Chapter 134.

PART 1.

The discussions raged until the sun started to set, after which they all decided to sleep. having this situation suddenly thrust upon them, Munshi and Hatori never thought about keeping watch in the night. the sharmas however, have no excuse. They’ve been at this for a month now, and even they did not suggest a night watch schedule. But Zeko’s training came useful. Hatori sensed some people getting closer, and it was enough to rouse him from his light sleep.

“Wake up!” he ordered with the flair of his magic, rousing everyone in the camp. “We have company.”

Both Surendra and Munshi have a difficult time adjusting to sleep and sudden hostility. But Hatori is used to it, and judging how fast he got ready to fight, so is Samudra. “There they are,” said a voice outside of the camp. “Burn the camp!”

Drowsy or not, those words were enough to make Munshi and Surendra escape the camp in haste, while Samudra shields them with a shield of water, swirling around them. when he releases the shield, the liquid disappears. “I gotta learn to do that,” said Hatori quietly.

His plans of learning a new spell in the future disappear from his mind, as he sees the coffin being lowered by the men. “Our luck can’t be that bad, can it?” said Hatori. “What is the chance that this team has the coffin with them, and actually finds us?”

But this is the world of entertainment for some sadistic people. Therefore, the luck is that bad. Anantayudha walks out of the coffin, and attacks all five of them. “Give me a minute, and I’ll prepare our escape.” Said Munshi. He kneels to the ground, drawing a pentagram with runes inside of that pentagram.

Surendra and his son without a word, stall the other thugs, while Samudra and Hatori try to contain the battle mage. “How is he throwing so much elemental magic around?” asked Samudra, guarding Hatori with another shield of water against Anantayudha’s fire spells.

“I don’t know.” Said Hatori, retaliating with lightning spells, which made the battle mage spasm when they hit. “Just be glad he is not using transmutation and conjuration, or some other horrific custom spell.”

as Hatori said this, Anantayudha started to use some wind spells, though it was weak enough to only make them stumble a little. But this caused his fire spells to get more violent, and have more range to them. Hatori tries to bind him with chains, but they are melted before they ever reach him. Hatori’s transmuted animals, which he created from the rocks and broken trees were also destroyed, and the iron spikes failed to penetrate his skin. However, Samudra’s spell, which conjures liquid acid, did the trick. The acid started to eat the skin of Anantayudha before the battle mage purged the acid from his body.

nearby, the father and son team was not playing defensively. They were out for blood and were reducing the numbers of their enemies with brutal efficiency. Munshi completes all the runes and activates the pentagram by channeling his magic through it.

Hatori and Samudra have a chance. Anantayudha is distracted by that acid, so they join up, and through their combined effort, turn the entire area into an impromptu swamp, upsetting the footing of everyone who was not prepared for it. with a loud bang, Hatori sees the return of their scorched car. Samudra fires a blood-transmuting spell, which converts the blood into ice, and while Anantayudha deals with this new problem, they all pile inside of the car. As they all drive away, Hatori remembers the chains he saw wrapped around Anantayudha’s soul.

PART 2.

As they fled in the car, Samudra and Hatori were laughing. “That was certainly a doozy of a battle!” said Samudra, feeling pumped up after escaping the danger.

“Hell yeah!” agreed Hatori, similarly pumped up.

Meanwhile, Samudra’s brother and father were lamenting their fortune. “You too, stop enjoying this. We’re in danger, how can you behave like this?” said Surendra Junior.

Normally, Hatori would have responded with some sarcastic or toxic remark, but he refrains from doing so here since he does not know these two. “Easily.” Said Samudra, saying the word that Hatori could not.

“And you, you managed to take him not once, but twice. Maybe you’re a battle mage as well!” said Surendra Junior in an accusatory tone.

“Is that supposed to be an insult?” asked Hatori in an inquiring tone.

“Oh, just ignore him.” Samudra puts his brother in a headlock. “He is salty because he hasn’t gotten a proper bubble bath in a while.”

“Hey, let go!” struggled Surendra Junior.

