"Don't let your hand cramp up on you then!" Indra yelled. Both fighters began their assault. The air between them filled with the sounds of colliding arrows, but some started to pass through. The emphasis on speed began to take its toll, and arrows from both sides began to pass by each other towards their targets. "Shit!" Indra yelled while bobbing and weaving, trying to maintain his assault. Arash was not faring better; more of Indra's shots nearly found their mark than his own. Stepping, twisting, turning, ducking, bobbing, weaving. To those outside of this carnage, it almost seemed like a dance. The sheer hectic nature of their footwork, combined with their desperation to keep attacking, caused both to reach into empty quivers. Indra immediately began to backpedal away from his position, shooting arrows as he ran. Arash began firing his new arrows at Indra as he ran, but each one was countered. A thought raced across Arash's mind at the sight, and he followed Indra's lead. Indra had a lead on him, so Arash stomped his feet into the ground to propel himself at a breakneck speed toward his wall.
"That Human is quick to pick up on what Indra's doing," Shiva said. Shiva, Set, and Yama watched from their box seat as Indra skidded to a halt at his wall and began to pull embedded arrows from it. "Granted, it's not that impressive, but he's keeping up."
"When you said he was lightning in godly form, you meant this?" Set asked.
"Pretty much. Amongst everyone in Svarga, Indra possesses the best archery skills and the fastest brain."
"You could at least make that sound impressive," Yama said.
"What I mean is, Indra's mind processes information faster than a lightning strike. Makes small talk a pain in the ass, but he's good at what he does. He's constantly observing everything around him: sounds, movement, patterns, and everything else under the sun."
"I am aware of that."
"You say that, but you didn't catch what happened in that exchange from earlier."
Set and Yama looked down at the arena, scoping the floor and walls. It became clear when they observed the arrows stuck in the walls. "Indra's shots grouped more consistently than the Human's," Set said.
"Exactly," Shiva said, smiling. "Even if he's not hitting it, Indra's already figured out the timing and speed of those targets. With that, hitting the targets becomes a matter of 'when,' not 'if.'"
Before he reached the wall, Arash crouched down deep, his glutes nearly touching the ground. He then sprang up, aiming his back at the wall and hitting it with a loud thud. The arrows above him shook loose and began to fall. Moving quickly, he snatched them out of the air, loaded them into his quiver and his fingers, and continued his assault. Indra followed suit, pulling back further to gain distance. "This is amazing, folks! Even from opposite ends of the arena, these two can still bombard each other! We're seeing Strike Warfare unlike anything I've seen!" Heimdall yelled.
Karna and Arjuna are capable of this. Sounds like he needs to get out more. Indra thought. The stalemate soon returned. Despite their best efforts, the increased distance and the surplus of arrows were not enough to pull the advantage one way or the other. Arash's targets remained pinned down, and while it gave Indra a better chance to hit them, it also made it easier for Arash to protect them. Damn it. Indra thought. If it were anyone else, this would be over already. He's already used to the Stampede of Airavata. Mastering it later, he's already matching me!
Another big move was needed. "My love," Arash said.
"Please stop calling me stuff like that!" Thrud said, blushing and fighting a smile.
"We need to make another big shot. His targets are not impeded like mine, and he still has two of those silver arrows left. Are you ready?"
"What Level?"
"Ridge, then Summit. Slope-level shots aren't working now, and we're too slow with Base from earlier." Arash declared as he continued firing.
"Are you sure about that? You're already injured."
"I got you here. I know it'll be fine."
Thrud inhaled deeply. "Okay! Let's do it then! Time to show that God even thunder can come before lightning!" The bowstring on the Bow of the Borders tightened, forcing Arash to exert more strength. The increased distance between the two granted Arash a slightly larger window to charge his shot.
