The landscape was dyed red, carrion birds feasting on the bodies of the fallen soldiers. This was the battlefield of the legendary devasur sangram, the war of devas and asuras—two races who are eternally opposed. Amongst the fallen was a peculiar human, not because he was a part of the battle, but because he fought from the side of the Asuras.
This tiger amongst men was named Shekhar, a devotee of the Lord Shiva. Fed up with the arrogance of the devas, he descended upon them like a whirlwind, slaying many prominent enemies without remorse.
He didn't support the asuras per se, rather, he merely wished for the devas to be humbled, that they behave with the dignity deserving of their status. However in the end, he was a man standing against righteousness, for under the asuras, the entire bhramānda would suffer tyranny far worse than in the rule of devas.
In his final moments, Shekhar remembered the words of his ārādhya, the truth of the bhramānda—a cosmic dance of creation, preservation, and destruction, cycling round and round across kāla.
[Confirmed: Acquiring Unique Skill: Creator... Acquisition Successful]
[Confirmed: Acquiring Unique Skill: Preserver... Acquisition Successful]
[Confirmed: Acquiring Unique Skill: Destroyer... Acquisition Successful]
Despite the mechanical nature of the voice, Shekhar could feel that these words were directed at him, his destiny did not end at merely dying in this battlefield, his thoughts continued to churn, yet his life continued to fade.
'What good is strength if I were to die without completing my destiny?'
[Confirmed: Acquiring immortal soul... Acquisition Successful]
'Was I right to side with the Asura? Should I have sided with the devas? Both sides are right, yet neither of them is truly righteous.
[Confirmed: Acquiring fused life-form: Demonic-Angelic-Spirit... Acquisition Successful]
Remember Shekhar... the truth of Pārabhrama: All of us are born from the one, and all of us will return to the one. We are all merely the actors of that infinite energy, and yet we are also a part of that one.
[Confirmed: Acquiring Intrinsic Skill: Nihility Manipulation... Acquisition Successful]
As his mind slipped into darkness, he felt his soul float in the abyss, despite this ending, there was a smile on his face. 'I look forward to my destiny...'
✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧
[Shekhar PoV]
Hey there, my name is Shekhar Gupta, and I'm a Professor of Physics at the Indian Institute of Science. I have a pretty average life if I do say so myself. Wake up, have a bath, and worship my ārādhya—Lord Shiva, then comes work, along with some lectures scattered throughout the day, and finally I come back home to enjoy my quiet life. I'm yet to meet a partner to share these peaceful days, beside... I'm quite young, so it should be fine.
Today however there is a change in my routine. Two students of mine have decided to tie the knot... heh, imagine me saying to myself that I'm still quite young... but anyways, two of my students: Akash and Aditi are getting married soon, and they've invited to inform me? Little do they know that nothing goes around without my knowing, their lab-mates were kind enough to let me know in advance what was happening.
Oh well, I am nothing if not happy that those two are finally tying the knot, their courtship was rather exhausting, it felt like a drama series that would never end.
"Shekhar Sir! Over here!"
You'll live a hundred years Akash...
"My My Akash... you're quite energetic today!" I greeted the boy before my eyes drifted towards his bride to be. "And Aditi, you look dazzling as always dear."
Look at them, the smiles on their faces is so radiant it feels like Surya is right in front of me. Ah, to be young and in love...
"We came to give you some good news sir." Aditi beamed as she brought out an invitation card. "We are getting married next month." The two of them announced joyfully.
I pick the decorated envelope from her hands, while giving placing both my hands on their heads. "I hope you both have a blessed married life my dears. I can't wait for your wedding. Honestly? What took you two so long?"
"Eh... Hehe..."
Ah, there's Akash's nervous laughter. I've known these two for five years, and it's obvious that they were made for each other.
"To be brunt sir, we should be asking you the same? Will we ever get to see a Mrs. Gupta?" Of course Aditi is still quite sassy. And truthfully, she's right. I too wish there was someone to share this life with. But today's not the day to think about such trivial matters.
"Don't take that tone with me young lady!" I chided her playfully. "So you both treating me to lunch or what?"
I've always taken my students out for dinner after a hard day of work, so they better not ditch me here, or I'll be really mad hmph!
"Of course sir! You've always taken care of us over the years!" Akash said with a grin on his face.
"Yeah sir! Get ready for the meal of your life!" Aditi added enthusiastically.
Good kids... as expected of my students.
With that we walked towards out of the campus, our destination being the usual restaurant I treat my students to. All in all, it seemed like a regular outing, but there was something gnawing at the back of my mind, like something bad was about to do down.
