My Game Begins Episode 3/Chapter 3: Arrival of the Shadow Lord — Battle Begins Part 6: Divine Sage – Devarshi Narada's Call

My Game Begins

Episode 3/Chapter 3: Arrival of the Shadow Lord — Battle Begins

Part 6: Divine Sage – Devarshi Narada's Call

The classroom hummed with quiet focus as Mr. Kazuki continued his lecture.

Seated comfortably in the middle row, Srinivasulu—in Ren’s form—was flanked by Aira on his right and Rose on his left.

Neither girl had quite managed to process the eccentric historical spectacle he had put on just moments ago.

High above the clouds, riding the crest of a glowing white vapor trail, a celestial figure drifted through the sky.

"Narayana... Sriman Narayana..." Devarshi Narada chanted softly, plucking the strings of his Mahathi veena.

"Three full days have passed since Srinivasulu descended into this world in the form of Ren. Let us behold what he is presently doing."

As Narada glided through the air, the thick white clouds parted effortlessly before him.

Chanting "Narayana, Narayana," the divine sage floated directly toward Paradise High, hovering just outside the classroom windows.

Peering down, he spotted Aira, Rose, and Srinivasulu sitting right in the center row.

Narada chuckled, shaking his head.

"Narayana, Narayana... The young man who once proclaimed that he would bend this world to his own will now finds himself seated between these maidens. Nevertheless... he appears to be making a sincere effort to live in the guise of this boy, Ren."

Down in the classroom, Mr. Kazuki's voice droned on.

Feeling the gentle, rhythmic weight of the lecture, Srinivasulu’s eyelids began to droop.

Heavy nods of sleep pulled his head downward.

Up in the sky, Narada raised an eyebrow.

"Narayana, Narayana... He slumbers even while the Acharya expounds his lesson? Very well. Perhaps a gentle reminder is in order."

With a flick of his wrist, Narada snapped his fingers.

Inside the quiet classroom, Srinivasulu’s head drifted lower as he slipped deeper into sleep.

Suddenly—

Riiiiiing!

“Srinivasa Govinda... Sri Venkatesa Govinda...”

Srinivasulu bolted upright, gasping as he slammed his hands against his desk.

Mr. Kazuki stopped writing on the chalkboard mid-stroke.

Aira, Rose, Kaito, Jin, and every single student in the classroom whipped their heads around, staring at Srinivasulu in absolute shock.

“Bhaktavatsala Govinda... Bhagavata Priya Govinda...”

Fumbling frantically, Srinivasulu yanked his phone out of his pocket.

The screen flashed brightly:

DEVARSHI NARADA CALLING

And worse—the end-call button wasn’t responding at all!

“Govinda Hari Govinda, Venkataramana Govinda... Govinda Hari Govinda, Venkataramana Govinda...”

High in the sky, Narada casually flicked his finger upward.

Instantly, the volume on Srinivasulu’s phone multiplied.

The ringtone surged from normal volume to 100, then 200, then 500, until it hit a deafening 1000.

The powerful devotional chant echoed through the classroom, rattling the windows and spilling out into the neighboring hallways.

“GOVINDA HARI GOVINDA, VENKATARAMANA GOVINDA...!”

Clutching his head as if his skull were about to split open, Mr. Kazuki yelled over the deafening divine audio,

"Ren! Turn it off! Turn that off right now!"

Panicking, Srinivasulu slammed his thumb onto the screen, finally cutting the audio feed.

The classroom plunged into an awkward, ringing silence.

Srinivasulu stood up, offering a sheepish, trembling bow.

"Sorry, Sensei... I forgot to put my phone on silent mode during class."

Mr. Kazuki massaged his temples, glaring at him.

"Bringing a phone to class in the first place is a violation of the rules, Ren! I should confiscate it right this instant. But since this is your first offense, I'll let it slide. Sit down."

As Srinivasulu began to sink back into his chair, Mr. Kazuki’s eyes narrowed.

"Ren... wait. What was that?"

"What is it, Sensei?"

"That ringtone. What was that?"

Srinivasulu offered a nervous grin.

"Catchy, right, Sensei? That's why I kept it!"

Mr. Kazuki sighed heavily, waving a hand.

"Just sit down."

Aira, Rose, Kaito, and Jin exchanged glances.

Honestly, that doesn't even sound like Ren's phone...