A window Indra capitalized on. Indra recognized the slight delay from Arash that came with his stronger shots. He pulled both silver arrows out of his quiver and nocked one. "I can't let you do that again!" Indra yelled. Light energy sparked from the arrowhead. For you, Arjuna. Indra thought. "Cut, Anjalikastra; The Arrow of Separation." The arrow soared through the air straight towards Arash. Mid-flight, the arrowhead began to stretch vertically and formed into a crescent of pure energy. The lower edge sliced through the ground as if it were paper. Arjuna nocked his third and last arrow and aimed it at the other target far to Arash's right. The arrow glowed with bright orange flames. Thank you, Karna. "Burn, Vasavi Shakti; The Arrow of Light." The second arrow let loose and whistled like a firework as it blitzed down the field.
He fired them both!? He's not even giving me a chance! Arash thought, laughing internally. Guess I've got to find a way out of this! Arash had to make a choice. Could he stop both? As quickly as he grasped the situation, he stopped thinking, immediately unloaded his arrow into his quiver, and ran straight at the crescent.
"He just shot both Astras!" Göll yelled.
"Have faith in Arash, Göll!" Brunhilde yelled. Her expression did not align with her words.
Arash sprinted with all his might toward the oncoming arrow. It was at the perfect height to strike the target behind him. He had no idea this would work. Countless memories poured back into his mind: his introductions to Manuchehr and Armaiti, his first lessons with a bow, the countless battles he fought in, and lastly, his death. He ignored all of them, focusing every single sense of his being on what could be the end of his second life. He came to a stop. The arrow is just a few yards away. He let his body go limp.
Three yards.
Two.
One.
It would become a memory for many that day. All those who bore witness to something that no one thought possible, especially Indra. Arash pivoted off the ball of his right foot, spinning out of the way of the crescent. He snapped his right hand…and grasped the arrow's shaft. The shot's momentum, along with Arash's strength, pulled him into a fierce spin, the crescent cutting into the ground as he spun. He slammed his left foot hard into the ground to stop himself and nocked the Astra in his bow, turning it sideways. "RIDGE!" Arash yelled. He set the Astra loose back towards Indra's side. The Astra, combined with Arash's strength, forced Indra to do the only thing possible: dodge. He ducked, and the crescent sailed past him straight towards the wall. The displaced air from the shot pulled Indra towards the wall. Resounding crashes erupted from both sides of the arena. Both fighters' bodies were cut by invisible blades, deeper than before, and more blood flowed. Indra was already splayed on the ground. Arash fell shortly after. The dust behind them settled. On Arash's side, a massive, molten hole now sat where one of his targets had been. On Indra's, the middle groove, target, and most of the wall surrounding it were gone, with only a wide, thin hole where they once were. "I…I don't believe what just happened! Both fighters lost a target! The exchange of Astras has decimated the arena!" Heimdall shouted.
Indra and Arash started to get up. Both were covered in wounds, their bodies creaking from the strain. Indra couldn't hold it in anymore. He could feel it welling up inside. He chose not to fight it, reared his head back, and laughed. Loud. Louder than he ever remembered. Arash looked confused. "You not only destroyed one but caught another and fired it back!? What the hell are you!?" Indra yelled between laughs.
Arash smiled and began laughing as well. "I am an archer in His Majesty's army!" The laughter settled down. The air between the two became quiet and somber. "Are you ready for one last go?" Arash pulled a new arrow from the quiver on his back, nocking it.
"Never been more ready for something in my whole life," Indra answered.
Svarga
Millennia ago
In times long past, there once existed a powerful king who ruled over the land of Svarga and all its denizens. Times were peaceful, there were few reasons for suffering, and the only reason for combat was sport. Those days were cut short, however, when the king destroyed his home and left without a word to anyone. No one knew why he did this, and no one knew where he went. Due to the king's absence, a vicious power vacuum erupted amongst the Hindu gods. Despite their loyalty to the king, many began to seek the throne and the power that came with it. None succeeded. At the top of the mountain, the throne sat empty and continued to do so under the watchful eyes of two monstrously powerful gods. One was a massive hulk of a god, clean-shaven, with dark skin, with a gold ridge on his brow embossed with a pink lotus. He wore only ceremonial purple beads on his arms and deep purple pants.
