"The legend has died... but the war has only begun."
Thunder cracked above the ruins of DDA's Grand Council Hall. Once the most powerful institution safeguarding Bharat from the threat of Hell Gates, it now lay in ashen silence. The shattered crest of the Defense and Deployment Authority crumbled under the weight of time and betrayal. The divine energy that once flowed through its walls was now corrupted, a mere flicker of what it used to be.
Blood, ancient and sacred, stained the stones.
Inside the broken chamber, a holographic recording flickered weakly. Vayunanda, the former President of DDA and the man revered as the 'Shield of Bharat,' stood tall in the projection. His eyes, wise and weathered, pierced through time.
"Satya," he said, his voice firm but heavy with sorrow. "If you're watching this, it means I've fallen. I always knew death would find me on the battlefield... but I never thought it would be at the hands of one of our own."
The recording crackled.
"There are four traitors in DDA... high-ranking, powerful, hidden. Find them. Unmask them. Punish them. Promise me, Satya, as my disciple. You will carry this flame."
He looked down for a moment, then raised his head again.
"And one more thing... protect my children. Vaidehi and Yug. They carry my legacy, and they need a brother more than a hero."
The hologram shut down.
Present Day – Outskirts of Bharat
The skies above the once-glorious land of Bharat burned red. Hell Gates — once rare and predictable — now opened without warning. Monsters poured from them with never-before-seen strength and frequency. The world had changed, but so had Satya.
Standing on a cliff overlooking the ruined cityscape was a tall, imposing figure. No longer the chubby, clumsy youth once teased in the Inferno Guild, Satya had transformed. Physically sculpted through harsh training and powered by the divine flames inherited from his master, his aura was veiled but suffocating.
He looked younger, stronger, unrecognizable.
Behind him stood two others. A woman with intelligent, fierce eyes — Vaidehi — clad in tactical armor lined with crimson accents. And beside her, a tall, sarcastic young man with electric-blue gauntlets crackling at his wrists — Yug.
"So this is the new DDA?" Yug scoffed, scanning the skyline. "More like a glorified hunter association now."
Vaidehi's gaze was harder. "They abandoned our father's dream. But we're here to rebuild it — in our way."
Satya stepped forward. "No. We're here for something more important."
He turned, locking eyes with them both.
"We find the traitors who killed Vayunanda. We join the new DDA anonymously, rise through their ranks, and uncover the truth. My power, my face — everything is different now. No one will recognize me."
Vaidehi smirked. "And if they do?"
He looked back to the ruins. "Then we show them what happens when you betray Bharat."
DDA Headquarters (Now: The Hunter Association)
Gone were the grand statues of ancient warriors. In their place were neon banners and rotating digital guild crests. Where ten guilds once stood, only four remained — named after the warriors of ancient Bharat:
Ashvins – Masters of speed and assassination.
Vajra – Heavy-weapon brawlers with indestructible armor.
Garuda's Roar – Aerial and scouting elite.
Agneyastra – Masters of elemental control and ranged destruction.
The transformation wasn't just visual. Everything — from recruitment to ranking — was brutal. Hell Gates had forced evolution, and the new guild test was considered deadly. Only 3% passed.
Satya, Vaidehi, and Yug stood in line to register.
"Participants, register your names, age, guild preference, and declare any awakened abilities," a drone voice echoed.
Satya smiled and handed over a forged ID.
Name: Rivan Ashkard
Age: 23
Guild Preference: Agneyastra
Awakened Class: Unknown (To be evaluated)
Vaidehi and Yug submitted under aliases as well.
But what truly shook Satya was what came next.
Projected on a floating memorial screen were the faces of the Ten Fallen Guild Leaders — his seniors, comrades, and protectors.
"All ten sacrificed themselves battling a Class Omega Gate opened by Ravanox," the voice droned.
Ravanox.
The name was a curse now.
FLASHBACK: Origins of Ravanox
He was once human.
Born as Raavanesh, a prodigy in the DDA, he discovered ancient forbidden magic deep within the Echo Caverns. Obsessed with perfection, he merged himself with the remnants of shadow monarchs—dark sovereigns exiled during the first celestial war.
He didn't fall. He ascended — twistedly so.
Now, he was not a man. He was evolution incarnate. He could open Hell Gates at will, mutate monsters, and consume souls to grow stronger.
And he had one goal: Break the skies, consume the sun, and remake Bharat in his image.
Back to Present – Inside the Guild Test Arena
Massive coliseums shimmered with holographic terrains — forests, deserts, underground cities. Satya, Vaidehi, and Yug were assigned separate terrains. It was time to show their strength without revealing their pasts.
The moment Satya entered the simulation, his system interface blinked to life.
SYSTEM ERROR: OORJA OFFLINE
Welcome, Satya.
New Objective Unlocked: Defend the Flame. Find the Four.
A familiar presence stirred behind his mind. Though Oorja — his guide — was gone, her essence remained. Like Beru from Solo Leveling, she had transformed into a loyal Ash Pact soldier, soon to return as a physical manifestation.
But Satya wasn't alone.
From the shadows, another figure observed the test — a woman in red and gold armor, her eyes burning with familiar flame.
Agneyi.
Formerly of the Inferno Guild. Now, the youngest guild leader of Agneyastra. She sensed something in "Rivan" — a flicker of a memory.
"Who are you really?" she whispered, gripping the hilt of her sword.