Indra could feel his body growing stronger, surging with divine power.
Beneath his golden divine form, his blood flowed endlessly, like the sacred Ganges River, coursing through him with unstoppable vitality. Every muscle in his body pulsed like the mighty king of Nagas, thrumming with energy, as if countless Gandharvas were singing in harmony, their voices resonating with life itself.
Though his divine form had not expanded significantly, it had still grown.
"Good!" Indra thought, his resolve sharpening.
Simply amassing raw power was meaningless. Strength without wisdom was nothing more than an empty boast. In this age, divine chariots and celestial weapons decided the fate of battles. No matter how great his physical prowess, brute force alone could not turn the tide of war. The Asuras remained unshaken, unyielding, impervious, their might tempered by ancient sorcery and unbreakable will.
If before he could take a single blow from an Asura, now he could withstand two.
In a way, that was progress.
"I have consumed the Amrita Bhojana," Indra declared, his voice resolute. "Now, all that remains is victory!"
He turned his gaze toward the battlefield, ready to face Hayagriva.
The devas, however, were momentarily distracted, their eyes shifting toward the clean, golden plate before them.
The plate gleamed softly under the sunlight, utterly spotless. Not a single grain of rice remained. It was clear that Mohini had been meticulous and nothing was left behind.
A wave of disappointment swept through the devas.
"He didn't even leave us any Amrita Bhojana..." Vayu murmured.
"I wanted to taste it too," Surya grumbled.
"I wanted to eat as well... and I wanted that Rupa Sundari to feed me," Sumo muttered wistfully. "By the way, what was her name?"
"I don't know," Agni admitted, shaking his head. "I forgot to ask."
"You didn't ask?" Varuna sighed.
"Neither did I," Vayu added.
For a brief moment, the devas exchanged glances, their expressions tinged with regret. Twice they had seen that enchanting figure, and twice they had failed to ask for a name.
What a shame.
Indra took in their disheartened expressions and let out a sharp breath.
"Enough sulking!" he commanded. "Once we defeat Hayagriva, we will reclaim our glory and grandeur! Let the Asuras witness the true power of the devas!"
His voice rang with conviction.
"Let us take back everything that belongs to us in the Asura world!"
A battle cry rose in response, and the heavens trembled in anticipation.
Hearing this, the devas took a deep breath, their eyes narrowing with determination.
This was all the Asuras' fault.
Vayu smirked, the winds around him howling like a coming storm. "Bring it on! Let's see if the Asuras can stand against a true tempest!"
Agni's flames roared to life, crackling with uncontained fury. "I can't wait any longer! I'll burn everything in my path until not even ashes remain!"
Surya's golden radiance flared, casting light that banished all shadows. "Come at us! Let them feel the scorching fury of the sun itself!"
Soma chuckled, his voice smooth yet brimming with excitement. "Let's see if they can handle us! I'll drown them in an endless tide, washing away their arrogance for good!"
Their battle cries echoed through the heavens, shaking the very fabric of the world. The war was upon them.
…
In the next instant, Indra led the devas skyward, their figures streaking through the sky like bolts of divine light. They ascended toward the boundless expanse where Svarga and the mortal realm met beneath the shimmering tapestry of stars.
Vishnu watched their departure, his lips curling into a knowing smile. He did not follow. There was no need. Fate had already begun to weave its design, and soon, the destiny of Hayagriva would unfold before him.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Streaks of divine light shot through the cosmos, cutting across the boundless sky where billions of stars shimmered like celestial jewels. The devas traveled at impossible speeds, their divine auras trailing behind them in radiant arcs. Mandala Mountain stood at the heart of this expanse, its sacred presence exuding an ethereal glow, surrounded by constellations burning with ancient power.
Then, another force surged from a distance, an army of Asuras brimming with overwhelming energy, their presence as blinding as falling stars. Their sheer might instantly seized the devas' attention.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The devas landed upon a luminous star, the impact shaking its celestial surface. Their gazes locked onto a single figure.
Hayagriva.
His long, flowing mane shimmered like molten gold, rippling in the cosmic winds. He stood at the forefront of the Asura host, his massive blue form exuding a destructive power that sent ripples through space itself. Every step he took cracked the star beneath his hooves, and his aura, wild and untamed, crackled like a storm barely contained.
