King of Devas

"Quick!" On the other side, Hiranyakashipu's expression was tense with urgency. He nearly outran his own legions, plunging through layers of void and across vast stretches of space.

Boom!

As soon as Hiranyakashipu returned to Patala, he shot toward the Asura Temple like a meteor streaking across the sky. He looked down, the landscape of Patala passing beneath him in a blur.

But soon...

He noticed something amiss. The surroundings were eerily silent, almost unnaturally so. The area was pristine, untouched—no sign of bloodshed, no evidence of a battle.

"What is this?!" Hiranyakashipu's expression darkened. A wave of realization hit him, and his unease deepened.

As he reached the Asura Temple, the figures of Puloman and Viprachitti came into view, walking side by side with a group of Asura guards flanking them.

Boom!

Without slowing down, Hiranyakashipu crashed to the ground like a meteor, landing in a massive crater. His powerful strike sent shockwaves through the Patala, and he waved his hand violently, clearing the rising smoke with a gust of wind.

His golden eyes scanned the two figures before him.

Puloman instinctively recoiled, taking a half step back in surprise.

"King?"

"When did you come back?" Viprachitti asked confusion and surprise clear in his voice. He raised one hand to his chest, gesturing a respectful bow.

Something about their reaction was all wrong.

A sinking feeling settled in Hiranyakashipu's gut, his suspicions quickly taking root. He stood motionless for a moment, the weight of his growing anger reflected in the deepening scowl on his face.

"Is everything alright in Patala?" Hiranyakashipu's voice came out hoarse, each word struggling to escape from his throat.

"King, everything is normal!" Viprachitti answered, his tone calm, though a flicker of uncertainty flashed in his eyes.

Hiranyakashipu's face twisted in fury, his silence amplifying the weight of his anger. Without a word, he spun around and launched himself into the sky with a resounding bang.

Moments later, he crashed into a palace like a meteor. His feet barely touched the ground before he stormed inside, his pace relentless. There, he found his wife, a beautiful Asura woman, Sumukhi, cradling a child in her arms as she breastfed.

"Husband, have you returned victorious?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips. "No wonder Prahlada suddenly stopped crying!"

She looked up in surprise, the joy on her face quickly fading as she saw the rage in Hiranyakashipu's eyes. His face was bloodshot, and a deep, unsettling gloom hung around him. The sight of her husband's fury startled her, and she instinctively rocked the child in her arms, trying to calm the tense atmosphere.

But Hiranyakashipu wasn't listening.

"That lying dev...!" he growled, his voice trembling with rage.

"Indra!!"

"Rahu!!!"

His pupils turned blood red as his hair whipped around him in a frenzy, his powerful, terrifying form trembling slightly. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked, letting out a bloodcurdling roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of the palace.

He had been deceived. Betrayed.

"Damn Indra! Damn him to the depths of hell!" he screamed, his rage boiling over.

Boom!

The entire palace shook with the force of his fury. Without a second thought, Hiranyakashipu rose from the ground like a tempest, crashing through the palace walls in an instant. He shot straight toward Svarga, his body propelled forward by the sheer force of his wrath.

He was like a furious bull, a shooting star streaking toward Svarga, consumed by the humiliation and anger of having been played by his enemy. The dark, destructive nature that had always lurked within him was now fully unleashed, filling him with an uncontrollable rage.

The Asura Legions, who had just returned, were caught off guard by the unstoppable force of the "meteor" that Hiranyakashipu had become. The impact was catastrophic, like a natural disaster in motion, shattering the statues and sending them crashing to the ground. The shockwave of air tore through everything in its path.

Rishi Shukracharya, who had been observing from a distance, stumbled as the force of the impact rattled him. He looked up, his eyes widening at the sight of Hiranyakashipu's flying figure.

"Hiranyakashipu!" Rishi Shukracharya gasped, his voice filled with surprise.

Moments later, Viprachitti appeared, soaring toward the scene with confusion in his eyes.

"What happened to the king?!" Viprachitti called out, his voice tinged with concern. "Did you lose?"

He was baffled by the sight, unable to understand what had just unfolded.

Rishi Shukracharya looked at the confused Viprachitti, his voice sharp with disbelief. "Your son Rahu hasn't returned?!"

"Ah! My son is still alive?" Viprachitti's body swayed slightly, his eyes widening with shock.

The realization hit Rishi Shukracharya like a bolt of lightning. He understood now—he had been deceived by Indra, just like Hiranyakashipu. Not only had the King of Svarga tricked Hiranyakashipu, but he had also outwitted the teacher of Asura, leading him down a false path. A sense of shame washed over him.

He had been the teacher of Asura for countless eons, revered for his wisdom, yet he had fallen for Indra's deception.

"!!!"

"Damn him!" Rishi Shukracharya's rage erupted in a roar that echoed through the sky. His eyes burned with fury. Without hesitation, he lifted his snake staff high and turned toward the Asura Legions behind him. "Return to Svarga! We will make them pay!"

With a wave of his hand, Rishi Shukracharya soared into the sky, the Asura Legions close behind him, their massive presence ready to strike.

Only Viprachitti remained on the ground, still stunned and confused, trying to make sense of the chaos unfolding around him. "What about my son?" he murmured to himself.

…

Boom!

Hiranyakashipu, consumed by fury, crashed into Svarga like a meteor, his body plummeting through the sky, scattering clouds in all directions. The deafening explosion of his impact shook the heavens.

"Indra!" he roared, his voice reverberating with primal rage. "Indra!"

