Silence filled the chamber once more. The guru closed his eyes briefly, replaying everything he had witnessed through his divine sight—Karna's unexpected journey, his arrival upon Nanda Parvat, the meditating woman, and then another figure: a divine woman whose very presence caused even the mountain itself to appear humble.
Shukracharya's eyes narrowed. "Nanda Devi…" He quietly whispered her name. His expression gradually became thoughtful. "A mere ascetic… No. No ordinary tapasvini could ever compel the Divine Mother herself to descend." His fingers unconsciously tightened around his staff. "And Karna… He sought no weapon. No boon. No blessing. And he was speaking something, but I couldn't hear his words because of Mata Nanda Devi's blessing that is protecting the mountain."
His mind rapidly connected one event after another. Karna had previously questioned the fate of Narakasura. Soon afterward, he journeyed directly toward the Himalayas. There he met a woman performing unimaginable tapasya. And finally Nanda Devi herself appeared.
The old guru's eyes suddenly widened ever so slightly. "I see…" The realization settled upon him like a bolt of lightning. "So this is the path destiny has chosen. The incarnation of Bhudevi… has already descended."
Without another moment of delay, Shukracharya turned and walked out of the chamber.
Elsewhere within the palace, another storm was brewing.
A deafening crash echoed throughout the throne hall. A massive stone pillar shattered into countless fragments beneath the furious swing of a sword. Narakasura stood amidst the rubble, breathing heavily. Dark crimson flames danced around his body as servants and ministers remained kneeling several dozen paces away, not daring to utter a single word.
Another swing. Another pillar crumbled.
"Damn him!" The king's furious roar echoed throughout the palace. "Karna… How many times does he keep getting in my way? With great effort, I took the Kalarakta Mukta from Matasya Purushas, but he just came here and forced Guru Shukracharya to destroy it."
Another memory of the past, when he failed to abduct Subhadra, caused another surge of fury to erupt from his body.
"He kept on humiliating me. I will destroy him and his Dakshina Kalinga..."
At that moment, calm footsteps echoed behind him. Shukracharya entered the throne hall. The moment Narakasura noticed him, he immediately lowered his sword and respectfully folded his hands.
"Acharya."
Shukracharya acknowledged him with a slight nod before calmly speaking. "Forget Karna."
The words immediately caught Narakasura off guard. "Forget him?"
Shukracharya's expression remained perfectly composed. "Rather than Karna..." He slowly continued walking until he stood before the shattered remains of the pillar. "There exists a far greater concern."
Narakasura frowned. "What is it?"
Shukracharya looked directly into his disciple's eyes. "Your death."
Silence. The entire throne hall became deathly quiet.
Narakasura stared at his guru for several moments before slowly laughing. "My death?" His laughter gradually grew louder. "Hahaha… Acharya… even the Devas could not kill me. The worlds themselves know my boon."
Shukracharya did not laugh. Instead, he calmly replied, "And that becomes the reason for your death. I have seen many fools in my lifetime, but you are the first fool who even announces to the world how you can be killed. Previously, the devas would approach Narayana for a solution. Now, because of your mistake, devas wouldn't even have to intervene… The one destined to kill you has already been born, Narakasura."
Narakasura's laughter stopped immediately. The smile disappeared from his face. "What? That's not possible. Even under the requests of devas, my mother would never incarnate to kill me."
Shukracharya slowly recounted everything he had witnessed—Karna's mysterious journey, the sacred mountain, the woman immersed in endless tapasya, the arrival of Nanda Devi herself. Only after finishing did he quietly conclude, "No ordinary ascetic could ever receive such attention from the Mother. There can be only one explanation. The woman upon Nanda Parvat… is the human incarnation of Bhudevi, your mother."
For the first time in many years, Narakasura's expression visibly changed. His heartbeat quickened.
His fingers slowly curled. "So… Karna has approached her and convinced her to kill me?"
Shukracharya shook his head. "I do not think so. From what I have seen, she is still in the state of Tapasya. But once she opens her eyes, your death will become certain."
Silence lingered between master and disciple. Then Narakasura began laughing again. But this time there was no amusement within it—only madness.
"Hahaha… So my mother decided to betray her son as she bowed to the lies of destiny that conspired by devas?" His eyes gradually filled with murderous intent. "Then I shall simply kill destiny itself."
He turned sharply toward the assembled generals. "Prepare the army. We march immediately. Destination… Nanda Parvat."
The generals immediately bowed. "As you command, Maharaj!"
Within moments, the throne hall erupted into movement.
War horns echoed throughout the fortress.
Soldiers rushed toward the armories.
Messenger birds shot into the skies. Across Pragjyotishapura, countless banners bearing the emblem of Narakasura were raised once more.
Only Shukracharya remained standing silently. His gaze slowly shifted toward the deepest regions beneath the palace. "Not yet," he quietly murmured. "Soon."
Far beneath Pragjyotishapura, hidden below layers upon layers of ancient formations, rested a chamber no ordinary Asura dared approach.
The air itself had become poisonous.
Dark emerald mist drifted endlessly through the room, melting stone wherever it touched. Hundreds of sacred chains woven entirely from mantras stretched across the chamber, converging upon a single figure suspended in midair.
Devavinashaka. His enormous body remained bound by countless glowing restraints while streams of emerald poison slowly flowed from the crystal atop Shukracharya's staff through intricate formations carved into the floor. The Halahala essence had begun merging with him.
Every few moments, his flesh violently split apart. Bones became visible. Muscles tore open. Then, almost immediately, the wounds regenerated. Again. And again. And again. Black veins slowly spread beneath his scales. His enormous horns had grown longer than before. Even the air around him had begun dissolving beneath the poisonous aura radiating from his body.
Shukracharya quietly entered the chamber. His calm eyes observed the transformation without surprise.
"The poison of Mahadeva… cannot be mastered in a single day."
As though responding to those words, Devavinashaka's body suddenly convulsed violently. His eyelids slowly trembled.
Then one eye opened
. The crimson iris that once glowed within it had almost completely disappeared. In its place, an eerie emerald radiance shone silently through the darkness.
His lips parted ever so slightly. Only one word escaped them.
"Karna."
The chamber fell silent once more.
---
The golden chariot descended slowly from the skies. Its seven celestial horses touched the earth with quiet grace before the towering eastern gates of Champa, the capital of Anga. The morning sun reflected from their flawless white coats, causing the soldiers stationed atop the walls to shield their eyes.
The sentries immediately straightened.
"A flying chariot…!"
"The seven divine horses…"
One guard swallowed hard. "That… that can only be…"
Within moments, the captain of the gate hurried forward with nearly twenty soldiers behind him. His gaze first settled upon the radiant chariot before shifting toward the man standing calmly beside it—golden armor, golden earrings, a natural radiance that no ordinary king could possess.
The captain immediately cupped his fists respectfully. "May this humble one know the identity of the honored guest?"
Without a word, Karna drew a rolled parchment from within his robes. Alongside it, he raised the Raj Danda bearing the unmistakable royal insignia of Hastinapura.
The captain accepted the scroll with both hands. His eyes scanned the royal decree. His expression changed at once.
"This…" His pupils widened. He quickly rolled the decree back up before dropping onto one knee. "This humble captain welcomes Maharaja Karna, the rightful ruler of Anga."
Every soldier behind him immediately followed. "Greetings, Maharaja!"
The massive city gates slowly creaked open. The captain stood once more and turned toward one of his cavalrymen. "Ride to the royal palace at once. Inform Acting Governor Senapati Viraj Sena that Maharaja Karna has arrived in Champa."
"Yes!"