Brahma
God of Creation
(Hindu Pantheon)
The other was a short god in a black suit with long silver hair and piercing red eyes. His mouth was covered by a mask with a bared-teeth design that was attached to a headband with black veils that covered his temples.
Vishnu
God of Preservation
(Hindu Pantheon)
For centuries, the two protected, holding onto the unofficial title of the strongest gods in all of Svarga. However, one day came when the attempts stopped. No one came up the mountain anymore. It was on this day that they would learn why. "See anyone?" Vishnu asked.
Brahma was looking over the cliffs of the peak, looking around for movement. "Still nothing. What the hell's going on?" Brahma responded.
"Hm. Maybe there's enough fighting down at the bottom that no one's able to come up here."
"I doubt that." Brahma continued his search. "There's always someone trying to get up here. Maybe we finally scared them all off?"
Vishnu lay back and looked up at the sky. The overcast began to gray and darken. "I doubt that. Still, no point in worrying about it. Best to just enjoy the quiet while we have it." Vishnu got up and walked away from the cliffside. "Looks like it's going to rain. We need to head inside."
Brahma continued his search. Something ate at him, convincing him that something was about to happen. Thunder began to rumble above him, and their nerves stood on end. Vishnu and Brahma never feared storms, mind you, but the sound was all too familiar. Finally, something caught Brahma's eye. "Vishnu, look!" Brahma pointed down to one of the lower plateaus of their mountain. Vishnu raced towards Brahma's side just as a bolt of lightning shot out from the plateau and into the horizon. They watched as the bolt continued its path toward a distant field and crashed with a resounding boom.
It couldn't be him. They thought. It was far too unlikely. He had been gone for so long that they thought he might have died somewhere. They couldn't bear it. Forgetting reason, the two raced down the mountain to the plateau. Leaping down the mountain like a pair of goats, they arrived at their destination. Their fears and hopes fought with each other as they saw the bow-wielding figure in front of them. His snow-white hair stuck out at odd ends, contrasting with his dark skin and orange cloak. The figure turned around to lock eyes with them and waved.
"How's it going, guys?"
Devendra
God of Lightning and War
Chief God of Svarga
(Hindu Pantheon)
The two stood in absolute silence. The whirlpool of emotions within them made it hard to form words. At first. "You idiot!" Vishnu yelled. "Do you know what happened because you left? All of Svarga's been in constant disarray without you! And why are you shooting bolts out into the valley!?"
"There was a large group of warriors coming this way, and that was the quickest way to deal with them, and had it been that bad?" Devendra asked. The storm clouds above them began to dissipate. Sunlight began to peek through.
"Yes! For years, dozens of gods tried to come up here and claim your position while you were gone! Brahma and I fought them all off."
Devendra stood there, staring at his friends. "Why? It's not like that was a thing before. Why'd it become that way now?"
Vishnu was losing his cool. Brahma placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Devendra, your absence caused a great deal of confusion. Without any instruction, many took it as a sign that you abandoned your throne." Brahma explained.
The realization hit Devendra, and he massaged his brow. "A guy loses his cool, then goes to calm down, and while he's gone, all this happens?"
"No one leaves for as long as you did to 'cool down.' What happened?" Vishnu asked.
He tried hiding it, but these two knew him too well. "It's you two, so I don't mind sharing. However, you must promise me something."
"We accept the terms," Brahma said. Vishnu nodded. Indra smiled. Having familiar faces around helped him ease into the uncomfortable topic.
"During one of my visits to the human world years ago, I happened upon and got involved, against my better judgment, in the Kurukshetra War. That massive and costly war born from familial infighting grew out of control. I sought to intervene, especially when I found out Arjuna was involved."
"Arjuna?" Vishnu said "You mean your son, the prince?"
"Yep. The war was between the Pandu Brothers and their cousin, Duryodhana. However, much to my surprise, many gods from Svarga were already involved in the war. Many of them armed their human children with their Astras…and countless lives were lost. I feared for Arjuna's life and armed him with as many Astras as possible, save for Vasavi Shakti."
