[Ashwini's POV]
A reincarnated person like me.
I mean—the signs are there.
The way numbers are written. The frequency of Royal envoys coming to Takshashila—almost every other month. Even from before I arrived, they've been bringing ideas… things that are supposedly new here, but feel completely normal to me.
At first, I thought it was coincidence.
But the more I learn the more I question if it is just a coincidence.
From what I can tell, this world is already far ahead in some areas. They have zero. They have complex calculations, astronomy, geometry—things that, in my old world, would place them well past someone like Aryabhatta.
And yet… something doesn't line up.
Their methods are advanced—but the way they express them isn't.
Most of it is still done verbally, or step by step. Like they know the answer, they can derive it, they can even teach it—but they don't compress it into clean, symbolic systems.
No consistent notation. No universal structure.
It's like they have all the pieces—But no standard way to assemble them.
And then there's him.
Yuvraj Hamsa.
He's not just improving things—he's organizing them. Assigning symbols. Standardizing constants. Turning methods into formulas.
That kind of advancement that shouldn't happen this fast. Well not unless you already know where everything leads.
And then there's the other thing.
His description. And more specifically—his hair.
This region is clearly this world's version of India. So long hair isn't just common—it's kinda expected. Especially for royalty.
And yet… He keeps it short.
And from what I know, he hasn't taken any religions paths or anything of the sort. So that much mean he prefers it that way.
So yeah. I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one who is reincarnated.
…Or maybe I'm overthinking this.
Maybe I just happened to be born at the same time as a once-in-a-species-level genius.
---
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Just as those thoughts settled in, a knock came at her door.
"Ashwini, you ready? They're waiting for you."
It was a familiar voice.
Ashwini groaned as she got up from the hammock. The light outside was already dimmer than she would have liked.
Great. I overslept again. She's gonna get mad at me.
She quickly moved to the door and opened it.
A woman in her late twenties stepped in.
"Can you help me get ready? I overslept," Ashwini said, already moving toward her gear, picking up the silk underlayer.
"How many times do I have to do this for you?" the woman sighed, though she stepped forward anyway.
"Until I stop oversleeping," Ashwini shot back.
Lu didn't bother responding as she moved behind her, starting with her hair.
"So, where are you off to now?" she asked.
"South. That dreaded region," Ashwini replied, scanning through her pack. "Apparently the kingdom is doing something there—and they're not letting the temples know anything."
"Oh! So that's why everyone's coming back," Lu said.
Ashwini smirked slightly. "So, Lu… what are you planning now that your man's back?"
Lu didn't miss a beat. "He got back this afternoon. Came straight in while we were having lunch."
She adjusted the silk layer, making sure it sat properly before moving on to the light mana crystal armor.
"For now, he's busy reporting. And since you didn't show up, they sent me to drag you out."
"You skipped a part," Ashwini said.
"That part is none of your business," Lu replied flatly—and tightened the armor just a bit too much.
"Ouch! That hurts!" Ashwini protested loudly.
"Maybe if you got yourself one, you'd stop asking stupid questions," Lu said, loosening it again and adjusting it properly this time.
Ashwini huffed. "You know I can't just pick anyone. Not unless I get approval from back home."
Lu paused for a brief moment at that—but said nothing.
"So what did he repot back to those old geasers." Ashwini asked.
"Well wasn't there from the start but the gist this this," Lu said helping her go through some final checks. "The kingdom is apparently moving troops and supplies around the entire region, enough for mass evacuations' if needed and then there were also some large mana crystals being moved in all along the zones edges, from I can understand they are trying to make a barrier or something."
"Barrier? If their objective was then then we would have been involved no matter what." Ashwini spoke.
"Hey don't ask me. I didn't see anything with my own eyes." Lu said as Ashwini was finally ready.
"Did anything regarding his hignies Yuvraj Hamsa come up?" Ashwini asked as they made their way out of the room and sarted walking.
"Nothing of note, but the report did say his men have made a camp near the north-western plains to the zone." Lu said. "Why are you inderested in the kid?" She asked.
"A little yeah. He might be strong enough to beat me afterall." Ashwini said laughing a little.
"Not sure on the academic front. But in terms of combat streangth, its pretty hard to imagine anyone stronget then you." Lu answered.
As they talked they made their way to an open combat practice area.
There they spotted a few old men and a few young ones along with a few women present.
Ashwini looking at one of the young men in his 30's said.
"You couldn't wait one day without giving the guy a hicky." She teased Lu.
"Shut up." Lu shot back.
