After finishing his explanation of the Legion, Master Rihan's voice lowered slightly, but his presence only grew stronger. He turned toward the elevated platform behind him and raised a hand.
"Now," he said, "let me introduce you to the Masters of the Legion."
The air shifted.
One by one, figures stepped forward each cloaked in authority, each radiating a pressure so overwhelming that it felt as if the very air had thickened. These were no ordinary warriors. They were Prime-ranked Yodhaks, standing at the pinnacle of power within the academy.
Their presence alone was enough to steal the breath from every student present. Hearts raced. Knees trembled. It was as if the world itself had paused to acknowledge their strength.
Even without a single word, they made it clear they were not to be underestimated.
As the heavy silence lingered, Master Rihan raised his hand once again. His voice echoed clearly through the courtyard.
"I will now introduce the Masters of each Legion."
The students stood at attention, the tension in the air growing thick with anticipation.
"The Master of the Suryastra LegionMaster Veer."
A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped forward with pride in his stride. His uniform bore the crimson crest of Agniraaj Raajya, the fire kingdom. His intense gaze swept over the students like a wildfire looking for something to burn. Veer's aura blazed like the midday sun bold, fierce, and unmistakably powerful.
He didn't waste time with pleasantries.
"I want powerful Yodhaks," he said in a sharp, commanding tone. "Warriors who will bring glory to the academy and to my Legion. I won't tolerate anyone who tarnishes our name."
He paused, letting his words settle like a blade at the throat.
"And I hate cowards. If any happen to end up in my Legion…"
He stopped mid-sentence. His lips curled into a cold, cruel smile one that said more than words ever could.
Before stepping back, Master Veer's eyes landed on one particular student in the crowd. Shivam. With a subtle nod and a knowing smirk, he acknowledged him, then turned away.
Rihan nodded and raised his hand again.
"The Master of the Vishranti LegionMaster Tara."
A woman with short, windswept hair and bright eyes came forward. Unlike Veer, her aura was warm and inviting. She waved gently to the students with a cheerful smile.
"All the best to the new Yodhaks," she said kindly. Her calm voice was like a cool breeze after a storm.
The pressure in the air lightened, if only for a moment.
Next, Rihan spoke again.
"The Master of the Dharvaya Legion Master Arjun."
A large, muscular man with a carefree stride walked up, cracking his knuckles with a grin. His robe was half undone, revealing a scarred chest that spoke of countless battles.
"I don't need puppets," he said, voice deep and booming. "I want Yodhaks who follow their own will. Those who have the strength to crush enemies no, to crush other legions."
He turned his head toward Master Veer and gave him a challenging smirk.
Veer met his gaze, the air between them sparking with silent rivalry.
Rihan quickly moved on.
"Master of the Kaalket LegionMaster Rudra."
A stern, upright man stepped forward, his posture like that of a statue carved from stone. His armor gleamed under the sunlight, and not a hair on his head was out of place.
"Discipline," he stated firmly. "Is the key to true success."
That was all he said. Yet the weight of his voice echoed long after he stepped back.
"And finally," Rihan said, "the Master of the Sharvansh LegionMaster Zain."
A man with disheveled hair and half-lidded eyes slowly dragged himself to the front. He looked more like someone who had just woken from a nap than a master of one of the academy's elite legions.
"Welcome," he muttered with a long yawn, waving lazily. Without another word, he turned and shuffled back into the shadows.
The students stared, some confused, some amused but all of them curious about the mysterious, lazy master who still managed to radiate quiet strength.
After the introduction of the Legion Masters, the courtyard buzzed with excitement. The once-nervous students now chatted animatedly, their voices filling the air with energy and anticipation.
"I like that Master Arjun guy," Abhishek grinned, arms folded behind his head. "He's strong, wild, and free-spirited just like me! But… Master Tara was kinda beautiful too." He added with a sly smirk, wiggling his eyebrows.
Ayush rolled his eyes. "You'll always be an idiot. You belong with Master Rudra. He'll make a disciplined Yodhak out of you by smacking you every day."
"You're just jealous!" Abhishek shot back. "You don't want to see me happy!"
Aryan chuckled, but his gaze drifted elsewhere, thoughtful. "I don't know which Legion I should join," he admitted. "But definitely not Suryastra. Master Veer gave off the same arrogant vibe as Shivam."