"What happened after?" Brahma asked.
Indra lowered his head and stared at the ground. He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, holding it out in front of him. A small bolt descended from the heavens and lit it. Indra put it in his mouth and inhaled. He exhaled a large puff of smoke and grabbed the cigarette with his left hand. "I discovered Arjuna's greatest foe. A man who slaughtered many of the Pandu Brothers' allies and armies all on his own. A warrior clad in golden armor and radiant as sunlight. His name was Karna. He was Surya's son, and worse, Arjuna's brother by their mother." Devendra closed his eyes at the thought. He ran his fingers through his hair and breathed deeply.
"Devendra, if you don't wish to continue this, you can stop," Vishnu said.
"You two are here, so it's fine. Moving on, I feared Karna would kill my son. To give Arjuna a fighting chance, I tricked Karna out of his golden armor. Only after that did I realize how good of a man he was. Loyal to a fault, kind, and charitable..." He tapped his cigarette, dropping some ash. "My desire to protect my son drove me to do unsavory things, but Karna understood why. Out of guilt, I gave him Vasavi Shakti as payment for the armor. Not long after, the two met in battle, and Arjuna killed Karna, with the war ending soon after."
"So you left to atone for your actions?" Vishnu asked.
"I was a king and father, but I allowed my fears to contort both those ideas. I am not worthy of being either."
"Says who-?" Brahma said. Vishnu put his hand on his friend's chest.
"So you went along with the rest of the gods down there to protect your kid, exacerbating the war and indirectly causing another man's death? As much as I don't want to say that's not a big deal…it is. Your position demands objectivity, and you were right to step down." Devendra stood there silent. "We've heard your story. What are the conditions we'll abide by?"
"I will never sit up there again. A new ruler has to be found, one who can carry the will of our people the right way and stay true to it. With that being said, I will stay here, guarding this place and preventing anyone I deem unworthy of passing."
"Is that all, Devendra?" Brahma asked.
Devendra smiled. "I'm leaving that name behind, too. The king is gone. From now on, I ask you to refer to me only as 'Indra.' I'd like a fresh start and would rather not have old things tying me down."
The two looked at each other and back at their friend. "Guess we can't say no after promising it. We'll honor it, but don't think this lets you off the hook." Vishnu said, with a slight note of happiness in his voice.
"We'll be waiting for the one you deem worthy, Indra," Brahma added.
"Will probably be waiting a while, but who knows?" Indra said. After that, the two returned to the peak while Devendra, now Indra, took charge of that spot. Now and then, when someone was trying to reach him, Indra would gauge their strength and fight them accordingly. Anyone brave enough to come alone, he would fight in their specialty. Anyone who tried to bring an army or band of warriors faced his bow. This would continue for years until two young gods, calling themselves the God of Destruction and the God of Storms, would come and shake up all of Svarga, much to Indra's joy.
Valhalla Arena
"Hilde, something's been bothering me for a while now," Göll said as the volley below resumed.
"What is it?" Brunhilde asked.
"All of Indra's Astras are gone, but he doesn't seem the least bit worried."
"I can answer that one," Aramaiti said, her brow furrowed. Both Göll and Brunhilde turned their attention to her. "Indra is well known in Svarga for his skills in archery. The Astras themselves are powerful weapons, but Indra made a name for himself without ever using them." She sighed. "I heard he didn't even have them until today. What we're seeing now is the true might of Indra unfettered by the option of his Astras."
"I'm not following," Göll admitted.
"She's saying the scope of his strategies has shrunk, but that means he can react faster than before."
"Correct, Brunhilde. It's a common problem known as Analysis Paralysis. Too many options created the slightest hesitation and dulled his actions. Arash needs to be far more careful because Indra is free again."
"Set," Shiva said.
"Yes?"
"Who was that Human?"
Set pulled out his tablet and found Arash's name on the fight card. "Arash of Persia."
