What was this person before them? Standing six-foot-tall, unblemished pure white skin wrapped in samite velvet green robes and ancient bronze finish armour. And a face Chiffon would have called the Adonis of the Himalayas. So unblemished was his appearance, it made most modern beauties look pale in comparison, especially since he was a male. Perfect in every way. Yet Ajay wasn't able to be astonished by the entities complexion, as the Demon Banisher medallion screamed even louder into his mind.

Consume the Yaksha

Grind his bones,

drink his blood

Consume the Yaksha- Consume the Yaksha- Consume the Yaksha- Consume the Yaksha- Consume the Yaksha- CONSUME THE YAKSHA- CONSUME THE YAKSHA- CONSUME THE YAKSHACONSUMETHEYAKSHACONSUMETHEYAKSHACONSUMETHEYAKSHA-

[AJAY! Get a hold of yourself!]

The voice in his mind shook him out of that bloodlust-ridden trance induced by the demon banisher medallion. Covering his mouth to hide his own inhales, he barely managed to get a hold of his consciousness that almost wanted to give in entirely to the demon resting in him. Deep within his psyche, said demon was losing control and urging on to abide by the demon banisher medallion's words. Ajay flung the medallion to Darshan for safekeeping, he was better away from that thing than with it.

[We have to get away from here.] Darshan was unusually cautious about encountering these entities, these Yaksha. As much as he wanted to continue his acquisition of the soul stone.

[No….. Let's wait and see what they're after.] Ajay counter-proposed, much to his surprise.

[Are you sure?] He asked again.

[…. I'll manage. But if they're here for the same thing…] Ajay implied the soul stone holding value to the Yaksha as well.

[…..] Darshan gave a nod.

Those entities would have to die.

They silently stalked what appeared to be five Yaksha accompanying that braggart self-proclaimed prince. Four were just as young as the Prince but that didn't mean anything since Yaksha weren't restricted to the ages like man was. There was one old one, who seemed the most dangerous out of the lot. He had eyes that had seen battle and carried himself with a heavy set of dignity of a veteran warrior. The old one wasn't going to be easily fooled by trickery or ruses.

The four younger ones flanked the Prince like his posse or bootlickers, only making him as haughty as he presented himself on this venture. The old one stayed close and watched his surroundings like a personal bodyguard.

[Ever seen Yaksha before?] Ajay asked through the talisman.

[No. This is a first for me as well.] It wasn't a very confident answer in Ajay's opinion. And it wasn't good either, they had absolutely no idea how these Yaksha moved when engaged.

Yaksha. The Hindu scripture's equivalent of the Greek nymphs or European fairies and dryads to compare them. Supposedly a natural inhabitant of the Himalayas found in natural formations such as mountains and forests. They were also rumoured to guard stashes of buried treasure like a Leprechaun with the exception that they don't share their stash with outsiders and go crazy if someone takes anything. These ones were supposed to be in a feud with the Rakshasa.

Darshan gave this short summary of what Yakshas were without any apparent knowledge of their powers or physical strength. They needed to provoke them into using their abilities.

[Any volunteers for bait?] Darshan stared back disinterested at his wisecrack.

The Yaksha strolled confidently in the direction of one of the many chambers at the end of the corridor that got Darshan expressing more worry than before. Clearly, the soul stone was there too.

Both him and Ajay crawled upon the floor centimetre by centimetre to such a degree, not even the rubbing of fabric could be heard. The veteran bodyguard was probably a professional of over hundreds of years of battle surpassing their own and so, they weren't taking any chances.

Ajay peered around the corridor as the point man of their two-man team. What he saw inside was something of a throne room. The most notable element was the skeletons packed on both ends of the room in a bowing posture as if to give homage to the throne at the end of the chamber.

(crack) [Tsh! Smelly apes, they should have known when to give up.] One of the posses declared as he stomped a warrior ape's remains into dust with a stomping action and an invisible force crushing it.

Ajay bore witness first hand to an unusual ability he'd never seen from the Rakshasa.

[Hmph.] Their prince sneered and clenched his hand then thrusted it to the ground.

(Crush) Immediately the many skeletons surrounding the room were crushed into dust.

[I once again bear witness to my lord's extraordinary talent at wielding the will of the mountain!] The Yaksha follower licked his ass after a brief demonstration of his superiority over the more ordinary background members.

[Did you fucking see that?!] Ajay communicated to Darshan who was looming above him.

[Will of the mountain, huh?… a magic that harnesses the natural law.] Ajay did not like Darshan's assessment. These entities called upon the natural law as a form of magic, in a way it seemed overly dependent on the mountains for aid. But they were currently within the mountain boundaries.

The Yakshas faced the end of the chamber to a dais that dominated the room. Seated upon it was a skeleton lavished in jewels and superior armour to the rest of its subjects. A crown upon its head marked it as the supposed leader of what were the Vanara tribes. Ajay and Darshan crept around the many columns that provided some concealment, laying traps as they went up in coordination.

Ajay spared a glance as he moved forwards in rhythm to that skeleton that survived the Prince's ego. The Yaksha seemed to gather before it like they were seeking his audience. Darshan had also finished on his end, but he was looking at something else.

[On the dais left.] Ajay's eyes traced the direction he specified to see a stone stand, and resting upon it was none other than the object they sought.

Said Prince bowed his head slightly to the skeleton.

[Lord Varish, Chieftain of the long enduring Vanara Tribe of the mountains. I, Andhakan. 4th Prince of Shangri-la salute you.]

