the defenders with chants and warcries that could be heard from a mile. It showed their eagerness to fight and kill for the greater good. The garrison commander of his bastion which stood as the pike to the Golden Path advance remained by his side silent.

Ajay could see the pressure that weighed upon them, he'd used similar tactics upon the Golden Path before. He cleared his throat before he spoke, the thousand souls that inhabited his bastion turned to him as he wished to make an announcement.

"Good, we have full attendance. It means we can thoroughly teach the Golden Path their place." He said with a mighty grin. At first the men looked in shock, but then broke into snickers, then laughter.

"See…. That's the spirit." Ajay walked up to the observation platform where the heavy autocannon was placed, but everyone could see him.

"To be honest, I'm shivering… shivering in anticipation. I can't wait for them to arrive at our doorstep and deliver themselves to us. I can't wait for them to break the gate and rush through! I can't wait for their Devas who lead their vanguard to come and face me! I can't wait to turn their sixteen years of hope into instant despair!" Ajay said with confidence.

"This fortress was designed by the famous Major Roka as the ultimate safeguard over Kyrat, foreign and domestic. I can bet you, Mohan is pretty shocked to find it where he thought a road straight to the north was." The men laughed at the thought.

"But they're no slouches…. and I'm just one man. There're tens of thousands. They say the Devas are one of a thousand men strong. That means I'll be taking on three thousand worth off your back. So I'll expect all of you to have at least hundred heads by the end of this battle."

"I need not remind you. You're here on your own voalition, you came knowing the odds were stacked against you and yet you still came anyway. It proves that there is something more to you the mere soldiers. You have the will to stand for what you feel is right, so is the strength I see in the premier warriors of Kyrat! The Golden Path wants to take that position away from you, but they don't intend to fulfil the duty of it at all!" Much of the soldiers' hearts had fully burnt with the desire to tear the Golden Path columns to shreds. He could see it in their eyes.

"But to lose even one of you to trash would be a loss that even King Min could not bear with. There's a quote from an old show I watched in the theatre long ago, I shall use this as my orders to you all. An American general named Patton once said to his men. "I want you all to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country! He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his."!" There was a bellow of laughter from the inner compounds of the wall, they all knew what Ajay meant.

"So join me in this fight, so that we may make martyrs out of them!"

"""RAAAWWW!""" The men in the bastion let loose a powerful cry for victory that shook the other bastions into wondering what that shout was. Even the Golden Path warriors could hear it from where they were chanting. Ajay had rousted the blood lust of the First Bastion, the one that stood in front of the Golden Path advance and would take the heaviest blow of all from the attacks.

"Let's end on this soil not just Mohan, but the legend of Mohan!"


Vasu stood ready with his brothers amongst the vanguard of five thousand on their vehicles that intended to rush up and secure the forward structure of the titanical fortress. Vasu had gone to military strategy lectures in the past and knew of the effectiveness of a star fort which it was. In modern times, it had lost effectiveness to lightning quick strikes and changes in battle doctrine. But in the mountains where armored vehicles were difficult to bring into and supplies were even harder to transport allowed anyone who controlled it a vantage of armed activities and quickly crush any sign of rebellion. It was a major problem for them as it also blocked the only way to the Uttar region where the Royal Fortress lay and the Royal Palace where Pagan had sat too long in. They couldn't outflank it as it had its back to the wall of mountains so the only way through was the front.

Vasu had heard the warcries from the front structure and knew who was there.

"Badala…." He said grinding his teeth, the images of the massacre he invoked in Banapur in retaliation circled him mind. It forced his hand into bargaining with forces he didn't fully understand.

"It's time." Bhishma said looking at his watch. The schedule plan for the assault had been hastily planned as they heard reports that Sabal was evenly matched with an unknown brigade that had been lying and waiting for them at the Royal Army Barracks at Baghadur. They had to finish this battle to support him.

"Tsk!" He clicked his tongue. It was clear that the entire invasion had been anticipated by Arjun and Badala, whilst they were gathering strength in numbers, the two had been busy building this abomination to suppress the Golden Path to its entirety.

"Men!" All faces of the vanguard force turned to Vasu in anticipation for his commands.

"The Royal Palace lies beyond these mountains, the enemy hopes to deter us with a stack of bricks. But they underestimate the raw power of belief that fuels our bodies and creates something that not even technology, numerable odds or intimidation can take from us." Vasu drew his knife and raised it.