"Did you bring your wager?" Hayagriva asked, his voice carrying the weight of the heavens and the underworld alike.
Indra turned his head slightly.
Neighhh!
A divine steed stepped forward. Its coat is as white as freshly fallen snow, its mane flowing like liquid silver, and its hooves striking the star's surface with the force of distant thunder. Light radiated from its very being, illuminating the battlefield with an otherworldly glow.
Indra smiled. "Of course. This is a horse unmatched in all the Triloka. No Asura could ever hope to surpass it. Pure, unparalleled, and divine!"
Hayagriva exhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring. He had no patience for empty words. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured his weapon of choice.
Whirrrr!
A brilliant flash of divine energy split the void.
Before them, a massive Cross Game chessboard materialized, hovering in the air like a divine construct of fate itself.
Hayagriva sat upon his ornate chair, his every movement exuding the air of a conqueror. Without breaking his piercing gaze from Indra, he raised his hand and in his palm, two rectangular dice appeared, rolling between his fingers with a slow, deliberate motion. The sound of their edges clicking against each other was like bones grinding, a chilling promise of what was to come.
Boom!
Invisible thunder rumbled across the battlefield, crackling through the fabric of space.
Hayagriva's mane lashed in the celestial winds, his piercing eyes reflecting a maelstrom of untamed lightning, each flicker a glimpse into his indomitable will. The heavens themselves seemed to shudder at his presence.
Then, he spoke.
"Indra."
His voice was deep, guttural, carrying the weight of a storm.
Indra! Indra! Indra!
The name echoed across the starry abyss, vibrating through the cosmic expanse like an omen of fate. A cold smile played on Hayagriva's lips.
"Come, then."
His grip tightened on the dice, fingers clenching with the force of a god. "Before the great King of the Asuras, prepare to taste defeat!"
The devas tensed, their divine energy flaring instinctively, the moment of reckoning upon them. The tension in the air was suffocating.
Yet Indra only smirked. Lightning coiled around him, flickering in his golden eyes, a silent challenge woven into the very fabric of his being. He took a step forward, his presence as immovable as the heavens themselves.
"Do you truly believe you are the first to stand against me?" His words rumbled through the expanse, each syllable crackling like thunder.
He let the silence stretch, the weight of history pressing down upon them like an unbroken storm.
"Hiranyaksha thought his strength unmatched, yet I watched as Vishnu cast him down into the abyss. Hiranyakashipu called himself eternal, but in the end, even he was torn apart, his boasts silenced beneath Narasimha's claws."
Indra chuckled, low and knowing, the sound sending shivers through the gathered Asuras.
"And now you stand before me, gripping your little dice like they hold the power to change your fate. Tell me, Hayagriva, what makes you think you will succeed where they have failed? What claim do you have to victory when your predecessors were stronger, greater, more feared, still they crumbled before divine wrath?"
He raised his hand, and the sky rumbled in response, thunder rolling like the laughter of the heavens.
"The last two Asura Kings thought themselves invincible." His smirk widened, lightning flashing behind his eyes. "Shall I show you how wrong they were?"
A deep, guttural chuckle rumbled from Hayagriva's throat, low and deliberate, the sound of a storm gathering on the horizon. His piercing gaze did not waver.
"You speak of the past, Indra, clinging to victories that were never yours." He rolled the dice between his fingers, the edges glowing with a faint, eerie light. "Hiranyaksha fell to Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu was torn apart by Narasimha. You, however?" His smirk widened. "You are neither of them. You are no Vishnu. You are no Narasimha. You are merely Indra, a king who rules the svarga by privilege, not by power."
He took a step forward, his hooves striking the ground with the weight of a decree.
"Tell me, King of the Devas, how many battles have you won without the Trimurti to shield you?" His voice dipped lower, mocking. "How many wars have you survived without running to Vishnu's feet, begging for salvation?"
The Asuras behind him growled in approval, their dark auras flaring in defiance.
"This game is not like the battles of old." Hayagriva's grip on the dice tightened. "This time, there will be no god to save you."
