Chapter 31
Krodh ki Jwala aur Gravity ka Tandav
Swarn-Nagari ki sadkon par aaj sannata nahi, balki ek ajeeb si dehshat thi. Log apne gharon ki khidkiyon se bahar dekh rahe thay jahan ek kaala saaya bijli ki raftaar se Imperial Academy ki taraf badh raha tha. Aryan ke piche Vanya thi, jiske silver baal hawa mein lehra rahe thay aur uski aankhon se nikalne wali baingani (purple) aura raste ke pedon ko murjha rahi thi.
"Aryan, sambhal kar!" Vanya ne chillaya. "Academy ke charon taraf 'Heavenly Net Array' laga diya gaya hai. Agar tumne bina soche hamla kiya, toh tumhari apni energy tum par hi palat jayegi."
Aryan ne koi jawab nahi diya. Uska chehra patthar jaisa sakht tha aur uski mutthiyaan itni zor se bhinchi thin ki nakhun skin mein dhans rahe thay. Uske dimaag mein sirf Kavya ki wo namm aankhein aur Zara ki wo hamesha hasne wali surat ghoom rahi thi.
Jab wo Academy ke main gate par pahunche, toh wahan 500 se zyada 'Iron Blood Guards' ka pehra tha. Sabke haath mein bhari spears thin aur unhone 'Spirit Suppressing' shields pakdi thin. Gate ke upar Minister Lu khada tha, uske chehre par ek jeetne wali muskaan thi. Uske bagal mein Kavya aur Zara zanjeeron mein jakdi hui thin. Dono ke chehre pale thay aur unke shareer par neel (bruises) ke nishan thay, jo bata rahe thay ki unpar tashadud (torture) kiya gaya hai.
"Ruk jao, gaddar!" Minister Lu ki awaaz poore maidan mein goonji. "Aryan, tumne Demonic Sect ke saath milkar Princess Ling ki jaan lene ki koshish ki. Aaj tumhe aur tumhari in saathiyon ko isi jagah maut ki saza di jayegi!"
Kavya ne Aryan ko dekha aur apna sar hilaya, jaise keh rahi ho, "Bhaag jao Aryan, yeh ek jaal hai!"
Aryan gate se 100 meter door ruk gaya. Usne apni Shadow Fang nikaali aur use zameen mein gaad diya.
"Minister Lu," Aryan ki awaaz itni dheemi thi ki sirf vahan maujood log hi sun sakte thay, lekin usme jo thandak thi wo kisi qabristaan jaisi thi. "Maine tumhe pehle hi kaha tha ki dobara mere raste mein mat aana. Aaj, main sirf tumhe nahi maarunga... main tumhare is poore ghamand ko mitti mein mila dunga."
"Hahaha! Stage 1 ka bacha bade bade khwaab dekh raha hai!" Lu ne ishara kiya. "Archer unit, FIRE!"
Hazaron 'Flame Arrows' ek saath aasmaan mein uthe aur Aryan ki taraf girne lage. Aisa lag raha tha jaise aag ki baarish ho rahi ho.
Aryan ne apna haath hawa mein uthaya aur palm ko zameen ki taraf kar diya.
"Asura's Domain: CRUSH!"
Achanak, poore 200 meter ke daire (radius) mein gravity 50 guna (50x) badh gayi. Wo hazaron teer jo hawa mein thay, wo achanak rukh gaye aur agle hi pal bijli ki tezi se zameen par gir kar chuna-chuna ho gaye. Guards jo gate par khade thay, unhe aisa laga jaise unke kandhon par ek pahad rakh diya gaya ho. Unki shields toot gayin aur unke ghutne zameen mein dhans gaye.
"Y-Yeh... yeh kaisi power hai?!" Minister Lu ka ghamand ek pal mein darr mein badal gaya. "Tum Stage 3 par pahunch gaye? Do din mein?!"
Aryan ne apni talwaar uthayi aur ek kadam aage badhaya. Har kadam ke saath zameen mein 1-foot gehra gaddha ban raha tha.
"Kaalu, bheed ko sambhalo," Aryan ne hukm diya.
Kaalu aasmaan se niche utra, uska sharir ab ek bade ghar jitna vishal tha. Usne apni Void Breath release ki, jisne guards ke weapons ko pighlana shuru kar diya. Maidan mein afra-tafri mach gayi.
Aryan gate ke upar jump karke seedha Minister Lu ke saamne pahuncha. Do bade bodyguard (Earth Realm Stage 5) Aryan ko rokne ke liye aage badhe.
"Hato!" Aryan ne sirf apni aura release ki. Gravity ka jhatka itna zor ka tha ki dono bodyguards ki haddiyan chatak-chatak karke toot gayin aur wo gate se niche gir gaye.
