Inside the Command Center
In confusion, Ranvijay asked,
"What do you mean original symbol? If I remember correctly, Rudra , Aditya's bodyguard is the founder of the spear, right?"
Padma, her voice low and uncertain, replied,
"Yes… but Rudra is the current founder of the spear under Project-M. Eswar was the previous one. I only heard pieces from Rathore… but Eswar was the only person who truly understood the original motives and real goals behind Project-M.
He went on a secret mission after the Numn University tragedy… and somehow returned… but just two days later, we got news of his death. No one knows what really happened.
And you already know because we failed to stop the Numn incident, President Aditya attempted suicide… and that's when Rudra appeared out of nowhere."
Padma paused, her gaze blank.
"I only met Rudra twice. He looked... fat, slow, and very ordinary. I still don't understand why Aditya made him the new founder of the spear."
Ranvijay scratched his chin, brow furrowed.
"Hmm. Let's ignore it for now. Communication is back, so I won't act in person unless absolutely needed.
First, don't tell anyone about the original symbol. We'll handle that privately with Rathore and the President.
Second, alert all holders of the Bow—they need to scan the entire singing competition venue. There's a 90% probability someone planted a bomb.
Third, get the full update on casualties from our units during the blackout."
Padma let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Understood, Mr. Ranvijay."
Ranvijay noticed the beads of sweat still glistening on Padma's forehead.
He leaned closer.
"You're worried about Dev, aren't you?"
Padma responded calmly, but her eyes betrayed her emotion.
"Not only my son Dev… but my friend's daughter was also kidnapped. Dev followed the truck. When I managed to contact him… I heard his voice exhausted, trembling. and riya was crying ."
Ranvijay folded his arms with a sigh.
"Ayaan's not a close-combat fighter. You know that.
To cover him, Dev will push himself harder. But right now, the two are separated. And then...."
Padma tilted her head.
"Then...?"
Ranvijay's lips curled into a slight smile.
"I heard something from Rathore. He said those two people know about Ayaan and Dev. So let's...."
---
Inside an old building.
A woman cried, holding her husband's bleeding stomach. He clutched her tightly, glancing at their daughter, who knelt beside a young man Dev badly injured and barely conscious.
With a choked voice, the man slammed his fist against the floor, sobbing.
"Latha… I've failed as Police Commissioner. I saw that bastard take our daughter hostage. If Dev hadn't been here… I can't imagine…"
His eyes landed on Riya, tears streaking her face.
"Riya… please don't cry…"
Latha knelt beside Dev, calmly but sadly tying a makeshift bandage over his head wound. Then, seeing Riya's handbag, she asked,
"Riya, if your phone's in your bag—call an ambulance now."
Wiping her tears, Riya nodded quietly.
"Okay, Mom…"
As she opened her bag, she saw the gun Rathore had given her. Her fingers trembled.
"You were right, Rathore… You warned me about that bastard Ajay… We ignored you… I shouldn't have hesitated…"
Suddenly, a low metallic hum filled the air, and all of them noticed a red flash of light.
Latha fell to her knees, gripping her head and screaming.
Ranveer clutched his stomach, groaning in pain.
Riya, panicked, screamed,
"What is happening?!"
Then she saw it—
The corpse of the man Dev had killed was standing up.
He shouted:
"HAIL QUEEN OF THORN! HAIL HOLLOW PACT!"
He picked up his bloodied, sliced club, staggering toward them with lifeless eyes.
Shaking, Riya lifted the gun and firednbut he kept walking, screaming louder.
Dev, half-conscious, murmured,
"Hey… tape recorder… don't scream… I'm trying to rest…"
But then he heard gunshots Riya's scream Latha's cries.
Sighing in exhaustion, Dev's eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, he grabbed his dagger and stabbed into the zombie's leg, precisely at a vital point.
Struggling to stand, he shielded Riya and her parents. Riya stared at him, stunned there was a strange calm in the way he rose, like a storm holding itself back.
Dev glanced at the injured Ranveer and Latha, then turned his eyes toward the strange undead attacker.
He raised his dagger with pride.
"Oh… a hybrid Hollow Pact member, huh? I'm tired… I'm hurt… I can't heal… but that doesn't mean I've lost."
Riya, wide-eyed, noticed the enemy's wound regenerating
"Is this… a zombie? What even is this?"
Dev limped forward, step by step, to face the creature again.
He glanced back at Riya with anger and urgency.
"Riya! Help your mother and father. Calm them!"
He tightened his grip on the dagger and caught the next club swing with his bare hand.
"Everything you see… it's real. It's the other side of normal life …where life and death really matter."
---
In a backstreet alley…
A youth cloaked in an orange aura launched rapid, relentless strikes, clashing against the blood-drenched twin knives of his opponent.
With fury in his voice, he shouted:
"When did you start licking the boots of Hollow Pact, Pothasura?! You're just a damn slave to their second-born filth!"
Pothasura parried, his smile cruel.
"Still calling me a slave? An immature puppet like you… don't insult me, Surya."
Both of them escalated Surya's strikes grew faster, each one burning with rage, while Pothasura's movements twisted darker, more malicious.
With a venomous tone, Pothasura sneered,
"You're not just a puppet… you're like your father—nothing but a practice doll."
One of his blades cut across Surya's cheek.
In that sting, Surya's mind echoed—the same words, the same scorn, as in his nightmare battles.
His anger surged.
"First I'll kill you.
Then I'll destroy that nightmare!"