Laughter and bickering continued around them until Master Rihan raised his voice once again.
"Silence."
The crowd quickly settled.
"We will now move to the Legion Selection Hall," Rihan announced. "Inside, there is a machine powered by a sacred spiritual stone. It has been set with the core traits of each Legion. When you place your hand on the stone, it will sync with your inner self and reveal the Legion best suited for you."
Excited murmurs rippled through the crowd as the students began following Rihan.
This was it.
The moment they had waited for their entire lives.
They walked with wide eyes and eager hearts toward a large chamber bathed in soft golden light. At the center of the room stood a tall pedestal with a glowing orb embedded in its surface pulsing faintly, as though alive.
Their dreams of becoming Yodhaks were finally within reach.
An instructor stepped forward and glanced at the list.
"Abhishek," he called.
Abhishek cracked his knuckles and walked up with a confident swagger. "Let's do this."
He placed his hand firmly on the glowing orb.
In an instant, the machine whirred to life. Symbols flickered in the air, and then a name appeared—Dharvaya Legion.
Cheers echoed around.
Abhishek pumped his fist. "Knew it! I'm as wild as Arjun himself!"
Next was Ayush.
He stepped up quietly, placing his hand without any theatrics. The machine responded quickly.
Kaalket Legion.
Ayush gave a small nod. "Seems fair."
"See?" Abhishek teased. "Now you can finally get those discipline lectures you always dreamed of."
Ayush smacked him lightly on the arm, grinning.
Student after student was called.
Kartik and his gang placed their hands on the orb—and unsurprisingly, they were placed into the Suryastra Legion.
Then came Princess Shreya. Her posture was regal, but her expression calm and open.
The machine displayed—Vishranti Legion.
Despite her royal aura, there was a gentle warmth in her demeanor that matched the Legion's spirit.
Not long after, Prateek was called.
As he placed his hand, he closed his eyes nervously. The machine responded quickly.
Vishranti Legion.
When Prateek got selected in the same legion as Shreya, Shivam felt a surge of anger from within. He disliked Prateek a lot, and now that boy had ended up in the very legion that the girl he liked was in.
He thought to himself, "Let him enjoy now… it will get terrifying for him later," an evil grin slowly forming on his face.
A soft cheer came from the line forming for Vishranti.
As he stepped toward it, Shreya turned to him with a pleasant smile.
"Well done," she said softly.
Prateek's face turned pink, and he quickly looked away, hiding a bashful grin.
Then it was Shivam's turn.
The crowd grew still.
The prince of Agniraaj Raajya walked to the pedestal with quiet confidence, his fiery aura impossible to ignore. He placed his hand and almost instantly, the orb glowed bright red.
Suryastra Legion.
No one was surprised.
A perfect match for his bold nature and fire affinity.
Then the instructor called another name.
"Divyanshi of Bhouma Raajya. Fifth place on the leaderboard."
A girl with a sharp gaze and calm demeanor stepped up. The orb lit again.
Kaalket Legion.
As Divyanshi walked toward the line of the Kaalket Legion, her eyes casually scanned the students already standing there. That's when she spotted him Ayush.
A small smirk tugged at her lips as a funny thought popped into her mind. After all, Ayush's rank was quite… memorable. Sixty-nine.
She chuckled softly to herself.
"Let's tease him a little," she thought playfully, her eyes glinting with mischief as she approached.
"Hi, Mr. Sixty-Nine," she said casually as she passed him.
Ayush blinked, his face immediately turning red. He turned his head quickly, watching her walk away.
"W-what was that?" he muttered, flustered.
Abhishek burst out laughing behind him.
Finally, it was Aryan's turn.
He stepped forward slowly, the whispers fading as everyone turned to watch.
He placed his hand on the orb.
Nothing happened.
Seconds ticked by.
The machine remained quiet, unresponsive.
A few students exchanged confused glances. Even the instructor frowned slightly.
Then, at last, the orb shimmered—once, then twice—before releasing a sudden flash of dual light.
Two names appeared in glowing letters.
Suryastra Legion.
Sharvansh Legion.
Gasps echoed across the hall.
"Two legions?" someone whispered.
"That's never happened before!"
Aryan stared at the glowing names, his eyes narrowed in confusion. Even the instructors looked unsure of how to proceed.
In the silence that followed, one thing was certain.
Aryan was not like the others.
And his journey was about to take a path no one could have predicted.