Ignoring the brothers, Hatori turns to Munshi. “Master, Anantayudha’s soul was wrapped in chains.” He said to the necromancer. “Or at least they looked like the chains to me,” he added after a second later.

“Those chains symbolize the control over him,” said Munshi. “Remember, symbolism matters in magic, you should know it better than anyone else, given your studies in the runes.”

“Thanks for that info.” Said Hatori. “But also, just like you described, his soul looked patchy, as if some parts were missing.”

“Again, the missing memories,” said Munshi. “Remember, should he regain his full consciousness, no one can control him at that point. the only consolation is that he will give a very painful and drawn-out death to Manoj first before killing all of us,” said Munshi, unable to stop from expressing his less-than-charitable thoughts about their enemy.

“Hmm.” Hatori rests his chin on his fist. “Maybe we still have a chance. If we can somehow suppress his soul… the magic to weaken the souls should work on him, right? then I can battle him, and you can disperse his soul.”

“You? battle that monster?” said Surendra junior, having escaped Samudra’s headlock. “You’re just a fifteen-year-old boy. there is no way you can face him.”

“Just a few moments ago, you admitted that I faced him twice.” Said Hatori. “And remember, I’ll have Master Munshi with me to help me out.”

“But—” Suddenly, it was difficult to breathe in that car.

“I have no place for doubters around me,” said Hatori. “You are free to quiver in your boots, but either we take the chance, or let this rampage continue.”

“My student is correct.” Said Munshi, as they entered the city. “But I will need time and a place to construct the proper wards. It is not possible to do this while on the run.”

PART 3.

Sannaphulla cursed his bad luck. Just when his son got married, despite all the hauntings and attempts of murder by the soul of his dead sister, the city of Sindapur suffers an attack, in which all the law enforcements are taken out, and everyone has to suffer under this rogue branch of Sharma clan. He is out to buy some food for the family, as he still has a lot of people staying at his house, and he is hassled by the new goons in town.

“Leave me!” he runs to avoid them, cursing his bad fitness, and lack of fighting skills. His father might be a detestable man, but he was right. he has gotten soft after years of politics.

he got cornered, and these men looked like they would extract a heavy punishment for making them run like that. “We told you to hand over your stuff, but now, you’ll suffer a beating!” said the leader, coming close to him.

just when he was about to throw the first punch of the beating, a car stopped near them, and several people came out. Sannaphulla was able to see the familiar glimpse of a tall boy lacking eyeballs, and this made him relax. The help has arrived.

the boy slams his foot to the ground, shaking the earth, and upsetting the footing of Sannaphulla’s attackers. They turn around to check out this new threat, but Hatori conjures his chains and binds them all. Surendra and his son come to pick up Sannaphulla, while Samudra helps Hatori in fighting these men. Though Hatori is strong, leaving a young boy like him to fight these older men does not sit right with him.

besides, their screams as their blood slowly turns acidic, and starts to dissolve their body from the inside out made him grin. “Looks like that spell was a total success.”

“Remind me not to piss you off in the future.” Said Hatori, after watching the horrifying scene.

“Nah, I won’t use that against you. it would not be nice.” Said Samudra. “I’ll give you a humane death.”

“Yeah, I’ll do the same.” Said Hatori with a grin.

they all pile up in the car, leaving the dead or dying attackers of Sannaphulla behind them. and the discussion begins again. “Getting back to the point,” said Surendra senior, resuming his point before it was disrupted by this impromptu rescue mission, “I think I can construct some safe wards for you, but again, it will take time. we’ll also need to scout the proper place.”

“But we don’t have time,” said Surendra junior, the discussion has calmed him down. “Besides, the moment we stop, that battle mage would be sent after us.”

“If I may?” asked Sannaphulla, entering himself into the discussion. After everyone nodded, he continued. “I assume you need some place to work on something?” they nodded. “And I also assume that you need that place to be secure, so these goons cannot bother you?” he asked, ignoring the battle mage term for now.

Once more everyone gave him a nod. “Then why not use my home?” he offered.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

“No,” said Munshi and Hatori together.

“You already have a newly married couple in your house, they likely didn’t manage to leave before everything exploded in this city.” this time, it is Sannaphulla’s turn to nod. “I am unwilling to put them in danger, just because of our own ends.”

