On the other side of Nalanda, inside the right chamber—
the silence that once ruled had been utterly shattered.
Golden runes flared across the domed ceiling, pulsing like trapped lightning. The air buzzed with energy, and a thousand heartbeats thundered together in fear and awe. The once calm space now looked like a battlefield of nerves.
The voice of an elder boomed through the chamber once again — a reminder, a final call.
"Attention, candidates! The instructor allocations have been confirmed once more!"
Every student stiffened. Even the runes seemed to hold their light a little longer, waiting.
The elder's voice deepened, carrying both judgment and doom.
"For the Śravaṇa-śiṣya — the Listening Students — there shall be thirty instructors.
They will test your control, adaptability, and courage."
A few students sighed in relief. Thirty meant numbers — safety in chaos.
"For the Adhama-śiṣya — the Lower Rank Students — there will be twenty-five instructors.
They are faster, stronger, and far less forgiving."
A few flinched. The glow of their tokens dimmed, as if their confidence had leaked out.
"For the Uttama-śiṣya — the Upper Rank Students — there shall be ten instructors.
Each capable of razing cities and bending storms.
To withstand even one of them for three moves is to earn the right to call yourself chosen."
And then came the pause.
The kind of silence that didn't just hush voices — it strangled them.
The elder's tone turned reverent, trembling slightly.
"And for the Param-śiṣya — the Crown Rank…"
The golden mantras dimmed, and even the air stilled.
"There will be… one instructor with name, Aditya Raj."
The room exploded.
"WHAT?!"
"One? You can't be serious!"
"Even ten Upper Rank instructors together can't even touch a Crown Rank— how can one handle them all?!"
Panic spread like wildfire. Students began shouting, pacing, gripping their tokens so tightly their knuckles went white.
The elder raised a hand, silencing them with a force of will. His voice sharpened like a blade.
"And there is one final rule.
If more than one student challenges a single instructor together, they will be ranked one level lower than the instructor's class as it shows that they can't face a challenge themselves, and they need support for even challenging someone for three strikes only.
For example, if two students fight one Upper Rank instructor and survive three strikes, they shall be marked as Lower Rank, not Upper."
A storm of whispers erupted.
"What kind of rule is that?!"
"They're punishing teamwork!"
"Do they want us to die?!"
But the elder wasn't finished.
"However…"
"This rule does not apply to the Crown Rank Instructor."
That single sentence froze everyone mid-breath.
Thinking in themselves, that how much monster that Crown rank instructor needs to be to stand like a apex predator among them, and anyone can challenge him with more candidates without any consequences of getting to a lower rank than expected.
"If a person challenges him single-handedly, then he needs to only handle three moves of a crown rank instructor, but ifany student — or even a group — manages to defeat the Crown Rank Instructor,
all shall be promoted directly to Crown Rank."
Gasps echoed.
"But," the elder added gravely, "the number of such chosen ones must never exceed thirty.
For beyond that, even the heavens themselves may tremble, because then that instructor might not hold back for you people, and whatever happens after that, those students will be liable for their lives themselves."
The golden runes crackled overhead, reacting to the collective heartbeat of panic knowing that it is normal for them to panic as the threat is of Chaos level, and not something that they can play with or take it lightly.
Some students started praying to every god they'd ever heard of.
Others looked ready to faint.
Zhang Xuan's calm composure cracked.
He clenched his fists, muttering under his breath, "Only one instructor to test the entire Crown Rank… that kind of power… it can't be human that person must be crazily powerful, and he should stay away from him, no matter what it takes.", But still in his slight corner of his mind, he was getting curious to fight him and want to see how powerful a crown rank person can be.
His eyes narrowed. "Not even the Principal when holding back like that could fight thirty students at once and stay standing."
He closed his eyes, exhaling through his nose. "This is not a test. It's a massacre disguised as evaluation."
Nearby, Roshni's hands trembled. Her Garudtalon's claws retracted back into her gauntlets as she muttered, "I… I was going to challenge the Crown Rank… but if that instructor is that powerful… I guess I could try at least", her decision unwavering until.
Tara buzzed around her ear, voice sharp. "Oh no, no, no. You're brave, not suicidal. Challenge Upper Rank and live another day, genius."
Roshni gulped and nodded quickly. "Upper Rank it is."
All around them, chaos rising among them.