"I won't forget that. How well do you know Indra?"
"To be honest, well enough to trust in his skills and character. Why?"
"You don't know the most important thing." Set turned his attention to the God of Destruction. "He holds himself to a stupidly high standard. Know why?"
In some sense, yes, but let us play ignorant. Set shook his head.
"There are two demi-gods in the stands he's got a personal history with. One's his kid, another his ward. Indra always felt he had robbed them of their joy because of his actions. This Arash, however..."
"What are you implying?"
Shiva shook his head. "Nah, you wouldn't get it. However, looks like he's putting Indra in a pickle. Hopefully, he can fight without pulling his punches."
How long has it been? Indra thought. How long since I've fought someone like this? I think it was Shiva and Rudra. That fight was fantastic and freeing. This one's different. Why? Indra pulled back his arrow. The string surged with electricity, and small bolts travelled down and converged on the arrow. "Tusk of Airavata!" Indra yelled and let loose the arrow. The electric-charged arrow blitzed across the field toward Arash. He only had a short moment, but Arash jumped back and fired an arrow in its path. The arrows collided, but Indra's passed through. Arash moved his head just in time for the arrow to fly past him and vanish. "Damn!" Indra yelled.
"Arash, did you see that!?" Thrud asked, her tone panicking.
"I did," Arash answered. "I can't beat his shots when he does that move, but it looks like the arrows can't handle that charge and burn up before too long." Another powered-up arrow was released by Indra toward Arash. Arash dodged it and ran to station himself between Indra and his remaining target.
"What're you doing!? You're lining up targets for him!"
"Trust me, beloved. I got an idea."
"If you do, I'll follow you all the way." Indra continued his volley of charged arrows. Arash continued to dodge them while loading his fingers with arrows and returning fire. Indra and Arash resumed their volley of lightning and arrows, dodging each shot while preparing their own.
"The dance of arrows has returned!" Heimdall roared, "These two are near death and refuse to let it stop them! Dodge, fire, dodge, fire, DODGE, FIIIRE! IT'S MADNESS! WHO WILL BE THE FIRST TO FALL!?" Their dance continued without pause. Each time Arash tried to pull away from the volley, Indra would catch him and hold him down with his charge shots. Each time Indra tried to fire a normal arrow, Arash would return the favor and keep Indra focused on him. Heimdall was not wrong. The battle's constant pace was beginning to take its toll. Fewer arrows began to fly between the warriors. Blood continued to pour from their open wounds. Fatigue set in at the worst time possible.
For Indra, that is. Indra began to pull back his arrow, but the blood and strain on his fingers caused the string to slip and the arrow to drop away. "NOW!" Thrud yelled. The drawstring on Bow of the Borders became harder to pull than ever before. Arash nocked his arrow and pulled. The strain on his muscles bombarded his body and mind with pain, but he gritted his teeth and did his best to ignore it while slamming his feet into the ground. The more he drew, the more his muscles bulged. His shirt began to tear at the back as he readied his shot.
Indra's eyes widened in panic. One slip-up now? He thought. Is this the end? Indra's brain began to process information at a speed he had never experienced before. The pure life-or-death moment in front of him pushed his mind further than anything he had ever experienced before. Everything slowed down to a near snail's crawl, including his own body. Desperately, he went over everything to see how he could survive. He saw it. The one brief glimpse of survival, and he had to take it. Indra quickly swiped his hand on his cloak, cleaning it, and pulled an arrow out of his quiver, nocking it with one fluid motion. Arash was about to release his next shot, and Indra was ready. In the brief moment before Arash released his arrow, Indra jumped to Arash's right and spun in the air, firing his arrow. Arash aimed towards the wall.
"SUMMIT!" Arash yelled, releasing the arrow. Arash's arrow flew with blinding speed, kicking up dirt, arrows, and Indra in its wake and pulling him toward the eastern wall. Arash had to brace himself from being pulled by the vacuum created by this one particular shot. The sound barrier was broken before the arrow passed by Indra. A powerful shockwave shook the entire arena as the arrow collided with the other side. Arash's arrow kicked up a massive dust cloud upon impact, obscuring the entire wall.
