Author's Notes:
Been a while, been fiddling about with getting it right. I'm dedicating the next few days to finishing up the next chapter of God of Cookery.
The shot that should have ended the saga of Jason Brody in tragedy rung through the cold mountain air.
But instead of an eviscerated paste, the shot was wasted into the air. Those around watched and wondered why he had not killed Jason Brody as he had wanted.
But fired upwards.
Ajay wanted to know why as well. He had both hands on the slayer to deliver judgement at point blank.
So why was his gun facing away from his intended target?
He felt a sensation pull it away from that direction when he depressed the hair-trigger. Not a sensation, but a feeling of bodily warmth. A hand had grabbed hold of his wrist firmly and pulled his shooting hand from the supporting hand, thereby imbalancing his shot.
He turned to look at what had wrenched his gunshot away from its intended target and was left with a gutwrenching pain in his heart. He was not sure if others would see what he was seeing, he didn't care because he saw it clearer than any other. It was the one that everyone had forgotten as conveniently as the winds.
It was a manifestation of the eldest of the tatbros.
Doing what he had promised he would do, by protecting his sworn brothers even if it meant from themselves. He stood holding Ajay's arm with a firmness of stone and a gaze that held providence. A dignified stance that was a farcry from his usual wayward behavior, but only Ajay knew because he was the only one left who remembered Hurk.
Seeing a manifestation of the one whom had been assailed by Brody appear to protect his killer, said to Ajay that his halucinations all this while had not been fake, but an actual spirit of Hurk telling him his wishes.
(plop) The slayer fell out of his hands and struck the ground with a heavy drop as Ajay stared flabbergasted. But not as stunned as the crowds of Kyratis and Daisy with her friends to see a translucent figure preventing him from delivering the final blow.
-Why does… he look so familiar?- A thought ran through her mind as well as her friends.
Ajay said nothing as he looked at the figure that went against the laws of natural to intervene. The figure returned a meaningful look at him and shook his head, telling him that it was enough.
"Enough?... Then what would you have me do? Because after all he's allowed to happen, he must never be allowed to leave, is that what you want for this fool?!"
The figure turned his gaze towards Daisy and friends, more specifically to the remains of a slain kidbro. A sigh rang out from this manifestation as he looked towards Ajay with sadness.
-Enough..-
It had not said a word, but Ajay could understand what he meant. Proceeding further had no gain, and so the rage in Ajay subsided. His hand naturally let go of its strength and resolve to kill, so the figure released its hand as well. It smiled as Ajay proved to be able to grant him this one favour even in death.
It walked over to where Riley's corpse was and reached out its hand. And to his friends' disbelief…
A hand reach out from Riley's remains of the same translucent light. A new figure left the corpse and rose out from it, bearing the same semblance to the recently deceased.
"Riley…."
The figure joined Hurk and faced the officer he had slain in life and bowed. As if to show a sign of respect to the person he's wronged in life. Then they turned to Ajay and without a word being said, he did the same for Ajay. Although this time, it was even lower. Only Ajay understood what it meant, like actions spoke louder than words.
-Please spare my brother.-
The figure resembling Hurk bowed together and changed the meaning to-
-Please spare our brother.-
"If he lives, then it'll be incarceration for life. Is that really worth living if even he doesn't want it?" He asked the figures who gave no response other than bow lowly to him.
A silence daunted over the area as no one spoke to the event that was taking place. Ajay looked at Jason, curled up in a ball of inner despair and completely oblivious to the situation around him that had transpired.
In a way, Jason had already died in the heart.
Now all that was left was a shell of a man that awaited death. Just like Ajay had been, a long time ago. Ajay sighed and with that…. He released all his enmity to Jason Brody.
"Whether he finds a reason to live, that'll be up to him…." These were the words that vanquished his corrupted Karma to Jason.
To his answer, the figures bowed and smiled contently before disappearing with the wind.
Ajay walked over to the Inspector who remained in a daze.
"Take them to Vyatha Prison."
"And those civilians, My lord?" He said looking over to Daisy and what remained of her friends.
"Them too, but don't treat them like inmates. The events that have transpired over the last 24 hours has made them enemies of the state. Keep them in protective custody until the crown can figure out how to let this case simmer down." The inspector nodded and dispersed his constables to take them to the police vehicle.
"Inspector, let me know the name and address of your constable so I can pay his family respects."
"…. Yes, lord. Thank you." Ajay nodded and watched as they took Daisy and friends along with a cuffed Jason into the vehicle convoy.
Jeevan came over after he had more a less gotten over what he'd seen.
"Is it really alright? Letting him live I mean."
"…. (Sigh)….. As much as I'd like to tear him to pieces, that husk of a man can't harm anything now."
Jeevan could understand that at least.
"Who the heck was that? And why does he feel so familiar?"
Ajay looked at Jeevan with a weary but calm look.
"He's my brother."
(Bang) A cracking sound erupted from beside the departing police convoy as a spatial rift not dissimilar to the one which summoned Esha appeared. A sudden build up of dark clouds loomed overhead as it announced that an entity that was not welcomed had intruded into the land of the mountain and valley.
[How feeble, vessel. If you will not do the deed then I will.] Called out a voicecarrying an ethereal presence, strong and unrelenting.
The people stared at the spatial rift and saw a shadow emerge, a shaft was flung out sending sparks as it flew towards its destination.
(stab)
And impaled Jason. Piercing his torso and slamming the ground was an ancient lance crackling with arcs of lightning.
"We have seen everything you have done, insolent puppet of a man. Such as placing your selfish interests above our collective ambition, for that you are not allowed to live." Said the owner of the voice as it spoke to the dying Jason and reached out a pale blue hand to pull the lance out of his corpse.
Everyone stood rigid against their inner fears that begun to show from the entity that had appeared suddenly before them. An entity that all recognized from the old Kyrati folk tales told by the grandparents at the fireplace from the family thangkas.
"R-….Rakshasa….." Murmured by some, and by Ajay whom could recognize that lance from most recently.
"Purushartha…. What the hell are you doing here?!"
The Rakshasa turned towards Ajay whom was the first to recognize him.
