Chapter 16: Dharmavitra, the Thousand Limbed Warden of Judgment
The man gaped, confusion and disbelief warring on his face. "That’s...insane!" He sputtered, his voice rising. "You don’t even know where we are, how many of us there are! You can’t just—"
His protest died as Mika’s gaze darkened, and he muttered under his breath once again.
[Dharmavitra, the Thousand Limbed Warden of Judgment]
The air quaked, reality itself buckling, and before the man’s eyes, a faint shimmer came into existence. It grew, solidifying with agonizing slowness, its form unfurling into something monstrous.
A dharma idol, towering and grotesque, emerged, cross, legged, floating, its purple skin gleaming like oil under the warehouse’s flickering lights. Six arms sprouted from its back, their sharp nails glinting, writhing like serpents, while two arms in front clasped in a praying position.
Its face was also a nightmare, jagged teeth bared in a silent snarl, eyes closed, exuding a primal terror that clawed at the man’s sanity. It was an asura, a myth ripped from Buddhist lore, summoned by Mika’s will, its presence a weight that crushed the air from his lungs.
The man didn’t even get to catch his breath as immidietly after it was formed, the idol drifted toward him, its cross-legged form gliding with an eerie grace.
It floated to him all the way until it stopped inches from his face, its bulk filling his vision, its closed eyes a promise of horrors yet to come.
The man’s heart hammered, his bound limbs trembling as the idol’s praying hands suddenly parted, their movements slow and careful, like a priest preparing a sacrifice.
The fingers, long and clawed then reached for his head, curling around his skull with a grip that was both cold and searing, pinning him in place.