“Honestly master, you have helped me out a lot, you and your student,” said Sannaphulla. “This is the least I could do. And if I get to drive off these goons from my city, so much better.”

“Sir, if I may point out something?” asked Hatori. When Sannaphulla turns to him, Hatori continues. “I’m a student of Zeko.” Said Hatori, trying to communicate the implications of his words.

“You mean that boy?” Sannaphulla stopped himself from continuing. He understood where exactly Hatori was taking this conversation.

“Yes, the summoned child.” Confirms Hatori. “This’ll end up spreading the word that you helped me out. do you really want to paint a target on your back?”

Sannaphulla relaxed and leaned back in his seat. “So be it,” he said to Hatori.

“Well, if you insist, we won’t refuse,” said Munshi. “You two,” he said to Samudra and Hatori, “Do keep everyone safe in the house. you are the best fighters we’ve got.”

“Understood,” said Samudra and Hatori.

they go to Sannaphulla’s house, and Munshi is given a room. Samudra and Hatori are on guard duty, while Surendra senior and junior are backups. “So, I heard you and Munshi talking about the mage breaking through his chain, or regaining his consciousness. Mind explaining that?” asked Samudra.

“Well, he is like drowsy right now, like after waking up from a long sleep,” said Hatori. “The chains on his soul are muffling his thoughts, and keep him under control of the guy who summoned him.”

“Just call him Manoj, we won’t be offended on his behalf.” Said Surendra Junior from the corner.

Hatori ignores that comment entirely and continues. “What master fears is that if this guy regains his full consciousness, none of us can stop him, and he’ll wreck anyone who gets in his way. he thinks Porus,?Zeko, Corvus, and Sundar have to team up to defeat him.”

“I never realized during all that running what a big issue this is,” said Surendra senior. “This could end up becoming a huge national problem.”

PART 4.

it took three days of constant work, but Munshi has the necessary burier enchantment with him to suppress the soul of Anantayudha. They counted their lucky stars that during this time, the house of Sannaphulla was ignored by the invading sharmas, and no one came to threaten them or fight them.

“Now,” said Munshi, “How do we get that battle mage to the choosing of our place?” asked Munshi, unable to think of any good ideas due to his exhaustion.

“I think we should use you as abate,” said Hatori. “You should taunt Manoj, he won’t be able to resist responding, and then we will get what we want.”

“Yes, but first, we’ll have to go outside of this house.” Said Surendra senior. “I suggest that you leave the fighting to me and Surendra this time—”

“You are Surendra.” Said Hatori and Samudra together.

“—So, you can save your energy.” Finished Samudra’s father, ignoring the petty joke entirely.

“So, what,” said Munshi, “Go to the center of the city, and taunt Manoj?”

“Yep.” Said Hatori, as they all nodded. the plan has come together, now it is just a matter of implementing it.

according to their plan, they go to the center of the city, and with a magical spell to amplify his voice, Munshi begins to taunt Manoj. “Hey dumbass, this is me, Munshi! The number one necromancer in the Subcontinent. While you don’t even have the rank of second anymore, how far did you fall? Tenth? Hundredth?” tried Munshi.

“Try harder.” Encouraged Hatori, the start is promising.

“I bet you passed your exams, by sucking off your master, there is no way you managed to clear the exams otherwise!” declared Munshi. This wasn’t true. Munshi respected Manoj’s talent once, but their years of bitter rivalry, and the sour personality of the man put any chance of a friendship on a funeral pyre before it could ever bloom.

By this point, the public has started to gather, and Munshi is on a roll. “Listen you dumbass, your girlfriend left you because I screwed her! She liked it, for a change! I didn’t also need a consolation position in a clan, I’m already richer than you through my own efforts!”

“I never thought he had it in him,” whispered Hatori to Samudra.

The young man just grinned, enjoying this show. “And unlike you, I even have a promising student, the boy is sure to take my legacy to new heights, while you just toil, in obscurity, and need the help of a long-dead mage!” the previous words were used for riling him up, if Manoj hears them, this time, Munshi used all the contempt he has for the other necromancer to deliver this insult.