"Orders from her highness, eliminate all variables that deviate your fate." Said the eight-foot-tall pale demon in ancient armour as he twisted the handle of his lance, causing more physical damage to Jason's organs.
"Every variable." He gave utterance to whilst looking at Daisy who shivered at the sight of the massive demon looking her way with a certain profound killing intent. Ajay's heart went wild as he sensed what the Pillar General was going to do.
"Damn Pillar! Don't you dare, we have a ceasefire in effect!" Ajay came charging in after retrieving his slayer.
"Hmph!" The lance was pulled out violently from Jason and his body sent flying towards Ajay who caught it but was sent flying with a mortally wounded Jason backwards due to the yield of the throw.
"Oppfff!"
Ajay felt the force was like being struck by a bus, condensed into the dimensions of Jason who also attained internal injuries. This was nothing like the former iteration Purushartha sent out to represent him during the battle at point 2153.
(Crack) He finally came to a halt when his back struck the wall of the cliff and he puked out blood.
(Babababababaam) The roar of gunfire erupted from the armed police officers was directed in the Rakshasa's way. They didn't need to determine if he was friend or foe, he assaulted their lord so it was enough justification to take him down. Even if it was against Ajay's wish they do so, for only he and Jeevan knew that they didn't stand a chance if he was serious.
The civilians fleed in horror as a firefight broke out between the monster and the police convoy who fired their assault rifles his way in vain as his skin showed no sign of pain or discomfort to the 5.56mm rounds.
Not deterred, they used heavy machine guns and rocket launchers at him, and Purushartha just stood there and took it. It was a silent way of saying whatever was thrown his way did almost nothing.
Then, he simply raised his lance towards the sky.
-[Azure Sky]-
And at those ancient words uttered from his mouth, a spatial domain burst out from his chakra point and engulfed the immediate area where all those that challenged him lay in. But this spell was different from the ones that they had used as clones.
This was the full power of the Azure Sky domain at peak strength from the Rakshasa Pillar General Purushartha.
The world surrounding them was dyed in a blue sky, and every living thing was frozen stiff due to their senses turing against them. The sense of fear had locked their bodies rigid. To add direness to an already diresome state, some people collapsed on their kneels as their mental state was in disarray. Screaming and crying at the top of their lungs the atmosphere had turned to that of a nightmarish landscape roamed by the mad.
With everyone as helpless as a baby in the crib, Purushartha swung his lance and cut down several bystanders with arcs of lightning that manifested into physical force.
Purushartha gazed dauntingly over at Daisy, the source of the foul karma that affected Ajay's path. He raised his lance at the ready to drive it through her.
(Boom)(Boom) As the lance came forwards, two shots struck the spear tip, diverting it away from Daisy's head.
Purushartha continued to have intent on completing his mission, so he wanted to bring the lance down to crush her.
But then, a strong grip clutched onto his spear tip preventing any sort of momentum build up. The owner of that grip stared at the daring Rakshasa who came at the risk of the mountains crushing him for defying its natural law for being so powerful.
"You Damn Pillar! If you wanted a fight then you have it!"
Once again, all remaining were made to bear witness to how the demon fought. First it was against the notorious "Snow White" terrorist, an epic amongst the mercenaries. Now it was a living demon from folk tales like Ramayana. It seemed from the short dialog that Demon, their lord was aware of their existence as they were of him.
What sort of world had this become? Where fantasy became reality.
Daisy's mind was in a mess. She knew Ajay during her teen years, he was a strong fighter with street fighting techniques that could brawl with the neighborhood thugs. But what the hell was this?!
She could barely keep up with the movements, the scary pale monster thrusting his spear with Ajay reacting with a reflex that was always a hair's breadth from certain death. A strange style of martial art that had such a grace, that didn't seem humanly possible.
When comparing it to the fight between an angered Jason and him, this was like nothing she had ever seen. Nothing of the likes that any of the people trapped in Purushartha's spell had ever seen. Ajay most certainly had the ability to kill Jason whenever he wished.
Because he possessed qualities to fight on par with a demon.
Jeevan was stricken by the effects of the spell much to his dismay, despite the confidence he had in his strength of heart, he could not break the curse like his teacher did.
There was no moment to pause for Ajay, his opponent was stamina-less and had swings and thrusts like a hydraulic mechanism due to the precision of Purushartha's skill with the lance. But Ajay was still innately human at the moment, for something within Purushartha's possession was cancelling out his ability to call forth the demon blood.
Ajay was running on limited aids, he'd used a considerable amount of talismans during his encounter with Purushartha and his colleague Narmada until he had only one left. His slayer was on a limited supply as well, not that Purushartha gave him the chance to draw it. He couldn't be gulled into taking a shot from that weapon even for his true self.
Ajay found that even with the four seasons pandemonium to grant him the fighting chance against the General of the Southern Gate. Purushartha possessed a wealth of strange techniques and stances that he didn't use when he was a clone. It was silently telling Ajay not to look down on his ability and position he rose to above the rest of his kinsmen.
Ajay quickly found himself on the losing end. And this was affirmed when Purushartha locked his kukri in place with his lance guard.
"It is indeed a strange art, but I have finally understood its core and roots."
He broke contact with Ajay and stepped back. Ajay took this moment to control his breathing, he didn't like what he was being told by the Rakhsasa. His intuition was telling him something was bad when Purushartha spun his lance around and presented him with the backend of the lance while it was balanced between his armpit.
Ajay took the initiative in advancing as there was no better opportunity than to put him on defence. And this was where he'd made a fatal mistake when Purushartha didn't thrust his spear like before but brought his back pommel up to meet Ajay's kukri.
(clang)(crunch)
In quick succession, he pushed back Ajay's hand and opening his front guard, before delivering a nasty strike of the pommel against his chest. The ceramic matrix of his armour instantly broke upon the force applied to it. Ajay had also felt the force pass through his body and hurt his internal organs as well.
He barely had time to cough out the blood as Purushartha threw in a few more moves to add to the chain of attacks when Ajay swiped his kukri on reflex.