Ahead of me walked my two students, without a care in the world, I hope nothing happens to them, I won't let anything happen to them...
Suddenly I felt my hair rise, and as if to prove my worries right, a commotion broke out in front of us.
"Akash... DIE!" With a manic scream, a young boy ran towards my students, a knife in his hands, clearly aiming at Aditya's life.
"Akash! NO!" I screamed while shoving the young man out of the knife's trajectory, unfortunate for me, the blade stabbed right into my abdomen.
"Shekhar Sir!" I heard the scream of my dear students, a crowd was forming around us, and in the commotion the attacker escaped scot free. People really love to just watch a man suffer don't they?
"Shekhar sir..." I heard Akash and Aditi sob, as they kneeled by my side, holding on to both my hands.
"I'm glad that I could save you my boy," my words wheezed out weakly. I could feel it, deep inside, I wasn't going to make it out.
"Stay with us sir! The ambulance should be here soon!" Aditi said through sobs. Poor girl, this might traumatise her.
I somehow managed to raise my hand towards her face, rubbing it gently against her cheek. "Don't be sad Aditi. You have a beautiful life ahead of you, now give me a smile 'kay?"
After consoling her, I turned around to face my other student. "Heh, I guess this will be my wedding gift to you Akash..." My voice was already fading, but I continued on. "I give you my blessings Akash, lead a good life with Aditi.
I'm starting to loose sensation in my body, yet the pain is unbearable.
[Confirmed: Intrinsic Skill Pain Resistance... Acquisition Successful]
Eh, why does this voice feel so familiar?
There was a flare of heat throughout my body. Is this what dying feels like? Or am I going to narka?
[Confirmed: Intrinsic Skill Cold Resistance... Acquisition Successful]
Those familiar words again, I'm feeling the chills... is this the cold embrace of death?
[Confirmed: Intrinsic Skill Heat Resistance... Acquisition Successful]
[Cold Resistance and Heat Resistance are merged to acquire new Intrinsic Skill: Thermal Fluctuation Resistance]
Heh, I'm starting to hallucinate in my passing. But it's sad that all my knowledge will go to waste, unlike the sages of the old, I have not passed everything to the next generation.
[Confirmed: Acquiring Unique Skill: Great Sage... Acquisistion Successful]
I could feel it, I was dying... I don't want to leave behind such wonderful kids... but fate can be cruel sometimes. "Akash, Aditi... promise me you'll strive to keep your excellence. You're both among my best students, I want you to reach the top of the world, but at the same time also be each other's pillars of support. That is not just my blessings, but also my last wishes for you two."
"Sir..." Akash tried to protest, but I knew my body will be giving away soon. Aditi was a sobbing mess, but that won't do.
"Hey! No crying!" I rasped out weakly. "I want your smiling faces to be the last image I see, won't you grant your poor teacher even this little wish?"
And with my insistence they both gave out soft chuckles through their tears, ah I can die in peace now. I had a feeling that the next life is going to be a whole lot different.
[Reacquiring Unique Skill: Creator... Acquisition Successful]
[Reacquiring Unique Skill: Preserver... Acquisition Successful]
[Reacquiring Unique Skill: Destroyer... Acquisition Successful]
[Reacquiring immortal soul... Acquisition Successful]
[Reacquiring fused life-form: Demonic-Angelic-Spirit... Acquisition Successful]
[Reacquiring Intrinsic Skill: Nihility Manipulation... Acquisition Successful]
Yeah, my next life is going to be a whole lot different!
[Line Break]
[3rd PoV]
Far away from the world Shekhar once knew, beyond the reach of human kingdoms and mortal civilizations, there existed a realm where magic itself seemed to breathe.
At the heart of a vast forest stood an enormous structure carved from pale stone and ancient crystal. Its walls shimmered faintly with runic inscriptions older than most civilizations.
This place was neither a palace nor a temple. It was a laboratory.
Inside, countless magical devices hummed softly as streams of magicules flowed through intricate formations etched into the floor. Suspended in the center of the chamber was a large cylindrical vessel filled with luminous liquid, its surface rippling as if alive.
Standing before it was a tall, elegant man with long silver hair cascading down his back.
His crimson eyes reflected the light of the magical apparatus surrounding him. This man was Twilight Valentine—One of the oldest beings in the world, the progenitor of numerous races, a being who had spent centuries experimenting with the very nature of life itself.
