King of Devas

"Hiranyaksha, I'm here to negotiate!" Indra declared, hovering in the sky as he locked eyes with Hiranyaksha and raised his hand. Hiranyaksha was momentarily stunned, but his expression shifted instantly, and he couldn't help but erupt into laughter.

"Hahahaha! Indra, are you truly qualified to negotiate with me?"

His laughter echoed like thunder, and his enormous mouth opened wide, resembling a black hole. From it poured a formidable wind, fierce and relentless, reminiscent of the cosmic storms of doom.

"Vayu! It's up to you now—hold on!"

Indra stepped back three paces, placing himself protectively in front of the wind deity, Vayu, and pointed straight ahead.

"Ah?" Vayu exclaimed, staring at the swirling tempest with a look of horror on his face.

He was indeed the wind deity, but in that moment, he felt his divine power waning, and the monstrous winds threatened to sweep him away.

"We have to hold on, even if it seems impossible!" Indra urged. "Varuna, Agni, Surya—let's transfer our power to him!"

As Indra spoke, he clasped his hands together in reverence to Vayu, and a brilliant golden light enveloped them.

"Praise the Vayudeva! Praise the Vayudeva!"

The water, fire, and sun deities responded immediately, their voices joining in a chorus as powerful energy surged into Vayu's being, fortifying him against the raging winds.

"Vayu, don't get blown away! You'll lose your pride!" Indra urged anxiously.

"I'm brimming with power! Don't worry!" Vayu, the wind deity, replied, his eyes flashing like lightning. He was no weakling; as the wind deity, he was a fierce warrior among the Devas and a seasoned champion in their battles.

With a decisive gesture, Vayu summoned his divine power. The wild winds coalesced into a thunderous roar, transforming into 99,999 white horses that surged forward, appearing before the Devas. The wind horses whinnied and stamped their iron hooves, charging ahead with unstoppable force.

Hiss—

The sound of nearly 100,000 white horses echoed like a storm, drowning out the chaos of battle. Their combined roar sliced through the air, tearing apart the turbulent winds spewing from Hiranyaksha's mouth and creating a path through the chaos.

Hiranyaksha paused, momentarily taken aback, and glanced at the Devas. These beings seem to possess formidable power!

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice booming like thunder.

Indra stepped forward confidently and declared, "I challenge you to a fight. If you win, we will leave!"

Hiranyaksha's laughter erupted, sounding like a great joke he couldn't ignore. He twisted his mouth and beard in disbelief, casting a sardonic glance at Indra.

"Just you? Indra, how dare you challenge me?!"

Hiranyaksha sneered as waves of air surged around him, causing the waves in Kshira Sagara to surge violently.

"Are you scared?" Indra retorted, his voice steady. Hiranyaksha's eyes widened with fury at the question.

'Scared? Would he ever be scared?'

Though rage surged within him, he remembered Rishi Shukracharya's instructions to hold up Mount Mandara calmly, forcing him to suppress his anger.

"Haha! You're not worthy of challenging me!" Hiranyaksha sneered, a cold laugh escaping his lips.

Indra stepped forward, blinking as he spoke in a deep voice, "I've heard that a lion raised in captivity forgets how to hunt in the wild. You are the king of Patala Loka, hasn't Shukracharya taught you that a king can never refuse a challenge to battle?"

Hiranyaksha shook his head at Indra's eloquent words. "What are you talking about?" he snapped angrily.

"It seems you are too stupid to understand analogies. Let me put it simply: You're not worthy of being the Asura King!" Indra replied calmly.

The corners of Hiranyaksha's eyebrows twitched as he glared at Indra, his expression darkening. "Not worthy?! My power can overturn the Bhuloka and pluck the stars from the sky! With your current strength, you are not worthy enough to even talk to me!"

Suddenly, Hiranyaksha roared, his black hair whipping wildly in the wind, showcasing his arrogance. A fierce gust erupted, causing the Kshira Sagara to churn and rise in towering waves. The crashing sound unleashed a violent force that shook the very world around them.

"No!" Indra smiled slightly, standing with his feet together. He supported his forehead with his left hand, pointed at Hiranyaksha with his right, and laughed softly. "You are the challenger!"

"Hehe!" As soon as his voice fell, a profound silence enveloped the surroundings. Indra continued, his tone shifting to one of authority, "Do you truly think you can challenge me? I am Indra, the King of Svarga! I've been the king of Svarga far longer than you've been the king of Patala Loka. I've faced foes that would send tremors through your very being, while you, Hiranyaksha, are but a little brother seeking to prove himself."