His salutation was met with the blowing wind from the mausoleum air shaft. From Ajay's point of view, he was speaking to a skeleton which seemed ridiculous.

[I come before you as many have before me to prove my worth. To inherit your legacy.] Once again, there was no answer. The Prince seemed frustrated that no response was given, and he had been made to call out like a fool.

[It appears we have wasted our time on aged relics.]

[Silence!] The prince snapped at his retainer along with sending a slap his way, pummeling the retainer to the ground in an instant.

[I beg forgiveness for my servant's disposition, oh lord.] The prince went on one knee to express sincerity.

Again, there was no reply. The skeleton sat where it had since it lay there over thousands of years ago.

[Nothing's happening.] Ajay communicated with Darshan.

[He's here alright, he's just toying with them.] A discarnate soul was unfortunately not a true soul of the being it once was, but a fragment left behind or what remained of the former. A fragment that troubled even Darshan and one, the Yaksha respected.

[Let me carry on your legacy. Let me wield the pride of the Vanara in its return to glory.]

And almost immediately a thunder of the earth resounded from a voice that replied in kind.

[Even after millennia your kind is just as shameless as your ancestors were.] It said in mockery of the young Yaksha aspirants.

[Greetings, my lord.] The prince bowed once more without giving any notion of lowering his head further. The discarnate soul was no fool to the prince's pride.

[I am not your lord. You are not one of mine, so expect nothing short of a curse upon your damnable kind.] The soul of the dead chieftain taunted.

[Yet you allowed generations of my people a try at succeeding your legacy.]

[Yes. It was fun to watch your pitiful elders struggle to attain something that will never belong to them.] It teased.

[Yet we are the rulers of this land. Your kind, man and Rakshasa lost to us in the end.]

[Lose to the likes of you? Ha! Your kind could not even manage a straight fight against "him" let alone "his" Pillars. Your lord came crying to us when "he" snatched away his bride!] The soul lamented after it mocked the Yaksha prince in his stubborn debate. Regret was everlasting, and it would forever be tormented by their actions that day that led to the ruin of the Vanara.

[My lord father, Eternal-] (BOOOOOOOM) Just as he was about to continue arguing to gain the last word, the mountains shook and stones began to fall on the ground.

[Do not EVER say that name here! You nor any spawn of his are welcome here!]

[Calm your anger, my lord. I mean no disrespect. Like the rest before me, I offer you the tribute of Prana.] The prince motioned to the retainers that pulled out ancient incense burners, opening their lids to allow the smoke to be let out.

The smoke magically gathered and flowed towards the soul stone lying upon the stone mantle next to the earthly remains of the discarnate soul. At first, Ajay was intrigued that Prana could sustain a discarnate soul and this was what had probably kept the soul alive all along. But then, as his eyes traced to smoke leading to the soul stone blood ruby, he could make out figures within the smoke. Faces, all wearing a similar expression of horror.

And the next thing the discarnate soul said confirmed his horrors.

[Sacrifices of man again, conceit as ever.] It grumbled.

Not only was Ajay's gut feeling unwell, but another level of anger threatened to take over his consciousness. Human sacrifices, what did that mean?!

Darshan was already ringing to him to keep things in check, this wasn't worth compromising their concealment. As it appeared they weren't here for the soul stone but something else, as they just fed the soul stone… with human souls.

[No blood of the Yaksha shall ever be spilt again, our Lord has vowed upon this to his people. We do not seek your peoples' vast treasures nor their remains you have protected all this while, even in death. We only seek a trial of fire.] The Yaksha Prince reasoned.

The discarnate soul was silent. Ajay was now beginning to understand its situation. It did all it could to remain on guard of the fallen souls of his comrade-in-arms buried within this mausoleum with him, their treasures to the afterlife included. Keeping both safe from the hands of individuals like Demon Banishers from turning them into soul stones for magic consumption or evil spirits to devour. It was a valiant duty that even Ajay couldn't help but admire the courage and grit to carry out. While not obvious, the Prince and his kind had constantly threatened it with ransacking the reliquary if it did not allow them the chance to carry out some sort of ritual.

[Give me the chance to attempt that trial and you shall have me in your debt.] The discarnate soul sighed in grief as it was helpless against these words.

[Allow me to obtain the right to wield your mighty Astra. The legendary mace which our kin have long spoken stories about on the incredible feat you had accomplished in life.]

-A weapon?- Ajay thought, so this was what this was all about. Darshan had once told him, magical weapons had a limited sentience to them. As the saying went, "The wielder chooses not the weapon, the weapon chooses its wielder." If he was not wrong, this was why they had kept the discarnate soul alive. Perhaps, the weapon had an equivalent to the modern biometric reader. If the owner did not approve of the weapon falling into certain individuals' hands, it would never obey. The owner was long dead, but a discarnate soul remained which was technically still him one form of another.

The Yaksha wanted his weapon. But what was so special about this mace? What the Prince would reveal unwittingly to them would explain why they valued it so.

[Let me bear the right to claim the weapon that broke the Rakshasa King's sword, let me claim kaalapatthargada.]

Upon hearing the name of the weapon they sought, the Discarnate soul remained quiet. The Yaksha Prince stared strongly at the skeleton of the long dead Vanara Chieftain until it would give its response.

[I will not break my word in death as I had not in life. He who proves worthy of my gada (mace) shall have the right to take it off my hands.] The discarnate soul said seriously. It was abiding by a vow it made in life. Once again, the romance of the Vanara code of honour seemed to reflect heavily from this discarnate soul's personality.

