Rewari kingdom, Khera vilge , Night of 8th march 1557

  After securing the area and confirming the victory, Aditya ordered his forces to capture the defeated survivors, secure the vilgers, and douse the fmes. Despite their best efforts, much of the vilge y in ruins, consumed by the bze.

  Damage reports revealed the heavy toll on Aditya's elite guards, with only 67 out of 100 surviving due to their ck of proper armor. The crossbowmen suffered the loss of 10, and the musketeers, 22. The police militia, though valiant, was reduced from 40 to 26 due to their limited training.

  The vilgers, though devastated by the destruction of their homes, found relief in Aditya's promise of rehabilitation. The prince's personal sacrifice and involvement to their welfare inspired hope despite the losses.

  The loss of life was felt deeply, particurly among those who had lost loved ones in the police militia. Yet, the community's faith in Aditya remained steadfast.

  Meanwhile, a gruesome interrogation of the captured enemy soldiers revealed that the attack had been orchestrated by the orthodox faction led by Acharya Sukhdev, who sought vengeance against Aditya.

  With the situation dire, Aditya decided to take decisive action. He took Bheem with him to lead the remaining 28 cavalrymen and instructed Princess Meenakshi to stay behind and oversee the remaining soldiers until reinforcements arrived. Though Meenakshi agreed, her skepticism lingered.

  Before Aditya and Bheem departed, Meenakshi approached Aditya with worry. "Prince, you're heading into danger. I hope you know what you're doing. Don't forget that the fate of many rests on your decisions."

  Aditya nodded in understanding. "Thank you, Princess. Your support has been invaluable. Rest assured, I'll take care of it."

  He refrained from expining much, not wanting to drag her into the dirty details and reveal his ugly side. He knew her plea was for mercy but history has taught never to show any as those who tried weren't any wiser. He had already extended enough mercy, and offering more to someone who had tried to kill him would be a fatal judgment. He knew these snakes would take it for granted, and there might not be any next time.

  With that, Aditya and Bheem, tagging along with the 28 surviving cavalrymen, set off toward the fortress which was hardly 1 hour journey. Upon arrival, they took swift actions.

  He assembled his forces and executed a secret raid on Acharya Sukhdev's residence. The leader and his family were seized and brought to the outer wall of the fortress, where only Aditya's own soldiers were present.

  Inside the fort , outer wall.

  In the night filled with dim moonlight, the outer wall of the fortress stood stark against the dim glow of torches. A group of soldiers lifted heavy sacks as if they were working on a construction site, with the only difference being that the payload moved itself with muffled cries as if it contained some life. They bore grim expressions, but none had remorse as they knew they were following the orders of their liege.

  The sack was thrown at the corner of the cannons and unfurled to reveal the living person. The first person to appear was Acharya Sukhdev, bound and gagged, eyes wide with confusion and terror. His usually composed demeanor was shattered; he had been snatched from his home and brought to this grim setting without warning. Never in ages had he dreamed of being treated so harshly, but there was more to come.

  As the sack was unwrapped, Acharya Sukhdev's eyes darted frantically around, struggling to understand his surroundings. His initial shock quickly gave way to a more familiar composure as he recognized the setting. "What is the meaning of this?" he roared, his voice cracking with the authority he was used to commanding.

  However, his face drained of color when his gaze nded on the one person he least wanted to see alive: Prince Aditya, standing with a chilling calmness amidst the darkness.

  Aditya's eyes, filled with disdain and hatred, conveyed the gravity of the situation. Acharya Sukhdev understood that his pn had failed and suspected that the bandits had betrayed him. Still, he tried to maintain his composure, relying on his authority as the head priest. However, his efforts were short-lived. Moments ter, a scar faced subordinate in a blue uniform stepped forward, pulling open additional sacks.

  Acharya's eyes widened in disbelief as his three sons, two wives, his brother, sister-in-w, and her niece, all bound and gagged, emerged one by one from the remaining sacks. Their eyes were filled with tears, and their silent pleas were palpable even through the gags.

  "Why are they here?" Acharya Sukhdev demanded. His blood boiled with anger and desperation filled in voice. "They have nothing to do with this! Face me like a man!"

  Aditya scoffed as he gestured toward a nearby cannon, its metal still smeared with the blood of previous victims. The surrounding marble surfaces bore silent witness to their brutal end. "Look at this, Acharya," he said in an icy, cold voice. "This cannon was once used to deal with those who dared to disrupt the empire. Now, someone has the audacity to challenge its authority by attacking the imperial prince. Do you understand what this means?"

  Acharya's throat tightened as he subconsciously tried to draw back. "You don't have the right to do this to me. I am the head priest. You must bring me before the king. I demand an audience!"

  Aditya's lips curled into a smirk, as he recalled of the wyer's cliche from his past life, but now here he is the judge, jury, and executioner. "It seems you haven't got the gravity of situation, priest," he said, his voice dripping with cold menace. Turning to the city behind him, he pointed to the ndmass. "I could raze this entire city if I chose to, but I haven't, not because I ck the power, but because I choose not to. The person you need to plead is me, priest not the king. He cannot help you."