Surya bellowed.
Pothasura laughed, dodging with finesse.
"Oh, I'll let you kill him after your afterlife begins."
Surya countered again, blade meeting steel in a flurry. He growled:
"Do I need to die to kill that nightmare?"
Pothasura, with malice dripping from his voice:
"Yes… five years ago, we burned his ashes with our own hands."
Surya's rage erupted
"Stop lying! I met him three weeks ago."
Pothasura staggered slightly, confusion flashing across his face.
"That's… impossible… Are you saying… you saw him? The third founder of Council of Six? The Shadow Figure the one with the crimson radiating axe?"
Surya didn't hesitate.
"Yes. I saw him. And I'll see him again after I deal with you!"
He exploded forward with even faster slashes, orange aura flaring like a flame set loose.
---
Meanwhile, atop a building nearby…
A voice rang from Ayaan's sniper system:
"Destroyer Mode Activated."
Through the high-powered scope, Ayaan narrowed his eyes.
He tried to trace the hostile below…
But all he could see through the haze and distortion… was the glint of a Crimson Radiating Axe.
On the rooftop...
The gap was vast, yet something deep inside Ayaan whispered that he was staring at his long-term enemy. Suddenly, a murderous intent flooded the air sharp, suffocating.
Ayaan blinked instinctively, but forced himself to stay locked in. He steadied his breath, finger on the trigger, focus unwavering.
Just as he was about to pull the trigger, footsteps echoed behind him.
His mind flinched.
"Dev...? Is he back already?"
He turned for a fraction of a second—but when he looked back through the scope, the target was gone.
Only a faint crack remained where the figure had stood.
Ayaan checked his scope. It was clear.
He murmured,
"What just happened…"
No time to think. He quickly turned the scope toward the singing competition venue. Shadows moved across the rooftops.
A chill ran down his spine.
With instinct honed in countless missions, he dropped the sniper and drew a pistol and knife. Five assailants in dark hoods emerged, shouting:
"Hail the Queen of Thorn! Hail Hollow Pact!"
Ayaan grinned, proud and murderous.
"So you're the ones trying to mess with my Anaya's performance…"
Then he paused.
"Wait… my Anaya?"
He blinked. Then smiled, remembering the promise he made.
He launched forward—no hesitation.
---
Inside the old building...
Dev's body was screaming in pain, but his spirit roared louder. Blow after blow chipped away at his strength. The half-sliced club slammed into his side, and he collapsed but still, he stood up again.
A strange metallic hum echoed. His knees buckled but he bit his leg, drawing blood, forcing himself to stay alert.
Riya, shivering, whispered,
"What… what makes Dev keep going like this?"
Dev locked eyes with the monster.
"I will kill every Hollow Pact bastard…!"
he roared.
Then in an instant the odd man grabbed his neck, choking the life out of him.
Riya screamed and fired again, but it did nothing.
With fear but growing courage, she lunged forward
only to be grabbed by the throat as well.
As Dev's vision faded, he felt Riya's trembling hand near his.
Even in the haze of pain, he reached out and held her hand, trying to calm her.
Then a voice.
Teasing, dramatic, familiar.
"Looks like my troublemaker loves collecting trouble."
The odd man froze.
Suddenly, his grip loosened. Riya and Dev fell to the ground.
Through blurred vision, Dev saw a familiar figure step in front of them.
"Looks like the Big Boss of our batch still remembers her gang."
She turned to Riya with a warm, knowing smile.
"You're Riya, right? Don't worry. I know who you are."
The hybrid hollow pact man moved again.
Without turning, she tossed a medkit toward Riya.
"Treat my troublemaker."
she said calmly.
Riya felt a strange stab of jealousy at how she called Dev hers.
She asked herself:
"Who is she? What's her connection to Dev?"
But there was no time. The woman's tone shifted serious, deadly.
She pulled out her bow.
Dev, still conscious, managed to whisper:
"Isha…? If you're here… what about Rohit?"
Isha gave a soft, defiant smile.
"Guess what? He's covering for you.
And patching up what his perfect rival lacks."
Dev finally relaxed.
He smiled… and passed out.
---
Back on the rooftop...
Ayaan's strikes slowed. His hands were trembling. One attacker landed a solid blow Ayaan dropped hard.
Suddenly, a counterattack blasted two of the enemies backward.
A familiar voice, mocking:
"Didn't I tell you? You're a sniper, Ayaan—not a close-combat prodigy."
A hand reached down to him.
Ayaan looked up and smiled with fury and relief.
"And what about you? Still can't handle a basic pistol."
Rohit pulled him up.
Ayaan's voice cracked:
"Rohit… I missed you. Isha too."
Rohit's smirk softened,
"Yeah. I missed you all."
Ayaan punched his arm.
"You both left without a word. I should really punch you for that."
Rohit returned the glare.
"I should punch you too."
He turned serious.
"Ayaan, stick to your orders. Scout the area. I'll handle Dev's role."
Ayaan reloaded his sniper and nodded.
"Let's end this."
After two months apart…
the world witnessed the reunion of the Trouble Makers.
And the reunion of the Perfect Rivalry.
---
On the stage…
Anaya stood beneath the spotlight, gripping the mic. Her voice shook but her resolve did not.
"Today, I am going to sing...
the song of The One Who Holds My Heart."
The audience applauded.
She closed her eyes.
In the silence, she saw no stage only Ayaan, beside her.
Then, she began to sing.