As soon as Lord Shiva disappeared, Dashaanan suddenly felt something changing inside his body.
His senses had become sharper.
His eyesight was clearer, his hearing had become incredibly sensitive, and his entire body felt stronger than before.
The boon was already taking effect.
Dashaanan took a deep breath and prepared to leave.
But before he could take another step—
"Wait!"
He stopped.
Dashaanan turned around and saw Vishakha walking toward him.
His expression immediately became annoyed.
"You're that apsara who tried to break my tapasya."
Before Vishakha could say anything, Dashaanan continued,
"You Devas and your so-called divine beings are all hypocrites. None of you wants the Rakshasas to rise again."
He turned away.
"But remember this—one day, I will show all of you exactly what kind of warrior Dashaanan is."
With that, he started walking away.
Vishakha quickly followed.
"Hey, wait!"
Dashaanan stopped again and turned around, clearly losing patience.
"What is it now? What do you want?"
Vishakha bowed her head.
"I came to apologize."
She looked sincere.
"I'm sorry for trying to interrupt your tapasya. I shouldn't have done it."
Dashaanan studied her for a moment.
Seeing that her apology was genuine, he decided to forgive her.
He nodded.
"It's fine. Those Devas probably ordered you to do it. What could you have done?"
He turned around and continued walking.
But Vishakha followed him.
After a while, she asked,
"Why do you dislike the Devas so much?"
Dashaanan gave her an irritated look.
"Don't you have anything else to do?"
Vishakha smiled brightly.
"No."
Dashaanan sighed.
"Well, I do. So go back to your realm before your feet get dirty walking around the mortal world."
Vishakha smiled at his remark.
"You know, you might be the first man who has ever told me to leave."
She gave him an arrogant little smile.
"Most Devas would do anything just to get a glimpse of me."
Dashaanan simply ignored her and continued walking.
From a distance, Kirti watched the entire scene alongside the present-day Vishakha.
Kirti looked at her.
"So… you basically became a simp."
Vishakha gave her a strange look.
"Simp is a weird word."
She sighed.
"You can simply say I fell in love. What can I say? I was incredibly naive back then."
The memory changed.
The scenery shifted to a dense forest.
Dashaanan and Vishakha were walking through it together.
Vishakha looked around.
"Where are you going, anyway?"
"Kalighat Van."
She looked confused.
"Why are we going to Kalighat Van?"
Dashaanan sighed.
"You ask too many questions."
Vishakha smiled.
"And you don't answer enough."
Dashaanan realized arguing with her was pointless, so he finally answered.
"A demon lives here."
He looked ahead.
"He has spread terror throughout this forest. Anyone who enters this place rarely makes it out alive."
Vishakha raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm… Is he your relative?"
Dashaanan gave her an annoyed look.
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
Vishakha looked genuinely confused.
"He isn't your relative?"
Then she seemed to understand.
"Oh… noted."
She looked at him curiously.
"So what exactly are you here to do?"
"I only intend to make him my subordinate and put an end to his terror."
Vishakha frowned.
"But aren't you on the side of the Rakshasas?"
"Yes."
Dashaanan's answer was immediate.
"But that doesn't mean I'll allow them to do whatever they want."
He continued walking.
"Wrong is wrong."
"I want to change this world. And if I want to change the world, then the Rakshasas will have to change too."
Vishakha looked at him with genuine surprise.
"You're actually quite kind."
Dashaanan gave a faint laugh.
"Kind?"
He shook his head.
"You should meet my younger brother. Then you'll understand what kindness really means."
"He's the kind of person who could change even the worst Rakshasa."
Before Vishakha could respond—
ROOOAAAR!
A terrifying roar echoed through the forest.
Both Dashaanan and Vishakha immediately turned toward the sound.
Suddenly, a massive ball of fire came crashing down from the sky.
"Watch out!"
They both jumped away.
BOOM!
The fireball struck the ground, creating a large crater and sending flames across the surrounding area.
Then several more fiery projectiles began raining down.
One after another, they crashed around them.
Within moments, a wide circle of fire had surrounded them.
Vishakha immediately floated upward, rising into the air.
She looked down at Dashaanan, curious to see what he would do.
Dashaanan, however, completely ignored the flames.
His eyes remained fixed on the direction from which the roar had come.
He started walking.
Straight toward the demon.
He reached the wall of fire.
Then he simply walked through it.
The flames engulfed him.
Pain crossed his face as the intense heat burned through him, but Dashaanan continued moving forward without stopping.
When he finally emerged from the other side, his body was badly injured.