Ajay took note of the Vanara's words. But most of all, he took note of what it said about this "legendary mace" of his. He clearly heard what the Yaksha Prince said, a weapon that broke Ishaan's Astra of rule. Was it referring to that broken sword Esha left behind and Vasu carried? He couldn't fathom what sort of weapon this was other than a superweapon.

[Then I take it all eight of you shall partake?]

[Indeed we shall-…] The prince happily agreed, but suddenly stiffened when he mentioned above the number that was present. [Forgive me, my lord. But did you not make a mistake?] The prince said almost wanting to chuckle rudely, he hadn't figured the Vanara would be so muscle-headed they couldn't even count properly.

But the discarnate soul was not so dense it could not make out his mirth behind its back. But laughed at the Yaksha themselves for good reason.

[For masters of illusion and secrecy, you sure have fallen unto troubled times if you could not even detect the presence of those two humans- no-… Demon Banishers amongst us.] It chuckled so hard it almost busted a gut, except it had no gut to bust.

The Prince and his retinue went on guard almost immediately as they formed a circle with swords drawn.

[SHOW YOURSELF!] The prince roared mightily, hoping to frighten them into revealing some hints to their location.


Meditation seemed to be the only way to keep her emotions in check. Purushartha loomed close by to watch over his princess while the rest were away on preparations for crushing the resistance of man before their stepping into Shangri-la.

This was a plan, a thousand years in the making, they must absolutely have it run flawlessly or else it would be the end of their civilization. [Where is the boy now?] Purushartha asked the returning General of the North Gate once known as Bhaskar to the Golden Path.

[I cannot find him, Darshan has masked his presence too well.] As worried as they were about where Ajay Ghale was, they also needed him to stay alive at all costs if the ritual was to succeed. He also had the Kalinag thangkas with him, the only means of acquiring safe passage into Shangri-la not controlled by Eternal Heaven.

[He will appear as promised.] The General of the North Gate believed in him but Purushartha had other opinions.

[That is not the concern, Taral! He is next to the most dangerous man who has the power to end it all as and when he fancies!] Still agitated, at least Purushartha recognized the threat Darshan posed. Although hard to believe he came all the way here and waited patiently for them even. That sort of willpower was capable of much greater feats if he was not suppressed.

[Hush. You'll disturb the princess.] The General of the North Gate pointed to Esha, deep in meditation. Ascending her spirit also allowed for her spiritual awareness of the surroundings to be bolstered a hundredfold. Meaning she was already aware of the conversation they had.

Purushartha quietens down, he knew there was no point in getting flustered. Ajay Ghale would eventually come to them as agreed, he still held integrity to keep his word and won't break it. Even if it meant opposing Darshan eventually, if he was smart enough, he would also notice that Darshan wasn't in-line with his goals of saving the mortal humans of this land.

Unless something got else got in his way, Purushartha and his fellow Pillar Tarakeshwar who was also known as Bhaskar could not imagine any other threat to Ajay Ghale's life.

(Cough) A commotion happened where Esha was seated, falling forward on her hands, she coughed out blood.

[Your Highness!] Both Generals were already attending to her. But Esha wore a grave expression as if she'd witness something terrible.

[They've found him…] She murmured with a horrified look on her face.

[Sister!-…] Tarakeshwar called to her as he held her shoulders.

An iron grip grabbed tightly around Tarakeshwar's shoulders despite their slender nature. She stared straight into his eyes, elaborating the urgency.

[Go to Ashoka Peak, the reliquary! He is there!]

[Who is, sister?]

[Ajay Ghale is in danger! They're there as well!]

They never did, Tarakeshwar nor any other Rakshasa miss who "they" was referring to. Their sworn enemy, the usurpers of the mountain. Tarakeshwar held both hands and clasped them together, he stared strongly back to his sister without a shred of conviction.

[I will ensure that no harm comes to him!]


A real pickle they were in, not only did the discarnate soul know they were here, now those Yakshas did as well.

[Stay where you are.] Darshan instructed.

[It's too late for that.] Ajay stood out from his concealment and walked out into the open of the chamber where his appearance was met with hostility.

[A wise choice.]

"I'm out because I don't want the discarnate soul to force me out. And could you do me a favour by shutting the hell up? Your voice irritates me." Already on the first appearance, Ajay wasn't going to make friends or grovel for his life to the likes of the Yaksha.

[Insolence!] The old one shouted and threw out some sort of flying disc blade that was poised to take his head. (thump) (BOOM) A 40mm grenade was fired from a sawn-off M79, blasting the chakram into smithereens.

The older Yaksha seemed shocked for a moment and was about to throw a second, however, a frightening aura appeared from behind. He turned to see Darshan, lining his fingers at him ready to commence banishment.

[State your name and business!] The discarnate soul demanded and somehow ceased the Yakshas' hostility to let it get answers.

"Ajay Ghale, Demon Banisher. I couldn't give a rat's ass about some stupid mace, I'm here for that." He said pointing to the soul stone. Ajay decided that honesty was the way to getting around this standoff or else the Yaksha will try every opportunity to kill them as the discarnate soul would too retaliate.

[How typical of Demon Banishers. Essence is all you people really care about!]

"We all have our obsessions like you have on guard your peoples' essence and treasure. Like pretty boy here and his lovers have over your bigggg…. haaard shaft." He teased.