(clang) (crack) "Arggh- (crack)." Again, when Purushartha parried, he sent a powerful counterstrike upon Ajay with no time to react. And when Ajay reacted to get distance between them, he'd employ that strange tactic again to great effect. Ajay was sensing something familiar about what he was doing to him, those moves were strangely familiar I some way.
-Son of a bitch!-
Ajay realized what it was, Purushartha was replicating Four Seasons, specifically the third form he'd been using on him all this while. In just that short time, Purushartha had comprehended it despite its incomplete form.
"Do you take me for a fool?! I've fought more wars than your wretched kingdom first formed its foundations! You are thousands of years too early to defeat me, vessel." Purushartha snorted as Ajay was half-kneeling vomiting out blood and part of a meal he had before the mission.
He pointed his lance at Ajay as a warning.
"Stay down, do not make me beat you more than you already deserve."
Purushartha said before turning to finish the job he was sent to complete. A hand latched around his ankle, preventing him from moving any further towards his frightened target.
"She's done nothing to deserve your judgement….. So why does she need to die because of me?"
"You think this is about you? Clearly you are unaware what kind of detriment she is for polluting your karma. Look back and remember, vessel. We lured you to the mountains not to kill you but sever it."
"…. Over something like that? I have done everything to sever it!"
"Then why is she still here, interfering with your actions? Why do you still hesitate to take action when you are near her? The demon we know would have dispatched of that filth from the moment his mind was stuck to it."
"Demon you know?... What do you know about me?! What do you know about being mortal? Do you wake up everyday worrying about your mortality? Wondering if you and your family will have enough to eat to live and the next day thinking the same thing?! What do you know about being human!?"
Purushartha lifted his leg and Ajay lost grip, hitting the ground and smearing it with his blood.
"It is as you say, I know next to nothing about being a helpless, pitiful creature called man. That is why their fate is to look up to the stars and pray to a god that does not even care for them. That is where you differ from them."
Ajay struggled to get to his feet, using the blade to support his weight as he got up.
"Look around you, under the effects of the spell they cower where you stand and fight."
"Its in our nature-."
"Precisely! In their nature to be cowardly, did you not fight those outsiders in the same way. Did they not cower before your blade, your army, your threats?... If you are human, Ajay Ghale. Then why is it only you who still resists and fight?"
He could see Purushartha was trying to play with his words to contradict him, when had he ever shrunk from a challenge like this or deny it?
"Who said it's just him who can fight?" Purushartha naturally looked towards the owner of that voice.
Only to find Jeevan standing at ease with an assembly of soldiers likely from the Delta barracks garrison. Their presence being able to resist the Pillar's spell showed the fortitude behind their spirits, similiarly to Ajay.
They didn't fear him.
"Royal Army! Kill!" Shouted a field commander.
A volume of concentrated fire streamed towards the Rakshasa, scoring little to no damage. Yet they fired and advanced towards him like any other foe. It surprised even Purushartha to see individuals whom even their ancestors had cowered to the effects of Azure Sky choose to stand up against him.
"I have the utmost respect for all of you, human mortals. You aren't the demon's army for nothing. Let me repay your valiance in kind!"
Purushartha charged with his lance twirling and shrew one of the soldiers that got too close. Ajay, on the ground had never expected something like this to even occur. He was well aware of the principle behind Purushartha's magic thanks to Darshan, but to actually beat the spell with spirit alone….
He didn't know whether to feel proud of his armies who had undergone a revival from its days as the despicable Royal army he knew and fought against. Or despair, throwing themselves into unnecessary danger over something that neither of them really understood the meaning behind.
Their firepower pummeled his body and did make him yelp in pain from the ordnance being flung at him. They began to call in artillery and vehicle fire support as they grabbed the civilians to safety, at least they wouldn't allow unnecessary casualties and Purushartha pursued none of them who did so, only those that pointed their guns his way.
"For Kyrat!" When he reached melee range, they didn't back away or panic. But drew their kukri and swung it his way. Purushartha would simply wave his lance and decapitate them in the most horrific manner.
Ajay fired a syringe into his bloodstream, a volatile cocktail which he would risk overdose if not careful. However, at this moment any sort of assistance was greatly appreciated. It was the invincibility concoction which he had once claimed gave the Golden Path those inhuman abilities, numbing him to massive punishments without removing all of his senses entirely.
Jeevan had entered that mess somewhere between the twentieth soldier he'd killed in under thirty seconds, fighting desperately at that. Purushartha instantly sensed the difference in him to the ordinary soldiers.
"A guardian?... Huh! All the more reason to destroy you."
-[Slaughter Moon]-
He cast a more powerful iteration of curses than employed previously. The curse flew towards him, ready to detriment his performance.
"Break!" Ajay launched the last of his talismans to dispel the curse whilst he stepped in once more despite injuries.
"Ajay-…!"
"Let's tag team this, you take the openings!" He flung the slayer towards Jeevan for him to use.
"Aye!"
As he charged forwards, he picked up the fallen machete to dual wield alongside his own kukri before entering the fray.
Men were still peppering the Rakshasa but with single shots as it engaged in close combat with the two of them in a display of sword and spear martial arts.
Ajay understood how dire the situation was despite keeping the Rakshasa in one place. He had literally no alternatives in banishing him back to whence he came. This wasn't a clone, this was the real deal. It meant he had to kill him to stop him, based on Purushartha's personality he garnered not the type to back down even if he was inches from death.
-How do we beat him?- Sounded an exhausted but willing Jeevan over a trans-talisman he was given to pass through long-range.
-We can't, not at this stage. But we can banish him.-
-How?-
-He shouldn't be here, it's against the natural law of the mountains. Something- some boon of his is allowing him to be here, but it can't last forever or else their seclusion in the Himalayas wouldn't make sense.-
Purushartha sent an arc of lightning Ajay's way, which he countered by plunging a blade into the ground to neutralize the effects of the powerful lightning that struck him. He still received a tremendous amount of damage but at least he wasn't out of the game yet.