For a moment, he stood there.
Then the wounds began recovering.
His body slowly restored itself.
Even his clothes returned to their previous state.
Vishakha stared in disbelief.
The boon of Lord Shiva was working.
Dashaanan continued toward the source of the roar.
But suddenly—
A dark shadow shot through the trees.
It grabbed Vishakha and disappeared into the forest.
"Vishakha!"
Dashaanan immediately chased after it.
The shadow moved incredibly fast between the trees.
Dashaanan followed for several moments, but the creature was faster.
Eventually, it disappeared into the thick mist.
Dashaanan stopped.
He looked around, trying to locate it.
Meanwhile, the creature had already reached a cave deep inside the forest.
It dropped Vishakha onto the ground.
Vishakha quickly moved away and caught her breath before looking up.
The creature standing before her was enormous.
Its entire body was black, with a strange reptilian appearance. Sharp fangs replaced ordinary teeth, and its eyes glowed red.
Large bat-like wings stretched from its back.
Its hands and feet ended in long, sharp claws.
Vishakha stared at the terrifying creature.
For the first time, the confidence on her face disappeared.
She realized she was completely alone with the demon.
The demon looked at Vishakha with a lustful smile.
"What a beauty…" he said arrogantly. "I have never seen a woman as beautiful as you. Will you marry me? I am the most powerful being in this forest. I am its king."
Vishakha stared at him for a moment before replying bluntly,
"Have you even looked at your own face?"
The demon's arrogant smile widened.
"I know why you are refusing me. Your husband is still alive, isn't he?" he said. "Don't worry. I will kill him and present his head to you as a gift. After that, nothing will stop you from becoming my wife."
He burst into laughter.
"Ahahahahaha!"
A little distance away, Present Vishakha and Kirti watched the scene unfold.
Kirti looked at the demon, then at Vishakha.
"I've seen this scene somewhere before…"
She thought for a moment.
"Ah, yes! I remember. When Ravan kidnapped Mata Sita, he was saying almost the same kind of thing in that TV show."
Present Vishakha could only give an awkward, faint smile.
"Yeah… something like that."
Meanwhile, Dashaanan continued moving through the dense fog.
The forest had become unnaturally quiet.
Then—
GROWL!
Several hungry beasts emerged from the mist.
Before Dashaanan could fully turn, one of them lunged straight at him.
He tilted his body sideways.
The beast's claws swept past his shoulder.
Dashaanan immediately reached for the sword at his waist.
SHING!
The blade flashed out.
Another beast attacked from his left.
Dashaanan ducked beneath its leap, spun on one foot, and brought his sword upward in a controlled counter.
The creature recoiled.
A third beast charged from behind.
Dashaanan heard it.
Without even turning completely, he stepped aside at the last possible moment.
The beast flew past him.
Dashaanan pivoted and struck.
The forest erupted into chaos.
The beasts attacked from every direction.
Dashaanan kept moving—ducking, twisting, jumping over lunges, and using the surrounding trees to change direction.
One beast leapt from a tree.
Dashaanan raised his sword.
CLANG!
The impact forced him several steps backward.
The beast immediately attacked again.
Dashaanan blocked.
It pushed.
He shifted his stance, redirected its momentum, and sent it stumbling past him.
Another beast rushed in.
Dashaanan turned and swung.
The beast narrowly escaped the blade.
It circled around him.
Dashaanan followed it with his eyes.
For several minutes, the forest became a blur of steel, claws, roars, and rapidly shifting shadows.
Finally, Dashaanan planted his foot firmly.
As the last beast charged, he stepped forward instead of retreating.
One precise strike.
The beast fell.
Dashaanan stood still for a moment, breathing heavily.
His clothes were torn in places, and several claw marks remained across his body.
But before long, the wounds began closing on their own.
Dashaanan glanced toward the cave hidden beyond the fog.
Then he tightened his grip around his sword.
"Vishakha…"
He continued forward.
A short while later, Dashaanan finally reached the cave.
The demon sensed him.
It slowly turned toward the entrance.
Then it laughed.
"So you finally made it."
The demon rolled his shoulders.
"Good. At least I won't have to wait any longer."
WHOOSH!
He vanished.
Dashaanan's eyes widened.
A split second later—
BOOM!
The demon appeared directly in front of him and struck.
Dashaanan barely managed to raise his arm before the impact sent him flying backward.
The demon chased him.
He grabbed Dashaanan in midair and slammed him into a massive rock.
CRACK!
The rock shattered beneath the impact.
Dust filled the air.
The demon stood over him.
