The man struggled helplessly in the grip of the binding chains, his eyes wild with rage and disbelief. “This… this can’t be possible!” he shouted, his voice echoing. “I’m the only one who ever got the Shinigami power! And now, I’ve been defeated… by a bunch of lowly little brats!”

His voice broke into a crazed laugh, half anger, half madness. “Do you even know what I had to sacrifice to get this far? How many lives I gave up just to reach here? And yet you managed to counter my wish… and defeat me?”

For a moment, none of them spoke.  Ekaksh opened his mouth to speak, perhaps to tell about their plan, but Kian immediately cut him off sharply. “Shut up,” he said, his tone quiet but dangerous. Ekaksh glanced away, biting his lip.

Then Ekaksh spoke again, softer this time. “Where are the villagers?”

The man’s smirk returned. “I won’t tell. Not that it matters. Even if you find them, they won’t be in good condition. We’ve been feeding on their energy… to keep our monsters alive.”

Kian’s jaw tightened, his fingers wrapping around the hilt of his katana. “You better tell,” he said, stepping closer. His eyes glowed faintly with fury. “Or else, you’ll regret it.”

The man sneered. “You think I’m afraid of—”

Before he could finish, Kian pressed the cold blade of his katana against the man’s neck. The faint edge of the steel caught the flickering firelight. “Try me,” Kian said flatly.

The man gulped, beads of sweat forming at his temple. “Fine… fine! They’re… one kilometer underground. There’s another basement below like this one.”

Without another word, Aarav raised his hand, his portal magic swirling open before them like a glowing whirlpool of blue light.  All leaped through the portal, landing in a dimly lit underground chamber.

Aarav & Ekaksh go inside the basement , the sight froze them for a moment Around hundred of villagers, weak and pale, their bodies bound by glowing magic chains that pulsed faintly with dark energy. “We found them,” Ekaksh whispered. Together, they broke the chains, the sound of shattering magic echoing through the room.

As the last villager was freed, Ruhi stepped forward, her hands glowing with a soft white light. “Stay still,” she said gently. She moved from person to person, healing wounds, restoring strength, until her face grew pale and tired. Sanvi appeared beside her, opening a golden portal that shimmered like sunlight. “This will take you back to Rose Village,” she said. The villagers, still weak but smiling, thanked them with tears and stepped through the portal one by one, disappearing into safety.

When the last villager left, Aarav turned back to the captured man. “Now tell us,” he demanded. “Who else is part of your group? The ones who want to destroy the world.”

The man laughed again, a low, mocking sound. “Even if you try to kill me, you’ll get nothing. You can’t hypnotize me, can’t read my mind. My body is bound by a magic far stronger than any existing magic as much as i know. I can’t speak about them.”

He looked up, his eyes cold. “But I’ll tell you this much… The ones I serve are not ten times stronger than me. Not a hundred. Not even a thousand. They are a million times more powerful. And … this world will crumble, maybe not in a few years, maybe this very year.”

His words left a heavy silence in the air. Then, suddenly, Ekaksh clenched his fist and punched him hard across the face. The man fell to the ground, silent at last.

Kian exhaled sharply, frustration written all over his face. Aarav turned away, summoning another portal. “We’ll leave Sanvi at her house first,” he said. “Then we’ll head to the Topaz house .”

The portal shimmered open, and as they prepared to step through, Ruhi eye's fluttered, and before anyone could react, she collapsed.

“Ruhi!” Kian shouted, rushing forward. He caught her before she hit the ground, his hand gripping her shoulder. Her skin felt burning hot, her breathing shallow. Ekaksh shouted too, and hurried over, worry in his eyes.

Kian looked down at her, realization dawning. “The poison from that monster… it went deep into her blood,” he murmured. “She healed herself just enough to survive, but she’s been fighting, healing others, using mind magic this whole time. She pushed way past her limit.”

Aarav nodded grimly. “She should’ve been resting the moment that poison hit her.”

Carefully, the two of them lifted her Kian holding her right shoulder, Ekaksh taking the left. Together, they carried her through the portal to Aarav and Sanvi’s house.

The moment they stepped out on the other side, the night air hit them. It was quiet too quiet and the tension still hung heavy around them. But for now, their only concern was Ruhi. They laid her down gently,  as Aarav rushed to find some water.

Kian, his expression unreadable. “You did good, Ruhi,” he whispered softly. “Now rest.”

Five minutes later, the house was quiet except for the soft crackle of a small fire in the corner. Ruhi, still lying on the couch, stirred weakly. Her eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes, the faint light reflecting in them. Aarav, Kian, Ekaksh, and Sanvi were nearby watching her with relief and concern. Even the captured man sat slumped in the corner, his hands bound tightly, his energy completely drained.

Ruhi tried to sit up, but Kian gently stopped her. “Don’t push yourself,” he said, his tone softer than usual.

Before anyone could say more, Sanvi went to get some warm water. 

 Ekaksh suddenly pushed Kian lightly aside and hurried to Ruhi’s side. “Ruhi!” he said, his voice filled with worry. He knelt down beside her, touching her forehead. “You’re burning up. You have a fever, high fever.”

Ruhi smiled faintly. “I’m fine,” she said, her voice a little weak but steady.

“No, you’re not,” Ekaksh said immediately, frowning. “If you’re feeling weak, I can lift you. I’ll give you a piggyback ride if you want.”

