“Meenakshi Pradhan.” Her mother repeated.
Ekalavyaa kept following her.
After a while, her mother spoke again.
“So, this is the girl who made my Rashmi become Ekalavyaa, hmm…?”
Ekalavyaa’s ears reddened almost instantly.
“What is her rank?” her mother asked.
“She’s B-Ranker and BB-Tier.”
A brief pause followed.
Then…
she spoke again in a quiet tone.
“And she’s a Healer.”
Her mother gave a small nod.
“And yours?”
Ekalavyaa replied immediately.
“C-Rank and CCC-Tier, but I’m an expert at archery.” She smiled confidently.
A small pause.
“Close to B-Rank and B-Tier.”
“So, you’re able to destroy a planet now?”
Ekalavyaa gave an awkward smile.
“Maa…
according to the Awakened Association’s power system, yes.
I’m considered capable of destroying a planet.”
She tapped her cheek.
“But B-Rankers are rated at Solar System-level.
And A-Rankers are Galaxy-level threats.”
Her mother didn’t react.
She simply kept walking, with Ekalavyaa following behind.
They walked for several more steps.
Neither of them spoke.
The evening breeze drifted between them, carrying the distant sounds of the city.
Then her mother broke the silence.
“Rashmi.”
“Yes, Maa?”
“If one day you become stronger than everyone else…”
She didn’t look back or slow down.
“Will you still be the same child who worries about getting home before dinner?”
Ekalavyaa blinked.
A small smile found its way onto her face.
“Of course.”
“Good,” her mother said softly.
“Power changes many people.”
Another quiet step.
“Don’t let it change your heart.”
“Maa, you mean like Father?”
Ekalavyaa’s question lingered in the evening air.
Her mother remained silent.
She didn’t look back or slow down.
Their footsteps continued along the quiet road.
After a long moment, she finally spoke.
“Go and buy some ingredients for dinner, then come home soon.
I’ll wait at home.”
Ekalavyaa stood still for a moment.
“But Maa, my answer?
I didn’t get it till now.
You always divert the direction whenever I ask.”
Her mother stopped as well after hearing her daughter’s complaint.
Then she turned her head toward Ekalavyaa.
“Hmm…
I think something slipped out of my sweetheart’s mouth by mistake.”
She turned fully toward Ekalavyaa and looked straight into her eyes.
“Did you complain about something?”
Ekalavyaa lowered her voice suddenly, a bead of sweat breaking out on her face.
“…Nothing.
I-I mean…
I’m going to buy ingredients.”
“Good,” her mother replied with complete satisfaction.
She turned around and resumed walking as though the matter had been thoroughly settled.
Ekalavyaa remained rooted to the spot.
“…Maa.”
No response.
“…You really did it again.”
Her mother raised a hand without turning around.
“Don’t forget the tomatoes.”
Ekalavyaa let out a defeated sigh.
“You changed the subject again.”
“Did I?” her mother asked innocently.
“Yes!”
“Then buy some potatoes as well.”
Ekalavyaa muttered under her breath,
“Potatoes again.”
She straightened immediately, regaining whatever remained of her dignity.
She took a deep breath.
“Focus.
Mission: dinner ingredients.”
Meanwhile—
Inside a large weapon shop, the atmosphere hummed with controlled intensity.
Along the walls, weapons were neatly arranged in structured racks: rifles, tactical firearms, and advanced variants locked into display systems like curated exhibits of engineered precision.
At the central testing counter, a few buyers inspected recoil balance and calibration outputs under the supervision of trained staff.
Soft mechanical clicks and diagnostic beeps occasionally cut through the steady murmur of conversation.
Above them, subtle holographic labels floated near each section, marking categories, specifications, and rank compatibility levels.
Zoya lifted a BARRETT M82 with the casual ease of someone selecting fruit.
She tilted her head slightly.
“This one feels balanced.”
Then she aimed the BARRETT M82 sniper rifle toward Sia.
Standing beside Zoya, Sia slowly picked up a MCMILLAN TAC-50 sniper rifle and aimed it back with equal calm.
Zoya snickered softly, one eye fixed on Sia through the scope.
“You think that one is better than mine?”
Sia didn’t answer immediately.
She adjusted her grip on the TAC-50, as if listening to it breathe.
“…Better is a loud word,” she said at last.
“I prefer reliable.”
Zoya tilted her head, eye still aligned through the Barrett’s scope.
“Reliable sounds like what people say when they’re losing an argument.”
Isha, standing between them, blinked.
Then she picked up a BARRETT MRAD and raised it toward both of them.
“I think this one is best.”
Zoya’s expression went blank.
Rhea, standing just behind Isha, immediately smacked her own forehead.
Thud—!
Both Zoya and Sia looked at Isha at the same time.
Isha froze mid-stance, still holding the BARRETT MRAD like she had accidentally summoned attention from two dueling legends.
“…Why are you both looking at me?” she asked quietly.
Rhea exhaled sharply.
“You are not a product reviewer,” she said flatly.
“Put that down before you start ranking grenades too.”
Isha slowly lowered the rifle, looking personally betrayed by reality itself.
“Let’s go buy some ingredients for dinner,” Rhea suggested.
“Okay.
Let’s go.” Zoya agreed.
She returned the BARRETT M82 to its rack.
Sia carefully placed the TAC-50 back as well.
They walked out of the shop.
Sia opened a wormhole, and the four of them disappeared into it.
