As the war grew more intense, Kavi, Ansh, and Tara fought side by side. Now, their god-like powers had become one, and they felt as if they could destroy the world itself if they wished. The three gods—Kavi, Ansh, and Siya—merged their elements of Metal, Water, and Fire. A light of a unique color spread in all directions, and any monsters caught in its path were shredded into pieces or incinerated in the extreme flames of Agni. The battlefield was cleared, and now, 81 dark, swirling portals loomed ahead.
From the portals, the final wave began to emerge—monsters of God-level rank. Even a single one of these could easily wipe out a squad of High-tier Gods. These were monsters never seen before. The three heroes felt slightly weakened after using such massive power, but they knew if they didn't act, the entire village would fall.
Kavi said, "We must destroy the formation before the monsters emerge!" The outer edges of those 81 portals began to crack. The trio looked toward the nine glowing black pillars reaching into the heights of the sky. Taking deep breaths, they said, "Whatever happens, we must hurry. Time is very short."
Kavi raised his hand and gave the signal. At his command, Ansh and Siya dashed toward those black pillars. Siya, using her new divine power, struck the northern pillar with all her might. But the pillar didn't even vibrate; it seemed as if it was absorbing the attack. Ansh faced the same result. Kavi observed this and shouted, "Attack all at once!" On Kavi's signal, the three attacked together. The pillars shook slightly, but there was no significant impact.
Ansh said, "Perhaps we need to attack all nine pillars simultaneously." Kavi asked, "Did you meet them too?" He was referring to the Spirits. Siya and Ansh both nodded. They tried to summon their Spirits, which had now become one with them, but they failed.
However, Siya felt something. She closed her eyes, her body began to vibrate, and suddenly, there were two Siyas. Ansh asked, "How did you do that?" Siya replied, "I sensed that since they have merged with us, we are one. I just tried to create a clone and tried to channel Pragya's consciousness into it. Somehow, I succeeded."
Kavi and Ansh tried as well. Soon, there were two Kavis. But Ansh was struggling; he couldn't figure out how to do it. Kavi advised, "Focus on your inner self. Try to divide your power into two equal parts and send the consciousness of the Spirit that merged with you into the other half."
Ansh tried but failed. Then, he tried a new method. He created an ice sculpture and, instead of consciousness, tried to pour the memories he received from Neeraj into it. Suddenly, the sound of cracking came from the ice sculpture, and there stood Neeraj.
He looked so beautiful that he appeared to be Kamadeva, the primary God of Love and Sensuality. Anyone who looked at him would be transfixed. His divinity was such as had never been seen in this era—so cool and serene that all pain and suffering would vanish in his presence. Yet, he looked very much like Ansh.
Neeraj spoke to Ansh: "Ansh, I wasn't sure you'd be able to summon the final part of my consciousness so soon. I also wished to meet you one last time. This is merely a fragment of my consciousness; I cannot stay here for long. This planet is too weak to endure my powers for an extended period." He continued, "I have only 10 seconds. I can destroy at most three pillars of this star formation at once, no more. Even with Dara and Pragya, we can only destroy eight pillars. For the ninth, we need another God."
As he was speaking, Gaurav appeared. He said, "Even though I have no hands now, I am still a God. Even if I'm low-tier, I am certain I can help you." Neeraj looked at him. Before anyone could react, Neeraj raised his hand, and Gaurav was covered in ice. Kavi and Siya were shocked, but Ansh remained calm because he had seen in Neeraj's memories that Neeraj could heal using divine powers.
The ice shattered, and Gaurav stood there weeping with joy, looking at his hands. These hands were made entirely of ice, but they were capable of doing everything a human hand could. Neeraj explained that they were made of Millennium Ice, and even the sun's heat could not melt them.
Then, with a wave of Neeraj's hand, everyone was teleported to their positions. At his signal, Neeraj and the others unleashed their full power. Gaurav raised his hand, and his axe, which had been lying on the battlefield, manifested before him. He was covered in thick armor, and a faint spark of lightning crackled from his body.
On a single command, everyone struck the pillars. The fusion of powers surged forward lethally. Neeraj waved his hand, and three pillars froze solid. A violent tremor shook the ground, and the monsters trying to tear through the portals were sealed inside. Neeraj's body began to fade. Then, for the first time, Jedna village saw snow—as if the world itself was bidding Neeraj farewell. Every element moved in perfect harmony. It finally seemed that everything had become peaceful.
Everyone collapsed to the ground, laughing with relief. The villagers had just taken a breath of peace when suddenly... the sky over Jedna village turned unnaturally black. A heavy, terrifying pressure filled the air.
