The air was chilly, but the tension inside the mansion was even thicker. The Grandmaster sat on the sofa like a king, his eyes gleaming in a way that forced both Vikram and Sima to look down.
"So, Vikram," the Grandmaster's deep voice boomed, "you thought giving Aryaman's old training would let you control that 'Devil'? You forgot that training was for the old times, not for a player in the modern world."
Vikram lowered his gaze and said, "Master, I thought Shiv was ready."
Sima jumped in, "But how did you know there's a Devil inside Shiv?"
The Grandmaster smiled faintly. "Sima, do you think I'm that naive? His energy might be weak, but that 'darkness' is so deep I sensed it from outside the mansion." He turned to Vikram. "Vikram, you need some strict training too."
"No, Master! I'm fine, I have to get back to the academy, lots of work," Vikram tried to wriggle out, but the Grandmaster slammed his staff on the ground. "You can come on your own terms, but you'll leave on mine."
Moments later, Vikram's yelps started echoing from behind the mansion. Sima was calmly cooking in the kitchen, while outside, the Grandmaster was thrashing Vikram with his staff. Even as a 'Martial Lord,' Vikram couldn't block a single strike.
"This is unfair! You're at 'Martial War' rank!" Vikram yelled.
"Rank doesn't matter, passion does," the Grandmaster laughed, landing another solid whack.
Just then, Sima arrived and said, "It's evening already, dinner's ready, let's go."
The Grandmaster startled and said, "What? Already? Alright, what can we do."
Vikram took a relieved breath and muttered, "Come on, saved!"
At the dinner table that night, everyone sat down—the aroma of tandoori roti and dal makhani filled the air. Shiv wandered in, half-asleep, and plopped down at the table. He was puzzled why everyone was staring at him like he'd won a war.
"Who's this old man (budhau)?" Shiv asked, pointing at the Grandmaster.
Vikram's bite got stuck in his throat, but the Grandmaster laughed. "My name is Vima Chandravansh." Shiv was stunned. "What? You're a Chandravanshi too? I don't get why everyone calls me 'The Last Chandravanshi'?"
Vima looked into his eyes. "Because you're from the Pure Bloodline. The rest of us aren't."
"Pure Bloodline? What's that?" Shiv asked.
"Eat first, then I'll explain everything," the Grandmaster said with a smile.
After dinner, Sima cleared the dishes, and Vikram headed upstairs to his room. The Grandmaster took Shiv out of the mansion into the dense jungle beyond.
Shivering from the cold, Shiv said, "Why'd you bring me so far out?"
Vima replied, "This is the right time for you. Shiv, the Devil inside you is ancient. Your father sealed it, but that seal is weakening now."
Shiv got a bit scared. "So, will I turn into a demon? But Vikram said he'd teach me to control the Devil."
The Grandmaster burst out laughing. "Really? You're so innocent, Shiv. In all of history, no human has ever controlled a Devil."
Shiv said angrily, "If no one's done it, I'll change history!"
Vima beamed. "Well done! Maybe you'll become even greater than your father. Come on, now your real training begins."
As they walked, Vima revealed, "I'm the master of your father, Aryaman Chandravanshi."
Shiv was shocked. "What! That means you're my Grand-Grandmaster?"
Vima laughed. "Yes, you could say that."
Vima continued, "Now, the answer to your first question—why are you the Last Chandravanshi?"
With a serious expression, Vima said, "Because you're from the Pure Bloodline. Many years ago, the Chandravanshi Clan split into two paths—one Pure Bloodline and the other Side Bloodline. All the Chandravanshis left today are from the side bloodline. You're the only one from the true main bloodline, so you're the 'Last Chandravanshi.'"
As they walked, Vima mentioned he also had a granddaughter Shiv's age. Shiv was shocked. "Your granddaughter is Vima? And Sima's grandpa?" Shiv added, "You're so old but don't look it." "That's because I'm at Martial War rank," Vima explained how ranks work from Martial Artist all the way to Martial War.
Then Vima explained the ranks. "Shiv, you'll dream of reaching the top, but right now you're not even a full Martial Artist. To become an official 'Atikaya,' you have to take the Government's Atikaya Exam. They check not just your Chakra density, but also your combat skills (fighting ability). If you pass, you get an Atikaya License, which lets you clear Dwara (portals)."
Shiv listened carefully as Vima listed the ranks:
(1) Martial Artist (lowest)
(2) Martial Expert
(3) Martial Master
(4) Martial Lord
(5) Martial Paragon
(6) Martial War (highest)
Suddenly, Vima stopped. "Look ahead."
Shiv said, "There's nothing here."
Vima replied, "Walk 5 meters forward."
As soon as Shiv stepped forward, his head bumped into an invisible wall in the air. "Ouch! What was that?"
"It's an Invisible Barrier," Vima explained. He drew Blue Chakra from his left hand, punched a hole in the barrier, and they stepped out. The moment they did, the weather changed—a terrifying storm raged there. Ahead was a cave.
Vima pointed. "Go inside this cave and kill the beasts."
Shiv jumped. "Is this a Dwara (Portal)? But only official Atikaya can clear those. I'm just a student!"
"I'll handle all that, I'm a top ranker. Go and sharpen your skills."
Shiv panicked. "But only official Atikaya can do this!"
As soon as Shiv entered, he turned back to look. The Grandmaster was holding a massive boulder in his hands. Then the Grandmaster hurled the boulder at the cave entrance. The path was completely blocked.
Shiv yelled. "No! You can't do this!"
"You have until morning," Vima called from outside.
Shiv turned around. In the darkness, two red eyes glowed. A 5-foot wolf monster was about to pounce on him. Shiv took a deep breath, instantly pulled a small knife from his pant pocket, and spun at lightning speed.
Slash!
In one moment, the wolf split into two pieces, but ahead of him, many more monsters' eyes began to glow.
Shiv wiped his knife and smiled. "Alright... let's see what I've got."