EVERNA Ring of Fire
MANTIKEI Part 6
On the threshold of his despair and endurance, Inner Nirya shouted, Is this your will, the Mahesa? I am ready to accept it, whatever it is, but please, just help me once more, for the sake of all Antapada!
Barong's inner voice replied instantly, The Mahesa has helped you through my strength. Use it!
On the back of Nirya's unpatched hand the magical script appeared a bright white glowing baro tattoo. That is the Sacred Scriptures of Light, the key to Mount Idharma. Apparently Idharma's caretaker, Barong had secretly planted that source of light power in Nirya's hands as the two of them were communicating inwardly earlier.
A feeling of freshness and shade within the body, as well as the luminescence of a pure white, bright and gentle aura encompassed both hands and even Nirya's entire body. The symptom confirms the presence of abundant additional energy, as if there were no limits. That is divine energy that surpasses gods.
So Nirya exclaimed loudly, "Deliver the will of the Mahesa, the culprit of the disaster rider is destroyed!"
Nirya pushed a pair of her kerambit until it hit Vajra's chest deeper. Entakkan also flowed the light prana of the Idharma script as hard as a waterfall, suppressing the lightning energy in Nirya's body and continued to explode and replace the Vajra's body.
The sudden backlash outside of his wildest guess left Vajra wide, a mixture of disbelief, surprise and panic. "What's!? Whoever it is, I refuse! It is I who the world should worship, not the Mahesha!"
The accompaniment of one Vajra shout struck all the rest of his lightning prana, trying to push back against the combined wind and light prana of Nirya.
But apparently unexpected help from Barong, Ambassador Sang Mahesa was making Vajra even dead step. Most of the ultimate energy of the Shaking Ground, the Thirsty Sky had he channeled to attack the formidable opponents. Then Vajra channeled it again to avenge Arumi's attack, freeing himself from Dhaka's lockdown and surviving the rain of Nirya wind prana.
The biggest problem, the energy that should be for one style is wasted and divided for all the action earlier. As a result, Vajra's remaining energy is not enough to resist, ward off, let alone repress the new energy from Nirya.
It is like an army pressing on an enemy army. Both the oppressive army and the enemy forces both lost many soldiers. Then suddenly reinforcements for the enemy troops came unexpectedly. The urging force was too tired and did not have enough soldiers to hold back the reinforcements.
Finally, Vajra suffered the same fate as the army of the impostors. The light energy of the reinforcements charged into the earthly body of the god, destroying whatever it was carrying with it without being able to withstand the remaining lightning energy.
"No, I don't want to!" Vajra was clamoring in the sidelines moans of his pain. "All the world, all the gods and devils I must fight! I have forged myself for thousands of years, but why do my ideals never reach and always run aground in the middle of the road? Why?"
The shadow figure of Barong appeared before Vajra and said, "That's because you aspire to seize anything that is not your right, not your destiny. Come with me, I'll show you your true Vajra."
"really?" Vajra's face that had originally frowned turned bright. "Show me, I'm tired of all this futility."
Barong nodded and smiled sincerely. "Come."
At the same time, a bright white light gradually expanded and wrapped Vajra's body from head to toe. Then, that white body began to decompose into innumerable particles of light. The bright spots then gathered and floated on the palm of Barong's hand that stretched upwards.
Moments later the white light particles formed a double-edged mace, the Vajra in the form of a divine weapon. Vajra's spear landed in Barong's hand.
"Alright, thank you for your struggle and hard work, dear warriors. With this, Antapada can look to a peaceful future" Barong told the trio of Nirya, Arumi and Dhaka. "With this merit, your great sin of having triggered a catastrophic series of volcanic eruptions and the loss of lives of many people has been partially redeemed."
Arumi who was walking limped closer to Nirya protested, "Both it? In what way do we atone for our half-sin?"
"Of course, dedicate the rest of your life to protecting the weak, maintaining peace and preserving the supernatural characters you now possess." The Idharma Invisibility script once again floated and entered the chest of Barong, its true owner.
Nirya listened to all the talk and conversation earlier, but she was only fixated with tears wetting her cheeks. It turns out that the body of Sthira Tarunaga along with Vajra aka his old name, Vrithra. It was as if half his soul had left the poor girl.
Perhaps finally the sins of Sthira had been sanctified thanks to the conversion of Vajra. Sthira Tarunaga, the mandraguna master swordsman from Kalingga now has a great chance to rest peacefully in Nirvana.
"Goodbye, Swordsmen of the Ring of Fire. See you soon!" While saying so, Barong darted and soared flying, taking Vajra with him. Eventually, his image disappeared behind the clouds. Almost immediately the black clouds disappeared, changing into a bright blue sky and a cluster of cotton-white clouds.
Witnessing all of that, Arumi said, "The Mahesa is truly glorious. No matter how bad the enemy is, he still opens the door of forgiveness for the sinner. Thankfully Vrithra aka Vajra has chosen to enter through that door. Hopefully in the future Vajra can appear as a supporter of the heroes, no longer the culprit of tempest and tyranny. Yeah, right, guys?"
Nirya nodded steadily towards Arumi. Nirya turned to Dhaka, but there was no response from the commodore.
The mighty warrior only stood upright on the spot, propped up on his spear that stuck straight on the ground. Almost his entire body had blackened, a charred smell and the blood that had dried up was extremely densely filling the air. The Tanah Barkajang script drifted from Dhaka's body and alighted like a tattoo on the back of Nirya's palm.
Nirya and Arumi looked at Dhaka Commodoreai while shedding tears.
Arumi said, "Congratulations, O Dhaka the Mighty. You finally reunited with your beloved family. We will always remember your courage, sacrifice and heroism."