Hearing the clear insult and the mockery he made of him, the Prince was infuriated beyond comprehension. This was the first time he'd been insulted in such a way. Yet he was forced to stay his hand in the presence of the discarnate soul to earn his blessing to try for the weapon.

[AhahahahahaaHAHAHA! You are a funny one, Ajay Ghale.] Apparently, the discarnate soul took a liking to him instead. Darshan stepped toward where Ajay was to stand with him.

[Oh. It's you again.] He also acknowledged Darshan from a previous encounter.

[My lord, they are Demon Banishers! Who knows what other ill intent they have for your peoples' legacy!] The prince tried to sway the discarnate soul's opinion.

"Well, I'm not gonna lie. I need your soul stone to repel the Rakshasa. Since these so-called rulers of the Mountains aren't even bothering about it."

[And what promise do you give it will only be just that?]

"You've got no guarantee from me. I'm in too much of a rush to bother coming here for whatever it is they're here for and I won't deny that sooner or later human archaeological teams will come by in the near future to disturb this place."

[Ha! Honest, I like that! Wonder why your senior cannot be like you? Bashing through my formations and taking all he wants!]

Ajay spared a glance towards Darshan who wasn't going to talk. Clearly, his previous aggressive behaviour had upset and dissatisfied the discarnate soul. Although it could be ruled out that Darshan was not expecting a discarnate soul to be this powerful still.

"How about it? If you do me this solid, I could probably do you a favour. Maybe blast the entire city with enough explosive it'll never be intruded again."

[Hmmm….] The discarnate soul seemed to be attracted to Ajay's offer. As it had already stated, protecting its peoples' remains and treasure were its only concern. By collapsing the mountain upon the hidden city, no one would be able to enter it again. And it wouldn't have to be hindered by the Yaksha ever again.

A crushing aura was sent his way, carrying a magnitude of the mountains will with it.

[How dare you suggest such an audacious and senseless action!] The Prince wielded his magic at Ajay.

Ajay showed no sign of countering the incoming force, instead, he pulled out a detonator from his pocket and held it in front of him, clicking once to arm the devices nearby. The aura screeched to a halt as if its wielder understood what the device was in his hands.

"While you were licking the ape's feet, I took the liberty of planting about fifteen kilos of C4 throughout this tomb. And if you've ever played with explosives, these narrow confines only amplify their power."

[Tsh! You'll only destroy yourselves in the proce-.]

"A strategic weapon on par with Nuclear Weapons and falling into hands whose alignment we don't know. I'd rather it never sees the light of day again. We have the resolve. Question is, do you?" Ajay was already rubbing the switch.

The Yaksha felt threatened, not because it endangered their immortal life. But the consequence of destroying the only chance of retrieving a certain legendary weapon which had great strategic value. Their own authority would punish them.

[Oh?] The discarnate soul exclaimed intrigued by what the humans had done, or rather what this human was doing. By far, it kept quiet to see what he would do to the Prince, and this young demon banisher seemed quite interesting. In life, he had never seen the Yaksha so agitated. It was regretful he wasn't alive to see it for himself.

[You insolent cur! You are so ignorant of what you are about to destroy!] The Prince snapped at him, then turned to the skeleton. [My lord, if he destroys this city no one will remember the glory of the Vanara. Furthermore, you will no longer be able to sustain yourself!]

While it was as if all the Yaksha's fury was nothing but empty threats as he persuaded the discarnate soul to act on their behalf. The Yaksha Prince made valid points as well.

"How about this?" Ajay called out having a solution to their problem, and a wry grin on his face.

"Me and him, showdown for your magic Excalibur mace. Winner takes all. If he gets the mace, he can do whatever the hell he wants with it. If I get it, I'll do you a favour by burying this reliquary. Free of charge."

[Hmm…. Interesting.] The discarnate soul became more and more entertained by his intent.

At first, the Yaksha Prince was flabbergasted. But then, he laughed so loud and his retainers followed in kind.

[A human contending with a Yaksha Aryan? Truly, human. You say quite the humourous boasts, but I accept! You'll have the honour of being the first victim of kaalapatthargada's new master!]

"Jeez, he talks a lot! Are all Yaksha like this, full of hot air? What was that you said about them not being able to have a straight-on fight?" Ajay intentionally spoke to the discarnate soul for approval, ignoring the prince every time. Somehow, it wasn't just the spiritual aspect that irritated him about the Yaksha and the prince in particular. There was something strangely nostalgic about their mannerisms of arrogance and conceitedness.

[I have decided.] The discarnate soul declared, and chasted both sides.

Ajay never cease to amaze him, he had values of courage under unfavourable odds against six Yaksha. He had the cunning to discern their mission, using it against them. If anything, he wasn't like the Demon Banishers of its day. The discarnate soul felt strange, almost like he'd met him before. In life, there had been only one person who had both spat in the Yakshas' face and terrorized them, this included Eternal Heaven. And like the fool it was in life, it turned against this individual whom in another life might have been a great companion. Perhaps this young one was a reincarnation of that fellow, who knew. Fate and karma were always funny in how it intertwined coincidences. If the discarnate soul could have shown an expression upon the skeleton of its former self, it would have been a ferocious grin of excitement.

[You shall contest one another for the ultimate possession of my Vanara legacy! Sword Breaker, kaala patthar gada.]

(rumble) The earth began to shake, and the room began to widen on its own. Solid blocks that seemed a ton each moved in like they were magnetized in their coordinated direction. Under a minute, the chamber had now become a sparring ground. The blocks that divided some hidden chambers revealed a mass cache of weapons still on their racks.