Aryan ne Kavya aur Zara ki zanjeeron ko chua.
"Asura Flame: Melt!"
Kaali aag ne un shahi zanjeeron ko makkhan ki tarah pighla diya. Kavya Aryan ki god mein gir gayi, uski aankhon mein aansu thay. "Aryan... tumne humein bacha liya."
Aryan ne unhe Vanya ke paas bheja, jo gate ke niche unka intezaar kar rahi thi. "Vanya, inhein safe jagah le jao. Aaj yahan narak (hell) banne wala hai."
Ab gate par sirf Aryan aur Minister Lu bache thay.
Minister Lu ne apne waistcoat se ek laal rang ki pill nikaali aur use nigal gaya. "Aryan! Agar main marunga, toh tujhe bhi saath lekar jaunga! Yeh 'Berserk Blood Pill' hai! Meri power ab Sky Realm ko touch karegi!"
Lu ka sharir phoolne laga, uski skin phatne lagi aur usme se aag nikalne lagi. Uski aura Earth Realm se badhkar Half-Step Sky Realm tak pahunch gayi.
"Marr ja!" Lu ne ek bhayanak aag ka gola (Fireball) Aryan ki taraf feka.
Aryan ne Shadow Fang ko dono haathon se pakda. Usne apni Gravity power aur Asura Qi ko talwaar ki tip par focus kiya.
"Asura Art: ZERO GRAVITY SLASH!"
Talwaar se ek kaali lakeer nikli jo itni patli thi ki dikh bhi nahi rahi thi, lekin usme mass itna tha ki usne hawa ke saare molecules ko apne andar kheench liya. Wo aag ka gola us kaali lakeer se takrate hi gayab ho gaya, jaise kisi black hole mein gir gaya ho.
Lakeer Minister Lu ke shareer se guzri.
Lu khada raha. Usne hasne ki koshish ki, "Haha... miss kar diya?"
Lekin agle hi pal, uski hasi ruk gayi. Uske shareer ke beech mein se ek baingani roshni nikalne lagi. Uska shareer pehle do hisson mein bata, aur fir gravity ke dabav ki wajah se wo ek choti si mitti ki dheri mein badal gaya. Minister Lu ka naam-o-nishaan mit chuka tha.
Aryan haanfte hue zameen par baitha. Uski energy poori tarah khatam ho chuki thi.
Tabhi, Academy ke andar se ek aur bhari aura mehsoos hui. Ek budha aadmi, jiske baal zameen tak lambe thay aur jisne safed robes pehni thin, dheere-dheere hawa mein udta hua bahar aaya.
The Principal of Imperial Academy - Sage Mo (Sky Realm Stage 2).
Sage Mo ne Aryan ko dekha, fir mare hue guards aur Minister Lu ki mitti ko. "Naujawan... tumne Swarn-Nagari ke ek minister ko mara hai. Chahe wajah jo bhi ho, iska anjaam bhayanak hoga."
Aryan ne himmat juta kar apni talwaar ka sahara liya aur khada hua. "Sage Mo, agar nyay (justice) andha hai, toh mujhe gunehgaar banna manzoor hai. Lekin meri ladkiyon ko jo chhuega, uska yahi anjaam hoga."
Sage Mo ki aankhon mein ek pal ke liye taareef chamki. "Tumhare andar Asura ka khoon hai... lekin dimaag ek Raja ka. Main tumhe abhi nahi maarunga. Lekin Emperor ne tumhe bulaya hai. Kal subah, tumhe 'Imperial Court' mein pesh hona hoga."
Aryan ne sar hilaya. Use pata tha ki asli ladai ab Palace ke andar hogi.
Jab wo wapis apne mansion pahuncha, toh Kavya, Vanya aur Zara teeno ne use gher liya. Kavya ne uske zakhmon ko saaf kiya, Zara ne use energy potions pilaye, aur Vanya uske paas baithi rahi taaki wo dubara 'Berserk' na ho jaye.
Raat ko, jab sab so gaye, Aryan ne balcony se 'The Forgotten Abyss' ki taraf dekha. Usne mehsoos kiya ki uski talwaar, Shadow Fang, us disha (direction) mein kanp rahi thi.
"Kal... kal sab faisla ho jayega," Aryan ne badbadaya. "Maa, Dad... main aa raha hoon."
Lekin use nahi pata tha ki Palace ke ek andhere kamre mein, Princess Ling kisi se baat kar rahi thi.
"Plan kaafi acha raha. Minister Lu mara gaya, aur Aryan ab poori tarah mere jaal mein hai. Ab bas usse 'Asura Key' nikalwani hai."
The betrayal was closer than he thought.