Warning: this is the first chapter so it can feel like a screen play since I made this many months ago
Prologue
The sky fractured into silent pieces, each shard reflecting a different horizon.
Wind dragged across the farmland in uneven waves.
At the edge of the field stood a man in purple, hood lowered, a violet earring pulsing faintly beside his cheek.
He glanced at the sun.
"…Dim today."
Wheels creaked behind him.
He didn't turn.
"You're late," the old man said.
The necromancer smiled slightly, eyes still on the sky.
"Patience, Director. The village isn't going anywhere."
The old man's chair stopped beside him. His gaze rested on the distant rooftops below.
Smoke rose from chimneys. A dog barked. Then silence.
"You remember the objective."
The necromancer finally looked back, one glowing eye visible beneath the hood.
"Objective…"
He lifted his hand. The air around his fingers warped. The nearest crops slowly darkened at the edges.
"…Of course."
The wind shifted — all of it flowing toward the village.
He stepped forward.
Behind him, the Director folded his hands calmly.
The purple earring flashed.
And far below, birds exploded into the sky at once.
Wheat snapped under his boots as he walked forward, each step crushing the golden stalks into the soil.
He stopped.
Both hands rose slowly toward the fractured sky.
Behind him, the old man's voice came, quiet and certain.
"I believe you will."
The necromancer didn't turn.
The Director angled his chair toward the distant mountains, eyes scanning the horizon as if erasing his own presence from the world.
"Make sure," he said softly, "there is no evidence of me here."
A faint chuckle drifted back.
"Don't worry… old friend."
The violet earring at the necromancer's ear pulsed once.
"I'll leave nothing alive."
A small smile touched the Director's lips.
Then he was gone.
Only the fading wheel marks remained, slowly erased by the restless wind.
The necromancer's eyes burned violet.
He tilted his head back, facing the shattered sky.
"हे प्रभो, सूर्यभक्षक-राहोः छायाम् आवाहयितुं मे शक्तिं देहि।"
(O Lord, grant me the power to summon the shadow of the Sun-Eater, Rahu.)
The earring cracked.
Threads of purple light burst outward and spiraled before him, weaving together in midair. A spine formed first… then ribs… then long jagged limbs shaped from glowing bone.
Dark energy wrapped around the frame like living muscle, pulsing without skin to contain it.
A ten-foot creature descended onto the field.
It had a body—broad, towering, monstrous
—
yet its neck ended in a hollow void, as if something immense should have been floating above it.
Shadow smoke leaked upward from that emptiness, coiling toward the sky like a missing head searching for its place.
The ground beneath its feet withered into blackened soil.
The necromancer lowered his hands slowly, a thin smile stretching across his face.
"It's time."
He gestured toward the distant village below.
"My shadow… erase this place."
The creature's body flared with violent violet light.
The wheat bent away.
The wind recoiled.
The fractured sky dimmed, as though something unseen had begun to swallow the sun—
—and everything went black.
Prologue ends..
A lighter sparked.
A small flame flickered to life, its glow reflecting in a pair of half-open silver eyes.
A boy sat on a wooden stool in a closed room packed with old lockers and scattered chairs. Dust drifted in the air.
His grey-and-white hair lifted slightly, as if stirred by a wind that didn't exist.
The flame trembled in his hand.
Footsteps approached.
A piece of bread suddenly hovered near his face.
He blinked and looked up.
Another boy stood there—smiling, grey hair falling over his forehead. A trident mark rested at the side of his neck, faint but visible in the dim light.
"Rudra," he said lightly. "Come outside. It's been a long time."
Rudra stared at him for a moment, then exhaled.
"Ansh… what are you doing here?" He took the bread, still watching him. "Weren't you going on a mission?"
Ansh snapped the lighter shut. The flame vanished, leaving only the dull room behind.
"Yes," he said. "But I want you to come with me."
Rudra looked away and bit into the bread.
"I don't want to. Ansh… just go."
Ansh stepped closer. "Come on. I can't go without my partner."
Rudra chewed slowly, then gave a faint, humorless smile.
"A hero without a partner is nothing, right?"
Silence lingered.
"You don't need a partner," Rudra added quietly. "You said that once."
He stood up.
Ansh moved into his path before he could pass.
"Yes," Ansh said. "But things are different now."
Rudra's gaze hardened. "I'm not the monster you're looking for anymore."
He walked past him toward the door.
"That monster died."
His hand reached the handle.
"Sorry for disappointing you."
Ansh's voice came from behind, softer now.