"With this knife, I shall cut off the Demon's head and present it to all! Brothers! Sisters! Join me and become part of legend unforgotten!"

"""RAAAWWW!""" The battlefield trembled as heavily as the roar that a mere thousand led by Ajay let loose.

(BOOM) (BOOM) (BOOM) In the distance were the battlefield was, several dozens of smoke rounds from their mortars blanketed their advance.

"Units! Move out!" The Field Commanders led their men in the charge towards the quiet fortress.

A thousand metres.

Leading the way were improvised armored vehicles to shield the dismounted infantry at their rear in the advance.

Streaks of tracer flew in the air towards them. The dirt around them exploded and the kicked up.

"Move! Move! Faster!" Vasu ordered as they were aware of the vulnerability of staying too long in the mile-long killzone. The firepower from the forward structure intensified and now the tracer streaks weren't limited to machine gun rounds but autocannon fire. This was proven when two of their vehicles ignited into flames from a mere shot.

Eight hundred metres.

"Mortars! Incoming!"

Now the howling of cluster bomblets from the mortars sounded.

"Hit the deck!"

The entire column fell to the ground to minimise their silhouette to the exploding bombs. Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding to the munition type which was not munition bomblets from mortars but howitzers in airburst mode. The destructive warheads of the 155mm shells detonated overhead and killed the entire front flank of the spearhead of the vanguard.

Two hundred died in an instant to the barrage of shells. Their frontline vehicles were all destroyed as they had no overhead protection to the High explosive propelled shrapnel. The vanguard was mostly fine. But now, it had broken their advance. The fighters stood wideeyed at the shear destruction brought about in a mere two minutes of engagement. It filled their hearts with fear, had Vasu and the two other Devas Bhishma and Sanjeev not been there to guide and led them. They would have throw down their arms and run.

"Those who do not fear death, take the lead and Charge!" Vasu shouted as he ran along with the two Devas. Seeing his feat of bravery in such dire odds, the veterans accompanied him in a wedge formation. More and more of the previously disheartened warriors lifted their heads and followed in the charge. Small-arms fire erupted from the fortress walls at the five hundred metre mark and cut down many more of their comrades but they still charged with an unquenchable fury in their eyes. It was as Vasu said, they could take their lives but they couldn't extinguish their flames of rebellion.

(Ping) (BOOMBOOMBOOM)

As the forward most elements where Vasu was stepped onto something and a canister shot up in the air and detonated a metre off the ground. Fragmentation sliced through meat and bone of those near it, Vasu was not absolved from it either.

"Urghh!" But as per contract the fragments embedded in him fell out and his injury healed at an astronomical rate, the other warriors didn't notice this so they thought he was extremely lucky to have survived that. But Vasu frowned, it reminded him of how inhuman he already was. Did he still have a soul to call his? But he stowed those feelings away as it wasn't the time.

They had reached the hidden minefield.

"Bring up the line-charges!" Vasu called out as he order was repeated by the NCOs to the engineering teams in the protection of the group. Several groups of soldiers came up with a roll of explosive cords and bangalore pipes to breach a hole in the apparent minefield. The end of the line was attached to a javelin that Bhishma held. Normally to propel this much line it would require a rocket, but Bhishma's strength was unparrellel thanks to the Mistresses blessing.

He hurled the javelin over a fifty-metre distance and it carried the line of explosives across. He threw several to widen the breach. From the sniper towers in Lanka, his actions weren't gone unnoticed and they fired their .50 cal Anti-material rifles at him. Sanjeev shielded him with a broken off door of the improvised armored vehicles that were abandoned.

"Deploy smokescreen!" A field commander shouted. And a whole column of smoke grenades were thrown to mask their location.

Vasu looked to the engineer that held the plunger.

"Hit it!"

The engineer turned the handle.

(BOBOBOBOOOM) The entire column of cord and bangalore torpedoes detonated along with the bouncing betty-type mines. A blackened ten-metre wide road through the minefield ensured safer passage towards the fortress.

"CHARGE!" Vasu roared once more, although it wouldn't be his last.

"""RAAAWWHHH!""" A response came a thousandfold louder. The Vanguard followed through the breach with him bravely despite their mortality, though Vasu was grateful his Curse/Blessing was what kept him alive, it disgusted him. His men were dropping like flies while the three of them in front weren't.

Three hundred metres.

