The demon army descended like a plague of locusts, their scimitars glinting dully in the darkness that preceded them. At their head, Darvasura's massive form towered above his troops, his armour crafted from the bones of fallen enemies. Each step he took left the earth beneath scorched and barren.

"Tear it down!" he roared, his voice like grinding stone. "Leave nothing standing!"

The temple rose before them, ancient and serene. Its white stone caught what little light remained, almost luminescent against the creeping dark. Prayer flags fluttered in a wind that seemed to whisper ancient mantras. To mortal eyes, it appeared as nothing more than a sacred, if modest, temple to truth.

Within the temple's hidden sanctums, the Naga general Vasunaga watched through eyes that saw beyond mere physical form. His serpentine body coiled in the sacred chamber as he maintained the great illusion - not through mere trickery, but through the ancient power of his Naga clan. Around him, his kin wove mantras into the air, their voices a low thrum that resonated with the earth's own pulse.

The first wave of demons struck the temple's outer walls. Instead of the expected crash of destruction, the stones seemed to drink in their blows like water absorbing rain. The demons stumbled, confused. Some of their weapons shattered against barriers they couldn't see.

Darvasura's face contorted with rage.

"Useless!" He shoved his own troops aside, stomping forward. "Must I do everything myself?"

His massive fist crashed into the temple wall. The stone rippled like water but held.

Deep below, Vasunaga felt the impact reverberate through the ancient mantras. A younger naga, Takshaka, coiled anxiously beside him.

"My king, the darkness... it eats at our defences."

"Patience," Vasunaga hissed softly. "Let them waste their strength."

But even as he spoke, he could feel it - the creeping corruption of darkness seeping into the very earth. Where before their mantras had flowed like pure streams through the ground, now patches of corruption spread like ink through water. The temple's seeming began to waver, its edges blurring.

Darvasura noticed too. His laugh boomed across the battlefield like thunder.

"Your tricks weaken, temple rats! The darkness reveals all truth!" He raised his bone-sword high, and shadow poured from it like smoke, seeking every crack and crevice in the temple's defence.

The nagas felt their mantras starting to unravel. Centuries of careful concealment began to fray at the edges. Through gaps in the illusion, glimpses of Ashesha's true splendor flickered - crystal spires and pools of sacred water that should never be seen by demon eyes.

"My lord," Takshaka whispered real fear in his voice now. "We cannot-"

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A sound like a struck bell rang out across the battlefield. Through the darkened sky, a single point of light appeared, bright as a new star. It streaked downward, trailing radiance, before exploding into a dome of pure cosmic light that encompassed the entire temple. Where the light touched the darkness, it hissed and recoiled like water on hot metal.

Darvasura staggered back, shielding his eyes. "What is this?"

The cosmic arrow's light settled into a steady, pulsing barrier. Behind it, the temple's illusion stabilized, the glimpses of Ashesha once again safely hidden.

Darvasura squinted against the radiance, his face contorting with frustrated rage. This was not part of his plan. This was not the simple temple raid he had anticipated. But trapped between pride and wisdom, he knew only how to charge forward.

"Press the attack!" he bellowed. "No light can stand against our darkness!"

Deep below, Vasunaga's eyes gleamed. Perhaps, he thought, the old prophecies still held true after all. King Nahusha may be right after all.

As Darvasura rallied his army, the darkness seeping from his blade began to claw against the cosmic barrier erected by the arrow. The temple’s defenders, though bolstered by the sudden arrival of celestial aid, remained vigilant. Vasunaga’s voice rose in calm command, his coils tightening with anticipation.

"Activate the Phantom Knights," he hissed.

Takshaka blinked, startled.

"The Phantom Knights, my lord? But they have not walked in centuries!"

"Their purpose is now," Vasunaga said, his golden eyes gleaming.

"Let their illusion sow chaos in the hearts of our enemies. We fight not with brute strength but with precision and guile."

Far above the battlefield, the heavens shimmered. From the celestial dome that had stabilized the temple’s defenses, faint, ghostly shapes began to emerge. At first, they seemed like falling stars, but as they descended, their forms became clearer—shining warriors astride radiant serpentine steeds. Their movements were fluid, almost surreal, flickering like mirages.

The Phantom Knights moved as though they were shadows of light itself, weaving through the ranks of Darvasura’s army with impossible speed. Each strike they made appeared to land on nothing, yet the effects were devastating. Demonic scimitars shattered mid-swing; armor splintered as though rusted by time. And still, the knights did not pause. They disappeared as quickly as they struck, leaving the demons swinging at empty air.

“They’re... untouchable!” one demon wailed, stumbling back. Others followed, their weapons flailing at illusions they could not grasp.

Darvasura’s eyes narrowed as he watched the chaos.

"Cowards!" he roared. "Do not fear shadows! They are nothing but illusions!"

He raised his bone-sword, attempting to slash at one of the spectral warriors himself. The knight shimmered, vanishing an instant before the blade struck, reappearing behind him to deliver a ghostly blow that made even the demon lord stagger.

“These illusions may not harm you directly,” Vasunaga murmured from the temple's sanctum, sensing Darvasura's momentary falter, “but they will lead your army to its doom.”

Darvasura bellowed again, his fury mounting as the Phantom Knights continued their guerrilla tactics. His soldiers, disoriented and terrified, began attacking one another in their desperation. The once-cohesive demon horde unravelled into a chaotic mob.

The corruption that had begun to seep into the earth faltered as the demons’ strength ebbed. The nagas’ mantras grew steadier, their connection to the land bolstered by the reprieve. Vasunaga allowed himself a small smile. The Phantom Knight Maneuver had done its work.

But Darvasura was not finished. His rage burned brighter than ever.

“You think this parlour trick will stop me?” he snarled, slamming his sword into the ground. The darkness surged outward once more, thick and cloying, threatening to consume the spectral knights.

And in the distance, a figure descended from the heavens, with a radiant bow in hand.