Inside the Convergence Hall of the Mahashunya Vishwavidyalaya of Shunyagarbha, several senior students sat waiting for the meeting to begin.
Tiered rows of seats descended toward a circular platform in the center of the hall.
Multiple holographic screens hovered throughout the hall, ensuring every student could view the information clearly.
Data streams, reports, competition schedules, participation guidelines.
Students from various departments had been invited to attend the meeting.
Some students were chatting among themselves.
Others were browsing through the information displayed before them.
A few were simply waiting in silence.
The door opened—
Vikrant stepped inside.
Everyone looked toward the door immediately.
Vikrant shifted his gaze around.
“Any problem, Seniors?”
The room fell silent.
Several students exchanged glances.
A few frowned.
Others simply looked away.
Vikrant casually walked toward the center of the hall and stopped there.
One of them glanced at the chronometer projected in midair.
“You’re thirty-seven minutes late.”
Vikrant looked at the chronometer projected in midair, then met that senior student’s gaze.
“That’s unfortunate.”
“…”
“…”
“You were supposed to apologize.”
“Oh,” Vikrant nodded.
“My apologies, dear Big Sister!”
For a moment, several students couldn’t help but laugh.
A few students immediately covered their faces.
Others covered their mouths to suppress their laughter.
A male student slammed his forehead against the table.
“The meeting has only just started.
And Vikrant is already a problem.”
Laughter spread through the hall.
The senior student remained expressionless.
Slowly, she adjusted her glasses.
“Are you finished, Vice President?”
A young woman beside her elbowed her lightly.
“You’re so easy to tease, Rupavati.”
Rupavati shot her a glare.
“Rohini, be quiet.”
Then—
Rupavati turned toward a male student seated in the very first row.
Unlike the others, he wasn’t laughing.
“Adhiraj, why are you silent?”
Adhiraj closed his eyes for a moment.
“According to her, she isn’t asking why I’m still silent.”
He rose from his seat and began walking forward.
“What she actually means is: why haven’t I taken any action instead of sitting back and enjoying the show?”
He stopped beside Vikrant and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“We’ve all gathered here for an important matter.
It won’t be possible without your contribution, Vice President!”
“All?” Vikrant whispered.
He looked around the hall.
“But it looks like…
there are only around twenty-six thousand students here.”
He turned his head toward Adhiraj.
“Where are all the students?”
Silence—
Adhiraj stared at him, trying to make sense of his actions.
Then he slowly turned toward Rupavati.
Their eyes met for a brief moment.
“I can feel your pain, Rupavati.”
“I give up,” he exhaled.
He returned to his seat.
“I can’t handle this natural disaster.”
He looked across the circular platform at a student seated on the opposite side.
“Naitik, I think it’s your turn now.”
Naitik immediately looked away.
“Sorry brother,” he muttered under his breath.
“I don’t want any trouble.”
Suddenly, a voice echoed from the middle rows.
“What a beautiful show.
Two EX powerhouses can’t even handle a normal S-Rank student.”
A female student rose from her seat and began walking toward Vikrant.
Without turning around, she added,
“Brothers and sisters, it’s time to be serious.”
A burst of laughter immediately disappeared from somewhere behind her.
The hall fell silent again.
Step—
Step—
Step—
Her footsteps echoed across the circular platform.
Vikrant watched her approach.
“Senior Sister Rajaswini, surely we can discuss this civili—”
Suddenly—
She vanished.
Several students straightened instinctively.
A fist appeared directly in front of Vikrant’s face.
WHOOSH.
Vikrant barely tilted his head aside.
The punch passed by his cheek.
“She is actually serious.”
She stepped forward.
Her leg shot upward toward his chin.
Vikrant immediately jumped backward.
The kick missed by mere centimeters.
BOOM.
A shockwave spread through the hall.
Several students flinched.
Others silently lowered their heads.
Naitik slowly covered his face.
“I knew this would happen.”
Meanwhile—
Vikrant stared at Rajaswini.
Then at the shattered floor beneath her feet.
Then back at Rajaswini.
“Senior Sister.”
Rajaswini remained expressionless.
“What?”
Vikrant pointed at the floor.
“I think the floor owes you an apology.”
For a moment the hall went into silence—
“And according to your name, Raja means king, royalty, and splendor.
Swini means lady, mistress, and goddess-like.
So the accurate meanings of your name are: royal lady, queenly one, and she who possesses regal splendor.”
Her eyes remained fixed on Vikrant.
“In some cases, Raja can also refer to energy and brilliance.
Then it means…
the splendid or energetic lady.”
He smiled playfully.
“So the amount of destruction wouldn’t be so tough for you, isn’t it right Senior Sister?
A name of such elegance should not be associated with unnecessary property damage.”
Rajaswini took a step forward.
Vikrant immediately raised both hands.
“And as Vice President, protecting university property is my first priority.”
Then he nodded thoughtfully.
“I mean, which is why excessive property damage feels slightly out of your character.”
Rohini clasped her hands together and started praying.
“Lord Jagannath…
I have witnessed many things in my life.
But I can no longer see our Vice President as a person loyal to his position.”
She closed her eyes.