  He turned back to Acharya, still facing the cannon. Bending down, he locked eyes with him, grabbing his throat and lifting him into the air. "You have no idea what I'm capable of. Just imagine the extent I can go to erase your fly like existence. No one would dare to go against me."

  To emphasize his point, Aditya tightened his grip around Acharya's neck, causing the priest's face to turn red and his eyes to bulge. The prince's chilling words cut through the night air. "What if I dispose of you here and make it look as if you slipped or better, not to let any one get wind of it?" He tilted Acharya to show him the height from the ground as the priest struggled futilely to free himself.

  Acharya's family, still bound and gagged, looked on in terror, their muffled cries piercing the night. Acharya's face twisted with a mix of fear and anger as he choked out, "Yo.. You're… a coward… taking family hos…tage and intimidating," his voice barely audible. "I won't… say… There… will be rep… repercussions." His legs shook in the cold air as he struggled to find his footing.

  Aditya threw Acharya back to colpse on the ground, letting him gasp for breath. But it was not respite; it was the treatment of the mb before the ultimate sacrifice. "It seems you've mistaken my kindness for weakness, priest. The entire kingdom owes me. I am their savior, their messiah. If I decre it, they will believe me. Do you still think the king will side with you?"

  Acharya's chest heaved as he caught his breath. "You don't have evidence," he retorted, his voice shaky but defiant. "That's why you're trying to make me speak. Capturing a few bandits isn't enough to hold me accountable. History will condemn you and your empire for attacking innocent Brahmins. You will be remembered as a tyrant for centuries."

  Aditya's smirk widened. "Tyrant, huh?" he taunted with sarcasm. At his signal, another sack was thrown onto the ground. It looked a bit bloodied. When it was opened, Ranjit Rao, battered and unconscious, was revealed. Acharya's eyes widened in shock; the king's nephew, not merely bandits, was now in their custody.

  The stakes had risen higher than ever, and Acharya's composure shattered, leaving him trembling in fear. Aditya knelt down, his voice echoing with chilling authority. "Then a tyrant I shall be," he thundered. "You have committed a grave sin, priest, by plotting against royalty. Your entire lineage shall be wiped out. Now, tell me, priest. What form of capital punishment do you prefer: impalement or trampling by elephants?"

  Acharya froze, desperately struggling to find words of refutation. If this were a dream, he wished for it to end quickly, but the nightmare continued. Aditya stood up, his eyes filled with malice, and grabbed his younger son's hair. "Or," he said with cruelty, "I have a different pn. I will bst you and your entire lineage with these cannons and ensure that crows feast upon your remains. Your family will be denied the rites necessary for redemption. Let's start with this poor soul."

  Acharya's face turned pale as he grasped the gravity of Aditya's threat. In Hindu tradition, proper rituals were crucial for attaining heaven and ensuring a soul's peaceful journey. Without them, he and his lineage would be doomed.

  Desperation overtook him, but he refused to yield. "You dare commit the sin of killing a Brahmin, you daitya (devil)!" he cursed, his voice trembling with fear and anger. "I curse you; you will burn in narak (hell) for eternity! Leave them, you cursed being. They are innocent!"

  Aditya remained unmoved. He ordered his soldiers to line Acharya's family in front of the cannon's mouth. The first to face this grim fate was Acharya's youngest son, whose cries for mercy pierced the silence of the night, but were met with indifference. Aditya, ignoring the desperate pleas of both father and son, held the torch, its fme flickering ominously.

  He looked at the priest with cold eyes and spoke before bringing the torch closer to the fuse. "I am Bhargav, a descendant of Sage Bhrigu," Aditya decred. "I am exempted to carry out justice."

  As he moved to light the fuse, Acharya's cries of desperation filled the air. "STOP! I will confess. Just spare them!" At this point, Acharya broke down, realizing that nothing would stop this fiend.

  Aditya set the torch aside. " Not just your confession," he said coldly. "I want the names of everyone involved."

  After this the events that followed became the stuff of legend, reaching far beyond the kingdom's borders. The tale spread across the empire, a story of ruthless retribution. No one, regardless of their influence or position, was spared.

  High-ranking members of the orthodox faction were arrested, and even those with powerful military or noble connections, including those with royal blood ties, faced swift justice. Those who resisted were executed on the spot, and their families were taken into custody. All of this transpired before the first light of dawn touched the ancient walls of the fortress.

  The silence from the king left many wondering about his role or if he had been informed of the events. As dawn broke, an even stranger development occurred. Craftsmen, taken without warning, were dispatched to unknown locations. Panic spread among the citizens as they questioned the prince's actions.

  However, the unrest was quelled soon when news of the attack on the prince and the sacrifice of the vilge came to light. The prince's actions, though harsh, were expined as necessary measures against a grave threat and attempts to restore what have been destroyed. Despite this, an unsettling feeling lingered in the air. People wondered if the prince, once revered as a savior, had really crossed the line. Was this a glimpse of a future tyrant?