-We have two options. One is to weather that boon till it runs out of magic which could be days, or we force him to unleash more powerful abilities that exceed the boons limit. I'm doing the later.-
(clang) (clang)
Ajay wasn't using Four Season any longer, after Purushartha developed a counter on the spot he didn't dare to let him beat him so easily as before. So Ajay relied on a different style of fighting, the one he cultivated since his arrival to Kyrat. It had no fix pattern, it was not limited to a certain range of movements and gave great flexibility. Most importantly, it was random. Preventing Purushartha from getting a bead on it, and quite frankly annoyed him that he was using a dirty style of fighting.
(Clang) (Clang) (Boom) A shot from the slayer created an opening as the Rakshasa was most cautious around that weapon.
Unfortunately, he was unable to bring out the full power of his potential against the Pillar. Because that was all it was, it didn't focus on a single pattern and so therefore could not dedicate a certain amount of force to one discipline. The Pillar was always an inch away from delivering a fatal blow.
Ajay used the grapple anchors to maneuver in ways that weren't permitted, giving him only a limited amount of agility compared to the relentless Rakshasa who was getting extremely annoyed by his presence.
Then Purushartha made a feint that caught Ajay off guard. He let go of his lightning lance that had always kept them at arms length, making Jeevan think that he had knocked it out of his hand. He moved forwards to take the shot when Ajay saw the ruse.
"Stop!"
Purushartha kicked the falling spear back into his hand and thrusted the spear tip towards Jeevan.
(crack)
He instead struck the breach of the slayer used to block the critical blow and effectively rendered the gun dysfunctional.
(Bang) A catastrophic explosion in the chamber occurred next due to the blockage and blasted the gun in half.
The Rakshasa swung his spear down like a club to flatten Jeevan with, a strike that would end his life in an instant.
Before Ajay pushed him aside and took the blow for him.
(crack) (crack) (Bang)
The lance contacted both blades, machete and kukri which couldn't handle the tension and broke.
He received a formidable force to the face protected by his mask that fractured under the force of the hit. Ajay slammed head first into the dirt ground, creating a small dust cloud.
When Jeevan awoke for being shoved aside, he stared in horror as a blow meant for him was taken by someone else.
"AJAY!"
Ajay couldn't feel his extremities due to the continued effect of invincibility, but that didn't mean his body wasn't in tatters. He was in just as bad a shape as when they laid a trap for him on those mountains.
Given his distance from Purushartha, the soldiers intensified their firepower at the demonic entity once more. This time, with the combined might of armor that had entered the scene. Tracers of 40mm and 90mm high explosive rounds were sent his way, knocking him off his feet. Purushartha let out a roar of anguish.
[Tsk!- Insects should stay in the dirt!] (RUMBLE)
He raised his lance into the air, influencing the clouds above him like before. Although, this time there was a typhoon that rolled out, complete with a dance of lightning.
[Garaj mera aavesh, bijali mera shakti. Virodhee mera shatru oan ko tu marega.(Thunder my fury, lightning my might. Bellow the storm, my enemies you shall smite!)] The pillar murmured a chant which developed the storm into a full blown local hurricane.
The Royal Army stubbornly fought with him like they intended for him to feel the full wrath of humanity. Purushartha's disbelief was thrown out of the window, they were fighting him head-on despite Azure Sky still in effect. He gazed at a battered Ajay.
He could see potential problems for the bulk of the Rakshasa Army who were at odds with the natural law. To fight soldiers of this quality and tenacity presented a real threat if they were to keep their powers within the laws of the mountains.
[Shaivi Stormcall!]
Purushartha took the reins of the weather and held his hand out towards the resilient Royal Army sending the power of steel and explosive his way. He clenched his hand and the earth around him trembled, arcs of electricity danced around the lance which was the source of his medium.
The next thing that occurred was out of anyones' expectations, as an all-powerful force of attraction pulled their weapons away from them. Specifically, anything that was metal.
This included the armoured vehicles nearby firing at him. They were lifted off the ground and tumbled his way. As they were raised over the canopy of the trees, Purushartha released his hand, and the magnetic forces dispelled. The vehicles came plummeting to the earth, striking the ground with a thundering volume. Some detonated due to a sensitive munition load being thrown around.
But Purushartha had proven a point, he had effectively disarmed every soldier of their weapons. They stared helplessly as they had no means of fighting back now. Although, Purushartha wasn't going to kill unarmed warriors he held in esteem. He was just going to kill one person who was endangering their plans. He was now no longer hindered by anyone so walked his way to Daisy.
Where she had run off to, she did not. She had made her way towards where Ajay lay, breathing difficultly due to a collapsed lung, fractured ribs and a blood clot forming in his head. He was facing the sky now daunted with stormclouds, yet he was not thinking about how he'd spend the last moments of his life, but instead finding a way to beat Purushartha back to the Himalayas.
Daisy's eyes locked onto that form, it reminded her of when Ajay had been beaten an inch of his life to protect her. She realized that once again, he was doing so because of her. All because of a bond of relation they had years ago. Then, his dismissal of assistance in the Hunters' village was again to protect her from her recklessness. She reached out and took hold of Ajay's hand covered in his own blood.
"I did this to you….. I never learn." She chuckled with a sad smile. Purushartha saw she made no attempt to leave nor cower so he approached with confidence in completing his mission.
"Perhaps…. I'll go where Riley and Hurk went…." Ajay who listened to her but couldn't respond because of the blood foaming in his mouth instantly knew what she was intending. She'd given up on living to end this all, to end his suffering.
The Rakshasa was now five steps away from her getting closer.
Ajay continued to stare at Purushartha despite his heavy eyelids.
Wasn't there something he could do?! He wished he could get up, he had packed more talismans to deter him, he wished he could summon the demonic blood of Yalung to fight the Pillar off even just for a minute more. Every step that Purushartha took closer was a step closer to her demise.
-Goddamnit…why do you have to do this to me?! I've already severed my ties with her what more do you want?! Did you want me to forget her as well?!-
And that's when it hit him, relating back to the words of his demon iteration. Memories were karma. His memories of Daisy, was his karma to her. Her death meant the end of that path, what the Rakshasa was trying to do. He was going to destroy the one good memory he had during his youth.
Daisy seemed ready for that lance as Prushartha loomed over her and raised it in the position to execute her.
Ajay realized that there was one way of saving her.
