Dev moved like a phantom through the shadows of the ancient world, his path illuminated only by the burning ambition within him. His rebirth had gifted him strength beyond measure, but strength alone would not be enough. If he was to reclaim the Brahmāstra, he needed more.

  The Agnyastra was the first piece of the puzzle. Fire, his oldest ally, would serve as his foundation. But there were more astras scattered across the land, hidden away by those who had betrayed him. The Vāyustra, the Varunāstra, the Bhūmiastra—each an embodiment of nature’s raw force. He would claim them all.

  His journey led him to an abandoned fortress, once a stronghold of the Brahmānsh warriors who had fought to seal him away. The walls were crumbling, vines creeping through the cracks, yet the power that lay dormant within was undeniable. This was where the Agnyastra had been hidden.

  Dev stepped forward, his footsteps echoing against the hollow stone. The air around him sizzled, his presence alone igniting embers that had long since turned to dust. As he reached the heart of the fortress, a deep voice rang through the chamber.

  “You have come for what is not yours.”

  A figure emerged from the shadows, an old warrior adorned in battle-worn robes. His hands were weathered, but the fire in his eyes had not dimmed.

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  “You are unworthy, Dev.”

  Dev smirked, rolling his shoulders as flames licked up his arms. “Then try and stop me.”

  The air ignited as the warrior lunged, flames clashing against flames. Their battle was a dance of destruction, a symphony of fire and fury. Dev fought with the rage of the forsaken, his strikes fueled by the betrayal that had cast him into the abyss.

  But his opponent was a guardian, forged in discipline and bound by duty. Every strike Dev landed was countered, every flame met with an equal and opposite force. For the first time since his rebirth, Dev felt resistance.

  He welcomed it.

  Hours passed like moments as their battle raged. The fortress groaned under the weight of their fury, its stones crumbling as fire consumed them. Dev knew he had to end this, to take what was his.

  Summoning every ounce of his power, he unleashed a final strike—a wave of fire so intense it turned the very air to ash. The warrior staggered, his defenses faltering. Dev moved swiftly, his hand closing around the elder’s throat.

  “You cannot stop what has already begun.”

  With a final, searing blast, the warrior fell. The Agnyastra, now free from its seal, pulsed in Dev’s grasp, merging with his already formidable power. He closed his eyes, feeling the flames surge through him, solidifying his dominance.

  Far away, across the land, Shiva’s eyes snapped open. He had felt it—the shift, the imbalance. Dev had taken his first step towards ultimate power.

  With renewed urgency, Shiva turned to Guruji. “Tell me what I must do.”

  His journey had begun.