King of Devas

Garuda, the Mount of Lord Vishnu!

Not long ago, Garuda went to Svarga in search of Indra. However, in the process, he disturbed the King's penance and was cursed by him, never to see Lord Vishnu again. Narada Muni was well aware of this curse. He broke into a cold sweat.

Indra smiled, his tone smooth yet laced with meaning. "It's never good to curse others," he said, his eyes glinting with subtle amusement.

Narada Muni, ever the skeptic, replied with a hint of displeasure, "I don't like it."

Indra's smile widened, his voice shifting into a more reflective tone. "But blessings…" he said thoughtfully, "blessings are far more versatile. They can be far more powerful—and far more dangerous—than curses."

Narada Muni, considering this, responded with a quiet suggestion, "It would be nice to ask you to forget someone... intentionally."

At this, Indra leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper meant only for Narada Muni's ears. "Narada Muni," he murmured, a trace of warning in his words, "you wouldn't want the lose the protection of Lord Vishnu, would you?"

The expression on Narada Muni's face changed immediately. His smile froze—halfway between a grin and a grimace as if he were smiling but not quite, or crying but not fully.

Trouble!

"Well..." Narada Muni hesitated. "It is our unshirkable dharmic duty as Rishi Muni to help the Devas resist the Asuras, maintain world peace, and spread the righteousness of the universe."

"Of course, I'll join in!" he said, forcing a smile.

Indra nodded, satisfied. "Good!"

"Agni!" Indra called. "You will lead a legion of 100,000 soldiers, with the assistance of Narada Muni, to the human world to resist the Asura invasion and suppress the Hiranyakashipu to stay in Patalaloka for now."

"Yes, my King!" Agni responded with enthusiasm.

Indra then turned to Vayu, his face beaming with approval. "Vayu, you are the vanguard!"

"Yes, my King!" Vayu replied immediately.

"Surya, Varuna," Indra continued, "take your positions in front of the legions!"

"Yes, my King!" came the chorus of responses.

Indra looked upon his arrangements with great satisfaction.

"I'm waiting for your good news from Svarga. I believe you will be victorious and defeat the Hiranyakashipu!" Indra declared, waving his hand.

"Good!" Surya replied, his voice filled with confidence. "As soon as the Heavenly Legions arrive, the enemy will be defeated!"

The other three Devas also shared their confidence. With their army of 100,000 soldiers, empowered by the Amrita and the gift of immortality, they were sure that even the Asuras would pose little threat.

Soon, the four Devas, along with Narada Muni, whose smile was strained, set out. They ordered the 100,000 Gandharvas to begin their march from Svarga to the human world.

As they left, Indra's expression shifted. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he turned quickly, heading towards the small woods in the forest garden.

"Everyone who's coming, except for the Legions, please pack your things. Anyone outside Amravati City should return immediately!" Indra commanded in the Temple of the King of Svarga.

The Gandharvas and Devis were puzzled but complied, gathering the idle Gandharvas and Devis to return to Amravati City.

"Indra, what is happening?" At that moment, Brihaspati rushed into the Temple of the King of Svarga. He looked around at the busy Devis and, confused, turned his gaze to Indra.

"Teacher," Indra said, raising his hand to his mouth as he cleared his throat, his tone grave. "The power of Hiranyakashipu is no ordinary force. He wields boons granted by Brahma himself. With such protection, I fear we cannot defeat him in battle without significant preparation and knowing what his boon is."

Brihaspati raised an eyebrow. "Why? Vayu is brave and skilled in battle. Varuna is calm and composed. Agni is fierce, and Surya is powerful. They've all drunk the Amrita and grown stronger, not to mention Narada Muni."

Rishi Brihaspati, who had trained all four Devas—Vayu, Varuna, Agni, and Surya—was puzzled.

Indra fell silent for a moment, pondering the words of Brihaspati. What he said made sense, but…

They were like the four heavenly kings of Svarga—mighty in their own right, but strangely ineffective, always falling short in battle, defeated early in games, just before facing the final boss.

