Chapter 53 — Prowess
Inside a dungeon, the air was thick with the stench of blood and fear, as a massive horde of monsters rushed toward a hunting party without hesitation.
The ground trembled under the weight of countless claws, and the howls of wolves echoed like a death sentence closing in.
At the front stood a woman.
Calm.
Unshaken.
Radha.
She slowly unsheathed her blade, her eyes sharpening as the monsters charged.
Then she moved.
Like a storm unleashed.
She dashed forward alone, diving straight into the wolf pack without waiting for backup, her blade cutting through flesh and bone with terrifying precision.
Every swing of her sword was clean.
Every step was deadly.
The wolves fell one after another, unable to even touch her.
Within moments, the entire pack was slaughtered.
Silence returned.
Radha calmly placed her sword back into its sheath and wiped the blood from her face as if it meant nothing.
The team behind her erupted in praise, their voices filled with admiration for her overwhelming prowess.
But two people remained silent.
Vijay.
Tony.
Their expressions were not filled with admiration.
They were filled with anger.
Tony's hatred burned as he remembered the humiliation Krishna had put him through in the past.
Vijay's anger was different.
It came from fear.
The kind of fear that never truly disappears.
The kind that Krishna had carved into him long ago.
Tony turned toward Vijay with a smirk.
"I found something interesting," he said.
Vijay glanced at him. "What?"
"That marriage certificate between Radha and Krishna… the one you gave me."
"Yes, it's real," Vijay replied confidently.
Tony laughed.
A slow, mocking laugh.
"As always… you're a fool."
Vijay's face darkened instantly.
"What did you say?"
Tony ignored his anger and continued calmly.
"That document is fake. Completely fake."
Vijay froze.
"No… that's impossible."
"I've made hundreds of fake documents back in college," Tony said casually.
"I know how to spot one. That certificate? Fake."
He leaned closer, his voice dropping.
"Their marriage is fake… but their bond isn't."
Vijay's expression stiffened.
"They live like husband and wife. They have a child. That part is real."
For a moment, silence hung between them.
Then Tony smiled.
A dangerous smile.
"So the solution is simple."
Vijay narrowed his eyes.
"What?"
"Kill Krishna."
The words landed heavily.
Vijay hesitated, then asked, "And Radha? You think she'll just accept that?"
Tony's eyes gleamed.
"I have a way to make her kneel."
Vijay frowned. "How? She's an S-rank hunter. We can't control her."
Tony chuckled.
"You're right. We can't control her directly."
Then he leaned closer and whispered,
"But we can control what she loves."
Vijay's eyes widened slightly.
"…What do you mean?"
Tony smiled wider.
"Her second weakness."
"Which is?"
"Your niece."
Vijay froze.
"My… niece?"
"Yes," Tony said calmly.
"That little girl. If she's in our hands, your sister will obey anything we say."
Vijay swallowed hard.
For the first time, even he felt uneasy.
"That's dangerous…"
Tony's expression turned cold.
"Everything worth doing is dangerous."
He continued, outlining the plan step by step.
"Your parents will handle Krishna. Keep him distracted, helpless."
"Meanwhile, we take the girl."
"We have seven days while Radha is inside the dungeon."
Vijay listened silently.
Tony added, "Actually… let's stretch it to ten days. The longer the pressure builds, the easier she'll break."
Vijay slowly nodded, though hesitation still lingered in his eyes.
Tony lit another cigarette, exhaling slowly.
"Once we have the girl… Radha will come to us on her knees."
They both stood there, planning the destruction of a family without a hint of guilt.
They believed they were in control.
They believed Krishna was still the same broken, helpless man.
They believed they had already won.
But they didn't know one thing.
The man they feared in the past…
Was no longer just Krishna.
He had returned.
As something far worse.
Nameless.