An anti-vehicle trench and dragoon teeth lay before them, it was high enough for temporary cover, but if they stayed too long they could get pinned down. This was especially so as they had entered the optimal range for most small-arms carried by the soldiers protecting the walls.

Immediately, the dove into the trenches. All three thousand remaining soles that is as it was only large enough to fit that many. The small remainder faced with this despair chose to pull the pins of their grenades and charged alone. Getting chopped by rifle fire.

The firepower from the fortress intensified as they were within visible distance and range. It forced the vanguard deep under the trenches.

Vasu took a mirror and looked over the trench he was in to observe the remaining three hundred metres to the walls and what obstacles lay there.

(Sigh)

It wasn't any easier. A row of barbwire followed with a moat towards the slope of the wall. Every thing to mire their movement towards the top where the soldiers were. He observed a little more in hopes to find the Commanders but in vain. Not even Badala was amongst them, yet they fought with such viciousness and bloodlust he almost mistook them for his men initially. Besides the wall was a large reinforced gate, where no obstacle lay.

(Ping) The mirror broke as a sniper shot it and ended his little snooping around.

"Bhishma, Sanjeev."

"Brother?"

"What is it?"

"We will clear a path for them."

"Are you crazy?!"

"What were our bodies for?!" He shouted back.

"We might be blessed with this immortality but if we don't use it, it might as well be our curse!"

The two thought grimmly concerning the matter. If they charged out into fire it would seem unreal to the observers.

"We've already passed the point of being called human, we might as well let the right party fear us."

They nodded to one another and stood at the edge of the trench.

"Captain."

"Uh- Yes, Sir?"

"Wait for our signal."

"Huh?"

"Go!"

The three of them emerged from cover and ran in a column towards the fortress alone. The mens' hearts dropped seeing them run into certain death. The defenders saw this and snorted, bringing their guns to bear. Shots grazed them and struck critical areas that should have brought them down, yet they continued to charge without stop. The soldiers eyes shot out at the seemingly indestructible three that ran the insane three hundred metres killzone towards them. And a tinge of fear lurcked within them, making increase their efforts to kill them to ease the fear.

The Golden Path Vanguard watched at the three leading figures ran headstrong into enemy fire and wondered why they did not do the same. The whole row hiding behind the trench rose to their feet and charged towards the walls. Now there was a bigger concern to worry about, the defenders changed their attention towards the whole vanguard that crazily charged toward the barbwires. There, some lay their body on the barbwire to use as a plank or bridge to step over onto the other side. They died soon after as rifle fire killed them but their bodies remained as a bridge for their comrades to advance and avenge them.

By now there was only twenty-five hundred left, but their morale was unphased. They moved in rhythm towards the moat where the three Devas had already crossed.

On Vasu's end, they'd just crossed the moat while being peppered by a few of the soldiers who noticed something was truly wrong with the whole picture of them prancing through the lines without seeming injuries. They had been wounded, but the insane recovery rate had caused the pain to vanish in an instant and the injury no longer there. They could feel every bit of the pain, but their iron will kept them from breaking under the torrent of gunfire.

Looking up ahead the walls could be seen over the ridge but as Vasu and the others gazed down the spotted yet another trench but this one was two metres off the gradient of the slope making it imposible to assail without being seen by the careful defenders, but that wasn't all. Tunnels were curiously placed along the trenches leading directly into the fortress walls. It was obviously another trap to funnel them into a tight area.

"What now?"

"…"

They vanguard would be in their position at any moment, the more they dallied the more lives would get wasted.

"We spring the trap."

Vasu led the Devas into the tunnels that were lit already, as if anticipating someone would use this passage. The gunfire seemed distant as they ventured further down into the passageway.

Now the only light source was a man-made hole up in the twenty-metre ceiling, but lit the area sufficiently that no shadows covered the blind areas. They went through a series of zig-zag passageways that made their trip almost seemingly confusing until Vasu pointed out-

"We're in a maze."

"Labyrinth to be precise." A voice responded to his answer. Guns trailed to the direction of the echo and blazed away. They didn't want to waste precious time on a mere distraction.

"My labyrinth to be exact. It seems I wasn't wrong, you're not like the usual riff-raff among the Golden Path. You chose the hardway towards victory."

Knowing it was a trap they still came. Where they were was the most complex part of the defensive inner workings. Several underground labyrinths had been set beneath the walls of the bastions to misled attackers into finding alternative routes to storming the structures by climbing the walls which was the most dangerous when it was manned.

