Deepak had left the bustling Center City of Aranya and reached the quieter, more strategic Southern District. He stood on a hill overlooking the battlefield, the wind carrying the distant sounds of soldiers preparing for war. Aranya's army, much larger than Sindhuja's, was hidden by the natural cover of the terrain. Sindhuja, unaware of the full might of Aranya's forces, still believed that her army outnumbered them.
As Deepak donned his armor, a soldier approached him. "My king, Master Majaeid has defeated the enemies coming from Western Aranya."
Deepak looked up with interest. "How many were there?"
"Three hundred soldiers, and seven students of Kalam," the soldier replied, his voice steady. "Only one of them survived. We've sent him to the Royal Palace. Master Majaeid also sent students of Kalam swords for you.
Deepak's lips curled into a smile. "Keep the swords with you for now. Bring them to me when I ask. This battle is going to be more interesting than I thought."
Meanwhile, Sindhuja had already reached the battlefield, her forces assembled and ready. Raj, Tara, Nisha, Riya, Vikram, Aarav, and Arjun, were in deep discussion.
Riya asked, "What do you think our chances are now?"
Arjun shrugged, "Hard to say. Maybe fifty-fifty."
Raj chimed in, "I wonder if Ishaan, Pooja, Dev, Kiran, Rohan, Meera, and Saanvi have reached their positions."
Arjun nodded confidently. "They should have. They know the stakes."
Tara asked, "What will you do once we win this war?"
Raj replied wistfully, "I'll leave this all behind and live a life of peace."
Nisha smiled, "I'll go home and reunite with my family."
Riya's eyes sparkled, "I'll sharpen my sword skills and set out on a journey to rid the world of evil and I have promised marriage to someone.
Vikram grinned, "I want to travel and see the world."
Aarav said with a determined tone, "I aim to become the richest person in the world."
Tara added, "I'll also go on a journey to eliminate evil."
Arjun, after a moment's hesitation, revealed, "I'll propose to Saanvi."
Riya sighed, "Saanvi has feelings for Deepak, Arjun. She sees you as a friend. I asked her who she'd marry after Deepak's death, and she said she'd remain unwed."
Arjun clenched his fists, "Let's not dwell on that. We have a war to fight."
A soldier interrupted them, "My king, Aranya is approaching."
The group tensed, preparing for the confrontation. As Deepak's forces emerged, their sheer number shocked Sindhuja's
Raj, Tara, Nisha, Riya, Vikram, Aarav, and Arjun They had underestimated Aranya's strength.
Deepak ordered his army to hold back. Arjun, sensing an opportunity, did the same. The two sides faced each other, tension thick in the air.
Deepak smirked, "How are you all?"
Raj, trying to keep his composure, demanded, "Why did you kill Master Kalam?"
Deepak's eyes darkened. "I kill whoever stands in my way. Who are you to question me?"
Arjun shouted, "Deepak!"
Deepak mocked, "Ah, Arjun, how's the idiot today?"
Arjun's face turned red with anger. Riya intervened, "Deepak, we deserve an answer. Why did you kill Master Kalam?"
Deepak sneered, "I'll kill anyone who dares to challenge me."
At that moment, Majaeid appeared beside Deepak, "Deepak!"
Deepak turned, "Master Majaeid, what are you doing here?"
Majaeid replied calmly, "I've come to assist you."
Raj, Tara, Nisha, Riya, Vikram, Aarav, and Arjun exchanged glances. They understood-now Majaeid was Deepak's new mentor.
Majaeid continued, "Arjun, your comrades from the west are no more. We crushed them."
Anger flashed across their faces. Raj challenged, "You didn't kill them; you captured them, didn't you?"
Vikram added, "How did you know they were coming from the west? Do you have a spy among us?"
Deepak interrupted, "Calm down, all will be revealed. Yes, we killed them all." He glanced at Majaeid with a knowing smile.