...
"This is everything we know. Go through it once you've had some rest," the old Guru said, handing her a bag filled with documents.
Ashwini raised a brow as she took it. "This many?"
"It should take you an hour at most," the old man replied calmly. "So no, not that much."
Ashwini gave him a look, but said nothing. Instead, she packed the smaller bag into her larger one and stepped forward.
The others had already begun forming a circle around her.
"You can do this on your own, right?" one of the men grumbled.
Ashwini shot him a flat look. "Oh, come on. It's not like you have anything better to do after this."
A few of the others smirked.
"Enough," the Guru said, his voice cutting through the chatter. "Stop talking. Prepare yourselves."
The mood shifted immediately.
The circle tightened. And for the first time since she had stepped out of her room—Ashwini focused.
-----
In the Skies Above Takshashila.
Ashwini was gliding toward the great Dead Mana Zone.
They could have launched me with a little less force, she thought, groaning as the wind rushed past her.
She had been flung high into the air by those on the ground. From there, she stabilized herself—using her mana to regulate pressure and temperature as she transitioned into a controlled glide.
Her light armor shifted as she moved.
Openings along her sides and the inner parts of her legs allowed the mana-silk beneath to spread and catch the wind, turning her entire outfit into a functional glider suit.
It wasn't prettiest or most efficient thing in the world. But it worked.
She relied on it almost entirely—using wind manipulation through her mana for speed, braking, landing, and changing altitude.
With this, she could cover large distances with minimal effort.
And as far as she knew—She was the first to do so in this world.
Outside of Hamsa, of course.
Though at this moment—She had no idea.
—
Flying was not unknown in this world of magic.
The traditional method relied on a user manipulating the wind through their mana and mana zone—generating lift and sustaining flight through constant control.
But it came at a cost.
The technique was highly inefficient, consuming vast amounts of mana even to travel the shortest distances. Maintaining stable flight required precision, endurance, and near-perfect control.
In practice, it was less like true flight—
And more like a series of extended leaps.
A skilled user could propel themselves forward, remain airborne for a short time, and adjust their movement mid-air. But sustained, continuous flight over long distances was beyond even most masters.
As such, it was far more useful in combat or for brief escapes than for travel.
As a result, only a select few could truly master it.
Almost all of them belonged to the temples.
It was within the temples that such training was taught, refined, and preserved. And since temple agents rarely engaged in open combat, the practical use of flight remained limited.
To most of the world, sustained flight was not a skill—
It was a legend.
Something spoken of, rarely seen.
Much like it had once been in the classical eras of Earth.
…
Though—In the coming decades, that would change.
————————————————————————————————————————
Present Time
Inside the Great Mana Dead Zone
SPLASH. SPLASH. SPLASH.
A large, star-shaped stone construct tore through the area, cutting down one creature after another with brutal efficiency.
Nearby, Hamsa sat beside the corpse of a large bear-like beast, watching the aftermath.
"Man… I thought I'd find at least a few animals worth taming," he muttered, letting out a small sigh as he pushed himself up from the ground.
"CHOTU!"
A moment later, a white tiger came sprinting toward him.
Its fur—once pristine—was now streaked with blood. Its fangs were stained the same.
"Did you have fun, buddy?" Hamsa asked, patting the tiger's head without a hint of hesitation, ignoring the blood and bits of flesh that smeared onto his hand.
Chotu let out a low growl in response.
Hamsa paused, his attention shifting.
Feathers.
There were large feathers caught along the tiger's legs.
He crouched down, pulling one free. It was massive—far larger than anything he had seen in this world forget this old his previous one.
"…Where did you get this?"
At the sight of the feather, Chotu's posture changed.
Then—he took off.
This time, not in a hunt. But he was leading.
Hamsa rose instantly, lifting himself into the air and following just a few feet behind. As he did, his mana spread outward, drawing heat away from the tiger's body to keep him from overheating during the run.
They moved for a few minutes before coming upon a bloody scene.
Several massive birds lay scattered across the ground—dead.
Some bore deep bite wounds.
Others had clean, circular holes punched straight through their bodies, as if a concentrated beam had pierced them.
Hamsa slowed.
"…Well," he muttered, taking it in.
The creatures were absurd in scale.
From what he could tell, a single one could carry three—maybe four—fully grown men on its back.
Which only raised a more important question—
How were they even flying?
He stepped forward and crouched beside one of the bodies, beginning to examine it.
