Viren stepped forward, his steps echoing on the stone path. His expression was furious.
"I'm going to open the door," he declared with a growl.
Anmol raised a brow. "Wait wait—why not just ring the doorbell like a normal person?"
Viren shot him a sharp look. "Normal? Do I look normal to you right now?"
As the two began to bicker, a strange sound suddenly cut through the air—
"ACID WAVE!"
Followed by a scream:
"HYAAAA!!"
Then-
"AGHHH!!"
BOOOOM!!
The wooden door exploded outward with a blast of smoke and splinters!
Out of the house flew a man like a ragdoll, crashing straight toward them.
Viren's eyes widened. With lightning-fast reflexes, he dashed forward and caught the man before he hit the ground.
The man's head was bleeding, his breathing rough and shallow. His grey hair was soaked in blood, and his black eyes were barely open. He wore a brown T-shirt and black trousers—torn and burnt in places.
Viren's hands trembled.
"Ar... Ar... Arvind?!"
Anmol's jaw dropped. "Grandpa?! H-How… what happened?!"
Arvind slowly looked up, his vision blurry—but as soon as he saw Viren's face, fear overtook him.
"He's here…" Arvind whispered, voice cracking. "I don't know how… but… he's here…"
Viren's heart sank.
"Who… who's here?!"
Arvind's lips trembled.
"The 3rd division Vice Captain… of the Rakxas."
A heavy silence fell for a second.
"W-What?" Viren stammered. "No... that's not possible…"
Anmol blinked rapidly. "Hold on—Chief Commander? Who is that?!"
Arvind turned his head slowly toward Anmol.
"Long ago… I told you about the Rakxas. You thought it was just a fairy tale."
Anmol swallowed. "Yeah, but I found out it was real…"
Arvind nodded, weakly. "He's… one of the most powerful of them."
Anmol gasped. "But didn't you say they were all sealed away?!"
"They were," Arvind coughed. "But… some Rakxas remained outside the seal. And they're the ones who recruited the Chief Commanders. They were never sealed… according to legend."
Viren's eyes burned with realization. "Wait… they were recruited?! But you said Chief Commander 3... was already outside?!"
He clenched his fists, eyes narrowing. "That bastard… Ashkhal. I thought he died twenty years ago in the last battle…"
"You FOUGHT him?!" Arvind's voice cracked in shock.
But before they could speak another word—
A cold, mocking voice echoed from the broken doorway:
"Do you really think this is the time for a reunion?"
All three turned.
There, stepping out from the house's darkness, came a man.
He had jet-black hair and peeky, unsettling eyes. A creepy smile stretched across his face—one that promised chaos. His black robe swayed as he walked, revealing a silver earring glinting on his left ear. Behind him… a tail, long and sharp, flicked like a blade.
His vest was black. His pants were brown. His presence—overwhelming.
He chuckled softly.
Then louder.
Then—
He laughed.
"Ke ke ke ke…"
And as his voice echoed through the July heat, the chapter faded to black.
To be continued...