Flashback: One Week Ago
In the Royal Palace, Deepak had said to Majaeid, "I will do whatever is necessary. Tell me the plan."
Majaeid had replied, "We need to find the spy in Aranya who is feeding information to Sindhuja. Once caught, we will make them send false reports back. Meanwhile, I suspect Sindhuja might try to attack from Western Aranya. I'll go there with 10,000 soldiers. I'll capture one of their warriors and send him back to the Royal Palace to deliver a message."
Deepak had nodded, "Consider it done."
Come To The Present Time:
Deepak announced, "We have always been ten steps ahead of you." He shouted to his soldiers, "Bring the swords!"
A soldier presented the seven swords of the fallen students. Seeing this, Raj, Tara, Nisha, Riya, Vikram, Aarav, and Arjun understood that their comrades were gone.
Arjun, his face contorted with rage, declared, "Enough talking, Deepak. Prepare for battle. One of us will die today."
Deepak chuckled, "Master Majaeid, are you ready for some action?"
Majaeid grinned, "Always."
Both armies braced for the impending clash. The command rang out from both sides, "Attack!"
The battlefield erupted in chaos. Steel clashed against steel, and cries of pain filled the air. Arjun searched for Deepak amidst the fighting, but Deepak was already engaged with Vikram and Nisha. Meanwhile, Majaeid fought Riya, Aarav, Tara, and Raj, taunting them, "I trampled on Kalam's dead body."
Riya, enraged, charged with all her might. Majaeid countered with a swift punch to her stomach, causing her to bleed from her mouth. Tara intervened, "Riya, fall back. I'll handle him."
Riya, clutching her wound, began to doubt, "We're losing. Our soldiers are dying, but Aranya's aren't."
Raj appeared beside her, "Are you alright?"
Riya, struggling to breathe, whispered, "Raj, you need to escape. I'm sorry." She struck Raj on the head with her sword's hilt, knocking him unconscious. She dragged him to a horse, tied him to it, and whispered, "Go far away." The horse galloped off.
Moments later, Majaeid killed Aarav and Tara. He approached Riya and, with a swift thrust, pierced her stomach. As life drained from her, Riya thought, "Raj, forgive me. We won't be together after all."
Majaeid withdrew his sword and glanced at the retreating horse, muttering, "He's too far now. I can't leave this battlefield unattended." He turned toward Deepak.
Deepak, meanwhile, had slain Vikram and Nisha and was now locked in a fierce duel with Arjun. Despite being wounded, Arjun refused to yield, even as Sindhuja's remaining soldiers surrendered. Deepak overpowered Arjun, leaving him bleeding and exhausted on the ground.
You fought bravely, Arjun," Deepak said, "but you could never defeat me." He ordered a soldier, "Take him to the Royal Palace prison and torture him. Send a unit to Sindhuja to execute all their ministers."
Majaeid joined Deepak, "This ended quicker than I expected."
Deepak grinned, "We are stronger, that's why."
Later that Night: By the Sea:
The horse carrying Raj collapsed near a sea, exhausted. Raj regained consciousness, his memories flooding back. Tears filled his eyes. "I lost everything... Riya, we promised to be together after the war... but now..."
A man approached from the shadows, his voice calm yet commanding, "We share the same enemy, Raj Kumar Yadav."
Raj looked up, bewildered, "Who are you?"
The man smiled, "Some call me the Sword Master of Aranya. But you can call me the Mastermind.
Raj's face filled with confusion and hope. "Mastermind? What do you want from me?"
The Mastermind smiled mysteriously. "I want to help you take down Deepak. Together, we can end his reign. But first, you must learn and train, for this war is far from over."
Raj, wiping his tears, nodded. "I'm ready to fight. I'll do whatever it takes."
The Mastermind extended his hand. "Then come with me, Raj. Our journey begins now."
Raj took the Mastermind's hand, determination burning in his eyes. The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear: the fight was far from over.