The moment Dhoomketu charged toward them in rage, Vyomasur immediately floated higher into the air.
Meanwhile, Balasur stepped forward with a savage grin spread across his face.
"Ahh… I've waited centuries for a real fight!" he roared excitedly. "Today I'll tear you apart with my own claws! Come on! COME ON!"
But before Balasur could even react—
Dhoomketu's fist slammed straight into his face.
BOOM!
The punch carried so much force that Balasur was thrown violently through the air before crashing hard into the ground far away.
But Dhoomketu still didn't stop.
Right now, he wasn't fighting like a warrior.
He was fighting like a man who had already lost everything.
His furious eyes immediately locked onto Jeevanshini.
In an instant, he grabbed her and created several massive energy spheres around his hands before unleashing them directly onto her body.
The attacks didn't set her on fire—
but the heat was so unbearable that it felt as if her entire body had been thrown inside a volcano.
The insects that made up her crab-like form were already scattered across the ground, writhing in pain.
The second he attacked Jeevanshini, Dhoomketu immediately leapt toward his next target.
Vyomasur.
He jumped off the ground—
and in the blink of an eye, he was standing directly in front of Vyomasur atop the floating ice slab, his red furious eyes burning with rage.
For the first time—
Vyomasur looked shaken.
Seeing Dhoomketu this enraged made him realize something terrifying.
If the three of them had fought him together from the very beginning…
…they still might not have been enough.
But Vyomasur quickly regained his composure and spoke coldly.
"You already know how this battle ends," he said seriously. "It would be better if you simply died peacefully."
But Dhoomketu wasn't listening anymore.
Not to anyone.
Not to reason.
Not even to death itself.
He gathered every ounce of his remaining energy into a single fist.
Purple energy exploded around his arm.
Then—
with everything he had left—
he punched Vyomasur.
It was the strongest attack Dhoomketu had unleashed so far.
The impact shattered the air itself.
Vyomasur was blasted completely off the floating ice slab and sent flying across the battlefield before crashing into the ground far away.
The entire side of his body shook violently from the impact.
A sharp pain spread through him instantly.
Green blood dripped from his mouth.
And now—
Vyomasur was angry too.
His eyes darkened as he suddenly screamed—
"BALASUR!"
The very next second—
CRASH!
Balasur's massive fist slammed directly into Dhoomketu's face.
The punch was so powerful that even Dhoomketu stumbled backward several steps.
Blood slowly dripped from his lips.
Just like that…
…the battle turned.
Meanwhile, back at home, Om watched his grandfather getting beaten while rage burned inside him.
And the rest of the family…
they didn't even know what to feel anymore.
Fear?
Shock?
Relief?
Pain?
Everything mixed together.
Dhoomketu still refused to fall.
He immediately tried attacking Balasur again—
But suddenly—
THUK!
Something pierced straight through his stomach.
Dhoomketu froze.
Slowly, he looked downward.
A massive sharp stinger had torn through his back and burst out beneath his chest.
Within seconds, blood spread across his clothes.
His entire chest became soaked red.
Then blood spilled from his mouth along with a weak cough.
Shocked, Dhoomketu slowly looked toward Balasur—
who stood there grinning like a monster.
Then his eyes shifted past him…
toward Jeevanshini.
She stood at a distance with tears in her eyes, one fist tightly clenched in the air.
Behind Dhoomketu, the giant stinger made from insects slowly pulled back out of his body.
The attack had come from her.
The moment he realized it—
Dhoomketu collapsed to the ground coughing blood.
Meanwhile, Om watched his grandfather slowly fall toward death.
His eyes burned with fury.
Even the rest of the family had broken down completely now. Tears rolled from their eyes as they watched Dhoomketu bleeding on the battlefield.
Then suddenly—
Sharda Chachi looked toward Om.
And froze.
Because the place where Om had been standing…
…was empty.
He had vanished.
Sharda immediately stood up in panic.
"Om?! OM?! Where did he go?!"
The entire family began looking around in shock while Sharda stood there helplessly, staring ahead with fear in her eyes.
Meanwhile, not far from the battlefield, atop a small mountain, Kakbhushundi silently watched everything unfold.
The moment Dhoomketu collapsed, Kakbhushundi spoke sadly,
"A new chapter is about to begin. Dhoomketu… you have no idea how much your sacrifice will change this world."
His eyes filled with emotion.
"My friend… I hope we meet again someday."
"What do you mean… 'meet again'?"
A sudden voice interrupted him.
Kakbhushundi turned around instantly.
Behind him stood Vipul, Adi, and the masked young man.
Vipul's eyes were already filled with tears.
It was he who had asked the question.
The moment Kakbhushundi saw him, sadness deepened on his face.
"Your father…" he said softly, "is taking his final breaths, Devdoot."
Those words shattered Vipul completely.
The ground beneath his feet felt like it disappeared.
Anger.
Pain.
Fear.
Everything exploded inside him at once.
Without thinking, Vipul rushed forward to save his father—
But the moment he moved—
SNAP!
Kakbhushundi snapped his fingers.
And instantly, Vipul reappeared right back where he had originally been standing.
It was Kakbhushundi's power.
He could move through time itself.
He had reversed Vipul's movement back into the past by a few moments.
Seeing this, Vipul screamed angrily,
"What are you doing?! I can save my father! Why won't you let me go?! LET ME GO!"
But Kakbhushundi remained calm.
"Vipul… you are a Devdoot," he said gently. "Not a living human."
"You cannot appear before the world. And neither can you interfere with destiny itself."
Then he looked toward the battlefield where Dhoomketu lay bleeding.
"This is Dhoomketu's final hour. And this moment…"
"…will bring enormous change into your son's life."
His voice became heavy.
"His entire life existed for this one moment."
"So please… show mercy to your father."
"Let him achieve moksha."
"Let destiny take its course, son."
Vipul couldn't save him.
Couldn't help him.
Couldn't even stand beside him.
Feeling completely useless, Vipul collapsed to his knees and broke down crying.
Then, filled with helpless rage, he looked toward the sky and screamed at the top of his lungs.
And at that exact moment—
a voice echoed inside his mind.
"Vipul… my son."
It was Dhoomketu.
Using telepathy.
Even while dying, he was trying to speak to his son one last time.
A strange peaceful smile rested on Dhoomketu's face.
The moment Vipul heard his father's voice, he panicked and immediately replied through telepathy,
"Baba… Baba… please forgive me… forgive me! I can't even help you! I'm your son and I can't do anything for you… please forgive me, Baba!"
As he cried, Vipul slammed his fist against the ground again and again.
But then—
smiling gently despite the blood covering his body—
Dhoomketu looked toward the sky and replied,
"No, my son… don't help me."
"You already have."
His voice carried peace.
"I am walking toward moksha now."
"My time has come, son."
Then his eyes softened.
"I want to meet your mother again…"