"I know it's hard… but at least for the sake of this world—"
Rudra paused.
He turned his head slightly, meeting Ansh's eyes. Whatever he saw there made his expression tighten.
"If I go now," Rudra said slowly, "I'll just be a burden. Nothing more."
He placed a hand on Ansh's shoulder.
"Sorry, my friend. I don't have the spirit anymore."
Ansh lowered his head.
Rudra opened the door.
"The necromancer…" Ansh said.
Rudra froze.
"He's at a village in Japan. Shibuya."
Rudra's grip on the door tightened.
"…Necromancer?" he asked without turning.
"At least," Ansh continued, "for Master… for their deaths."
Silence filled the doorway.
Rudra slowly closed his eyes.
"…Ansh," he said at last, voice quieter, steadier. "Can you take my blade there?"
Ansh looked up.
"I'll meet you there."
A small smile spread across Ansh's face.
"Sure, partner."
Rudra pulled the door open and ran out into the light without another word.
The room fell silent again.
Ansh watched the empty doorway for a moment, then exhaled softly.
"…I feel a bit better now."
Ansh stepped out of the doorway.
A forest surrounded the building on all sides. Tall trees arched overhead, their leaves whispering softly as light filtered through in scattered beams.
The air smelled of damp earth and old bark.
He glanced around once—
—and suddenly someone grabbed his hand.
He turned sharply.
A girl stood there, close enough that her curly grey hair brushed against the right side of his neck, right where the faint trident mark rested. Her green eyes looked up at him, bright and familiar.
"Brother."
Ansh blinked, then relaxed. His hand moved to her head instinctively, ruffling her hair.
"Oh… Siya. What are you doing here?"
She smiled, holding his hand tighter.
"It's been a long time since we met. I wanted to spend time with you, brother."
Ansh's expression softened.
"Okay," he said gently. "But you'll have to wait a bit for that."
Siya tilted her head. "You're going on a mission?"
"Yeah," Ansh replied. "But I'll be back soon."
She nodded, then giggled lightly. "Then till you return, I'll train in the Mantra World."
Ansh smiled faintly. "Good. I'll see you there."
He stepped back, bending his knees slightly.
In the next moment, he leapt onto a nearby tree branch. His eyes flashed blue, and the trident mark on his neck glowed with the same faint light. Wind swirled around him as he crouched for a second—
—and then he vanished, disappearing into the forest with a burst of speed.
The leaves trembled long after he was gone.
Siya watched the empty branches for a moment, her smile lingering.
"Okay," she murmured to herself, turning back toward the building. "Let's go back."
The forest grew quiet again.
And the screen faded to black.
Leaves burst apart as a figure rushed through the treetops.
Ansh moved from branch to branch, feet barely touching the bark. His blue eyes scanned the forest ahead, searching, the wind struggling to keep up with his pace.
He slowed.
A presence.
He shifted direction mid-step and dropped from the trees, landing lightly on the ground below.
Ahead, a lone cliff overlooked the distant landscape.
Rudra stood at the edge, coat stirring faintly in the wind, gaze fixed on the horizon.
Without turning, he spoke.
"Took you an hour to come from Kashmir to Japan."
Ansh exhaled, walking toward him. "You're just too fast." He paused, then added with a small smile, "And I wanted to spend a little time with my sister."
Rudra remained silent.
Ansh raised one hand slowly.
"And… you asked me to bring these."
The air above his palm twisted, folding inward like an invisible vortex.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he murmured,
"हे प्रभो, मम रक्तायुधं ग्रहणाय मे शक्तिं देहि।"
(O Lord, grant me the power to summon my blood weapon.)
The wind around his hand thickened.
The distortion deepened—
then dark red liquid seeped into existence from the spiraling air. It flowed downward, gathering and shaping… forming the outline of two curved hand-blades.
The blood hardened.
Silver handles emerged first, smooth and cold. Green blades extended from them, sharp and gleaming as the last traces of red vanished into the metal.
Two complete weapons hovered above his hand.
Rudra finally turned, eyes settling on them.
"…It's been a long time since I've seen those."
Ansh flicked his wrist and threw the blades toward him.
Rudra caught them cleanly, one in each hand. The weight settled into his grip as if they had always belonged there. He studied the weapons for a moment, then lifted his gaze back to Ansh.
"You've changed," he said quietly.
Ansh shrugged and smiled faintly. "Yeah… I think so."
Rudra spun one blade once, testing the balance.
"Before, you used to worry about your sister all the time."
Ansh's eyes softened briefly. "Now I know… if she ever has a problem, there are people I trust."