Twilight observed the vessel silently, his sharp gaze studying the motionless form suspended within. The body inside appeared to be that of a young boy.
Small, fragile, completely still.
Magic circles surrounding the container pulsed once more as the final stage of the experiment concluded.
The room fell silent. For several long seconds, Twilight simply watched. Waiting, expecting a reaction, expecting life.
But nothing happened. The vessel remained motionless. The child inside showed no sign of awakening.
Twilight's expression hardened slightly."...Another failure." His voice echoed softly across the chamber.
The experiment had been ambitious even by his standards. His objective had been simple in theory, yet nearly impossible in execution.
To create a lifeform capable of harmonizing three opposing forces.
Divine energy.
Demonic power.
Spiritual essence.
Three authorities that normally rejected one another violently. Yet Twilight believed that if a vessel capable of containing them all could be created, it might produce a being unlike anything the world had ever seen.
A perfect balance—a Trinity existence.
Unfortunately, the results were disappointing. The magicule readings were nonexistent, no spiritual response, no sign of consciousness.
To Twilight, the conclusion was obvious. The vessel had failed to develop a viable soul. With a quiet sigh, he turned away from the experiment. "Dispose of it."
A pair of attendants standing near the chamber immediately bowed. "As you command, Lord Twilight."
The magical apparatus was deactivated and the liquid within the vessel slowly drained away. Moments later, the lifeless body of the child was removed and wrapped in cloth.
To Twilight Valentine, it was nothing more than another failed attempt. Another discarded creation in a long history of experiments.
Without another glance, the ancient being left the laboratory. He had already begun considering improvements for his next attempt. Behind him, the attendants carried the small body out of the chamber.
The night air outside was cold.
One of the attendants looked down at the motionless child briefly. "Strange... it looks almost human."
His companion shrugged. "Lord Twilight said it failed. That's all that matters."
With little ceremony, the wrapped body was placed onto a transport wagon along with other discarded materials from the laboratory.
The wagon began its slow journey away from the forest facility.
Hours later, as it passed along a quiet road near a small settlement...
Something unexpected happened. Deep within the seemingly lifeless body, something stirred. A faint pulse of energy flickered once.
Then again.
And far beyond the physical world, drifting in the endless abyss between life and death... A wandering soul felt itself being pulled toward a new vessel.
The cycle of destiny had begun once more.
[Line Break]
The road leading away from Twilight Valentine's hidden laboratory wound through a dense forest before eventually connecting to a small frontier settlement.
It was not a large village.
Just a scattering of wooden houses surrounded by fertile fields and thick woodland. Smoke rose lazily from chimneys as the villagers settled into the calm of the evening.
Among those returning home that day were a man and a woman walking along the narrow forest road.
The man was tall and broad-shouldered, his dark hair tied loosely behind his head. His clothing bore faint traces of magical residue, and a small charm engraved with ancient runes hung around his neck.
This was Arvind, a human known among the villagers as a skilled spirit summoner.
Beside him walked a woman with long dark hair that swayed gently with each step. Her gaze was sharp and observant, though her expression remained calm.
Her name was Shweta.
Unlike her husband, Shweta specialized in something far less common. She was a demon summoner.
Despite their unusual talents, the two of them were beloved within the settlement. Monsters rarely dared approach the area, and traveling merchants often spoke of the couple who protected the frontier village.
The evening air was cool, and the forest around them hummed softly with life.
Arvind stretched his arms as he walked. "Ahh... another peaceful day. Sometimes I wonder if the spirits are getting bored. Nothing interesting has happened for weeks."
Shweta glanced at him from the side. "You say that every time things are quiet."
"Well, quiet is good, but a little excitement now and then wouldn't hurt." Arvind responded with an arrogant smirk.
Shweta shook her head faintly. "Your idea of excitement usually involves monsters trying to tear the village apart."
"Details, details." Arvind chuckled, clearly amused by himself.
They continued walking along the road when something unusual caught Shweta's attention.
A wooden wagon had stopped near the roadside. It looked like a transport cart used for carrying supplies. Or... discarded materials.
Shweta slowed her steps.
Arvind noticed immediately. "What is it?"
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she stepped closer to the wagon.
Something about it felt strange. The faint scent of magicules lingered in the air.
Arvind followed her and peered inside the cart. Broken glass containers, used magical tools, discarded materials that looked like they had come from some kind of laboratory.
"Hmm... looks like someone dumped their trash here," he said.
But then Shweta noticed something else. Among the pile of discarded objects lay a small bundle wrapped in cloth.
Her eyes narrowed. "That... shouldn't be there."