His body, bloodshot and crackling with energy, surged with power. Muscles bulged like rolling naga coils, veins pulsing with fiery blood that flowed like the Ganges. The terrifying shockwaves from his rage sent ripples through the air, shattering the white clouds around him.

Svarga lay in ruins, empty of its divine inhabitants... or so it seemed.

But there was something else. Something waiting.

Hiranyakashipu gritted his teeth, his bloodshot eyes narrowing as he scanned the Svarga. There, in the center, atop a cloud of pure white, sat a golden throne. It was draped with divine satin cushions and radiated a brilliance so intense it seemed to outshine the very heavens.

His anger flared as he marched toward it, each step heavy with fury.

"King of Svarga!" he roared, his voice shaking the air itself.

With a roar of pure rage, he grasped the sides of the throne. His powerful arms exploded with divine energy, lifting the throne effortlessly, as though it were nothing more than a toy. The golden throne rose high, bathed in a brilliant light that shimmered like a rainbow, like sunlight dancing across the water, like the silvery traces of the moon. It cast radiant beams of brilliance across Svarga.

Hiranyakashipu stared at the throne, his bloodshot gaze seething with contempt. His chest heaved, and the air around him seemed to vibrate with the weight of his fury.

Boom!

He slammed the throne down with a cold grunt, his expression twisted in disgust. Spinning on his heel, he waved his robe in a flourish and seated himself on the throne, gripping the golden sword that lay beside him.

A wave of satisfaction washed over him as his body sank into the throne, a deep sense of comfort flooding through him.

"Despicable Indra..." Hiranyakashipu muttered under his breath. "What qualifications does he have to sit on such a throne? A coward who only knows how to run away!"

His anger simmered down, replaced by a dangerous pride as he leaned back, his hands resting on the throne's arms. Slowly, he began to shift his weight, rubbing his backside against the seat like a child playing with a new toy.

"Svarga belongs to me now," he declared, his voice full of arrogant certainty.

As he sat there, his thoughts turned inward. "Brother, I can do what you couldn't. I can achieve what you never would."

He closed his eyes slowly, his breathing steadying as he focused his immense power. His energy spread out across Svarga like ripples on a pond, the very fabric of the realm responding to his call. It was as though he had become one with Svarga, the power of the realm gathering and surging back into his body, making him feel unstoppable.

At that moment, Rishi Shukracharya arrived, flying in with the Asura Legions behind him. His eyes immediately locked onto Hiranyakashipu, sitting proudly on the golden throne, and he felt the tremendous surge of power emanating from his comrade.

"Hiranyakashipu!" Rishi Shukracharya shouted, a mix of awe and concern in his voice. "What have you done?"

Hiranyakashipu opened his eyes, a maniacal grin spreading across his face. The power that surged through his body filled him with an almost intoxicating excitement.

"My power is endless!" he roared, his laughter echoing throughout Svarga, reverberating through the very clouds.

Rishi Shukracharya could feel it—an overwhelming wave of power, like a storm ready to break. Hiranyakashipu had transformed, and the heavens themselves trembled before him.

Hiranyakashipu rose from the golden throne, his imposing figure towering as he opened his arms wide. Each step he took toward Rishi Shukracharya carried an air of unyielding authority, his voice ringing out like thunder.

"From this day forward, Svarga will belong to the Asuras!" he declared, his tone brimming with unshakable resolve. "The entire Tri Loka will bow before us!"

His fists clenched tightly as visions of his enemies flashed in his mind—figures bathed in divine light, their gazes piercing with the cold fire of hatred.

"Vishnu," he spat, his voice dripping venom. "And Indra!" His roar echoed through the skies, his disdain palpable.

Hiranyakashipu's eyes burned with a fiery intensity, his voice resounding like the roar of a tempest as he declared his will to the heavens and earth. "Hear me, all who dwell within the Tri Loka! From this moment forth, let no prayers be offered to Vishnu! Let no hymn of praise be sung to Indra! Let the trembling Devas, those craven usurpers, receive neither offering nor reverence!"

He paused, his gaze a piercing flame that swept across the gathered Asuras, commanding their unwavering loyalty.

"From this day, the people of the Tri Loka shall bow only to me—the true lords of existence! And they shall revere but one sovereign, one ruler above all…" His voice rose, a thunderclap of defiance that shook the firmament itself. "Hiranyakashipu! The undisputed King of the Tri Loka!"

The proclamation hung heavy in the air, the sheer weight of his words sending shockwaves through his audience.

Rishi Shukracharya's eyes widened, his composure faltering as the enormity of Hiranyakashipu's ambitions became clear. For a moment, the great Rishi was frozen, caught between awe and alarm.

Brahmaloka

In the radiant city of Amravati, Indra stood at the gates, his sharp gaze fixed on the horizon. In the distance, the sun chariot gleamed as Gandharvas leaped gracefully from its celestial platform. The divine horse pulling the chariot snorted, white-hot air streaming from its nostrils like trails of fire.

Indra's expression hardened, his brows furrowing as an unsettling sensation washed over him. A faint weakness crept into his body, gnawing at the edges of his divine strength.

"Without Svarga… my power has begun to wane," he murmured, his voice laced with concern. His hand instinctively gripped his Vajra tighter.

Yet, amidst the encroaching vulnerability, a strange realization dawned upon him. He closed his eyes, sensing the shift within.

"But…" he said, his voice tinged with surprise, "the power of my penance… it's growing stronger!"

Indra's eyes snapped open, a mixture of shock and determination flashing within them. He straightened, the divine resolve of the King of Devas rekindling as he prepared for the trials that lay ahead.

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