"INCREDIBLE! Arash's shot pierced not only the arena wall but every single one behind it, folks!" Heimdall screamed while fidgeting with a tablet. "Look!" he made floating screens appear above the audience. "It's still flying!" Arash's body screamed with pain from the blowback of the shot. He could barely stand, and his vision began to blur. He tried to pull his feet out of the ground, but the strain was too much. However, almost instinctively now, he grasped another arrow and readied his next arrow into the dust cloud, expecting to hit the target based on its timing, but he heard the sound of the target still traveling on the rail. He pulled another arrow, loaded it, and fired it into the cloud.
No luck. "Thrud, something's wrong. I can't find the target!"
"Keep an eye out for it. Don't waste your strength firing blind!" Thrud couldn't see it either. Both were near their limit after the last shot but still tried to find the target. Arash readied one more arrow to fire once he saw the target. The dust finally began to settle, and out of the corner of the settling dust cloud, the target finally came into view. "Arash! It's there! I see it! We need to- "
"Stomp of Airavata." Indra's voice reverberated from the dust cloud. An arrow flew out of the dust cloud, straight towards Arash. He couldn't move. The pain took hold, and the arrow…flew past him. He tried to turn and fire at the arrow, but his body gave out on him. He collapsed to the ground as his final target shattered. Indra finally came into view as the dust settled. His body was racked with bruises from colliding with the wall, and his cuts were still fresh. Blood was running from his eyes and nose. His breathing was ragged. In his left hand, his precious Vajra bow snapped in two. Arash's body convulsed in pain as new injuries appeared all over his body. He gritted his teeth and bore it. It was a pain he had never felt before. His bones cracked; his muscles tore. Soon, his body lay limp on the ground, his breathing ragged and his feet still firmly rooted in the floor.
"Dammit, NO!" Armaiti screamed as she slammed her fists into the railing, crushing it.
"What happened!? How'd he miss that last shot?" Brunhilde said, panicking slightly.
Armaiti pointed to Indra's remaining target. It clanged as it hit the end of the groove, traveled a short distance...then clanged against an arrow caught in its path. It then traveled back to the end of its groove. "Indra... shot that arrow."
"In all that chaos, he shot again... at his own target!?" Göll screamed. "How could he come up with something like that with Arash right in front of him, fully armed!?"
"Something gave away Arash's plan...Dammit, he had him!"
Indra looked over to his remaining target. His previous shot flew straight into the groove of the target. Each time the target sailed over to it, it bounced off and reversed course. He looked at the two shots Arash fired and the massive hole created by his strongest move. Both arrows were embedded in the rock. The center of the hole sat exactly at the point in the groove where the target would have been if his plan failed. Taking a deep sigh of relief, Indra limped over to his opponent. The match ended, and he did not fear crossing the line anymore and made his way, removing his hair tie to let his wild hair fly free. Arash could barely open his eyes, but mustered what little strength he had to look up and see Indra looking down at him. Indra then did the unspeakable. He kneeled next to Arash...and took his right hand in his own. "Arash, can you hear me?" Indra said.
"…barely." Arash rasped out. His breathing was growing shallower. Indra could feel his pulse fading. "What gave me away?"
"In that final moment, just before you finished pulling back your shot…you weren't looking at me."
"Really?" The memory was as clear as day. As Indra looked straight at Arash's face, he saw for the briefest moment; he looked away... and Indra knew it was to confirm where the target was. He lost track of it. For just one brief moment, he lost it.
"Really...You never intended to hit me with that attack." Indra reached his free hand into his side pocket. He pulled out a small carton of cigarettes. "But push me away so you'd be safe making your next shot." He knocked one cigarette up and grabbed it with his mouth. "I fired my arrow into the groove of my target, stopping it before it came into your shot's trajectory. The kicked-up dust cloud was a bonus for helping throw off your timing."