But the cost of this way meant that he would forget her and everything good that went on for those seven years of living. He had to ask himself….
Were the memories of her worth more than the real thing?
Ajay's hand tightened around Daisy's who had resided to dying to end all the death around her and save what remained of her friends.
Ajay had a long hard look at Daisy's eyes, as he prepared his heart for what he was about to do. He didn't have weapons, he didn't have talismans, he didn't have his demonic blood power, he didn't even have his knife to fight with…
-One person remembering is enough.-
But that didn't mean he had nothing to fight with. He had just one weapon left which he could use for a short burst of power.
Purushartha said nothing as he aimed his lance for Daisy's jugular, giving her a quick and supposedly painless death.
"Return to the cycle of rebirth a better person."
He said wishing her all the best in the next life. After raising his lance and driving it down- (thung)
His lance stopped just a millimeter away from her nape, a force that could stop a Rakshasa Pillar General like himself.
Purushartha traced a hand that wrapped around the shaft of his lance just behind the spear tip. A hand that was drenched in blood but began to bellow a viscous black flame pouring from the open wounds.
Daisy looked at the one that had halted the instrument of her demise, someone who should've been lying on the ground in front of her but was standing up once again to fight for her life.
A calm and tempered look appeared on Ajay's bloodied face as he clutched the lance which crackled lightning at the offender that grabbed it. An aura burst out from him and engulfed Purushartha's Azure Sky, overpowering it and crushing it with the weight of its own might and freeing those still trapped by it. Instead, a red domain overlapped the blue sky. In it held a mysterious power that bleed a warm and sad feeling. The tempest from Purushartha's recent spell still remained though. Where blood of the dead touched the earth, black flames ignited as it had on Ajay's body. Brimming with an ethereal force that exceeded the natural law, bringing him closer to that power that defined Purushartha since birth. Placing him on equal ground to the Pillar for just a brief moment.
"Ajay Ghale… what did you do?!" Purushartha looked unnerved by the changes in the surrounding. Though close by, the flames didn't burn her. They held no form of heat or cold. Ajay smiled as he looked at Daisy one last time that he could remember all the times he'd gone through with her.
"What I needed to send you back."
"You- you do not mean you-..!" Purushartha stared in shock when he made sense of what Ajay had done.
As the demon part of Ajay had once advised to him, Karma could be used as a weapon. To allow mortal heroes to fight demi-god entities. Karma was its fuel.
And Ajay used his relation to Daisy, all seven years of cherished memories as a medium for the prana to fight the legendary General of the Akaashian South Gate.
Ajay flung the lance spear tip aside and sent Purushartha flying a few feet back. He gave one last look at Daisy who stared at him like he was a deity with complex emotions. But it began more chaotic when he passed by her to fight Purushartha with seven years of Karma, for he said something that would forever ring in her mind though she would not yet understand till this battle ended.
"Farewell, Daisy."
Humanity often associated names to describe a certain trait of an object or a person. Like Saladin the Victorious, Jeanne of Arc the Messenger, Attila the Scourge of God. As in Ajay's case, Badala the Demon of Lanka. But these were only descriptions that would allow a layman to relate the person's traits and personality based on a name.
But at this moment, Ajay whom they knew as Badala was exhibiting traits that didn't describe but matched that of his title. A demon.
For evidence, he put an eight-foot pale skinned Rakshasa General named Purushartha at odds with his just his fists. Blazing with blackened viscous flames was the demonic powers thought to be suppressed, however were circumvented by Ajay's costly sacrifice.
"Get the civilians to safety!" Jeevan grabbed hold of the collar to the field commander who stared at the scene of a Rakshasa fighting their demon with his barehands. Waking him and his retinue out of their stupor. So they rushed to bring out those that couldn't get out on their own, it was clear from this fight they would do no good as they were without weapons and even with them.
(thung) (thung) The sound of his fist striking the shaft of the lance as Purushartha was being pushed into the defense by Ajay wielding a strength on par with his. Ajay advanced with the initiative, every step fractured the hard ground, every fist strike created a sonic boom due to the velocity he sent it at. Uprooting the trees and throwing tons of gravel into the air that even the tempest that brewed wasn't capable of.
Jeevan watched as he brought Daisy and her friends with the help of the soldiers. House Hamal once had a priceless thangka like every warrior clan did. House Roka and Ghale had one as well, it was unfortunately destroyed by a careless Sugun whom their father easily forgave. To them, they held no value to artifacts of the past. Theirs was a painting of a Rakshasa General fighting with a Yaksha Warrior, two demi-gods clashing in a fury of exchanges. Their aftershocks crumbled the mountains, fractured the earth and shook the lakes. The scene was counterpart to the fight between a blazing demon versus a Rakshasa Pillar.
With a strength that could match Purushartha, Ajay reemployed the third form of Four Seasons. He didn't have to worry about the overmatch of the Rakshasa's strength anymore. They were level in physical might. But Purushartha had a lance with two arms worth of length, Ajay had no weapon but his gauntlet fists.
(Bang) Regardless, he pummeled the Rakshasa with a will to destroy him.
"Ajay Ghale, if you can still reason stop this at once! You do not know the danger of wielding this power under the regions of the mountain and valley!"
"You ask me to do something you couldn't do when I asked for the same!"
Purushartha twirled his lance and had a fluke hit to Ajay's gauntlet with the spear point, it tore the ceramic and fabric like it was moist paper. Grazing the arm that healed in an instant as the black flame covered and healed it with an incredible metabolism.
"Is she really worth this much?! That you would destroy yourself over?!"
Ajay's hit sudden grew in strength, that it pushed Purushartha back a few inches and made his hands numb from the vibrations against the lance. He had brought out Ajay's fury.
"What the hell would you know?! My life is hell and you force me to give up the one memory of peace in my life!"
"I had a ceasefire with Esha! And you dare to use her to justify your own personal excursion!" The Rakshasa trembled slightly when he heard Ajay call her by that name. It was a tell tale sign he was getting closer to the state they wanted him at.