“Silence!” roared Manoj, walking to their location with his grunts, who as always, carried the coffin with them. “You will rue the day when you decided to insult me in a public square!” Anantayudha is released from his coffin, and Munshi smiles like the cat who caught the mouse.

‘My student is truly a genius. His plan worked perfectly. Now, let’s see whether he can bring this to its conclusion or not.’ he thought while activating the burier.

As soon as he was released from the coffin, Anantayudha rushed at Munshi. As a result, it was pretty easy to trap him in this burier. Outside, Manoj shakes his fists angrily, while Surendra and Surendra, along with Samudra, guard Munshi, who cannot move while keeping this burier up.

Hatori takes a breath to calm himself and prepares for the battle to come.

“Kill the boy, and kill this wretched man next!” ordered Manoj.

That order started the battle, as Anantayudha tried to burn Hatori. “Seriously, don’t you have anything else to start with?”

“But this is my favorite method.” Spoke Anantayudha, sounding like a suave of a man.

Hatori is shocked enough that he can’t defend himself from the next spell, and he is sent flying from the explosion. He gets up and observes the soul of Anantayudha. The chains have broken. Likely the result of the burier. “Oh, we did not see that coming.”

“Yes, you didn’t.” said the battle mage, and attacked Hatori once more. “Do you know that fire and wind are not the only specialties I have?”

“What?” asked Hatori, not liking where this is going.

The ground started to rumble, and it exploded. Rocks were coming from below, and fire was raining from the skies. The rocks that do reach the sky come down upon Hatori, flaming and nearly melted. “I’m having fun.” Smiled Anantayudha. “Looks like the younger generation of this era is much stronger than my time.”

“Hatori, kill him quickly, he is regaining his awareness fast!” urged Munshi.

‘Easier said than done.’ He thought. He learned the basic method to disperse the soul, but it requires him to get closer.

He managed to close the distance, but it wasn’t enough. His spell didn’t land correctly. “You didn’t form the spell correctly, boy!” said Munshi.

‘How can I do that when only hours ago you taught me this?’ he thinks while jumping away to dodge more of the flaming tar raining down upon the ground.

The city officials will never forgive him for this. Hatori decides to fight the earth with the earth and wrestles for control of the ground with Anantayudha. The mage is still not himself, so he can snatch the control over the earth element. He then turns the entire area in the burier into a swamp, followed by pinning the undead mage under massive boulders. Hatori knew that he would manage to break out of this combination soon enough, so he targets Anantayudha and hits him with the spell to disperse his soul.

This time, his spell landed perfectly, and the body went limp for a moment before the lips of Anantayudha started to move again. “What a regret. I was looking forward to test myself against this generation.” His body goes limp, and the burier comes down.

“No, nononononononono!” screamed Manoj, running to the body of Anantayudha. If he could get the body, he could try this again.

But Hatori burns the corpse, causing Manoj to glare at him hatefully. “You’ll regret that, boy!” he launches his own spell, but Munshi blocks it.

Then, the necromancer retaliates with his own spell, destroying the bones of Manoj’s chest, and crushing his heart with a squelch. However, the man instead of hitting the ground dead, smiles and looks at Munshi with a taunting smile. “I have become an immortal!”

He attacks the sharmas, but Samudra guards them with a shield of his own. Then, they all attack him together. Realizing that most of his men are dead, and he won’t be able to fight them all, Manoj decides to flee. “Remember this Munshi, I will return, and make your life a living hell!” he declared, before running away.

“Should we go after him?” asked Surendra senior.

“No, let him go,” said Munshi. “We are all tired, we won’t be able to chase him down and kill him in our current state.” He told them. “Just be on your guard, do inform me if you hear anything unusual around the country.”

“Will do.” Said all three sharmas.

“Thank you, Master Munshi, for helping us,” said Surendra the senior. “Without you, who knows how far this problem could have devolved.”

“Indeed.” Said Munshi, thinking the same thing. “Let’s go to Sannaphulla’s house boy, we then will go to Zeko’s house from there.”

“Yes, master.” Said Hatori, walking after Munshi tiredly.