-Let the battle begin!- Ajay fantasized a crowd cheering for blood to be shed like in Shanath Arenas, not truly comprehending the sheer magnitude of the Yakshas' powers. Not noticing the heightened stare of daggers made by the Yaksha Prince at him.

Whatever the case, he swore that Ajay Ghale would die today.


Then the discarnate soul gave the order to commence the first task of the trial.

[Bring me one of the weapons you see before you and tell me why it is the strongest among the rest.] A test of weapon understanding they thought at first, Ajay felt it rather poetic.

And so, the two teams set about searching through the weapon racks covered in dust. It would be assumed that the Yaksha had the number advantage, then Darshan threw talismans to increase his divine sense. It shortened the distance he had to look for strong weapons.

Ajay ran a hand over the weapons on a single rack. From the very beginning, Ajay understood that this test wasn't on identifying strong qualities, it was a riddle.

The Yaksha was only picking the large weapons, such as hammers and maces. Checking each and every one of them. Darshan did his own search to make them think he was doing the same for their group, even he knew that there was more to this than simply finding a weapon. Unfortunately, so did the older Yaksha who stood to watch.

The weapons Ajay looked over seemed to be all orientated around brute strength, Ajay intentionally searched for a weapon that would fit his dimensions. As this was a bounty in disguise. His main close combat weapon, tungsten-carbide kukri had broken when fighting Purushartha. Supposedly, the strongest material used with technology to make. And here he was, amongst a stash of weapons forged by entities with greater strength and techniques long forgotten by man. Even the weakest blade was the strongest there ever was. Vanara steel.

His hand floated and stopped upon the pommel of a rather light weapon. He drew it off the shelf and unsheathed it. It was significantly short, enough to be called a knife. Yet, it took the form of a sabre but only the dimensions of a knife. His eyes loomed over the rack once more to search for a complimenting piece. He reached out and pulled out an identical blade. Unsheathing that one as well to check the quality of the single-edge and fuller strength. The leather sheath, however, fell away and crumbled in his hand till it was dust. Revealing a shining brilliance of two complete blades, their handguard might have rusted a bit, but the blade itself seemed as if they were almost not used at all. Perhaps the Vanaras' favouritism towards powerful weapons was true after all. He was not aware that the discarnate soul had a close eye on him because it had no eyes to see.

[When you are ready, step forth upon the platform.] It instructed.

Ajay did as it instructed and immediately made his way to the platform. A gust of wind blew, thrusting the Prince onto the platform before him. The prince passed a look at him and a smirk, promoting a rivalry in the beginning. But Ajay didn't really care, this wasn't a dick measuring contest.

Soon, the rest came one after another. It appeared that the supposed retainers were maybe candidates sent by their race to challenge the trial along with the prince. Darshan came back with a lot of weapons he stuffed into a bag to take back down. Resilient blades that would contribute to their future battles against the Rakshasa would do some good if these enchanted blades of superior quality could hurt and perhaps kill Rakshasa. Darshan also left a bag for Ajay to carry down later, he just gave a thumb up to tell him what an excellent job he did. Darshan was not interested, he continued his staring eye contest with the elder Yaksha.

[He! A pair of knives?] One of the Yaksha was already starting a conversation to mock him after seeing his weapon of choice. They all had maces, great axes and hammers, even the Prince was quiet as well equipped with a large sabre that stood out as an extraordinary weapon.

[Truly, it must be that they have not used blades other than the ones to tend to their crops.]

They laughed in unison, although the Prince was not part of the conversation. It seemed he was smart enough to know that whatever they sent to him, a smart retort would come their way.

"It's not how strong or big it is, but how you use it. Clearly, you all lack experience in that department." Already, they were flushed red and glaring at him. The discarnate soul laughed quietly to himself.

The platform began to luminate.

[We shall begin with you, why have you picked this axe?] Since there was only one with a great axe, he stepped forward and readied his explanation.

[This magnificent axe has excellent balance despite size, unlike the hammer it may still pierce and cut thanks to its weight.]

[Hmm…. You next, the mace.] The discarnate soul seemed hardly enthusiastic when he heard that simple explanation that was more practical than significance. He asked each and every one of them, leaving the best for last it seemed. All gave mediocre answers in his eyes and apparently even Ajay and Darshan wondered if they hadn't breastfed as children or something.

[You, now. Why this sabre?] It was the prince's turn to explain why he picked the great sabre. From a single glance, even a simpleton could see that it wasn't ordinary, and the prince had been very fortunate to find it. However, it would weight on his explanation to prove his superiority.

[It has a good maintainable balance, with only a single-edge. Swinging only in one direction to deliver a kill requires resolve to cut straight and true. The balance portrays its level of speed, power and agility. There will be no compromises it gives to its wielder.]

His fellow Yaksha and the older one applauded his recital, which sounded pretty cool in the ancient language that it translated from thanks to the talisman. Even Ajay was applauding, albeit with a deceitful smile on his face that even Yaksha couldn't trust.

[Straight and true, unyielding and unrelenting. Good.] The discarnate soul was not opposed to these means of enlightenment, for it was describing the exact way of the Vanara tribe. The discarnate soul could not fault the philosophy of its own kind.

[Now, it is your turn. Demon Banisher.] The moment the discarnate soul had been secretly waiting for.

[Yes, please enlighten us why you have chosen fruit knives.] The Yaksha laughed at the Prince's joke.

"Sure, but I didn't pick these knives as my choice."

[What?]