How foolish he had been. To see his liege return in tears and think she had failed to convince him in some way. To venture out on his own accord to seek revenge for what he did to their Princess by destroying the one with an unstable Karmic connection to Ajay. Worse of all, Ajay became aware of his line of thoughts in just this short time.
If he wasn't a human mortal but a Rakshasa, Humanity and those Yaksha whoresons would cower at the might he could bring. Fighting when it was needed, promoting collaboration when it was peaceful. Being valiant in battle and merciful in victory. He was in every way, an incarnate of the Rakshasa King and of Demon God Yalung.
The Rakshasa needed him more than ever to restore their place as the rulers of the mountain and valley which was stolen from them by treacherous backstabbers.
Purushartha realized that his actions put his willingness to help in jeopardy, he was building enmity between him and the Rakshasa which the princess had done much to work against.
Ajay took advantage of Purushartha's regret to push him to his limit and surpass the natural laws limit that boon could protect him from. He knew the Rakshasa was more powerful than currently, he could feel he was holding back still.
So before the natural law intervened, he had to make Purushartha as culpable as himself before the natural law.
(Bang)(gong) Ajay sent a hook punch towards Purushartha's chest, banging against his ancient armour and rattling it. Purushartha went flying in the air like a bullet, tearing the forest as he flew, before striking a stone boulder with an imprint of himself on it. Ajay leaped a hundred metres in a single jump, slamming the ground in front of him.
He breathed in and adopted a stance which he had recently learnt in the mental world built by Brody. The form that couldn't be used by humans because Four Seasons hadn't actually been developed by someone of mortal origins. The last and final form, Winter strike. The beginning is the end.
He didn't have a weapon to act as a medium, but he wondered if his fists empowered with this inhuman strength could substitute. He retracted his arm like a gun cocked and ready. When he was mentally ready, he fired his fist with a rifled motion along with the body stance of the Winter Form.
The result of this strange self-taught stance was a vacuum created at the centre of his fist that was sent out with the force of his physical might channelled by the form. The leaves and branches on the trees rattled as a singularity was launched at an unsuspecting Purushartha.
This fist bore no magical properties, nor elements. This was just a fist being shot at the Rakshasa. Yet the move had defied the natural law with its power to push physics aside.
A vacuum shot not dissimiliar to the vacuum slash from the original blade style was shot at Purushartha. When it contacted him, a crushing feeling daunted upon his chest that dented his armour and wrecked much of the intricate engravings. But that was pale in comparison to the damge it did to the Raksasa, for it negated the protection he had by passing through it as if it hadn't even been there in the first place.
The Pillar dropped to one knee and pucked out blood. Eyes widened at the strange move that exceeded even his own comprehension. But that move, he'd seen something similar in the past.
[Paragon Fist?!...] He whispered to himself, but Ajay caught word of it.
"Where did you learn that Deva art?"
Ajay made a mental note of what he'd said, as it pertained a possible clue to the origin of the Four Seasons of Pandemonium.
"Try countering this!" Reference to when Purushartha had once copied his third form strokes.
Ajay sent three more strokes his way. Purushartaha reacted quickly and waved two of them off with his lance with great difficulty before having to take the full brute force of the third. Purushartha was struck a few steps back. Once again, suffering from the first use of the move he called Paragon Fist had done to him. Purushartha held his chest in pain, greatly injuried by Ajay's recent development of the Four Seasons he made up.
He had beaten Purushartha to a point where he hoped that later would finally unleash a power to get the natural law's attention. But the Rakshasa showed no sign of wanting to fight back, he was difficult to read. And cautious like no other, Ajay was concerned about how long this state would last for himself.
And just as he thought it, a powerful divine sense engulfed the area. A familiar feeling as he lived and breathed in Kyrat, yet more powerful than he had even imagined.
Ajay was sensing the natural law of the mountain and valley had arrived to dispense judgement. Purushartha stared in fear, fear of the natural law he cheated. His face looked especially glum as Ajay guessed was the end of his boon's powers to hide his true strength. The natural law had come for him.
"By the gods…." Purushartha clasped his chest in pain as he seemed to have no way of running from the natural law. "You need to run!" He warned Ajay for some reason.
"It's not here just for me!" Purushartha was concerned for the livelihood of Ajay because of his importance to their plans.
Purushartha lost control of his influence over the weather as he surrendered it, and Ajay's crimson domain poured over to fill the gap.
However, the lightning and thunderclouds from Purushartha's latest spell were destroyed not by his domain, but the Mountains responding to an existence that shouldn't be within its domain. Specifically… Ajay's existence.
The lightning of the natural law crackled more dangerously than before and struck down towards Ajay. A lightning that judged him for wielding a power he shouldn't.
A tribulation lightning.
Even Purushartha looked up in fear, at the lightning he would have to face had he not possessed the boon that his princess had given him. But now that it had depleted, he too would have to face its wrath if he wanted to return to Akaash.
Ajay was not such a person. He pointed to the sky and pointed to his third eye and said-.
"My will is the mountains…. My karma is the mantra…" His voice carried with the winds, in a powerful daunting tone despite his use of normal tone.
"Fool! Are you certain of your death?!" The Rakshasa's warning was meet with a deaf ear as Ajay continued to pour the prana he wielded into the spell. He couldn't just turn off this power that flowed through him, he had to expend it to exhaustion.
"Banish all creation against nature…." Ajay stared fearlessly into the sky towards the divine sense that controlled the mountain and valley.
The natural law was stunned, an inhabitant not an almighty Deva or Asura dared to strike back at it. It hurled a powerful bolt of tribulation lightning through the clouds towards its aggressor.
Ajay raised his hand with his fingers pointed defiantly towards the heavens.
"8th Demon Banishing Hex! SEAL THIS MOUNTAIN AND VALLEY!"
The writ of banishing hex struck the tribulation of lightning dead centre in a tug of war fashion. It was the natural law versus the fragment of Yalung empowering the Banishing Hex.
This was something no Demon Banisher had ever thought to do nor dare attempt. To defy their own home was a sacrilege beyond reconciliation. Ajay was beginning to become an existence feared by humanity and magic entity alike.