Lightning flashed between them, splitting the sky in two.
Surya's eyes burned with barely contained rage, his divine radiance flickering with his fury. Agni clenched his fists, heat rippling from his knuckles like embers threatening to ignite. Vayu's jaw tightened, his breath ragged as if struggling to hold back a storm. Varuna, the lord of the seas, looked on with deep-seated resentment, his gaze dark like the depths of an uncharted ocean. And Soma, the moon deity, lowered his head, his usual silver brilliance dimmed with shame, unwilling to speak.
They all remembered. The last time they had played this cursed game, they had lost. Lost everything, Svarga itself, their celestial kingdom, gambled away like a fool's wager.
"Haha," Indra's chuckle cut through the silence like a jagged blade.
Swaggering, he lounged opposite Hayagriva, his golden eyes locked onto Hayagriva. He grinned—a grin dripping with contempt, confidence, and something else. Something dangerous.
"The game of chausar is a fine game," Indra admitted, his voice smooth, almost playful. Then, his smirk widened. "But it's a pity. I'm not here to play with you."
The moment the words left his lips, Indra's fist clenched like the heavens themselves were tightening around his wrath. His massive arm shot downward like a divine hammer of judgment.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion erupted as his strike met the chessboard. Lightning crashed down like the fury of a storm god unleashed. The board shattered instantly, fragments scattering in all directions like shards of a broken destiny.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Splinters of the divine game shot through the air, tearing through the silence with a violent finality.
The Asuras froze. Their dice, suspended mid-roll, fell lifelessly to the shattered remains of the board.
For a brief moment, the world itself seemed to hold its breath.
Then, their eyes locked.
Indra and Hayagriva, the challenger and the guardian of the bet, stared each other down in the void. Furious lightning crackled between them, clashing against the roaring inferno of Hayagriva's anger.
The Asura generals tensed, hands gripping their weapons. One word from Hayagriva, and they would charge. One commonality and the battlefield would descend into bloodshed.
But Indra did not flinch. Instead, he smiled—a calm, knowing smile, like the quiet before a storm.
"Hayagriva, remember this well." His voice rang clear and commanding, an unshakable decree woven into the very fabric of the cosmos. "I am the challenger."
The skies held their breath. The Devas stood unmoving, their divine auras flickering like steady flames in the wind.
"And under Dharma, it is I who determines the course of this game."
Each syllable struck like a hammer upon the cosmic anvil.
Boom!
A surge of divine lightning erupted around him, splitting the sky with its brilliance. The battlefield trembled beneath his power, and for an instant, the very stars seemed to flicker in deference.
Hayagriva's mane bristled, the celestial winds lashing through his wild locks. His breathing sharpened, heavy with the weight of his fury. The dice in his grasp trembled, not with doubt, but with the sheer force of his grip. The friction between his fingers grew harsh, almost unbearable. He wanted to crush them. He wanted to crush everything.
But then, he exhaled.
A low, mirthless chuckle rumbled from his throat. "Heh…"
"Of course, I abide by Dharma," Hayagriva growled through gritted teeth.
He knew the truth well. Vishnu, the cosmic preserver, always stood behind the Devas. Should an Asura ever stray from Dharma, Vishnu would intervene, just as he had against Hiranyaksha, just as he had against Hiranyakashipu. Just as he always would.
Now was not the time to defy fate. Not yet.
Hayagriva clenched his dice tighter, his jaw tightening before he finally forced himself to nod. "Very well. I accept your challenge."
Indra's grin widened, his presence as unshakable as the thunderclouds that heralded the rains. "Good."
He spread his arms, his stance effortless yet brimming with divine authority.
"This is the spirit of one who understands Dharma, Hayagriva."
Then, his golden eyes glinted with something akin to amusement.
"You may be more wretched in form than Hiranyaksha and more prideful than Hiranyakashipu, but at least you grasp the laws of the cosmos better than they did. I'll grant you that much."
He tilted his head, a smirk playing on his lips. "Now then, I accept your dice."
Hayagriva's breath hitched.
Use his dice?
A slow, wicked grin stretched across his face. If Indra was willing to play by his rules, then perhaps… perhaps fate had not abandoned him just yet.
---
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