Ruhi blinked, a bit surprised but amused by his sudden offer. She was about to respond when Aarav, who had been watching quietly, spoke up with a teasing tone. “You don’t have to give her a piggyback ride, Ekaksh,” he said, crossing his arms. “Why don’t you just use your wind magic? Like you helped me the other day you made me fly, remember? You can just do the same and lift her up with your magic.”

For a moment, there was silence. Then Ekaksh shot him a disappointed look, and Kian couldn’t hold back a laugh. Aarav smirked, looking smug, and soon all of them were laughing together. 

The mood lightened a little. The tension from the battle, the fear, the exhaustion it all seemed to fade for a brief moment.

After the laughter settled, Aarav turned serious again. “Let’s go. We need to reach the Topaz house before it’s too late.”

Kian nodded, standing up and checking the binds on the prisoner. The man was still muttering nonsense, trying to curse them, shouting and growling incoherently. Aarav sighed in irritation and taped his mouth shut with a quick with tape. “That’s better,” he muttered.

Ruhi stood up slowly, supported by Ekaksh on one side and Kian on the other. Aarav opened a glowing blue portal in front of them, swirling with magic.

They said they goodbyes, to sanvi.

Without wasting another moment, the four of them Aarav, Kian, Ekaksh, and Ruhi stepped through the portal, dragging the bound man behind them, heading straight toward the Topaz house .

When the four of them stepped out of the portal and into the Topaz headquarters, the large marble hall immediately fell silent. Everyone turned to look. The sight was striking Aarav, Kian, Ekaksh, and Ruhi stood in the center, battered and bruised, clothes torn, carrying a man in chains whose mouth was tightly sealed by tape. His wild eyes darted around the room .

Whispers filled the air as the group walked past everyone without a word. Their faces were serious, their steps steady, their exhaustion clear but hidden under the pride of victory. They didn’t stop anywhere not even to explain to anyone what had happened. Instead, Aarav led the way straight to the captain’s office.

When they entered, Captain Nivaan looked up from his desk, startled. His sharp eyes widened as he saw the chained man being dragged in. “What on earth…” he began, but before he could continue, Aarav spoke.

“Sir, we’ve completed the mission,” Aarav said firmly.

They told him everything about the monsters, the captured villagers, the man’s Shinigami wish, the near-death moments, and how they managed to defeat him. The captain listened without interrupting, his expression shifting from surprise to disbelief, then to admiration.

When they finished, there was a moment of silence in the room. Then Captain Nivaan stood up from his chair and said, “I can’t believe this. A mission this dangerous one that would normally take an elite member was handled by four Pawns in a single day.”

He smiled proudly. “I’m genuinely proud of you four. You’ve shown courage, skill, and teamwork beyond your level. What you achieved today is something even some senior squads couldn’t have managed.”

They all exchanged small smiles, exhausted but proud.

“As for your reward,” the captain continued, glancing at the board on the wall, “the base points for this mission were around fifty something . But considering everything you faced, and the magnitude of what you uncovered, I hereby grant your team two hundred and twenty points.”

Ekaksh’s eyes widened, Aarav gave a relieved grin, and Ruhi smiled softly. Kian gave a small nod of gratitude.

The captain went on, “And since your mission was meant to last two days, but you completed it in just one, tomorrow will be a full day of rest for all of you. You deserve it. Report to the infirmary for treatment first . Many of you look injured. And afterward, I will inform the prince and the king about what you learned. The existence of this group that wants to destroy the world is a grave matter.”

His tone turned more serious at the end, worry flickering in his eyes. Still, he added with a proud smile, “Good work, all of you.”

The four of them bowed slightly and left the room. By now, hunger had kicked in they hadn’t eaten since afternoon. But first, they headed to the infirmary, just as the captain instructed.

Inside the room. The nurses rushed around, tending to different soldiers. 

“Come on, Ruhi, & Aarav” Kian said gently, “lie down. You need to rest.”

She shook her head lightly. “I’m fine, really. I can manage.”

Kian sighed. “You don’t have to act strong all the time. You’re human too. You did amazing today. Now it’s time to rest.”

Ruhi hesitated but finally nodded and lay down. Aarav was already being treated on the bed beside her.

Ekaksh leaned against the wall with a small smirk. “Hey, that was my line to say to her,” he said, pretending to be offended. Then he turned to Aarav and added teasingly, “Anyway, get well soon, Aarav. I can’t wait to hug you again.”

Aarav gave him a mock glare and replied, “Then I better stay sick forever.”

Everyone burst into laughter, even Ruhi, who covered her mouth as she giggled softly. The sound lightened the whole room.

A few minutes later, the doctor came in to check them. After examining then he looked at Ruhi with concern. “The poison spread quite deeply,” he said. “If it weren’t for her healing magic, she’d be in a critical state. Her body’s completely exhausted.”

Then he turned to Aarav. “You’re lucky. Since your wound was small & was healed early, the poison didn’t enter your bloodstream. For you, it’s no worse than a normal wound.”

He wrote something on his chart and said, “Ruhi needs at least three to seven days of full bed rest. Minimum three, maximum seven. And don’t worry this won’t count as leave. It’ll be registered as a recovery period under active mission service.”

Ruhi nodded quietly. Aarav gave her a reassuring smile.

After the doctor left, Kian and Ekaksh decided to get food. They returned a few minutes later with four plates, steam rising from them. The smell of freshly cooked Rice with Curry & grilled Cottage cheese filled the air.

They sat down on the stools beside the beds . Passing the plates around, they all started eating together. The laughter from earlier returned, small jokes slipping between bites, the tension finally fading.

For the first time that day, they weren’t warriors they were just friends, sharing food after a long, brutal day, grateful to still be together.

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