As Srinivasulu dropped back into his seat, his mind raced.

When the Govinda Namalu ringtone was blasting, everyone just stared at me in shock because of the noise. No one reacted to the song itself. But why did Kazuki look like his head was about to explode? Was it just because the volume was impossibly loud, or did the divine resonance actually affect him?

More importantly... why in the world is the Divine Sage Narada calling me on a smartphone?! He could have just materialized in front of me!

Glancing sideways out the window, Srinivasulu froze.

Hovering right outside the glass pane, Devarshi Narada was floating in mid-air, flashing a mischievous, knowing grin.

He's right there!

Srinivasulu broke out into a cold sweat.

I need to go meet him immediately during the lunch break!

Hours Later: During the Lunch Break

As the bell rang and students flooded the hallways, Srinivasulu tried to slip quietly out of the classroom.

"Hold on, Ren. We need to talk," Aira said, stepping directly into his path from the right.

Rose blocked him from the left, her arms crossed.

"We need to talk about your phone."

A few feet away, Kaito and Jin stopped near their desks, watching closely.

Srinivasulu forced an innocent smile.

"My phone? What about it?"

"What was that ringtone?" Rose pressed, her eyes sharp.

"We've known you for months, Ren, and we have never heard that song on your phone."

"Rose, I just liked it, so I set it. Is that really such a big deal?"

Aira stepped closer, holding out her hand.

"Hand over your phone, Ren."

Srinivasulu hesitated, reluctantly sliding the device out of his pocket and handing it over.

"Fine. Go ahead, look at it."

The moment Aira glanced at the screen, her breath hitched.

The lock-screen wallpaper featured a vivid, glowing image of Lord Venkateswara.

Rose looked at it, her jaw dropping.

"This... this isn't even your phone! Did you switch phones or something?"

Crap, I'm about to get busted!

Srinivasulu panicked internally.

Outwardly, he scrambled for an excuse.

"Well... my old phone got destroyed during our battles with the demons! You guys know how chaotic things get. I figured my old one was trashed, so I just went out and bought a brand-new phone that fits my vibe."

Aira tried to swipe the screen open to check the settings, but a secure pattern lock stopped her.

An error prompt flashed red.

"You even changed the password, Ren?"

Srinivasulu snatched the phone back with a swift motion, slipping it into his pocket.

"Why do you need my password? Why are you interrogating me like this?!"

"Because," Aira said, her voice rising with frustration, "you changed your phone without telling us, you changed the wallpaper, you changed the password, and you completely changed your ringtone! What else are you keeping from us, Ren? We're supposed to be a team! Don't you even understand basic trust?"

"Guys, guys, come on!" Srinivasulu groaned, throwing his hands up in disbelief.

"You're treating me like a criminal on trial! Is changing a phone a crime now? My old one broke, so I got a new one. I added a password for safety, picked a wallpaper I liked, and set a ringtone I enjoy. These are completely normal human things to do!"

"Venkataramana Govinda... I seriously can't win with you girls!" he muttered under his breath.

"When I'm quiet, you ask why I'm so quiet. When I try to change, open up, and act freely, you suspect I'm an imposter! Now you're interrogating me over a phone?!"

"Honestly, you're not even the ones I should be arguing with right now," Srinivasulu snapped, turning toward the door.

"The one who called me during class is waiting outside. I need to go have a word with him. Out of my way!"

Jin called out from across the room,

"Hey! Where do you think you're going? School isn't even over yet!"

"I'm not leaving school. The visitor came straight to school!" Srinivasulu shot back over his shoulder.

Kaito raised an eyebrow.

"Wait... he came to the school and called your phone instead of just meeting you directly?"

Srinivasulu paused.

He looked slightly annoyed.

"That's just how he is."

He shrugged.

"He came to the school, called me, and now I have to go talk to him."

He paused at the doorway, looking back at his tense, suspicious friends.

"Look... if you guys actually trust me—if you trust our friendship—please don't follow me.

"And please, stop doubting me at every turn.

"I'm your friend, not your enemy. Why are you constantly treating me like a suspect?"

Without waiting for an answer, Srinivasulu stormed out of the classroom.

Aira, Rose, Kaito, and Jin stood in silence, staring at the empty doorway, completely speechless.

(End of Episode 3/Chapter 3 — Part 6)