Rudra's lips curved into a small smile.
"Alright, partner," he said, turning toward the horizon again. "Let's go to Shibuya village."
Ansh stepped beside him. "Yeah. Let's go, partner."
Both bent their knees slightly—
—and jumped from the cliff.
For a brief instant, their figures hung against the open sky.
Then they vanished, their speed leaving only a violent rush of wind behind.
Ansh's steps slowed as they reached another open field.
He stopped.
"Rudra… can you see that?"
Rudra halted beside him, eyes narrowing toward the distance.
"…Yes," he said quietly. "That's the necromancer's summon."
The field ahead was scorched, patches of earth crushed and blackened as violet flames crawled across the ground like living things. The air itself trembled, distorted by the lingering energy.
Then—
the sky cracked.
Thin fractures spread across the heavens, light bending between them as if the world itself were splitting apart.
Rudra's gaze sharpened. "Rahu… the Sun Eater."
The sunlight dimmed.
A shadow crept over the land as a solar eclipse began to form, swallowing the warmth from the field inch by inch.
Ansh watched the darkening sky, his face unreadable.
"Oh," he murmured. "So that's the necromancer's power."
Rudra glanced at him. "You're not surprised?"
"I am," Ansh replied calmly. Then a small smile appeared. "But being surprised won't help us."
Rudra studied him for a moment longer. "Ansh… what exactly happened to you?"
Ansh's smile stayed, but his eyes shifted slightly.
"You mean why I'm smiling and not showing much emotion."
"…Yeah."
For a few seconds, only the dimming light of the eclipse remained between them.
Ansh spoke quietly, almost casually.
"If I let my emotions loose… my other identity will come out. You remember."
Rudra's expression stiffened. "Yes."
Ansh's eyes lowered. The smile on his face faded for a brief moment.
"I want to be happy, Rudra," he said softly. "I want to worry about my sister like before. But if I do… that identity becomes a threat to all of us."
The eclipse deepened, shadows stretching longer across the field.
Rudra exhaled slowly. "You really have improved… but you're still struggling to hold it back."
Ansh's smile returned, lighter this time.
"That's nothing, partner. This isn't the time to talk." He lifted his gaze toward the cracked sky. "We need to stop the necromancer."
Rudra nodded once. "I know, Ansh. But after this mission… we need to talk."
Without another word, his figure blurred—
and vanished.
Ansh remained for a fraction of a second, eyes reflecting the darkened sky.
"Okay," he murmured.
Then he vanished as well, leaving the ruined field beneath the growing eclipse.
Ansh stepped through the broken entrance of a Japanese house, the wooden floor creaking beneath his feet.
"Rudra."
A faint distortion formed beside him, and Rudra appeared, eyes already scanning the surroundings.
"So… we're here."
Outside, the village burned.
Purple flames crawled across rooftops and streets, devouring wood and stone alike. In the distance, the towering shadow of Rahu stood amidst the destruction.
One massive arm brushed against a row of houses—
—and everything it touched erupted into violet fire.
Rudra's grip on his blades tightened. "There are people who still need help."
"Yeah, I know," Ansh replied softly.
He smiled.
"Okay then. You stop Rahu from destroying the rest of the village… I'll save the people."
Rudra glanced at him.
"I believe in you," Ansh added. "The monster of light."
Rudra gave a faint, determined nod. "Alright."
He vanished in a flash of movement.
Ansh leapt upward, landing on a broken beam. His eyes slowly closed.
Darkness swallowed his vision.
He stood alone in a silent black void.
"Void Sense," he murmured. "Śūnya Indriya."
Ripples spread through the darkness.
Then—shapes emerged.
Faint silhouettes of people, scattered across the burning village. Fear, movement, breathing… all of it becoming visible within the emptiness.
Ansh focused.
"…There are survivors in the fifth house."
The vision sharpened—
—and five lifeless bodies appeared near the entrance of that house.
Ansh's expression stilled.
"…We're late."
The void shattered.
He vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared inside the fifth house.
A group of children huddled together in the corner, eyes wide with terror.
"Hey," Ansh said gently. "It's time to go somewhere safe."
The children tightened their grip on each other.
A small boy—no older than six—stepped forward, holding a kitchen knife with trembling hands.
"Stay away from my sister!"
He stood in front of a baby girl, barely a year old, cradled protectively behind him.
Ansh stopped where he was.
"I know you're scared," he said softly.
"I'm not!" the boy shouted, wiping his tears roughly. "I'm not a person who gets scared!"
