"Ahh… still just as strong, huh?" Jeevanshini laughed while fighting. "I heard humans grow weaker with age… but you… you've only become stronger!"
But Dhoomketu didn't respond.
He attacked relentlessly.
One massive energy sphere after another blasted toward Jeevanshini, and it was becoming painfully obvious who held the advantage in the battle.
Dhoomketu.
With every strike that hit the crab-like lower half of her body, thousands of insects exploded away from her form and scattered across the ground before crawling back and rejoining her body again.
Dhoomketu's energy bombs were terrifyingly powerful. If an ordinary human had taken even one of those attacks, they would've died instantly.
Jeevanshini still fought fiercely.
Sometimes she lunged at him with her poisonous claws.
Sometimes she unleashed entire swarms of insects toward him.
As the queen of insects, she could control every crawling creature around her. Her body itself carried the powers of poisonous beasts—stingers, venom, flight, and endless insect manipulation.
But even then…
…she still couldn't overpower Dhoomketu.
Finally, Dhoomketu roared in anger and gathered an enormous amount of purple energy into a single giant sphere.
The air itself trembled around it.
Then, with full force, he launched it directly at Jeevanshini.
BOOM!
The attack exploded against her body.
Instantly, all the insects detached from her form, and Jeevanshini collapsed back into her human appearance.
She crashed onto the ground badly wounded.
Green liquid—her blood—slowly flowed out from wounds all over her body.
Dhoomketu himself was breathing heavily now.
Even he had grown exhausted from the fight.
He looked at the injured Jeevanshini lying helplessly before him…
…and for a brief moment, pity appeared in his eyes.
But then—
he remembered his grandson, Om.
Tears slowly rolled down his face.
Without hesitation, Dhoomketu formed a spiritual sword made entirely of energy in his hand.
His eyes were filled with pain.
With sorrow.
And with the determination to kill her.
Meanwhile, back at Om's house, the entire family watched the scene unfold live on television.
Vijay and Manoj were already in deep shock ever since learning their father was alive.
But now…
they were about to watch him kill someone.
Their eyes widened in disbelief.
For years, their father had vanished without a trace.
And today, the first time they had truly seen him again…
…he stood before the entire world holding a sword over someone's neck.
The entire family sat frozen.
No one could even breathe properly.
Om knew this would happen.
No matter whether Dhoomketu fought for good or evil, accepting him like this on the very first day was impossible for the family.
But suddenly—
Om felt something strange inside his mind.
His eyes widened in fear.
Sweat rolled down his forehead.
He didn't even understand what was happening to him.
At that same moment, back in Japan—
just as Dhoomketu raised his sword to kill Jeevanshini—
a voice echoed from inside the giant crack in the earth.
"I don't think you should kill her."
The voice sounded calm.
"After all… she loved you once. And somewhere deep down… you loved her too."
The moment Dhoomketu heard the voice, his expression changed instantly.
Without wasting even a second, he roared and swung his sword downward toward Jeevanshini's neck—
But suddenly—
BOOM!
The ground beneath Dhoomketu exploded violently.
The blast sent him flying through the air before crashing hard several meters away.
The explosion was powerful enough to injure even him badly.
Groaning in pain, Dhoomketu slowly lifted his head and looked toward the crack in the earth.
And then—
he saw them.
A giant muscular man stood there like a beast in human form.
Beside him stood a tall figure whose upper body was completely bare, his long hair covering most of his body like wild fur.
And floating above the ground on a massive slab of ice was a third figure—
thin.
Tall.
With strange ears, sharp features, and pale white eyes.
His hands were calmly folded behind his back as he stared silently at Dhoomketu.
That man was Vyomasur.
Slowly floating closer through the air, Vyomasur looked down at the injured Dhoomketu and smiled faintly.
Then he glanced toward the sky and spoke almost nostalgically.
"I remember something from many years ago," he said softly. "My sister once fell in love with an ordinary human."
His eyes shifted toward Jeevanshini.
"She was beautiful. Powerful. A true demoness. And yet… she became completely mad in love with a human boy."
A cold smile appeared on his face.
"She even abandoned the demon realm for him. She would secretly meet that young man in the forests… disguised as a beautiful human woman."
He laughed quietly.
"My sister started living like humans. Acting like them. Becoming weak… helpless… human."
Dhoomketu's fists tightened.
"They became close friends," Vyomasur continued. "But the boy never truly loved her."
Then he shrugged casually.
"Or perhaps he did… but another woman's love became stronger than my sister's."
He smiled darkly.
"But honestly? I'm glad you abandoned her."
His eyes slowly filled with cruelty.
"The pain of losing you turned her back into a true demon."
Then, standing atop the floating ice, Vyomasur looked directly into Dhoomketu's eyes and grinned wickedly.
"And today…"
"…that demon is going to kill you."
Dhoomketu glared at him furiously.
But Vyomasur simply laughed louder.
"I knew you could probably fight all three of us at once," he admitted. "And by then, your Baadallok army would've arrived too."
His smile widened.
"So we made a plan."
"First, we tire you out."
"Then we make you suffer."
"And only after the very last drop of blood leaves your body…"
His white eyes glowed coldly.
"…will I grant you death."
"Hahahahaha!"
Even while badly injured, Dhoomketu forced himself to stand.
Clenching his teeth in pain, he growled—
"I'm not weak enough to die from a single attack. I will fight till my last breath. No matter what you do… I won't let you succeed."
Then his voice thundered across the battlefield.
"Remember this—Earth belongs to humans, animals, and every living species…"
"…but not demons!"
Vyomasur burst into laughter again.
"Hahaha! Earth belongs to the strong," he replied coldly. "Which means… it belongs to us."
Then his expression suddenly turned serious.
"And as for our goal…"
He pointed directly at Dhoomketu.
"Our goal is YOU."
"We came here to stop all the preparations you people are making to fight us."
Dhoomketu froze.
His eyes widened.
"What do you mean?" he asked in shock. "You didn't come for the child? The child from the prophecy?"
The moment he asked that question, he instinctively looked toward the wounded Jeevanshini.
She was lying there smiling faintly at him.
Then the giant warrior beside Vyomasur—Balasur—started laughing loudly as well.
Vyomasur smiled calmly.
"A prophecy means that child won't die before fighting the entire demon realm anyway," he said casually. "So there's no point searching for him, capturing him, or killing him right now."
Then he shrugged.
"To be honest… we don't even know who the prophecy child really is."
"But our king understands one thing very clearly."
His eyes narrowed.
"If the strongest powers of humanity and Baadallok are removed first…"
"…then the demons' chances of victory become much higher."
Then he pointed at Dhoomketu again.
"And right now…"
"…the strongest man alive is you."
The words struck Dhoomketu like lightning.
"If we defeat you," Vyomasur continued, "that child will eventually come to us on his own."
His smile became terrifying.
"And once you are removed from our path…"
"…it'll be his turn next."
The moment Dhoomketu heard the truth—
he broke.
Tears streamed down his face.
And with a furious roar, he charged straight toward all three demons at once.