With grace, confidence, and determination, Ranvijay raised his voice as his speech neared its conclusion.
"Except Padma, Ayaan Ranade and Dev Kollari, Rathore, and Holders of Sword, stand up."
Ayaan and Dev observed as several individuals rose to their feet. Ranvijay continued without pause, "Just like your task hide in shadows. You all know how to counterattack the Hollow Pact. Now, Rathore and Holders of Bow, please stand. You will all follow the orders of General Rathore."
Ayaan glanced over and noticed something different in Rathore's demeanor. He murmured under his breath, "Captain Rathore was supposed to be the commander-in-chief of this mission… so why is he acting like he's only leading this group? And what's the meaning behind those strange symbols?"
"Now Bhairava and Holders of Shie—" Ranvijay suddenly paused. His eyes closed briefly, as if something inside him tensed.
He resumed smoothly, "Holders of Shield. We all know our president, Aditya Rajan, is baiting himself. Your task is to protect him in the shadows."
Ayaan perked up at that line, only to be more confused by what came next.
"Now our special resources. Dev Kollari and Ayaan Ve—" Another brief pause. Ranvijay's expression tightened slightly before correcting himself, "Ayaan Ranade, please stand up."
As Ayaan slowly rose, a ripple of confusion flickered through his mind. He murmured softly, "Just like during my Crowning Glory… President Aditya accidentally called me by the wrong name. And now Mr. Ranvijay too? It's probably nothing just a coincidence. Ignore it."
Ranvijay glanced at Ayaan with something unspoken in his eyes. Then, with a composed expression, he continued,
"Dev and Ayaan are our special resources, personally recommended by General Rathore. I heard Ayaan excels in sniping, which is why we've provided a custom-made sniper rifle for this mission. Dev, your responsibility is to support him."
Ayaan's eyes narrowed as he looked at the specialized weapon.
Ranvijay began to explain its capabilities: "Ayaan, we've assigned you to a vantage point that covers the entire venue of the singing competition. With so many civilians present, identifying Hollow Pact members openly would risk everything. That's why your sniper rifle has three key features in two distinct modes."
"First feature—regardless of their appearance, Hollow Pact operatives carry an unmistakable trait: the intent to kill. Your scope can scan for this murder intent and tag them."
"Second feature—the sniper has a Shadow Mode. In this mode, your shots emit an infrared laser that destroys the target from the inside out. This leaves no visible trace. Nearby holders of Sword or Bow will locate the tagged targets and dispose of them discreetly."
"Third feature—Destroyer Mode. This fires a real bullet and is only to be used under extreme conditions. For this mission, it is not to be activated unless directly ordered."
He paused, his gaze firm, before asking, "Both of you any questions?"
Ayaan and Dev responded in unison, "No."
Ranvijay's stern face softened with a brief smile. "Good. Then let's begin Operation SBS. Prevent the bomb blast. End this in the shadows."
With determination, everyone stood ready.
But Ayaan whispered to himself, "Then what about the spear?" The memory of the fake butler who attempted to assassinate Riya echoed in his mind: "She was involved with spear."
Noticing Ayaan's puzzled expression, Dev nudged him. "What happened to you, man? Are you worried about Anaya's safety?"
Ayaan nodded, his brows furrowed. "Yeah... but there's something bothering me."
"What?" Dev asked curiously.
Ayaan looked around and lowered his voice. "Based on Mr. Ranvijay's words, Operation SBS means Operation Sword, Bow, and Shield. Then... what about Spear?"
Dev froze for a second. The image of a shadowed figure holding a dagger flashed in his mind. "Spear, huh..."
Ayaan continued swiftly, "Also... do you remember those words from the fake butler? He said Riya was involved with Spear. We tried asking her, but she's been... distant. I feel like Riya's hiding something from us."
Dev smirked teasingly. "When did you start focusing on Riya? You already have Anaya."
Ayaan shot him a glare.
Suddenly, a loud engine roared. A military truck started up in the distance.
Padma's voice cut through the air. "Brandless bastard! And Dev! It's time for you to leave!"
Both Ayaan and Dev responded at once. "Oof, we're coming!"
---
In a decaying old mansion shrouded in shadows, a youth attempted to remove his mask. But he was interrupted by a firm voice from the corner.
"Ajay, I told you—don't remove your mask."
Ajay's voice was cold. "Father, it's suffocating. Why the hell are we here? Why not just bomb the venue directly? And who the f** are these people? They look... poor."*
His father hissed, "Shh! Don't talk nonsense here. You don't know anything about them. I didn't want to involve you... but for my political rise, I had no choice."
Suddenly, a high-pitched metallic screech echoed through the room. Ajay flinched, blood trickling from his ears. Furious, he began to shout, "Who the f** mak—"*
His father slapped a hand over Ajay's mouth and forced him to kneel.