Chotu lingered nearby, pacing in a slow circle. Every now and then, the tiger would snap at the air or glare into the distance—as if even a fly daring to approach its master would be erased on the spot.
Hamsa ignored him as this was just normal for him.
Carefully, he lifted one of the wings.
It bent in three distinct places.
One at the joint where it met the body. Another along the midsection. And a final one near the tip.
The wing itself was massive—longer than Chotu's entire body.
And that was saying something.
If the tiger stood on his hind legs, he would tower over Hamsa. And Hamsa, by this world's standards, was already considered tall.
By the standards of his old world—Even the average man here would have been seen as a giant.
Which meant Chotu… would have been called a monster.
And yet—Even that was smaller than the span of this creature's wings.
Then suddenly—
Chotu charged up a mana attack and fired it straight above them.
Hamsa reacted instantly.
He had already sensed it.
Something large. Fast. A strong mana signature closing in.
"Is it the birds?" he muttered, bracing himself as his senses sharpened.
"What the—"
He cut himself off mid-sentence. As a spear shot in from the side.
Hamsa twisted, dodging it by a hair's breadth as it tore past him.
His eyes now glowing a white hue snapped toward its origin.
"…What the fuck are humans doing here?"
Chotu moved in front of him at once, low growl rumbling deep in his chest.
Master and beast—Both ready.
This reaction was not an exaggeration.
This zone was, in essence, a free-for-all—where only the strongest survived.
Under normal circumstances, Chotu alone radiated enough mana to keep most creatures far away. They would avoid him as if their very existence of their species depended on it.
Add Hamsa's presence to that—And even the most aggressive, suicidal beasts would not dare approach.
The only reason they had been encountering more and more creatures was artificial.
Large mana crystals had been placed across the zone, charged heavily to mimic the presence of something dangerous—forcing animals to move, to flee… and in doing so, cross paths with them.
But this—This was different.
This was a deliberate attack.
And from what Hamsa could sense—Humans.
His vision dimmed as he focused purely on mana.
His eyes glowed white, perception sharpening beyond sight itself. Shapes blurred, but presence remained—clear, distinct.
Then—He shifted.
One eye returned to its normal white back and pitch black pupil. The other remained lit—white, unnatural.
A split state. Something he normally could not maintain.
But here—Without suppressing his mana—His control had expanded beyond simple healing… into something far more precise.
What he saw, once the dust settled… Was confusing.
At first glance, there were the birds—alive this time.
But they were not alone.
Beside them stood figures. Human in shape. But not human.
There were about a dozen of them.
Most had no flesh at all—only exposed bone encased in armor.
The few that did… looked worse.
Patches of flesh clung to them in uneven strips, discolored, rotting—And wrong.
As if it did not belong to them in the first place... and forced into place.
They moved regardless.
Each carried a weapon—swords, spears, shields.
The shapes were familiar.
Hamsa narrowed his gaze.
Curved blades. The weight and balance of them… Talwars.
The armor matched as well—layered plates, the structure unmistakably from this region.
But old. Very old.
Time had eaten away at detail. Rust and decay had stripped away most patterns, leaving only silhouettes to guess from.
No markings.
No insignia.
No identity.
Just bone and steel.
And in place of flesh—Mana.
Hamsa could see it now.
A thin layer of it wrapped around their frames, clinging to bone like a second skin. It filled the gaps, shaped contours, mimicked muscle and form—enough to give them the outline of something human.
But it wasn't flesh. It was too smooth and uniform.
And it moved… wrong.
They shimmered faintly, like sunlight dancing across the surface of water.
Hamsa narrowed his gaze as he layered his normal sight with his enhanced perception.
The illusion broke.
There was no flesh. No muscle nor life.
Just bone, armor—And mana, forced into the shape and role of what should have been there.
"What do we have here…" Hamsa muttered to himself, adrenaline surging as a wide grin spread across his face.
"Who are you—and why attack me?" he called out. "Is it because my buddy here killed those giant-ass birds?"
No response. And the figures only shifted into battle-ready stances.
"…Alright," Hamsa said, rolling his shoulders slightly. "Better question—what are you?"
Still nothing.
Then they moved. In pairs.
Two pairs broke off, scaling nearby trees with unnatural ease, taking elevated positions—ranged support.
The remaining three advanced.
Disciplined and measured.
Like trained soldiers.
They didn't rush him blindly. They spread out, circling, cutting off angles, closing every path of escape with deliberate precision.
Hamsa's grin widened.
"This might be fun," he said under his breath.
His excitement wasn't unwarranted.