Arash laughed. "Figured me out after all. Guess...you are the better archer."
"Nah...my boys could learn from you...but that's not important. Do you have any final words you wish to pass on? I will deliver them personally for you."
"Thank you…But I need to do this myself." He took one long, deep breath. Indra could feel what little strength remained in Arash as he weakly grasped Indra's hand. "My Shah! I am sorry! I cannot return to you!" Tears began rolling down his cheeks. "Please! Do not mourn me! I lived a wonderful life! I wouldn't have it were it not for you! I wouldn't have my sworn brother, Karen! My teacher, Armaiti! My beloved, Thrud! None of this was possible without you! You gave me everything, so I only did...What I thought I should do with my gratitude! I'm sorry it took me so long to say it!" Arash took in one more breath. "Thank you, My Shah!" Above him in the stands, Brunhilde choked down her tears, Göll bawled, and Armaiti looked away so no one would see her cry. Many of Arash's friends and comrades in the stands cried for him, but many cheered as well. The joy that Arash radiated in his final moments stirred such bizarre sentiments amongst mankind. No one could truly put what it was into words. Not anger, sadness, relief, or joy. Maybe a mixture of them all. Arash's words gave way to cracks appearing on his body and green light enveloping his body. Thrud appeared behind him, with cracks forming over her body and green energy enveloping her. "Thrud, I'm going now. I pray…we meet again."
Drops of water splashed on Arash's face. Thrud's tear-soaked eyes and bright smile shone down on him as she kneeled. Moving gently, she scooped Arash up in her arms in a tender embrace. "There's no way I'm leaving you. I swore to myself a long time ago... that once I fell in love with a man... I'd stay with him for the rest of my life. It was short, but it was the best part." Thrud said.
A wide smile grew on Arash's face. "I am a blessed man, huh? Thank you…Thrud. Do you think he heard me?"
"Definitely." Cracks continued to appear all over Arash and Thrud's bodies. Green energy enveloped them both gently, and they shattered. Their remains were carried on the wind and vanished as they sailed into the sky. Indra looked up at the sky.
"I am a blessed one as well. You were...the greatest warrior I ever fought." Indra snapped his fingers. A bolt of lightning shot from the heavens and ignited his cigarette. He inhaled slowly and deeply before exhaling a large cloud of smoke. I'm forever grateful for this day.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! After a brutal, nonstop, hair-raising battle of bows and assault of arrows, the victor has appeared! The winner of Round 2: INDRA!"
Far outside the Valhalla arena, Shah Manuchehr sat at his table on the plateau where Arash had trained earlier. The chilled air and the hot tea in his hands made for a wonderful combination, but were not enough to fill his mind or time. He was doing everything he could to not worry about Arash. Focusing on the weather, praying, and even continuing to carve bows.
"He's going to need a new bow, likely. Heaven knows he's clumsy like that." Manuchehr said. He then put down his tea and walked over to a pile of wood. He grabbed a few pieces and walked back towards his table. "That Thrud girl was very nice as well. Hopefully, she can whip him into shape…if she can ever get over that silver-tongued devil's nonsense. Don't know where he picked up his taste in women, but not my place to judge, especially when he's so smitten with her!" Manuchehr took a quick swig of his tea. He then grabbed a piece of wood, pulled out his tools, and began working.
He didn't get very far when he heard something hit the ground behind him. He stopped and turned around. An arrow planted itself in the ground seven yards from him. Behind it stood Arash and Thrud, both smiling. Manuchehr paused. He blinked and rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't going mad. They were gone. He walked over to the arrow sticking into the ground. Carefully, he leaned down and pulled it out of the ground. Holding it softly in his hand, he carefully observed it as tears flowed. "Guess you were able to keep your promise to me…if only for a moment. You looked so happy there for a second, too." Manuchehr crumbled to the ground, tears pouring. "Damn it."
Arash vs Indra
Victor: Indra
Match Length: 8 minutes 14 seconds
Deciding Move: Stomp of Airavata
Humans 0 – 2 Gods