Ajay's eyes widened. From beneath a dark hood, a figure emerged. He couldn't make out the face but the sight of that man's feet alone made him feel sick. As he tried to raise his gaze, a crushing weight pressed onto his shoulders.
"What the hell is happening..." he murmured.
A chilling voice responded, "Oh? I heard someone murmuring. Wondering what the hell is happening? Then let me answer..."
A metallic clang rang out.
Ajay's leg was suddenly drenched in warm fluid. Blood.
His eyes widened in horror.
Ajay's father, trembling, spoke. "I'm sorry, Mr. V... this is only my second time seeing the regrouping. That's why—"
He was cut off by a voice like iron scraping bone.
"Oh... it's you, Bhanupratap. And this must be your son. He looks... functional. But because of him, I lost two of my personal toys."
A cruel chuckle followed.
"Still... you're valuable to me. But your worth hasn't covered my loss. So tell me, what's your price?"
Bhanupratap hesitated. "Mr. V... about the price—"
"Shhhhhh." The figure lifted a sword slowly. "I've decided. Your son will be my new toy."
Ajay growled, trying to rise, but his father held him down.
Mr. V raised his voice to the surrounding shadows.
"It's been 1.5 years since the bombing of Numn University. And we would have succeeded if not for one unknown variable... one of the five survivors. Our Fouth founder of the Council of Six predicted that same variable might appear again during the final day of the Singing Competition. The Hollow Pact will lead the operation... and this time, we will eliminate that variable."
He paced slowly, eyes gleaming.
"I heard from Shunyavakta—the leader of Hollow Pact—that Rudra, the president's bodyguard has been hunting down major troops of hollow pact. It means... Rudra already knows about the identity of that unknown variable and . That's why I personally got involved."
His voice thundered.
"People of the Council of Six... members of Hollow Pact... we must kill that unknown variable before the upcoming war begins. Like Numn University no mercy."
Ajay, still on his knees, muttered in disbelief, "I knew my father was corrupt... but why the hell is he involved with these people?"
Mr. V's gaze turned toward him.
"The Choudhary family..." he hissed. "Don't forget that girl. Her name is Riya. I don't care what you do but I want to hear that she's dead."
Ajay's lips curved into a twisted smile as an image of Riya came to mind.
"Anaya... I don't give a damn about any of this. But I'll definitely enjoy tearing apart your little friend Riya."
---
In a taxi, Anaya and her friends noticed heightened security as they neared the venue.
Suddenly, the driver was stopped by police. One officer approached and asked, "Are you participants or visitors?"
Anaya responded confidently, showing a verified identity card. "I'm one of the participants in the finals."
The officer began checking the identities of the four ladies in the car. Upon seeing Riya's card, his expression changed. He started sweating slightly as he said, "I'm sorry for interrupting Miss Riya's vehicle. Madam Riya, your father, Mr. Ranveer, is here today. Please... don't mention this incident to him."
Riya, with a somber expression, muttered, "So my father is here... it's been three weeks."
Anaya gently patted Riya's shoulder.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Riya shouted, "I already told you this morning—stop patting me like I'm some kitty!"
The girls then stepped out of the car.
Just then, Anaya received a call.
"Hello, Ayaan. Finally remembered me?" she answered, smiling.
Ayaan interrupted, "You look beautiful."
Anaya blushed slightly. "You saw me? But I didn't see you."
"It's okay. No need to look for me. Just focus on winning the finals. I'll meet you soon."
Anaya, now with a worried tone, said, "I'll definitely win the trophy, but right now, I just want to see where you are..."
From a rooftop, looking at her through binoculars, Ayaan replied, "I already told you... wait for me."
With a bit of hesitation, Anaya asked, "Just like before, I'll wait for you. Ayaan... I love you. Will you love me?"
Ayaan, calmly, said, "I... I also love you. See you soon."
With confidence drawn from the call, Anaya entered the venue, murmuring to herself, "Finally, it begins... the first obstacle for my future husband, Ayaan." Her gaze fell on Aditya Rajan, the president, seated on the guest judge's chair. "I don't know why this loop has changed... but since you're personally involved this time, don't disappoint me, foster father."
From his seat, Aditya watched her and murmured, "I will definitely regain my faith in you, Anaya."
Back on the rooftop, while prepping equipment, Dev paused and spotted the shadow of an axe flicker above. He looked up.nothing. Brushing it off, he turned and asked, "So, are you ready, Ayaan?"
Ayaan examined the sniper in his hands. "This sniper's definitely different from the usual... I like it. Yes, Dev. I'm ready."
Meanwhile, behind the venue, a shadowed figure spun his axe and murmured, "Looks like all the players have taken their positions on the chessboard."