“If possible…
please erase the last five minutes from my memory.
Or temporarily take away my ability to witness this.”
*
*
*
Many AI vehicles were moving along the road.
Inside one of them, a child was sitting in the back seat while her mother was driving.
“Maa…” the child called lazily.
Her mother replied softly.
“Do you need something, Rashmi?”
“Why am I sitting in the back seat?
I want to sit in the front too.” Rashmi pouted.
“I want to see the view from the front like you do.”
Her mother smiled.
“You can’t.
We’re in a moving vehicle, and what if there’s an accident?
You could get hurt.
That’s why the back seat is the safest place for you.”
“And you?” Rashmi asked innocently.
“I’m an adult and a strong woman, so don’t worry about me,” her mother replied.
Then suddenly, a cargo hauler swerved into their path.
The AI’s voice echoed through the vehicle as the seatbelts tightened automatically.
Danger.
Collision risk detected.
Emergency response activated.
“Maa…!” Rashmi screamed nervously.
Everyone looked at her for a moment, as if she were an alien.
Slowly, she realized she was in a classroom.
“Ekalavyaa…”
A classmate called her name in confusion.
“Is there something bothering you?
Are you okay?
We’re in a classroom.”
Ekalavyaa shook her head slightly.
“Nothing, I’m okay.”
Her friend looked at her with a frown.
“But you look like you’ve just seen a high-level monster.”
Ekalavyaa looked at her in irritation.
“Vaidehi…
just a memory from my past.”
She paused briefly.
“And trust me, that was far worse than any high-level monster.”
Another friend turned toward her and asked.
“Lavyaa, you said you’re from Anantagarbha.
And Anantagarbha is the largest city in the Garbha District.”
She met Ekalavyaa’s eyes.
“So I’m curious about your hometown.
I’ve never even set foot outside our city, and…”
“Shunyagarbha spans approximately twelve million square kilometers.”
A male student who was listening to them murmured to himself.
“That’s 12,918,574 km², Yashoda.
That’s why half-knowledge is dangerous.”
Yashoda glared at him.
“This little demon, Indrajit…
why do you know the exact measurement?”
She threw a pen toward him, but he caught it easily.
One of the hovering AI cameras detected her action.
Vaidehi teased Yashoda.
“Hmm…
It looks like a Goddess is interested in a distant land.”
Yashoda narrowed her eyes in annoyance.
“You are so annoying, Vaidehi.”
“Only for my Goddess,” Vaidehi replied.
“Anantagarbha is bigger than Shunyagarbha,” Ekalavyaa said slowly.
At that moment, Yashoda dropped her forehead onto the table again.
“Why…?
I want to die.”
“No, you don’t,” Indrajit said immediately.
“Yes, I do.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No, you don’t.”
Yashoda slowly raised her head.
“Can someone throw him out of the classroom?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I am an important member of society.”
Several students stared at him.
“You are not,” Ekalavyaa said.
“I am.”
The hovering AI camera turned toward their table.
A soft mechanical voice echoed through the classroom.
“Student Indrajit.”
Indrajit immediately sat upright.
“Yes, respected artificial intelligence?”
“Your academic performance has declined by 0.7% compared to last month.”
The entire classroom fell silent.
A dangerous smile appeared on Yashoda’s face.
Vaidehi covered her mouth.
Ekalavyaa looked away.
Indrajit felt a chill run down his spine.
The AI continued mercilessly.
“Statistically speaking, you are in no position to call yourself an important member of society.”
For three full seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Yashoda stood up.
“Today is a beautiful day.”
Indrajit pointed toward the ceiling.
“Teacher, this AI is bullying me.”
“Statement verified.
Traitor.
Statement verified.”
At that moment, Yashoda dropped her forehead onto the table for the third time.
“I don’t want to die anymore.
I want him to die.”
*
*
*
“So that’s it.”
Rupavati finished speaking.
The entire Convergence Hall fell silent.
Vikrant broke the silence.
“Okay, does anybody else want to add something?”
Vikrant looked around.
No response came—
“If this is the task, then why do the seniors need me?” Vikrant whispered.
“It looks simple enough.”
Then—
Rupavati adjusted her glasses with irritation and looked at a male student.
“Kartikeya, do you have any painkillers?”
Kartikeya immediately offered a suggestion.
“Why don’t you erase the pain completely?”
Adhiraj exhaled deeply.
“Because the pain is actually our only reason of being peaceful here.”
“Brother Vicky, what do you think?”
Vikrant looked directly into his eyes.
“Adhiraj Senior wants to get me into trouble, but he doesn’t know that I’ll bring him too.”
“Senior, it’s too hard for me but it would be great if your kindness…”
Adhiraj closed his eyes for a brief moment.
“I know what’s going on in this kid’s head right now.”
“Okay.
I’ll come with you too.”
Rupavati took a deep breath.
“Finally, he managed it.”
She shifted her gaze to Rohini.
“Rohini, come with me.”
“Why?” Rohini replied in confusion.
Rupavati gave a creepy smile.
“Dal Makhani.”
“But why are you smiling like that?”
Scientists say natural disasters cannot be prevented.
After observing Vikrant for several years, the author has reached the same conclusion.