Just as Itihasa had foretold, the Vehapphalā Heaven and the four levels of the Formless Realm were already being infiltrated by the surviving Darkangels.
Ordinarily, the Formless Realm was beyond the reach of any external force.
There were no bodies here, no shapes, no physical forms. Only pure consciousness existed within these realms, sustained by profound states of meditation. They were sacred domains sealed away from the material world, where even the laws of ordinary existence could no longer interfere.
But Princess Arati possessed a power capable of breaking that law.
The daughter of the Demon King Vasavatti, Arati was rebellious enough to reject even the reality dictated by fate itself. Her hatred was so absolute that she could deny the existence of things that should have been unchangeable. Even the natural order—and the authority of Truth itself—could be challenged by her will.
With that power, she tore open a breach within the dimension of consciousness.
Through that breach, she led the Darkangels under her father's command into the realms of the Brahmas.
Yet there were still six domains they could not invade.
The first was the realm of the Asaññasatta, the Mindless Brahmas.
Though they possessed physical bodies, they had no consciousness, emotion, thought, or perception. There was simply nothing within their minds for the Darkangels to corrupt.
The remaining five were the Five Pure Abodes, where beings who had attained at least the stage of Non-Return dwelled.
Those realms were beyond their reach.
So the Darkangels turned their attention to another kind of prey—
Brahmas who had not yet attained even the first stage of enlightenment.
Among them were those who secretly dreamed of becoming great sages—beings who would descend into the worlds below, teach living creatures, and save them from suffering.
These were the easiest to corrupt.
The Darkangels would approach them disguised as benevolent companions.
They would speak gently.
They would offer admiration.
They would praise the Brahma's virtues until pride began to bloom within the depths of his mind.
Then, when the perfect moment arrived—
they would strike.
Even the highest Brahmas, though almost entirely free from worldly defilements, still possessed subtle latent tendencies hidden deep within their consciousness.
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The Darkangels did not need to create those defilements.
They merely needed to awaken them.
Initially, the leader of a group of Darkangels entered the consciousness of a Brahma dwelling in Vehapphalā Heaven.
Greetings, revered one.
The Brahma sensed the foreign thought immediately.
Yet he did not react.
He simply observed the thought arise, allowed it to pass, and returned his mind to stillness.
The Darkangel smiled.
“You are truly extraordinary.”
The Brahma remained silent.
But the words had already entered his mind.
Extraordinary?
A faint doubt arose.
How extraordinary am I?
The Darkangel continued.
“Your austerities are incomparable. Your accumulated merit is vast. You dwell in one of the highest realms of existence. You have survived three great destructions of the universe—kalpa-fire, kalpa-water, and kalpa-wind.”
The Brahma's mind trembled ever so slightly.
The Darkangel's voice became warmer.
“You are more noble than countless beings who came before you.”
At that moment, an Imp, a low-ranking servant of the Darkangels, noticed the tiny ripple of doubt within the Brahma's mind.
The Imp immediately joined the conversation.
“Indeed! How could anyone deny it? Your wisdom, your merit, your spiritual attainment—everything about you proves that you are destined for something far greater.”
The Brahma remained silent.
But he was listening.
Then a Fiend stepped forward.
“A being as extraordinary as you should naturally be reborn as a Bodhisattva.”
The Brahma's attention sharpened.
The Fiend continued.
“In your next existence, you could become a great sage. Perhaps even a Buddha endowed with perfect knowledge. You could descend into the human world and save countless beings from suffering.”
The Brahma's heart began to swell.
I truly am exceptional...
A smile appeared within his consciousness.
Perhaps in my next life, I really will become Omniscient.
The Darkangel leader waited patiently.
Then he sighed.
“What a pity...”
The Brahma's mind stirred.
“What is it?”
The Darkangel lowered his voice.
“The entire infinite universe has abandoned you.”
The Brahma froze.
“No one sees your good deeds.”
The Imp immediately followed.
“No matter how much merit you have accumulated, there is one thing you can never obtain.”
The Brahma asked,
“What?”
“A prediction.”
The Imp's voice became sorrowful.
“No Buddha has ever foretold that you will become a great sage.”
The Brahma's heart sank.
The Fiend continued softly.
“That means you cannot become a great sage in your next life.”
“You can only enjoy liberation until the merit supporting your present existence is exhausted. Then you will return to the cycle of birth and death once more.”
The Fiend paused.
“Perhaps, after countless lifetimes, you may eventually attain the state of a Paccekabuddha.”
The Brahma's mind began to shake.
“But... why?”
The Fiend answered immediately.
“Isn't it unfair?”
“Why should only those who receive a Buddha's prediction be destined to become great sages?”
The Brahma said nothing.
His mindfulness was beginning to disappear.
The thoughts that had once seemed insignificant now became heavier and heavier.
Unfair...
Why not me?
Why have I never received such a prediction?
His disappointment became resentment.
Resentment became anger.
And anger slowly transformed into jealousy.
The Darkangels watched in silence.
The Brahma's once-pure heart began to burn.
His own defilements consumed him from within, devouring his spiritual strength and eventually destroying his soul.
His existence came to an end.
And when he was reborn—
he would no longer be a Brahma.
He would descend into a lower realm as a vicious Asura, destined to become one of the Demon Kings.
The Darkangel leader smiled.
“One is done.”
The Darkangels, Imps, and Fiends vanished into the darkness.
Deeper.
Farther into the Formless Realm.
Searching for their next prey.