"Have you forgotten our lineage? As the elder brother, I have to uphold the honor of our family. You may possess strength, but wisdom and experience are my allies. Your ambitions cloud your judgment. You think yourself a worthy challenger, yet you stand in the shadow of my legacy."

"Consider this: the King of Svarga does not back down from a challenge, nor does he falter in the face of a younger sibling's bravado. If you wish to fight, then step forward, little brother, and prepare to face the weight of my reign!"

As soon as his voice fell, a profound silence enveloped the Krishi Sagara.

Suryadeva gasped, taking a deep breath, his dark face filled with astonishment. "So audacious! So arrogant! This is the Indra I remember."

"He's reminiscent of the Indra of old—fearless and arrogant, but does he truly understand the stakes this time?" Vayudev muttered to himself, clearly taken aback.

"Can he provoke Hiranyaksha like this?" Agnideva whispered concern etched on his face.

Varunadev nodded slowly, his expression serious. "It's a dangerous game he's playing. But you know how Asuras are they are prone to get angry very easily. This is their ancient weakness that they can't migate even with so much knowledge."

Meanwhile, the protector of the dharma, Vishnu lay upon his serpent bed, observing Hiranyaksha with a slight curl of his lips. "This is reminiscent of the proud Indra, the King of Svarga, from before. I thought, without divine power, he wouldn't dare speak like this. But now, he has truly provoked Hiranyaksha!"

...

Brahmaloka.

"What arrogant words!"

Brahma was closely observing the events unfolding on the Kshira Sagara. He was curious to see how Indra would provoke Hiranyaksha into action, but he didn't expect Indra to be so direct in his challenge.

At that moment, Brahma felt an itch on his neck. He turned his head and glanced at the Vedas—the knowledge of the universe—emanating a faint golden light in his hand.

His fifth head had been removed by Lord Shiva due to his extreme pride as the creator. "Indeed, one must be careful when speaking to others," Brahma reflected.

....

Lord Shiva sat motionless, his expression serene. His eyes were like the depth of oceans—deep and bottomless—reflecting the tumultuous situation in the Kshira Sagara.

"It seems the King of Svarga has gained much wisdom through rigorous penance. He has learned how to provoke the innate pride of Asuras," Lord Shiva murmured.

Asuras are a blend of honor, impatience, and lust to be the king of Triloka. Nandi looked on with curiosity.

"Asuras are aggressive and irritable. Now that Hiranyaksha's pride has been attacked, he will undoubtedly take action," Mahadeva explained.

...

At that moment, Hiranyaksha was furious. The radiant figure of Hiranyaksha resembled two beams of light shooting up into the sky, illuminating everything around him. He had never experienced such scorn before. A group of Devas, stripped of their divine power, dared to claim that he, the Asura King blessed with immense strength, was the challenger.

"Then I will kill you today!" King Hiranyaksha roared, his voice filled with rage. With a sudden release of his arms, the massive Mount Mandara plummeted straight down, crashing into the Kshira Sagara.

Initially, the waves of the Kshira Sagara sank, only to be followed by towering white waves rising from around Mount Mandara, rippling outward in layers.

At that moment, the Triloka trembled!

"Well done! I surrender!"

Indra, recognizing that the plan had succeeded, stopped boasting. He shouted, turned, and ran away.

The surrounding Devas exchanged confused glances. Suddenly, the Vayudeva realized what was happening and took off after Indra. The other Devas quickly followed suit, chasing after him.

Hiranyaksha's eyes widened in disbelief; his fury turned his complexion blood-red, and his murderous intent soared into the sky.

"How dare you fool me!" Hiranyaksha screamed, his voice echoing like thunder. With a wave of his massive hand, he summoned winds and clouds, launching them straight at Indra and the devas.

The sky and ocean suddenly darkened; everything lost its color and turned pitch black. Indra looked up and saw the winds and clouds gathering, roaring with the force of airwaves, while a massive hand blotted out the sky and sun as it came crashing down towards them.

This Hiranyaksha is truly powerful!

Fortunately, there was someone above him! Indra steadied himself, coughed twice to clear his throat, and raised his voice, calling out loudly,

"Lord Vishnu! Mandara Mountain is sinking in Krishi Sagara the universe is in danger. As the protector of the universe, If you do not reveal yourself now, when will you choose to show your presence?"