Nirya's eyes turned around, at the magnificent Pantikei Labih Palace and now only ruins remain. Will this be the end of Antapada's greatest series of disasters in history, since the first appearance of the Trinity of the Mahesa, the Srisari and the Angkara in Vanapada?
The answer is in the hands of one person, and he is neither Arumi nor Nirya.
\==oOo==
While the flattened Mantikei Labih Palace began to be rebuilt, the rulers and higher-ups of the Kalingga Kingdom ran the government in the temporary palace, the home of a wealthy nobleman in Hamentane, the capital of Kalingga.
Just as the sun was at the top of the sky, Queen Pirimatha appeared before the crowd in the palace courtyard in the meantime, delivering her first speech and edict.
"The destruction of the Pantikei Labih Palace and the murder of King Triawarman is a catastrophe. But it is not a natural disaster, but the result of the deliberate and act of the true disaster bearer, Vrithra." Pirimatha did not mention Sthira Tarunaga. Does this mean that Sthira has been forgiven?
Hearing the words of the queen from the side of the stage, Nirya secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Arumi beside him patted the shoulder of the Swarnara girl. The name Sthira may be forgotten and will not go into history. But of course this is much better than being remembered as a personage blasphemed by history.
Pirimatha continued, "In addition to this Kalinga, disasters and disasters turned out to occur in other regions throughout Antapada. Six successive eruptions of volcanoes have been devastating
Ringidatu, capital of Swarnara;
Jayandra's Fleet;
Wulantra, capital of Jayandra;
Dabongsang, the city of the criminals in Rainusa;
Teminobe, capital of United Dhuraga;
Watas and Kaunawa Town in Akhsar."
Hearing the names of the places called, the cries and the masses exploded. Some that Nirya had heard of was, "It's too impossible for a coincidence!" "Something must have deliberately triggered that chain disaster!" "Don't Vrithra cause it!" "It's crazy that the trigger of the disaster!" "I'm not sorry!"
Pirimatha's voice was soft yet clearly heard by all. "Silence, everyone! All you need to know is that those who have defeated the mountain-climbers and deliberately triggered the calamity of the streak have paid for some of their sins by stopping the true bringer of disaster, Vrithra! As Queen Kalingga, after deeply reflecting on these events, I have come to understand that the trigger for this chain disaster is none other than all of us, the citizens of Antapada!"
Nirya's heart seemed to be jolted loudly hearing that, as well as Arumi and everyone else. The voices of mass protests were heard again, but were silent almost instantly as the soldiers brandished their spears.
Nirya herself did not dare to open her voice asking the meaning of the queen's statement. He chose to keep his ears patient.
Pirimatha continued his explanation, "If all disputes and clashes that occur between the countries of Antapada are resolved by peaceful means, the Great War of Antapada will not erupt. If there had not been this prolonged great war, there would have been no one to fish in the murky waters, to trigger disasters under the pretext of weakening the countries of Antapada for the war to end and peace to be re-created."
Unknowingly Nirya nodded. Again Pirimatha conveys his broad thinking, perhaps even reversing the general view. As empress, Pirimatha could not prevent King Triawarman from "playing" and even became one of the masterminds of this war chaos. Now, with full authority as queen, it is time for Pirimatha to rectify this whole situation.
So the queen said, "Then I, Pirimatha, from now on, as Queen Kalinga declared an end to the war with the other countries of Antapada. Kalingga will also send negotiators to Jayandra, Swarnara, Rainusa, Akhsar and others to call for peace."
That is it, the seedlings planted through the struggle of Nirya, Sthira, Arumi and Dhaka have begun to grow shoots. Now it is the Pirimath who will take care of the bud to become a tree that bears the fruits of peace.
However, there is a price to pay. There is a curse to be borne by those who have chosen the wrong way to arrive at this destination. And it is not merely to seek and maintain peace in Antapada.
Thinking of the "curse" for him, Nirya so did not listen to the final part of the Pirimatha speech related to the internal affairs of Kalinga.
What Nirya knows for sure now, without Sthira her life would never be the same again.
\==oOo==
Meanwhile, in the secret temple of Barong on the slopes of Mount Idharma, Rainusa, the human form of Barong, the Sacred Lion of Gods and Duta Sang Mahesa were talking to someone in white robes and hooded.
"Here we go. As per the Mahesa's instructions, I leave the Vajra Weapon to you," said Barong, handing the divine mace in the hand of the white hood.
The mysterious figure turned out to be a man. The hood he was wearing was wide enough that what appeared in the eyes of his interlocutor was only part of his nose and mouth surrounded by whiskers and a white beard neatly intersected.
Observing the weapon in his hand, the mysterious man gave a smile. "Yes, I will make sure Vajra is in the right hands this time. I will break it down into three weapons of varying strength and element, and then entrust them to the chosen heroes. Hopefully if one day Vrithra's spirit reunites, he will be a whole person who is kind."
"Yes, that is also my hope, Arya Manikrama," Barong responded. "As in Indra's reign in Arcapada, my hunch says Vajra will continue to walk the path of the heroes. Either he'll support the heroes or be the hero himself."
"Well, I'm going to start this task and this trip right now." After saying so, Arya's body began to be enveloped in a white light. "There is no need to rush and no need to procrastinate. After all we are both Ambassadors of the Mahesa and both live eternally."
At that time the figure of Arya Manikrama vanished, changed dimensions, changed the universe.
Stay Barong back in his solitude, returning to serve as Ambassador Mahesa in the Antapada Peninsula.
"Ah, again deserted in this puraku," murmured Barong. "I wonder when Rangda will come here to fight with me again."
Illustrative image for Queen Pirimatha of Kalingga is Queen Shima of the Kingdom of Kalingga.
Image source: Japo.com/ Japotrik.blogspot.com