Ansh's eyes lowered slightly.
In the reflection of the blade, fragments of memory flickered.
A woman leaving the house with a small bag.
A crying baby inside a cart.
Purple flames descending from the sky.
A scream cut short.
The knife shaking in the boy's tiny hands.
"You were standing outside," Ansh said quietly. "Your mom went to get milk for your sister."
The boy froze.
"But then the monster came," Ansh continued, voice steady. "You saw her fall… and you were crying."
The boy's lips trembled.
"You looked at your sister," Ansh said, glancing at the baby behind him. "You picked her up, ran inside, and took this knife… so you could protect her."
Tears streamed down the boy's face, though he tried to hold his stance.
"I'm not weak…" he whispered.
Ansh knelt down slowly, lowering himself to the boy's level.
"Being weak isn't a sin," he said gently. "It's the truth for all of us."
The knife trembled more.
"I'm weak too," Ansh added softly. "But right now, you have a choice… save yourself and your sister and become strong… or stay here and let everything end."
The boy's fingers loosened.
The knife fell to the floor with a small metallic sound.
He broke down, crying loudly. "I just… I just wanted to protect her…"
Ansh reached forward and hugged him carefully, making sure not to frighten the baby in his arms.
"…I know," he whispered. "I want to protect someone too."
For a brief moment, Ansh's eyes drifted toward the doorway.
Outside, near the broken steps, a small bag lay on the ground… a packet of milk spilled beside it, soaking into the dust.
His gaze lingered.
I only guessed… he thought. But it was true.
He gently lifted the boy into his arms.
"Hold on tightly," Ansh said softly.
The boy nodded and clung to him, still protecting his baby sister between them.
In the next instant, Ansh bent his knees—
—and leapt.
The roof shattered above them as he broke through, landing on the top of the house. Wood splintered and tiles scattered, but his grip around the children never loosened.
He started running.
Not at full speed.
If I move too fast… it could hurt them.
So he moved carefully, dashing between burning buildings, avoiding falling debris and streaks of purple flame that licked across the streets.
Smoke curled past them, the heat pressing against his back as he shielded the children with his body.
He cleared the last row of houses and entered the edge of the forest, feet barely touching the ground as he continued forward.
Trees blurred past.
Then the forest opened into a wide field.
He crossed it quickly and soon reached the outskirts of a small town far from the burning village.
Only then did he stop.
He crouched and gently set the boy and his sister down behind a low stone wall.
"I'm going to bring more survivors," Ansh said calmly. "Wait here, okay?"
The boy wiped his tears and nodded.
Ansh's expression softened slightly.
"And if you see purple light… hide somewhere safe. Don't come out until I return."
The boy nodded again, holding his sister closer.
Ansh gave them one last look.
Then he vanished, disappearing back toward the burning village.
Rudra stood atop a shattered rooftop, the violet flames reflecting in his blades.
His eyes remained fixed on the towering shadow of Rahu rampaging through the village, every step turning homes into pillars of purple fire.
"…So this is his shadow," Rudra muttered.
Wind pressed against him, hot and violent.
"A monster worthy of forcing even a god to reincarnate…"
His grip tightened around the blades.
"I know I can't kill it," he said under his breath. "But I can at least stop it."
He closed his eyes.
"हे प्रभो, दर्पण-विघटन-शक्तिं मे देहि।"
(O Lord, grant me the power of the dismantling mirror.)
A sharp sound echoed—
Cracks of light spread through the air around him, forming floating shards of mirrors that surrounded his body in a slow orbit.
Each fragment reflected a distorted version of the burning world.
Rudra suddenly stepped back and flipped off the rooftop.
He kicked against the wall behind him—
—and the wall shattered.
For a brief moment, the world itself seemed to fracture. Reflections overlapped reality, the sky and flames scattering into countless broken mirror images that hovered midair around him.
Rudra dashed forward through the storm of shards, heading straight for the colossal monster.
The shadow raised one massive arm.
Air twisted violently in its palm, compressing into a spiraling sphere of destructive force before
launching straight at him.
Rudra's eyes sharpened.
"Scatter."
The mirror fragments shot forward, transforming into sharp crystalline spikes that collided with the twisting air sphere, trying to pierce and disperse its force.
The collision warped the air, sending shockwaves across the burning rooftops.
Then—
a voice echoed softly through the chaos.
"Things are getting exciting…"
Rudra's eyes narrowed.
Another voice followed, calm and steady, carried through the wind.
"…This story has just begun."
Ansh.
The End of chapter I