Power behaved very differently when it believed it was alone.
It whispered.
It indulged.
It excused itself.
But when power realized it was being watched—
It straightened its spine.
The fall of the eastern governor did not echo.
It propagated.
Messengers carried the news across borders—not as rumor, but as confirmed consequence. No embellishment followed it. None was needed.
A governor abused authority.
Krishna arrived.
Everything was undone.
No blood.
No compromise.
The system chimed quietly as Krishna returned to Hastinapura.
«Behavioral Correction Wave Detected.
Scope: Multi-Kingdom.
Reaction Pattern: Fear → Discipline.»
Krishna nodded. "That's the healthy order."
In distant courts, ministers paused mid-decree.
In some places, cruel edicts were quietly burned before sealing.
In others, advisors suddenly found their warnings listened to.
A king in the south postponed a forced relocation.
A warlord in the west released prisoners taken "legally."
A tax collector in the north resigned before anyone asked.
None of them had seen Krishna.
That made it worse.
In Hastinapura, Duryodhana paced.
"He didn't even punish him," Duryodhana muttered. "He erased him."
Shakuni sat nearby, unusually thoughtful.
"No," Shakuni corrected. "He exposed him."
Duryodhana turned sharply. "There's a difference?"
Shakuni smiled thinly. "A terrifying one."
The system chimed faintly in Krishna's awareness.
«Adversary Insight Increased.
Threat Sophistication: Rising.
Good. This Was Getting Boring.»
Krishna almost smiled.
In the council hall, Vidura addressed the court.
"We are witnessing a shift," he said calmly. "Not of rulers—but of rules."
Bhishma nodded slowly. "In my lifetime, I have seen power restrained by fear of rebellion… and by fear of gods."
He looked toward Krishna.
"This is different."
Krishna met his gaze. "Because it isn't fear."
Bhishma frowned slightly. "Then what is it?"
"Awareness," Krishna replied.
The word settled heavily.
Yudhishthira spoke next. "People are correcting themselves before harm is done."
"Yes," Krishna said. "Because they know correction will come—cleanly."
The system chimed approvingly.
«Preventative Dharma Enforcement: Active.
Efficiency Rating: Exceptional.»
Not everyone welcomed it.
A minor lord confronted Krishna openly during a private gathering.
"You've made it impossible to rule freely," the man accused.
Krishna tilted his head. "Good."
The lord bristled. "You undermine authority."
"No," Krishna replied calmly. "I remove excuses."
Silence followed.
The lord left unsettled—but unharmed.
Elsewhere, Arjuna watched the training grounds.
Soldiers trained with discipline—not cruelty.
Commanders explained orders instead of shouting them.
He turned to Krishna. "They're different."
Krishna nodded. "They know negligence has a witness."
Radha joined them later, carrying water.
"You're becoming an idea," she said lightly.
Krishna smiled. "I always was."
The system chimed, amused.
«Legend Formation Accelerating.
Myth vs Reality Gap: Minimal.»
That night, Krishna stood beneath the open sky.
He felt the world watching—not pleading, not worshipping.
Expecting.
And expectation, he knew, was heavier than faith.
The system summarized calmly.
«Power Awareness Threshold Achieved.
Next Phase: Direct Challenge Inevitable.»
Krishna exhaled slowly.
"Let it come," he murmured.
Because now—
Power knew.
And knowing—
Changed everything.
--chapter 32 ended--