The point of impact sent sparks so bright it was like a second sun had appeared right before them. Purushartha stared in shock as Ajay had challenged the very force that they avoided offending in every way. No one would dare do what he did, not the Princess, not even the current ruler of the mountain and valley during his pre-ruler days. Something only a Deva or Asura were capable of, but they were not in the presence of such lowly beings or earthly concerns as they inhabited the true heavens.
Ajay's extremities bleed profusely as he wrestled an omnipotent presence by himself, even if this presence was only a fraction of its will it had dispatched to apprehend them both. And just as Ajay was in worse shape than alright, the tribulation lightning wobbled and seemingly wanted to disippate at any moment. But Ajay's unrelenting willpower poured all of his prana from the sacrifice he made into powering the banishing hex. As he did so, he could feel moments in his memory slip by him one last time. Burning at an astronomical rate, months that went by were now going at the rate of seasons. Those seven years were like a lifetime to him.
Yet, he poured it in as his survival depended on it. The tribulation lightning was hell-bent on annihilating him as its presence was waning. It was everywhere, but it couldn't be here all at once. It did all it could before it faded, just as Ajay did channel everything to survive.
His resolved was forged in many contemplations and many battles that defined the most major part of his life in Kyrat and the Himalayas. The weight of his responsibility to the lives of his people and the Himavanas. He protected the inhabitants of the Himavanas even if it meant turning on the will of the mountains itself.
His body rapidly healed as fast as it continued to bleed, further depleting the reserves of his energy to stay awake and alive to fight the tribulation lightning.
And just as he seemed to drop from the loss of blood and strength, the tribulation lightning vanished into nothing as it had spent itself. The clouds rolled away and cleared the sky, his own demonic domain disappeared when he had lost his sudden strength. The blacken flames over the blood extinguished to the absence of prana that allowed it to exist.
Ajay returned to his previous bloodied state, albeit weaker than before. Collapsing in exhaustion before Purushartha who had witnessed something he had never seen before in his natural life. To do something even he was incapable of, how was he even capable of doing this. Combining the prana of the fragment of an Asura with the incompatible essence of the Demon Banisher Hex. Made a fearful combination, with powers like this Purushartha was beginning to see the potential for Ajay to be the bane of Eternal Heaven's existence, the presence it feared greatly.
"Ajay Ghale, you are truly an enigma." The result of his efforts had not only saved himself but had also covered for the Rakshasa. It appeared that Purushartha owed him as much as he was reluctant to admit it.
(Bang) A spatial rift opened, no longer blocked by the natural law of the mountains. Purushartha was leaving, he no longer needed to kill his target if there was no Karma existing between them now.
He looked at Daisy who was the first to approach Ajay to help him while the rest of the people were recovering from what they'd just witnessed. Daisy looked back at the Rakshasa, worried he might do something now that he was unstoppable.
Instead, he flung an object towards Daisy who caught it. A traditional pill, she found as she looked down at it.
"Administer it to him on my behalf." He said before walking through the rift that closed behind him the instant he was through.
Daisy did not doubt for a second that this wonder pill would help aid in his recovery, so she popped it into his mouth. Ajay weakly swallowed it as he sensed what was in his throat which gave off a medicinal aura. The instant it was swallowed, a restorative power flowed through him and recovered his broken bones, punctured internals and affected meridians that had been damaged during the crossfire with the tribulation lighting.
Daisy noticed the soldiers, civilians and policemen approach respectfully. Even getting down on one knee or kowtowing before their precious lord. For an auspicious people, his status became something of a venerated deity. Equal to the deification of God of War Guan Yu during the Chinese Three Kingdoms Era. To them, he was an existence that fought and beat both an ancient Rakhasa and the ethereal presence that was their home.
Ajay's eyelids twirled at the harsh glare of the sunlight that was no longer blocked out by the clouds. Jeevan had arrived too, having returned back with the remains of Ajay's treasured slayer. He was sore about the destruction of the weapon but was glad that Ajay had survived and was in a better state than before. He was covered in tattered armour and caked in blood, however his entire exterior was spotless of injuries. That was a magical medicinal pill for you.
Ajay opened his eyes and got up. Observing his surroundings calmly and noticing an aura of venerance amongst the Kyratis to his dismay. They were witnesses to only the opening salvos of the coming wars, yet it had thrown their days of normality out of the window with this single encounter.
"Ajay," Daisy called out softly and Ajay looked at her for a moment before proceeding over to where Jason was.
When he investigated the state of Jason, he was surprised to find him still with a pulse. Albeit too weak to save through natural methods or medical science.
"….."
He was simply surviving on a thread of his life with a hole in his chest, yet his eyes were filled with both anguish and despair. Ajay felt slight pity for him, this was a life which Hurk had come back to intervene and save. He wasn't going to disrespect that existence now, even when Jason was as harmless as he was now. No matter how much he hated him, it couldn't compare to how much he despised himself for the things he'd done and would continue doing.
"Kill me….." He said as he saw the grim reaper looming over him.
"I took your brother like you did mine, I wouldn't call it square 'cause I still fucking hate you. But-… I don't think you deserve to waste the life your brothers gave theirs to save."
Ajay grabbed Jason's reluctant jaw to open it.
"From this day onwards, you won't be allowed to take your life unless I say you can. You'll live a long and cursed life, because I need the help of "Snow White" in the fights to come. I don't care if you find another meaning to live, I will only provide you with the means." Ajay chanted a sealing hex as he bit into his thumb to release a drop of blood. That droplet, he let fall into Jason's mouth.
Jason moaned in pain and shifted around as he wrestled a presence that entered his body. Eyes restored of their colour and his wounds begun to heal rapidly, his Tatau burned away from some invisible force and was replaced with vedic scripts that encircled a sigil of a Wild Dog, a Dhole had chosen to reside in him.
"Jason?!" Daisy saw him return to a state of recovery and approached to check him physically. Her heart was filled was joy at the sight and patted him about.
"Daisy…?" He recognized her for the first time since awakening. She nodded her head with a pleasant smile on her face. Seeing that face made Jason emotionally caught in complex feelings, he began to tear as he wasn't sure what to feel. Reaching out for him, Jason dove to cry in her arms. It made her drop a tear as a feeling of liberation had swept over them. They were finally free from the emotional shackles of conviction.