"I just thought they'll be handy in future. After all, nobody's gonna miss them. You don't mind, do you?" Ajay asked the discarnate soul which sighed.

[After you and your senior have taken all you can carry, I hardly think you require my consent.] Ajay smiled and tapped the two knives together.

"Much obliged."

[Then pray tell, what did you choose?]

"It's gonna be hard to explain like this. For now, lend me those four so I can kick the shit out of them." Ajay's remarks were as crude as they were insensitive, but he wasn't winning any congeniality awards here.

The four younger Yaksha wanted to say how against they were before a hand rested on the two oldest belonging to the Prince who shared a wry smile.

[Very well, human. You may spar with them to your heart's content. But I must warn you, should there be injuries sustained, you have only yourself to blame.]

"Far enough." With that sentence, the deal with sealed. Ajay walked over to the side where a ring circumference lit up for their sparring match, the four Yaksha followed him leaking their bloodlust. They weren't simply going to kill him, they were going to torture him slowly till he begged them to end it. If he surrendered, they would mute him so that the words would never be heard. They were too occupied with their fantasies to notice a ravenous grin on his face thinking the exact same thing but of a much crueller iteration.

[Using weapons only, no magic, no illusions and no external items. The sparring match ends when the opponent submits or leaves the circle. You may begin when you are ready.] The discarnate soul laid out the ground rules just in case. Hoping they would respect its word.

"Let's save some time. You can all come at once." Ajay stated boldly to the four-lined Yaksha armed with brute force weapons that would cause serious damage if struck by it, possibly lose his life.

The Yakshas was convinced he was a fool not aware of the difference in Yaksha physiology to man. The first one to take the lead was the hammer wielder, half-taking it seriously as he lunged forwards with inhuman speed to smash him in. He brought the hammer halfway, just thirty centimetres from Ajay's face when he saw his world flip over. He did not even know what happened, from the outside it seemed Ajay had hooked the knife guards against the handle of the hammer and lifted the Yaksha off his feet.

(crash) The first opponent slammed headfirst into the pavement, unhurt save for his pride. His comrades stared in shock, unable to accept that a human just threw him out of the ring.

"I said all at once-(thrust)." They weren't playing anymore, swinging their weapons to decapitate a limb or just hit something. Again, their movements did not resemble a human. But for Ajay, when had he even not fought an abnormal? Their movements were both sluggish and inexperienced. Relying on simple strokes and the power of their physique to back it weren't the way to go. Ajay dodged and parried their combined attacks with minimal movement without even leaving the ground he stood on. Sometimes they resorted to attacking his back, but it seemed he had eyes there too. As one of his blades swept by and diverted the blow to a comrade of theirs.

The older Yaksha stared in shock and disbelief, a human was matching a Yaksha's strength with just pure skill. The Prince stared with bloodshot eyes, he had expected to see the human in a bloody mess by now, instead, he was toying with his retainers and fellow contestants like they were children.

[Who is he?!] He whispered to the older guard, to which the older Yaksha had no response.

[The Demon Banishers should have been extinct.]

[Yet two are here, if royal father- ney, my royal brothers hear of this-… there will be a mass hunt.] That's what worried him the most, the competition between himself and his brothers for the throne.

[I see, then we must ensure that the glory belongs to Lord Andhakan.] The Prince was glad the old cunning Yaksha understood his intentions.

(plop) Another Yaksha fell out of the ring on his own jump, but this time covered in cuts.

Ajay was just as surprised at the lethal cutting edge of these knives that barely felt as heavy as his old ones, yet cut through steel and ancient armour like they were a hot knife through butter.

Ajay moved in very unpredictable ways, yet it seemed as if there was an order to them. A hidden martial arts technique. The counters were lightning quick, Ajay never took even the brunt of their swipes or thrusts of the heavy weapons. His knives grazed upon the edges of their weapons causing a cascade of sparks from the mass friction and temporarily rendered them in stupor due to their inexperience with actual fights.

His knife struck the bone in the shoulder of the mace wielder who screamed in pain and dropped his weapon. As Ajay pulled his blade out, a pair of arms wrapped around his right arm, preventing him from retracting. As was planned, Ajay was now exposed to the last fully capable member of the Yaksha wielding a spear with three prongs. [Now! Do it!]

As the bait had demanded, the spear wielder thrusted at Ajay's throat. A smile crept onto the Prince's face, it was the end of that nuisance.

(thang) (stab) [Uh-…..] The spear had been deflected by a casual wave of his knife. But that was not what rendered the spear-wielding Yaksha mute and horrified. The spears thrust had been diverted towards the mace wielder and stabbed him through his neck, causing a fountain of gore to burst from his neck. Ajay shrugged the now dying member of their group off his arm and kicked the body aside.

[You-…..]

"Now that's unfortunate. Damn, you stained my jacket. It's hell cleaning off blood from this!" Ajay complained to the now fatally wounded.

[You!] The Prince was already pointing his killing intent towards him.

"What was it you said? Should there be injuries sustained, you have only yourself to blame, right? This sucker accidentally shivved that poor fucker." The old Yaksha was busy tending to the fatal wounds of the Yaksha with what available wonder medicine he had. If he wasn't so busy, he would have gone for Ajay's head for a split second.

[I'll have your head!] The Prince waved his sabre at him.

"Oh please, don't act as if you care." Ajay swung the detonator in front of him to pacify his anger.