Now that it spoke longer and Vasu had time to think, he recognised the voice as-

"Badala!"

"No shit, Sherlock."

"Brother, do you know what this means?"

"It means we can end this battle before it even starts." Vasu responded whilst drawing his knife.

"Come out, Badala. You intentionally lured us here to fight, so have at it then."

"Seriously, what were those fools I've been fighting all this while? Where have you been all this while?" Badala's chuckling could be heard from somewhere in the labyrinth.

"Yes, I lured you here. You're resolve is admirable, but the people you align yourself with just makes that self-righteousness a hypocrisy."

(BOOM)

An explosion rocked the place they were in.

"What was that?"

"Perhaps the rest have successfully breached the wall." Bhishma was being optimistic.

"No no no. Lieutenant Arya. That's not the case."

"Wh-What?"

"That was your exit being sealed with rubble." Ajay revealed his intention to lock them from the outside. Vasu began to sweat as they were isolated from the men as they were to them, he could do nothing to support their assault.

"Judging from your expression Major Sen, you've figured out the seriousness of the situation." They turned to the direction of the voice and this time were rewarded with a glimpse of the mask greaming in the light cased from the manhole. He sat upon one of the four-metre-high walls of the labyrinth structure.

"You locked yourself with us, do you not realise the importance of your own head upon your shoulders to this battle?" Bhishma sneared mockingly. But all he received in response was a hearty laugh from the demon.

"It that how you saw it? I must say, unlike your elder brother, the two of you aren't so bright, how did you earn the title Deva again?" He laughed mockingly.

"You-…." Vasu blocked the two.

"Enough of your childish rants, this ends now."

"Of course it does, but not for me…." Ajay said as he melted into the darkness.

Their senses heightened as they observed around them.

(Pow) (Ching) "Huh?" Sanjeev looked to his hand that was suddenly jerked towards the wall, he looked up and found it impaled by an arrow to the concrete wall. For the first time since his ascension to whatever this state was, Sanjeev cried out in agony.

Despite their wits about them, they couldn't traced the origin of the arrow. Vasu and Bhishma began to sweat, despite their apparent immortality. Badala could 'hurt' them.

"But for you."


She stood at the ridge of a forest cave watching the battle below take place between the mortals. The Devas battle with the demon beneath the earth was no hindrance to her sight. She watched as the one she sought fought against immeasureable odds with a smile on his face, bringing back painful memories in the deepest recess of her mind.

"History repeats with a twist, a revival of the Battle of Lanka." She sighed to herself.

Just then, footsteps could be heard and she turned her head. The intruder's presence had not been felt this entire time apparently so it was a surprise someone could sneak up on her of all people. Yet the intruder made no attempt to mask his presence at the last moment.

He came into full view from the shadow of the entrance. At first, she looked at him as if it were merely a traveller that chanced upon this place. But there was something very strange with his soul signature and his aura had a familiar detestable stench about him which she couldn't put her finger on despite her incredible wealth of knowledge.

His aura was playing havoc on her senses. But then, it hit her.

"You!?"

She responded with widen eyes.

"Yes. Me."

"….." She knew why he was here and how he came. And so did he.

"You recovered a wheel from my Samsara Mirror, did you not?"

He made no answer but the reply was obvious. He. Darshan drew out his wooden swords held in duel-wield, and threw several talisman papers onto his body and around his feet, beginning to chant.

She looked stunned at the action, but then began to laugh as she made sense of it all.

"So that's what gave you this audacious confidence! Ahahahahaha! Just because the Demon Banishers, just because that girl could seal Yalung does not mean you can do the same!" She growled in apparent fury.

"Nine order patriarchs casted ten vedi talismans onto him whilst draining their lifeforce to seal him. Though he and I are not the same. You are but one, a successor bearing their legacy yes. But alone." She said in a snort as she waved her hands about to cast a gust of wind. Darshan resisted as the wind was nullified by the surrounding talismans and faced the wooden sword in front to pierce the second torrent.

"Who says I'm alone?"

(Roar) A white black-stripped streak leaped out of the shadow towards her.

In that instant her icy heart sunk, the appearance of the new foe reigniting a fear she had deep within her. From the time, she met that damnable mortal, Kalinag.

When the Sky Guardian taught her, an immortal demon what was fear.