"Jas."
"Jason, bro."
"Jason…" His friends arrived earlier and reach a hand out to place upon his shoulder to let him know they were here.
Ajay seeing this emotional reunion chose to keep out of it. He walked over to Jeevan whom he placed a hand on his shoulder to tell him it was alright and he'd done well surviving. He also showed a new immunity or resilience to the Azure Sky domain spell which was a self-improvement.
"Sir, what do we do with him and those Americans?" The Field Commander of the Royal Army soldiers asked.
Ajay dwelled on the thoughts, he had previously said they would be locked in Vyatha Prison because they were a nuisance. But now, with a conscience to Hurk's wishes. He was going to employ Jason Brody's strengths in their fight against the Golden Path and Rakshasa. A happy employee was better than a fearful one.
"They're guests."
Ajay wrote on a piece of paper and signed it before passing it to the officer.
"Escort them to the Little Shangri-La estates. Pass this message to Housing Estates Councilor Sun Cheon-Fan and the town council, she'll settle them in with all the appropriate necessities and take them off you." The officer took the note and respectfully saluted.
"And report along with your Companies to the WarSpec depot tomorrow at 0700 hrs."
"Sir?" the officer and his soldiers were baffled.
"You showed some real skill today, Major. Some traits that even I didn't expect your men and yourself would have. It would be invaluable to have you in the Jatayu."
To hear that they were being transferred to the famous Jatayu Para Brigade made them jump internally. They saluted him in unison, to which Ajay returned the salute crisply. They had earned his respect, even that of the Rakshasa Pillar Purushartha, they were something else.
Ajay wanted to return home, he was beyond tired and wanted to return to the arms of a worried Saraswati. Maybe take a hot shower and have Bhadra cook him something to eat. He was sure, Jeevan was in the same mood since the start of Operation Mímisbrunnr. A lot of things had happened since then, he was emotionally tired as well.
Ajay approached Jason and friends for the last time to tell them their situation.
"I've asked the soldiers and their CO to bring you to a temporary housing estate to stay in. Nice place by Jalendu lake the residence call Little Shangri-la. Until our affairs with the US are clear, you're welcome to stay there."
"Can we go home instead?" Liza asked even though it didn't seem likely.
"I've caught Willis and tortured the fucker, he's let me onto some really disturbing news. A conspiracy if you will, between the United States in the '80s and the then-Soviet Union. Real icky CIA dirty business. He wasn't lying when he said he erased your names from the profiles, or that you're on FBI's wanted list."
"Jesus… What's the charges-.. I mean in us to the FBI?" Steven asked.
"Affiliation to known terrorist Badala, responsible for the massacre of twelve thousand US expeditionary soldiers and nuking a Carrier fleet."
"Whoa! Whoa! What?! We don't have any affiliation!"
"Of course you don't, but NSA have it up to here with me in mess from them shitting their pants at what I've done. They need every bit of intel they can gather, even if it means your involuntary services are applied." Steve's face dropped, prospects of their own country torturing them for information was horrible.
"Like I said till this blows over. You're free to stay."
"Can't we just find another country to stay in, say Europe?" Oliver tried asking.
"Assuming Interpol and the European secret services aren't looking for the same thing. I would advise against it."
"Then when will we be able to return?" Daisy asked with a look of inquiry.
"When the government finally decides to deal with the tragic loss of tens of thousands of a certain president's failure in his term. As well as his incompetence for authorising the use of nuclear weapons in Kyrat."
"I'm sorry what?"
"I think he said, the President authorised a nuke to go off here."
"No- I heard what he said- but-….. why?"
Ajay ignored their conversations and made his way home with Jeevan.
"Ajay, wait!" One of them ran towards him eager to give out what she was hoping to let out of her chest.
"I don't know what to think about Riley, I know it can't be forgiven but I will for what you did. So…. Thank you."
"Your welcome, follow the soldiers and get some rest." He said in a monotonous tone void of care or emotion. Daisy found it strangely peculiar for him to be speaking like she was a total stranger. Until a feeling of unease hit her as she watched him leave. She had to ask, she needed to know whether what she thought the meaning behind those last words he said were what she thought they were.
"Ajay!" She clasped his sleeve or what was left of it. A look of annoyance came over Ajay as he was delayed from returning once again. It only served to arouse her suspicion and her anxiety of what was true.
"Do you know who I am?" Her heart beat swiftly as she awaited a response.
"Who the fuck are you?" He said at his limit of patience and only to have her fears proven real.
"Seal the mountain and valley." These words were heard by every entity who inhabited the place the insolent voice dared to challenge. The minor spirits trembled as some being was attempting to suppress natural law that had defined their lives. Some spiritually sensitive human mortals such as the Huntress Matriarch and Hun Shaman Shili heard the spirits tremble. Darshan heard it as clear as day.
The Rakshasa inhabiting the valley of Akaash was perturbed with the exception of Crown Princess Esha who was more pleased and calm than the rest. While Purushartha had done something she hadn't asked for, it had nonetheless given excellent results. Ajay had rid himself of the karma that weighted on his purity of strength and showed to them someone of his class and level was capable of challenging the heavens. So why should they be so different in their quest to usurp the right to rule back from the current rulers?
Those current rulers who lived in debauchery within the gardens of Shangri-la heard that voice better than any other being did as they audited the way the natural laws of the mountain and valley should be for over tens of thousands of years.
This included the King of the mountain. Peering down at the two beings who fought with one another and now had to fight his natural law to survive.
Next, to him, the Arch Traitor watched thoughtfully with a look of disdain.
[I look forward to the day he and the Princess return. Hopefully, your royal highness feels the same way as I do?]
The King of the mountain did not respond but smiled viciously from his Shangrilan dais of paradise as he watched the one that would challenge him for the crown to rule over the mountain and valley. For he had planned extensively for the divinitation that he would be usurped by a mortal for as long as they had separated. He was confident in proving this prophecy wrong.
Just as he had with Kalinag.
For if he couldn't, then he wasn't worthy of the name Eternal Heaven.