"Also, you said something about not a single Yaksha being allowed to die, right? Guess records are meant to be broken." The Yaksha whom had been stabbed in the neck spasmed about in an attempt to hold on, but finally gave in to the abyss. The old Yaksha ran a hand over the corpse's eyes and murmured a prayer.

"Anyway, back to the point of this," Ajay said without a care of their situation. The Prince glared at him harder, but the rest had felt for the first time, fear.

He killed a Yaksha.

A human, albeit a Demon Banisher, but a mere human. From their elders' accounts, Demon Banishers were never capable of even taking down Yaksha alone. They worked in teams of two and cadres to take down large more powerful foes. But they were, however, able to dispel their illusionary magic, the principle magic of the Yaksha. Which made them a force to still respect and be cautious of.

[You killed an Aryan….. one of noble blood. Now your line cannot be spared.] The older Yaksha said in a threatening undertone. But Ajay's response was something he'd never in his centuries of service.

The human smiled back with such a delightful grin and said. "Really? Darshan, harvest him into a soul stone."

Without realizing, the older Yaksha had actually taken a step back. [Y-… you-….. you're a monster.]

"The fact that you think so, means a whole lot. You see a precious dead. But all I see is a sack of shit and water left behind. Darshan, knock yourself out."

"Immolate!" Darshan pointed his finger and sent an invisible force to incinerate the body. The Yaksha watched in despair as he incinerated one of their own and claimed the soul stone the size of a ping-pong ball into his pocket. Was it fear that stayed their hand or was it something else. The Prince was strangely calm.

[Darshan, prepare to break out soon. Something tells me, they're waiting for others to enclose this place.] Darshan heard his warning that felt reasonable. If these six Yaksha of a certain noble lineage were who they claimed to be, it was fair to say there would be a guard of some kind nearby.

[Yes, you were saying this spar had some hidden meaning.]

"That, it did. I just need everyone to settle down." They weren't going to offend the discarnate soul, so Ajay got his chance.

"The weapon I brought forth….. is me."

[You?] Ajay gave a nod.

"As you saw, I was just one against many. Their weapons outplay mine in raw power, yet they lost. Why? Not because of steel advantage and certainly not because of my strength which is that of just a human being."

The discarnate soul grew excited.

"Flesh grows weak, steel becomes brittle, but the will is indomitable."

[Well said!] It exclaimed till the mountains boomed. Even the Yaksha was stunned by the comprehension he made.

[Then it is decided. The two of you shall qualify for the next trial!] A gust of wind blew through the chambers and the surroundings changed once more.

As stonework began to fall away, the sky was revealed to them. Although this sky was purple in colour as were the rest of the sudden blooming forest they were in. Literally, anything the light touched was the same colour, except them. Now, the rest of the Yaksha were but spectators. Disgruntled that they'd lost to a human and even lost their right to compete in the first trial, they watched feverishly on their Prince nonetheless.

[This is an illusionary world.] Darshan transmitted via talisman. Even Ajay was not blind to see something was wrong with the picture.

The ground surrounding their walkway felt into an endless below covered in thick clouds. The path led up to a Mastaba pyramid with torches to guide them. At the peak, something was luminated but too far to discern. The Yaksha was quite excited, especially the prince. As Ajay had predicted, they didn't give two shits about their comrade. He didn't know why, but deep down he knew they were always like this. His hatred for them also stemmed from deep within as well.

[Where did you learn that phrase?] Darshan asked curiously as it didn't seem original. Ajay turned away, scratching his head awkwardly. It was embarrassing that he ripped it off from somewhere else.

[The riddle of Steel….. from Conan.] He was so glad only Darshan heard.


The family watched with anxiousness, they were truly helpless to the events that were unfolding. And worse still, they supported Manendra Kumsa in his rise to the throne and independence from the old rule. Effectively betraying the old King, Manendra had, of course, told them of his condition and his crazed declaration. To hand Badala their birthright as the Royals of Kumsa, to be suddenly robbed of the lifestyle they had and the destiny to rule the lands with fairness and equality. It was too great a feat to process or accept. So it was concluded that the old King, Surendra had gone mad or had been bewitched by the Demon himself.

The television set provided them with an update on the regional situation. Kyrat, Papir, Yinke and Kumsa sovereignty were no more. They were now part of the new Himavana Federation, and Manendra's reign was considered a rebellion to be put down.

An ashtray was flung at the television as the Crown Prince himself screamed at the betrayal of his father. To be fair, he had betrayed him first. But in light of that, Manendra never believed his father would raise his hand against family, especially his only son.

His princess consort brought their three-year old daughter and one-year-old son away with her to keep them away from seeing their father's awful side. The other members of the Royal Family left the lounge to give him time to himself, only the Golden Path lieutenant liaison officer remained. But even he too seemed troubled by the news.

"R-Rest assured, your highness! Regardless of the changes, your reign will remain."

"Says who?! Your boss, Mohan?!" Manendra shouted back in hysteria.

"They may have consolidated military force, but our reports indicate that their advance forces of paratroopers and heliborne infantry have been deployed to Pakistan. It would take days for any mobile units to reach this city. If they do, we would know the minute they arrived. The state armies are spread too thin with no reserves available."

Manendra got a hold of some of his composure as the liaison explained rationally.

"No one will come to "liberate" Kumsa."

"Oh, really?" A voice challenged the lieutenant's assurance to the Prince.

The Golden Path lieutenant turned to his shock and struggled to bring up his weapon.

(Boom) A massive discharge blew him off his feet and sent his smothering corpse slamming into the furniture. Despite his altered nature, the Golden Path warrior would never get up again.