The fabric of space itself trembled. With a deafening roar, an unnatural rift tore through the air. At that moment, whether monster or human, everyone froze. Kavi, Ansh, and Tara looked up in horror as the rift expanded, releasing an energy so ancient and dark that their very souls shivered.
"W-what... what is this?" Tara gasped. She backed away, the fire in her hands flickering uncertainly.
No one got a chance to answer. A figure emerged from that swirling darkness. Her presence was something neither gods nor mortals had ever felt. The air itself was warping around her, as if reality were struggling to endure her existence. There was a terrible beauty in her walk—both frightening and seductive. Her cold eyes surveyed the battlefield as if none of it was worthy of her gaze.
"Who are you?" Kavi shouted. The figure replied, "I... I am the Devourer, Lilith."
"Lilith..." Kavi whispered in a trembling voice.
Lilith—a name that sent shivers even through the ranks of the gods. She was the wielder of immense power, an entity mentioned only in whispers in ancient texts, but whom no one had seen for eons. It was said she had been banished from the God-realm because her power was unbearable even for the gods.
The earth shook at her arrival. The danger they had been fighting for so long was nothing compared to this catastrophe. An uneasy tension filled the atmosphere.
"What... does she want from us?" Tara whispered, afraid even to draw Lilith's attention.
But Kavi had realized the truth. Lilith had nothing to do with them. She was playing a much bigger game. Lilith's cold gaze landed on the three of them.
"You children amuse me," she said. Her voice was soft as silk but laced with poison. "Clinging to fragments of power, fighting battles meant for gods... it is almost... cute."
Kavi gripped the hilt of his weapon tightly. Every instinct was screaming that this was no ally. "Why have you come here?" he asked, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at his chest.
Lilith smiled—but there was no warmth in that smile. "I am here because you have disturbed the balance. The powers you have unleashed—" she gestured toward the battlefield, "—have created rifts in space. Your trivial fight is the reason the veil between different realms has torn. This is why the portals opened."
Ansh narrowed his eyes. "So you're saying... this all happened because of us?"
"Not entirely," Lilith said. Her eyes swept over the shattered battlefield. "But your interference certainly accelerated it."
She raised her hand again. The rift she had come from began to throb with energy. Kavi felt it—a deep, primal pull, as if the fabric of the universe were unraveling. Space was unstable.
"Stop the games, Lilith," Kavi said, his eyes narrowing. "Tell the truth, why are you here?"
Lilith laughed softly. Her laughter echoed eerily across the now-silent battlefield. "I came to close the portals, yes. But they have already been closed. Now I am here to eliminate the cause of all this. This world—this fragile reality—is hanging by a thread. And now, because of you, that thread is beginning to snap."
With her words, the earth shook. The ground cracked, and the rift grew larger by the second. Kavi felt it too—the balance of reality was swaying, and it wasn't in their favor.
Ansh's heart began to race. "You... you're using this to free yourself from your banishment."
Lilith's smile widened. "You aren't as naive as you look, little god."
Before they could understand anything, Lilith's body began to glow. The rift behind her throbbed with a deep, wicked light. It was clear now—her arrival was no coincidence. She had used the instability they created to forge a path for her return to this realm. And now, as the rift expanded, Lilith was preparing to ascend to the pinnacle of power once again. Her banishment was ending—and the consequences were going to be catastrophic.
Kavi stepped forward, his body tensing with determination. "We won't let you do this—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a dangerous glint appeared in Lilith's eyes. "What won't you let me do?" Her voice was low, but filled with open threat. "In the face of true power, you are still newborns. And yet, you have the courage to challenge me?"
She flicked her wrist. The air shimmered, and an invisible force slammed Kavi, Ansh, and Tara hard against the ground. Gaurav couldn't even withstand the pressure and fell unconscious. Kavi tried to rise, gasping for breath, but the heavy weight of Lilith's power was crushing him.
"You have no idea what forces you are playing with," Lilith said, her voice like poisonous affection. "But for now, I shall leave you alive."
Before they could say anything, Lilith retreated into the rift. Her form vanished into the swirling darkness. The last thing they saw was her cold, mocking smile—and then, with a loud blast, the rift closed.
A terrifying silence fell over the battlefield. The portals were closed, the monsters were gone—but the threat of Lilith's return hung in the air like a toxic mist.
Ansh, still trying to recover from the encounter, managed to stand up. "Now... what do we do now?" he asked in a trembling voice.
Kavi clenched his jaw, looking at the broken landscape. "We will prepare. Lilith's power... it is far beyond any challenge we have faced so far. But we must stop her. If she is truly free, then this world—and all other worlds—will be in danger."
Tara nodded, a fierce determination in her eyes. "Then we will fight. No matter what comes, we will fight."
And as the dust of the battlefield began to settle, they knew—their trials were not over. Lilith was free. And the real war... was about to begin.