Every time the Asuras completed their penance and received blessings, the four Devas were always the stepping stones.

Of course, it wasn't just the four of them. Much like the Four Heavenly Kings, who were meant to stand as equals, there was always one more, the "NPC" king, the one who truly mattered in the grand scheme. And that king was none other than King Indra himself.

Indra was the final test, the real challenge, the true gatekeeper of Svarga.

"Better to plan and leave an escape route in case of defeat!" Indra said with a smile.

"Oh?" Brihaspati, the Immortal Teacher, blinked in curiosity. "Then where are you planning to go?"

Indra stretched out his right hand, placing his thumb against his palm and revealing four fingers. "I've thought this through carefully and prepared four routes: south, north, east, and west."

"Going south in Bhu Loka, we could head to Yama Loka, but the location of Yama City is too obvious, which could be problematic."

Indra paused, his expression thoughtful as he weighed the situation. "We could head to Vaikuntha, searching for Lord Vishnu," he began, his voice laced with caution. "Well, if we were to go east, we could try the Kshira Sagara to find Lord Vishnu. But that would involve traveling through the human world's space, which is dangerous and inefficient. And that's something I cannot allow. So, I've decided against it."

He sighed heavily, his thoughts lingering on the weight of the decision. "As for Kailash... it is a place of deep tranquility and asceticism. Disturbing its peace would be an affront. We cannot risk angering Lord Shiva, not when we are already at war at Asuras."

Brihaspati paused for a moment, confused.

"Wait a minute, did you say Amravati City has to be moved?" Brihaspati asked, his brow furrowed.

"Of course! How could we let such a large place go to waste?" Indra replied matter-of-factly.

"It's best to head upwards to the Brahma Realm. It's vast and spacious, and no one can enter and exit freely." Indra nodded and stroked his chin, speaking with certainty.

At this point, Brihaspati was thoroughly confused, his mind spinning with questions.

The Milk Sea and Brahma Realm are not even in the east-west direction—how can they be referred to as east or west?

Brihaspati quickly shook his head, dismissing these thoughts.

Cough! Cough!

"I think we shouldn't rush. The odds of winning are still very high! Let's wait and see how things unfold with the Devas."

As he spoke, Brihaspati waved his hand, and a smooth, glowing mirror materialized before him and Indra. The mirror shimmered as it appeared, revealing a new view.

Kailash.

Shiva Mahadeva sat upon a large rock, one foot resting on the ground and the other on his lap. He nodded slightly, closed his eyes with a serene smile, and entered meditation.

The sacred cow Nandi stood nearby, clasping his hands in reverence as he gazed at his Lord with deep respect and admiration.

"The Lord is smiling—something good must have happened," Nandi thought to himself. His long ears twitched with joy, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, reflecting his happiness.

Above the Sea of Milk.

Vaikuntha.

Vishnu exhaled a long sigh of relief. His serene smile remained, but there was a newfound cheerfulness about him. He turned his head slightly and cast a loving glance at his wife, Devi Lakshmi.

Brahmaloka.

Brahma observed the movements of the three realms. After hearing Indra's plan, his expression grew serious, and he became lost in thought.

No way... he wondered. If the Devas really lose to Hiranyakashipu, he won't actually move the entire Svarga here, will he?

It's all because of that blasted blessing!

"Dev why do you look so troubled?" Devi Sarasvati asked, her voice filled with curiosity. As the music from the veena in her hands came to an abrupt halt, the divine melody faded away, and she turned her gaze toward Brahma.

Brahma's beard twitched, and his eyes darted to one side.

"Devi..." Brahma began softly, clearing his throat, "Would you mind having a few more people in our Brahmaloka?"

"A few more people?" Devadess Sarasvati blinked in confusion.

"Not many, just a few hundred thousand," Brahma explained patiently.

Sarasvati's brow furrowed as she tilted her head, her mind filled with a string of question marks.

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