Students argued over whether to team up or go solo.
Some threw away their Crown tokens in tears, replacing them with Upper or Lower ones.
A few were frozen — unable to decide if pride or survival mattered more.
The runes on the walls began flickering violently from the emotional chaos, making it look like the heavens themselves were having a breakdown.
But among that storm of dread, one aura didn't waver.
In fact… it pulsed with subtle joy.
Sita of the Celestial Lotus sat in perfect stillness, back straight, eyes half-lidded.
The golden light that surrounded her reflected the fire hidden beneath her calm.
Her lips parted slightly, a faint whisper escaping.
"One instructor…"
While everyone else prayed for their lives, her heart thundered not from fear — but exhilaration.
The corners of her mouth lifted in a serene, dangerous smile.
Lotus petals of chakra bloomed faintly around her — soft, glowing, divine.
Her token gleamed with golden fire as her aura swelled like a tidal wave under control.
Tara sensed it first, her tiny wings freezing mid-flutter.
"Roshni…" she whispered. "Someone in here isn't scared. Someone's… thrilled."
Roshni followed her gaze — and her blood ran cold.
Sita's calm eyes were now open, glimmering like molten gold, alive with dangerous excitement.
She whispered softly, her voice carrying across the chamber.
"If there is only one instructor powerful enough to test all Crown Rank candidates…
then I will face him first."
The runes around her blazed brighter. The ground thrummed.
Even the Sanskrit symbols etched in the stone vibrated as though bowing to her intent.
Her tone was serene, but the weight behind it was monstrous.
A quiet declaration of war.
Every head turned. Every student fell silent.
Even the elders watching through projection mirrors paused.
Roshni whispered, "She's actually excited to fight him…"
Zhang Xuan muttered, voice low, "That woman… she's insane."
Tara rubbed her forehead. "No, darling. She's divinely insane. There's a difference."
But Sita only smiled — calm, radiant, unstoppable.
Her aura pulsed once, the golden lotus spinning slowly behind her back like a halo.
"He stands at the peak of Nalanda…" she said quietly.
"Then he shall be my first wall to break."
BOOM.
A golden wave erupted from her, shaking the entire right chamber.
The mantras on the walls glowed white-hot, as though the heavens had acknowledged her will.
Meanwhile, Across Nalanda…
Far across the academy, beneath strings of glowing lanterns that swayed lazily in the evening wind,
the so-called Crown Rank Instructor everyone feared sat by a small food stall.
The courtyard was alive with the scent of roasted grains, honeyed buns, and sizzling spice oil — an old vendor humming while flipping lotus-flour fritters over a bronze pan. Around him, disciples hurried past, whispering nervously about their upcoming trials.
And there, sitting cross-legged on the wooden bench like he owned the realm, was Aryan.
His mask making him look like a death's messenger himself, his cloak hanging loosely, and his plate was already stacked high with steaming food.
"Hey System," he mumbled, stuffing his mouth with three buns at once, "be honest with me—
do I look scarier with one eye glowing, or both?"
[System: Neither. You look like a toddler who found a cosplay set of death itself and wandered into a holy site.]
Aryan chewed, unimpressed. "Nah, you're just jealous of my… mystique."
He rotated the mask slightly, spilling crumbs onto his cloak. "What if I tilt it fifteen degrees left? Adds mystery, right?"
[System: Adds stupidity + Chaos.]
Aryan burped, patting his stomach. "Ugh… too spicy, bro."
Aryan looks at the shop owner with filled mouth," hey, master pack me everything that you have in your shop. I guess I will need lot of things for next days for testing."
System:
[Truly, those people are in trouble, thinking this person is gonna test them, where this person is going on a picnic and just going to have some exercise with those people and have warm up with them.]
Aryan, completely oblivious and ignoring the nonsense said by system, licked honey from his fingers. "Man… I hope the students bring snacks too. This job's gonna take a while."
The lanterns flickered faintly behind him, his masked shadow stretching long and sinister across the courtyard—an ominous silhouette twisting and prowling like the Grim Reaper incarnate, herald of death's merciless arrival for the students of Nalanda.
And somewhere in the right chamber,
Sita of the Celestial Lotus smiled faintly, feeling that exact aura ripple through the air.
"I will find you," she whispered, her lotus mark glowing faintly.
"And I will not hold back."