It is believed that there are two races of cosmic beings, whose power dwarfs all other beings in existence. The ones known as Devas worship the supreme being and are believed to be virtuous. While the ones known as Asura are believed to be egoistical and grow devious over time. Throughout cosmic history, the two races have been engaged in an eternal conflict, with the Devas coming out victorious in most of the battles.

  These are stories Uruvi had heard all her life. Stories that she believed to be a figment of imagination. Yet there she was, witnessing one of them battling it out with a monster that looked like a mountain. Even after all the crazy events she had been through, the thought of seeing a living Asura left her in awe and speechless.

  The lower jaw of the Rakt-Pisacha hung loose, barely holding onto the face. The Pisacha swayed from side to side, appearing to have been rocked by the punch to the face.

  As the dust around them cleared, she got a clear look at the Asura. He stood at a colossal eight feet tall with a large frame, packed with well-defined muscles that would make even the strongest of strongmen shy. His skin was a dark shade of brown, while his long hair and eyes were black. He had a square face with a well-defined jaw and sharp cheekbones, which were framed by a thick black mustache. He wore a white Antariya (a large piece of cloth tied around the waist and tucked beneath the legs, taking the appearance of trousers) while a black-gold breastplate covered his torso. There was no weapon in his hand.

  ‘I wonder who he could be,’ she thought.

  “Looks like you have been a little greedy, feeding on flesh. How many humans are there in that belly of yours?” he asked in a deep, echoing voice.

  The Pisacha brought its massive hand down onto him, but he stopped it with his bare hands before pushing back. The monster nearly tipped back but regained its balance. It tightened its hands into a fist and began slamming the ground around it. Powerful tremors erupted from each hit, shaking the ground beneath them violently.

  “Whoa! What power!” said Rana.

  They watched as the Asura leaped into the air, high above the monster. He clasped his hands, forming a fist, before slamming the monster on its head. The monster buckled and crashed into the ground, not before managing to grab onto the Asura with one of its hands. It began to squeeze him, putting all its strength into crushing his body.

  But the Asura did not look concerned. He gritted his teeth and flexed his muscles, and a ball of energy exploded from his body, disintegrating the Pisacha’s hand as it fell onto its back. He held his hand above his head. Golden light collected in his palm before condensing into the shape of a spear. He brought it down onto the monster’s belly before it exploded into a ball of blazing fire.

  Uruvi shielded her eyes from the blinding light. When she was able to look back at the battlefield, all that was left was a large crater with the Asura standing in the middle of it. She watched him turn toward them, his eyes appearing to be filled with bloodlust.

  “Do… do we run?” whispered Uruvi.

  “Do we stand a chance?” asked Rana.

  They watched in silence as he walked up to them. Rana instinctively aimed his bow at him.

  “You dare point that at me?” Asked the Asura.

  Rana quickly put his bow down.

  “Tha… thanks. For saving us,” said Uruvi.

  His eyes appeared to observe them when suddenly a screen popped up in front of him. The contents of it were obscured while he began tapping away at it.

  “You are a contestant?” asked Rana.

  “No. I can just access the system. Like you,” he replied.

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  The two humans looked at each other’s faces. Rana signaled her to ask the next question.

  “Are you an Asura?” she asked.

  He swiped the screen away and said, ”yes, I am. The name is Badraksha, son of Virochana. I think you will be more familiar with…”

  “Mahabali…,” Rana interrupted.

  A smirk appeared on his face as he let out a dull scoff. “Seems like you know your history.”

  “I do know a little bit. At least what our Puranas (sacred texts) tell us,” said Rana. The history of Devas and Asuras is long and complicated. However, if there was one Asura who was known for his benevolence, it was Mahabali. “But… hmm… forgive me for asking, but aren’t you…”

  “Supposed to be in Patala (netherworld)? Yes, I was. That is, until the three worlds converged,” he said.

  Uruvi felt a little irritated. She wasn’t sure if he expected us to know everything already, or if he just liked talking in bits and pieces. “Umm… sir… lord?”

  “Don’t bother. I couldn’t care less. You can call me Bhadra,” he said.