A few moments later—
Ekalavyaa was picking out vegetables in a vegetable store.
Rows of fresh vegetables filled the neatly arranged shelves, while floating holographic price tags hovered above each section.
Ekalavyaa muttered to herself while inspecting a tomato.
“I feel like my mother’s ability is Conversation Manipulation, even though she’s an ordinary human.
No matter what I ask, she somehow manages to defeat me without even giving me an answer.”
Ekalavyaa felt a gentle warmth around the little finger of her left hand.
She looked down.
A little girl was holding her finger.
The little girl looked up at her and pointed at the tomato in Ekalavyaa’s hand with her tiny left index finger.
“Tilottama wants that tomato.”
Ekalavyaa stared at the little girl for a few seconds.
“…This tomato?”
Tilottama nodded vigorously.
“Mm.”
She hugged Ekalavyaa’s little finger with both of her tiny hands, refusing to let go.
“Tilottama loves tomatoes.”
Ekalavyaa glanced around the vegetable store.
“Where are your parents?”
The little girl looked around as well.
“Hmm…”
A thoughtful silence followed.
Then she looked back at Ekalavyaa with complete confidence.
“Tilottama doesn’t know.”
Ekalavyaa froze.
“…You don’t know?”
The little girl shook her head innocently.
“No.”
Ekalavyaa slowly looked toward the store entrance.
“Please don’t tell me I’ve found a lost child.”
Ekalavyaa crouched down until she was at eye level with the little girl.
“What’s your name?”
The little girl puffed out her tiny chest proudly.
“Tilottama.”
“That’s a beautiful name.”
Tilottama smiled brightly.
“Mm!”
Ekalavyaa held up the tomato.
“Do you really want this one?”
Tilottama nodded with all her might.
“Tilottama wants that tomato.”
Ekalavyaa couldn’t help but laugh.
“Alright.”
She placed the tomato into Tilottama’s tiny hands.
Tilottama stared at it as though she had just been entrusted with the greatest treasure in the world.
Her eyes sparkled.
“Tomato…”
Then—
She hugged it.
“You’re not even going to eat it?”
Tilottama shook her head.
“Pretty.”
Ekalavyaa was silent for a moment.
“So you kidnapped me for decoration.”
Before Ekalavyaa could say another word.
A calm voice called out from somewhere behind her.
“Tilottama.”
The little girl immediately turned around.
Her face lit up.
“Urvashi!”
Hugging the tomato tightly against her chest, she hurried toward the voice with tiny, excited steps.
Ekalavyaa stood up and looked in the same direction.
For a brief moment.
She simply blinked.
“…Huh?”
Standing a short distance away was a young woman with long, black hair.
She stood quietly, her calm posture carrying an effortless elegance.
Ekalavyaa stared at the young woman.
For some reason.
The bustling vegetable store suddenly felt quieter.
Tilottama reached her and proudly raised the tomato with both hands.
“Urvashi!
Tomato!”
Urvashi looked at the tomato for a brief moment.
Then she gently patted Tilottama’s head.
“Did you ask before taking it?”
Tilottama nodded confidently.
“Tilottama asked.”
Urvashi looked toward Ekalavyaa.
“Thank you for indulging her.”
Ekalavyaa blinked once.
“…It was nothing.”
She tapped her cheek slightly.
“…She just negotiated directly with my little finger.”
Tilottama continued hugging the tomato against her chest as though it were a priceless treasure.
Tilottama looked between the two of them.
Then she raised the tomato toward Urvashi again.
“Tomato.”
Urvashi looked at it for a moment.
“You should thank her.”
Tilottama immediately turned toward Ekalavyaa.
She hugged the tomato tighter.
“Tilottama is thanking to you!”
Ekalavyaa smiled helplessly.
“You’re welcome.”
A quiet silence settled between them.
Then Urvashi spoke.
“We’ll be leaving now.”
She gently took Tilottama’s tiny hand.
Tilottama obediently held onto Urvashi’s finger with one hand and the tomato with the other.
They turned to leave.
After taking only two tiny steps, Tilottama suddenly stopped.
She turned around again.
Her large eyes met Ekalavyaa’s.
“Bye-bye.”
She gave a tiny wave with the hand that wasn’t occupied by the tomato.
Ekalavyaa instinctively raised her own hand.
“Bye…”
Tilottama nodded in satisfaction.
Then she resumed walking beside Urvashi.
One small hand held Urvashi’s finger.
The other continued protecting the tomato with absolute seriousness.
Ekalavyaa watched them leave.
“What an unusual pair.”
“One is a little girl who treats a tomato like the greatest treasure in existence.”
“The other is a young woman who walked through the crowded market with the same quiet composure as if the noise around her simply doesn’t exist.”
Ekalavyaa continued watching them until they disappeared into the flow of people.
Only then did she let out a quiet breath.
“They’re strange.”
She looked down at the basket in her hand.
Then back toward where the two had vanished.
Her grip tightened around the basket.
“…But I can’t deny it.”
“…That big sister was unbelievably pretty.”
A brief silence.
Ekalavyaa rubbed the back of her neck.
“No wonder even that little girl follows her around so happily.”
She shook her head, forcing the thought away.
“Focus.”
“Tomatoes.”
“Potatoes.”
“…And stop getting distracted by beautiful strangers.”
Some of life’s most important meetings happen during the most ordinary moments.