"You smell like one of us demons."
He tilted his head.
"Are you a demon?"
Dashaanan slowly emerged from the broken stone.
He wiped the dust from his face.
Instead of answering, he tightened his grip on his sword.
Then—
WHOOSH!
He charged.
His sword came down diagonally.
The demon leaned backward.
The blade passed inches from his face.
Dashaanan immediately reversed the motion, sweeping the sword horizontally.
The demon ducked.
Dashaanan stepped forward and delivered another strike.
The demon blocked it with his forearm.
CLANG!
The force pushed him backward.
Dashaanan followed.
One strike.
Two.
Three.
Four.
The demon continued retreating, dodging and deflecting every attack.
Suddenly, he twisted around Dashaanan's blade.
Dashaanan's eyes widened.
The demon grabbed his wrist.
He pulled.
Dashaanan lost his balance for a fraction of a second.
That was enough.
The demon grabbed him by the throat and lifted him.
Dashaanan tried to break free.
The demon spun and slammed him into the ground.
BOOM!
Before Dashaanan could recover, the demon snatched the sword from his hand.
He drove the blade into Dashaanan's chest and pinned him against the ground.
Dashaanan's body immediately began trying to heal.
But the embedded sword prevented the wound from closing properly.
The demon glanced down at him.
"You're strong."
A mocking smile appeared on his face.
"But not strong enough."
He turned away.
The demon walked toward Vishakha.
"Your husband is dead now," he said arrogantly. "Nothing can stop you from becoming mine."
Vishakha's expression hardened.
She lowered her stance.
The air around her suddenly shimmered.
WHOOM!
A brilliant divine light gathered in her hand.
A spear materialized within it.
The weapon radiated a powerful golden glow.
The demon stopped.
He looked at the spear.
Then at Vishakha.
"So you're not an ordinary woman after all."
He grinned.
"No wonder you're so beautiful."
Vishakha didn't answer.
She attacked.
WHOOSH!
Her spear shot forward like lightning.
The demon twisted his body sideways.
The spear missed his chest by inches.
Vishakha immediately spun with the momentum of her attack and brought the spear around from the opposite direction.
The demon ducked.
The spear passed over his head.
Vishakha stepped forward.
THRUST!
He shifted aside.
THRUST!
He leaned backward.
SLASH!
He jumped.
Vishakha didn't give him a moment to breathe.
She spun, using the spear like an extension of her body, attacking from different angles.
The demon kept dodging.
Left.
Right.
Back.
Up.
Every time Vishakha thought she had him cornered, he slipped away at the last possible instant.
Then—
He caught the spear.
Vishakha's eyes widened.
The demon smiled.
"My turn."
He yanked the weapon toward himself.
Vishakha resisted.
For a moment, the two struggled.
Then—
CRACK!
The demon snapped the divine spear in two.
He threw the broken pieces aside.
"Even divine weapons are useless against me."
Behind him, something moved.
Dashaanan.
He was still on the ground.
His hand slowly reached toward the sword embedded in his chest.
His fingers wrapped around the hilt.
His jaw tightened.
He pulled.
Nothing.
He pulled harder.
His entire body trembled with effort.
Then—
SHING!
The sword finally came free.
Dashaanan rolled onto his side and took several deep breaths.
His body immediately began recovering.
He slowly pushed himself to his feet.
The demon heard him.
He turned.
Dashaanan stood there holding his sword.
His expression had completely changed.
There was no frustration anymore.
Only determination.
Dashaanan looked at Vishakha.
Then at the demon.
He raised his sword.
Vishakha stepped beside him.
Even without saying anything, they understood each other.
Dashaanan charged from the front.
Vishakha attacked from the side.
The demon blocked Dashaanan's sword—
CLANG!
—and immediately ducked beneath Vishakha's strike.
Dashaanan rotated his wrist and changed the direction of his blade.
The demon jumped backward.
Vishakha pursued him.
Dashaanan attacked again.
The demon blocked.
Vishakha struck.
He dodged.
Dashaanan swept his sword toward the demon's legs.
The demon jumped.
Vishakha was already waiting above him.
She brought her weapon down.
The demon twisted in midair and barely escaped.
He landed.
Dashaanan was already there.
CLANG!
Their attacks collided.
The force sent both of them backward.
Dashaanan slid several feet across the ground.
Vishakha landed lightly beside him.
The demon straightened.
He looked at both of them.
Then he smiled.
"You two are finally starting to make this interesting."
Dashaanan tightened his grip.
Vishakha raised her weapon.
The two charged again.