This—Might be the first real chance he had to test what he was truly capable of.
Then, in a practiced motion, three of the figures moved at once.
They converged.
One from above—dropping down with a spear aimed straight for his head.
One from the front—thrusting toward his chest.
And one low—driving in for his legs.
A perfect three-point strike.
No room to dodge.
Hamsa didn't move.
He hardened his body.
At his feet, Chotu began charging a blast, Hamsa feeding him additional mana through the mana zone spread around them.
The moment the attacks landed—They broke.
Hamsa deflected the descending strike with his left arm, knocking it off course.
At the same time, he caught and redirected the forward thrust with his right hand, forcing it aside.
And before the third could connect—
Chotu fired.
The blast tore through the lowest attacker, breaking the formation for a fraction of a second.
That was enough.
Hamsa moved. So did Chotu.
They slipped through the opening instantly—And in the next moment—The fight shifted into a chase.
They moved quickly through the forest.
Hamsa's right hand bled lightly as he ran.
"Even their weapons are coated in mana…" he muttered, tying a strip of cloth tightly around the wound.
His mind was already working.
I need to get rid of these guys.
Physically… if those three were the baseline, it would take three—maybe four—of my best men to bring one down.
His expression hardened.
Should I just blast them?
A brief pause.
No. I need at least one alive.
Before he could settle on an approach—Projectiles rained down from above.
Bullets of condensed mana.
Each one carried enough force that an mana average user would have to commit fully to a barrier just to survive the impact.
Hamsa and Chotu moved in sync, weaving through the barrage.
But something felt off.
Chotu's movements were slowing.
Hamsa's focus shifted inward.
Mana. Chotu's mana was being siphoned.
Slowly.
The rate was low—his mana zone was suppressing most of it—but it was still happening.
And worse—It wasn't just simple loss of mana, if it were that Hamsa wouldn't have even though about it.
It was disruption.
The forced extraction disturbed the natural flow of mana through the body, weakening the target far beyond what the actual loss would suggest.
Hamsa's eyes narrowed.
That meant one thing.
Whoever was doing this—Had both the control and the reserves to override another living being's mana flow.
As even attempting something like that required a deeper well of mana than the target. And far finer control.
"…So that's how you want to play."
Hamsa's mind went quiet.
Everything unnecessary—cut.
All focus shifted to combat.
"Okay, buddy," he said, glancing down at Chotu. "Head east. Regroup with the others. I'll handle this."
He slipped a ring off his finger and tossed it.
Chotu caught it cleanly in his fangs.
At the same time, Hamsa expanded and reinforced his mana zone, tightening control over the area around them.
They ran a few more steps—
Then Hamsa stopped abruptly and turned.
In one fluid motion, he dropped low—knees bending as he drove both palms into the ground.
Momentum carried him backwards[1].
Using that motion, he anchored himself just long enough to channel his mana—
Beams of condensed mana shot past him, tearing through the air toward the pursuing figures.
The creatures reacted instantly, dodging with sharp, controlled movements.
But that wasn't the point.
"Got you," Hamsa muttered, a smirk forming.
The forest answered.
Trees bent as the vines branchs snapped forward.
Around the pairs positioned in the trees, branches twisted and coiled, binding limbs and weapons alike.
On the ground, the earth itself shifted—roots and soil rising to restrain the advancing figures.
For a moment—They were caught.
Then, just as quickly—They broke free.
But that moment was enough.
Chotu didn't hesitate.
He bolted east.
Hamsa, meanwhile, flared his mana outward in controlled bursts—masking Chotu's signature beneath his own overwhelming presence.
Then—Hamsa looked up jumping and getting air born as he released a large about of mana to hide Chotu's mana signature.
"I should have listened to that idiot and worn my armor…" Hamsa muttered, regretting dismissing his younger brother's insistence.
He looked down, but the canopy blocked most of his vision.
His eyes shifted—white light flooding his gaze as he scanned below through mana alone.
Chotu's presence—Gone.
That sent a flicker of unease through him.
But it passed.
All targets were still below.
Good.
Just as I thought… physical damage only affects the armor they wear. Not the core.
He watched them—intact.
Only their weapons and plating showed signs of wear.
"…Shame," Hamsa said quietly after observing them.
"I would've liked to play with you a little longer."
A faint pause.
"But if I don't get back right after Chotu, I'll have to sit through another lecture on safety."
His expression flattened.
Mana began to pour out of him—like a dam breaking.
The air itself seemed to thicken.
Below, the creatures reacted instantly.