Before Arvind could respond, she reached into the wagon and carefully lifted the bundle. It was surprisingly light.
For a moment, both of them remained silent. Then Shweta slowly unwrapped the cloth.
Inside was a small child. The boy looked no older than a few months. His skin was pale, and his body was completely still.
Arvind's expression changed instantly. "...Is he alive?"
Shweta placed two fingers lightly against the child's neck. For a moment she said nothing. Then—"...Yes."
A faint heartbeat pulsed beneath her fingers.
Arvind blinked in surprise. "Someone just... threw away a living child?"
Shweta examined the boy more closely. Something about him felt unusual. There was no visible magicule activity. No sign of illness. Yet he had been discarded alongside laboratory waste.
Which meant only one thing. "...An experiment."
Arvind frowned. "That's cruel even by mage standards."
For several seconds the couple remained silent. The forest wind rustled softly through the trees.
Finally Arvind scratched the back of his head, and smiled faintly. "Well... we can't just leave him here."
Shweta looked down at the child again. Despite everything, the boy looked peaceful. Almost as if he were simply sleeping.
Her expression softened slightly."...No."
Arvind scratched the back of his head as he leaned against the wagon. "Guess we're bringing him home then."
Shweta gently wrapped the child back in the cloth before lifting him carefully into her arms. For a moment the couple stood there in silence, the quiet forest surrounding them like a protective veil.
Arvind glanced at the child again. "...You know," he muttered, "if we bring him home, the villagers are going to ask questions."
Shweta raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly are you suggesting?"
"Well..." Arvind coughed awkwardly. "If we're bringing him home, then he's not just some child we found on the road."
Shweta looked down at the small face resting peacefully against the cloth. "...You're saying we should raise him."
Arvind shrugged with a casual grin. "We've talked about wanting a child before, haven't we?"
Shweta did not answer immediately.Instead, she gently brushed a strand of hair away from the baby's forehead. For reasons she could not quite explain, the child felt strangely... familiar.
As if fate itself had placed him in their path.
After a few seconds, she nodded. "...Very well."
Arvind's grin widened. "Great! Then the only thing left is deciding what to call him."
Shweta glanced up at him. "You already have something in mind, don't you?"
"Maybe." Arvind folded his arms thoughtfully before looking down at the child again. "This boy survived being thrown away like trash... and yet he's still alive."
His voice softened slightly. "That kind of thing doesn't happen without destiny involved."
Shweta listened quietly.
Arvind continued. "Then how about... Advait."
Shweta tilted her head slightly."Advait?"
"It means non-duality," Arvind explained with a small smile. "The idea that everything ultimately comes from the same source." He looked at the sleeping child again. "Creation, preservation, destruction... everything is just part of the same cycle."
Shweta's eyes softened. "...Advait."
The name felt strangely appropriate. Almost as if it had always belonged to him. "Very well," she said quietly.
From this moment onward... "This child's name is Advait." The moment the words left her lips—
Something shifted.
Far beyond the forest...
Beyond the physical world...
Deep within the newly named child's soul—A dormant consciousness finally awakened.
[Confirmed: Individual has been named—Advait]
[Soul synchronization complete]
The boy's fingers twitched slightly as a faint breath escaped his lips. Neither Arvind nor Shweta noticed the subtle change. To them, the child was still peacefully asleep.
Arvind stretched his shoulders. "Well then, Advait it is."
Shweta adjusted the cloth around the baby carefully before turning toward the village road."...Let's go home."
And with that, the three of them began walking back toward the settlement. None of them realized it yet...
But the small child in Shweta's arms would one day become a being capable of shaking the very foundations of the world one day.
Author's Notes:
Hey guys, it's me again, and I'm back with a new story, and a new fandom. At the moment Tensura is my favourite anime/light novel, and so I'm going to try and write my own version for it. For those who are a bit peeved about the Indian/Hindu influence of my character, I'm an Indian, and I am a Hindu, and quite frankly I resonate strongly with the ideals of the Trinity and the Pārabrhama.
And to those who are offended by the MC taking the side of the Asuras, in Hinduism, neither side is completely good nor completely evil. There have been both virtuous Asuras and Ignoble Devas throughout time. In any case, this is the only chapter that will have direct references towards these elements, and so if you take any offence, I guess it's unintentional, but also, please deal with it...
A Special Mention to Golden_Slime, this story majorly follows his/her story: In The World Of Tensura Way Too Early, Another Route. Of course it is not a complete copy-paste, and I've obviously added my own ideas.