  “Okay…” Her voice trembled. “We have no idea what is going on. If you could help us with that…”

  “Frankly, even I am low on details. All I know is someone triggered a convergence, merging the three worlds (Swarga - heaven, Bhumi - Earth, and Patala - netherworld). With that, even Naraka (hell) got pulled in. The first gates to open were those of Naraka. That is when the Pisacha and other creatures started flooding your world. Brother, I, and a few others made our way through the gates of Naraka and landed here. Who did it and how did they do it? Even we don’t know,” he explained.

  “You seemed to understand the system and stuff,” she said.

  “You thought we would be Neanderthals in a modern world?”

  She did not expect him speak that way. “No… I was just wondering how you got access to it.”

  “All those who crossed through the gate were tagged in the system. I can’t say whether the other creatures can access the system, but my guess is that they can.”

  “Okay… that is a lot to process,” said Rana.

  “It may be. But I believe your focus should be on survival. It is best you do not stay out in the dark.” He walked away from them, putting a good distance between him and them. “Till we meet again.”

  In one leap, he vanished into the sky, leaving behind a powerful gust of wind that nearly threw her off her feet.

  They looked at the carnage left behind. The entire street, which was full of vehicles, was now covered with twisted metal and large craters of impact. The light was dying fast, and they could see the sun slowly sink into the horizon.

  “Let’s get moving?” asked Rana.

  “Of course.”

  They continued on foot until the sea of vehicles finally cleared up. The place was also devoid of any monsters, but they had a feeling it was only momentary. The road finally opened into a three-way intersection.

  Uruvi looked to the right, while Rana looked to the left. They looked back at each other, knowing that this was where they must part ways.

  “How far down must you go?” asked Rana.

  “Not too far. I just need to follow this road to the metro station. What about you?”

  “A long journey, actually.” He looked around and spotted a Triumph lying on the side of the road. He flashed his teeth as he dashed towards it. The bike looked undamaged, and the key was in the ignition. He picked it up and hopped onto it. “God, please start.” He pressed the electric switch, and the vehicle immediately sprang to life. The two let out a hushed hurray on hearing the engine running. “Hop on.”

  “No. It is fine. You head home,” said Uruvi.

  “Are you crazy? I am not letting you go alone.”

  “You have a longer journey ahead of you than I. I don’t want you wasting time dropping me off.”

  “I can’t let you go alone.”

  “Relax! I can make it. Just like you, I will grab onto a scooter and head home. Okay?” asked Uruvi.

  He wore a deep frown, unconvinced by her argument. “If something happened to you…”

  “Don’t. We both have people we are trying to get back to. Let’s just pray for each other and continue onwards.”

  He let out a dull sigh. “Fine. But you better not die!”

  “Neither should you!”

  He broke into a smile. “Reach home soon, Uruvi.”

  Uruvi watched as he vanished into the distance before looking around the street. It was dead silent, which sent shivers up her spine. “Okay. Time to move.” She spotted a local brand moped, parked before a tea stall. “Arya, can you hack into that?”

  “Negative. I can scan the area for keys.”

  “Oh! That is an interesting ability… Okay, do it!”

  It sent out a pulse of energy as the screen flashed a map of her location. “Tea stall. Third drawer beside the stove.”

  “You sure it's the key?” she asked as she rummaged through the drawer before finding a pair of keys.

  “Affirmative.”

  She returned to the moped and slipped the key into the ignition. The key turned easily, and the low buzzing of the engine filled the air. “Arya, you are incredible!”

  Driving a two-wheeler was not her forte. She had tried. A bicycle was a piece of cake; a moped was manageable. But she could not handle anything with more power. She told herself she would just learn to drive a car when she could afford it. The car never came, and her driving skills took a nosedive.

  She shut her eyes and exhaled before turning the accelerator. The vehicle gently picked up speed, giving her enough time to adjust her balance. It swung wildly, taking her to the extreme ends of the road. As the speed reached double digits, her stability improved, and she found herself cruising along the road.

  “Now we are talking! Dad! Here I come!” She said with a dash of hearty laughter.