Mana projectiles shot upward—fast, precise, relentless.
They struck—And dispersed.
Hamsa's presence or aura alone formed a barrier, his mana zone shaping it effortlessly, absorbing the impact without strain.
He raised his left hand.
"…It was fun knowing you."
Then—He brought it down.
A continuous stream of condensed mana tore downward, not as scattered blasts—but as a controlled, overwhelming force.
The creatures moved.
They broke formation, attempting to scatter, to evade—But the attack adapted.
Tracked and pressed.
And one by one—They fell.
When the light faded—Nothing moved below.
For a brief moment, Hamsa hovered there—admiring the aftermath. In complete silence.
Then—His senses spiked.
A mana signature he had hoped never to feel.
The shift was instant.
The calm vanished.
Without a second thought, he turned—And surged forward, accelerating toward the base camp at full speed.
This better be something serious… he thought, his expression hardening as the wind tore past him.
————————————————————————————————————————————
Base Camp.
Thick clouds gathered overhead, heavy and oppressive—as if the sky itself might break at any moment.
On the ground, the tension was no less.
At the heart of the camp, nearly six hundred Royal Guards formed a tight defensive circle. All non-combatants had been pulled inside.
Each guard stood firm, spears driven into the earth and their tips glowing lightly.
Behind them, the elephants.
Massive and unmoving.
Together, they formed a living wall.
The elephants fed mana into the formation—And the guards shaped it.
A barrier was formed.
Above, several massive birds circled, their silhouettes cutting through the darkening sky.
Outside the defensive ring, the situation was far worse.
Four hundred guards were engaged in open combat, led by Rajkumar Garuda and Naga.
Facing them—
Roughly a hundred of the same creatures Hamsa had encountered.
Bone. Armor. And something that refused to die.
And they were pushing forward.
"Rajkumar… I'm not sure we can hold much longer."
A young woman in light armor spoke, sword raised as she faced one of the creatures.
Behind her, Rajkumar Garuda stood—
A sword embedded in his lower torso, just missing anything vital.
"Just… a few more minutes," he growled, one hand hovering near the wound. At his feet lay a shattered bracelet of mana crystals.
The guards around him tightened their formation.
"We have over a hundred and fifty wounded," Naga said, stepping beside the woman. "No casualties yet—but that won't last. Rajkumar… we need to retreat."
"And let them hit the barrier—" Garuda began—
Then pain surged through him, cutting his words short.
FUCK THIS… why do I always end up in situations like this…
Ashwini thought, jaw tightening as she adjusted her stance, eyes flicking across the battlefield.
I can't take on the remaining seventy on my own.
If only I had temple fighters here…
Her gaze hardened.
These men are good—but they're not built for this.
Still… credit where it's due.
Any normal army would've been wiped out by now.
But they're barely holding.
Her mind raced.
First—stay alive.
Second—keep everyone else alive.
Especially the Rajkumar.
Then—Something clicked.
Why aren't they attacking?
It had been minutes. Since the creatures had paused their attack.
Her senses flared as two mana signatures registered themselves in her mind.
The one approaching from the ground—Was not a concern, it was something she though she can handle/
The other—
Approaching from above.
Her breath caught.
"…Rajkumar," she said quickly, voice tightening. "With all due respect, something is coming—and I don't want to find out what it is."
She stepped closer, speaking faster now.
"I can help maintain the barrier. With the others, we can hold for two—maybe three days. Reinforcements from Takshashila should arrive by then—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Something had changed.
The tension that was think enough to be cut with a butter knife was gone.
The Rajkumar, who moments ago had been standing through sheer force of will, barely holding himself together, now seemed… relaxed.
Still in pain. But no longer bracing for death.
Around him, the guards hadn't lowered their weapons—
But the edge was gone.
That desperate, blood-soaked readiness to die—Faded.
Then—The sky shifted.
The thick clouds overhead were gone as sun light came though, like they never existed in the first place.
A few seconds passed.
And then—The birds fell.
One after another, their massive forms dropped from the sky, crashing into the ground.
Ashwini turned sharply toward the source of the presence she had sensed earlier.
At first—Nothing.
Then—A silhouette.
A human figure.
Standing in the air as if it were solid ground.
Her breath caught.
Clang. Clang.
Her attention snapped back to the creatures below.
They were moving—Retreating.
For the first time since the battle began.
But before she could process it—Light fell from the sky.
[1] It means he was going in the same direction but since his face was facing the opposite direction I wrote it as backwords.