(ping) An empty .700 Nitro casing ejected and fell to the floor, creating a rhythmic chime of brass against marble.

"Madarchod….. That was a helluva kick!" The assailant said rotating his shoulder to ease the soreness.

"Who are you?! Guards! Guards! There's an assassin here to kill your king!"

"Be at ease, your highness. We are not here for your life." A woman of mixed-descent wearing the same leopard camo uniform as the soldier who killed the supposedly invulnerable Golden Path warrior said to assure him.

"You!-…. You're the Kyrati Army!-…."

"Well, not quite anymore. Now it's the Federal Army of the Himavanan States or HFA for short. I am Colonel Samuelle Min of the 7th Autonomous Brigade, 2nd Vanguard Battalion."

"What do you want?!" He said cautiously, reaching back for a weapon. Yet, Sam showed no hostile intent in kind.

"Your cooperation, sir."

"Never!"

(click) "We're wasting our time, let's just stuff him in a room till daddy arrives to spank him sorry." Bipin said as he chambered another of these "silver" bullets into his slugger weapon. He was already loving this weapon, he was sure the rest of the boys would.

"Wei?" She asked the other commander of hers on his opinion.

"Orders were to neutralize if he becomes a nuisance." Fang Wei said as pragmatic as usual.

Manendra couldn't help but turn pale.

"But the General's instructions were to keep him safe," Samuelle said as she turned to the Prince and held out a hand with a smile on her face.

"No father will remain angry with his son."

Manendra seemed internally conflicted as he backed away nervously. "L-…. Lies!"

A gloved-hand roughly grabbed his collar and raised him before delivering a hard punch.

"Bip!" Sam exclaimed shock by his tough stance.

"You seem to enjoy having a father to hurt, I wouldn't know. Because mine was killed by the same people you allied with."

"I-… I am the King of Kumsa!"

"No, you're not! So long as your father is alive and so long as Badala says it, you'll never live to be King!"

"Again-….. Badala this! Badala that! What right does he have to take my birthright!" The Prince screamed back at Bipin, who had lost patience with Sam's more friendly approach. The Prince was in denial, period. He was going to throw him the hard truth.

"Burrgh!" A butt of the rifle he held struck Manendra's cheek, flooring him.

"You are whatever we say you are, Prince." He grabbed the Prince by his collar and dragged him along with him down the stairs.

They passed the Royal Family members being screened by a platoon of the vanguard force, bodies of the Golden Path lying riddled with holes, and the Kumsan Guards gathered in a corner disarmed.

They watched as an officer of the new Himavanan Federal Army pulled Royalty by his collars like a dog or prisoner. They knew their fate would be horrible if the Prince was already being treated that way. His children made noises demanding they release their father, the consort did all she could to quiet them down. Sam stayed behind to assure the Royal Family that no harm would come to them, provided they do not retaliate. And did all she could to pacify the two toddlers with the consort.

Meanwhile, Bipin followed by Fang Wei dragged Manendra to the balcony of the Velvet Palace. Down below in the courtyards, more of his own personal palace guard had surrendered while the Golden Path lay dead. How could all this happen without even the remote sound of a gunshot?

Then, Manendra bore witness to a scene that shook the very core of his beliefs that he would still have right to rule. Up in the sky, over a thousand parachutes slowly descending from a formation of heavy airlifters towards the city. The cries of the people in the streets of the city could be heard from here, panicking to the likely battle that was about to occur between Federal Army and what remained of the Golden Path garrison force.

"This is your fault, Prince. We're here because of you, and they're suffering because of your arrogance!" Bipin pointed out to the city running amok.

"But if there's even a remoteness of Royalty about you, then at least take the responsibility by carrying out your Royal duty for once!"

Manendra gripped the balcony stone rails and gazed out into the city, reflecting upon all that had happened. All because he accepted that deal with the troublesome Sabal.

All the assurance they gave was just empty talk. He realized why there were so few Golden Path garrisoned in the city, to begin with. When they entered an alliance, the Golden Path came and made off with three-quarters of their grain surplus. Leaving only minimal guards. Manendra was too slow to realize, he had been deceived. His pride had blinded him further from what was happening. Once he was no longer of use, his Golden Path buddies discarded him. They left a few in the city just to seem like they were still around, but they were not.

Manendra laughed at his miserable self, he understood why his father was hesitant to hand him the throne so soon. Despite his character and appeal to the people, he was still immature. He and his family members should be put to death for their treason. But once again, the charity and love of his father forgave them and pleaded with the Federation Army to grant amnesty.

"Where is Badala?" Manendra asked in a tone of composure.

"That's none of your business." The Prince was in a stupor but then smiled. He was right, there was no longer any affiliation between him and Kumsa.

His father had not given Badala the throne. Instead he have given the people of Kumsa. Something they as a small minor kingdom could not give.

They gave them a nation to be proud of.

"I will-… I surrender." Manendra said, prepared for the worst. "As a final request from a fool, I only wish that you protect my people from Golden Path." It was as he said, if he still wanted to have any semblance of royal disposition, he should act like one. His title no longer mattered, his kingdom too. Just the people.

Bipin holstered his rifle and held out a hand. Manendra took it and shook it. A grin leaked from Bipin's mouth, he nudged his chin towards the second line of parachutes that had just touched the ground from their low-altitude parachute-extraction via a low flying airlifter. This time dropping vehicles and heavy crew-served weapons on large-scale parachutes.

"That's what we're here for, your highness."