Taraka

Taraka is a nastika and the acting king of the Taraka clan. Suras of other clans view her as the king of her clan, but she has since revealed that Yuta is the true king, unbeknownst to everyone outside her clan except for Kasak Rajof and the Fire God Agni.^[1]

Appearance

To everyone except Yuta, she appears as a mostly-faceless monster with long hair, a large mouth full of sharp teeth, and many long tentacles. To Yuta, however, she has the same appearance as his real mother Kali: a young beautiful woman with light blue eyes and long medium brown hair, except unlike Kali, her hair is held in a loosely woven braid in the back. Taraka has very long tentacle-like legs (six or more), though it seems she can also assume a "normal" pair of legs. She wears a red dress with pink frills, puffy sleeves, red gloves, and dark boots.

Taraka is able to change her size at will. She can be the size of a normal human, or become large enough to fill the water channel.^[2]

Personality

Taraka was embedded with Kali's maternal love, meaning she was made to be the ideal mother. She always puts Yuta first and is willing to do anything for him, which results in a very clingy personality and in her being very possessive of her son.

She has a hard time accepting her role as Kali's replacement, and in the past she made Yuta kill her because she could not live in denial anymore. In the Carte water channel, however, Taraka refused to make Yuta kill her, and felt happy when he still recognized her as his mother.^[3] This version of her, however, was later killed by Kasak Rajof, and she has likely reverted back to her 'default' self.

Taraka thinks of herself as beautiful and strong, when in reality she's hideous to anyone but Yuta and weaker than Yuta in his 2nd stage. She feels insulted and angry whenever she's called ugly or a monster.

Skills and Abilities

Unlike the other nastikas who were created by Visnu, Taraka was created by Kali, and due to her unique circumstances she shares some abilities with gods that nastikas do not normally possess, as well as having her own unique abilities:

• Insight - Agni told Kasak that Taraka had a 'superior insight' not unlike Visnu or Kali; however earlier on in the story Yuta claimed she has a distorted view of the future that she uses to justify separating him from his friends. It was later revealed that Yuta was in fact the one responsible for eating them, meaning Yuta's only evidence of her insights being distorted has been invalidated.^[4]
• Indefinite regeneration - If she is killed she simply resurrects in a similar fashion to the gods, although she loses any memory she gained during her previous existence.
• Magic and transcendental nullification by using her 'Chaos eyes'
• She can permanently seal transcendentals in a similar fashion to bhavati asvins. This seal remains as long as the current Taraka is alive. Both Gandharva and Sagara were known to have had some of their transcendentals sealed by her.
• She can also affect objects and areas around her 'spreading chaos' to make them damaged or distorted. This ability (or many abilities) is strong enough to destroy a god-level item made by primeval god Visnu, who has disappeared (This effect could also be Yuta's. But he blames the destruction of the earrings on his "mother" (either Kali or Taraka).); strong enough to change locations of the traps in the Water Channel made by primeval god Brahma, though the layout remained unaltered. However, the channel could not be destroyed by Taraka, who is weaker than Brahma, despite the fact that it turned into an abnormal state until further notice.

Notes

• Her role as king of the Taraka clan is forged, like her memories.
• Both her clan and her "son" are older than she is.
• According to Taraka, none of Yuta's other parents treated him well. Garuda ignored him, Vinata only cared about her own children, and Shuri left with Visnu in the year N0.
• She told Yuta that Maruna and Kalavinka were both in the human realm.
• Taraka has fought the Gandharva clan, almost destroying it.
• When Kasak reveals to Yuta that he killed Taraka, he mentions her being weaker than he had heard from his father.^[5]

Plot

History

Taraka was made sometime after Yuta. She was created by the primeval god Kali to become a replacement mother for her son. Unfortunately, her chaotic nature made her largely formless, and only Yuta can see Kali's features when looking at her. Most of Taraka's memories were forged, implanted directly from Kali's own memories to make her believe she was Yuta's mother.

Taraka is much younger than all the other nastikas by several billion years, and is the only nastika that can resurrect.

She was first seen with Yuta in her arms, with Garuda nearby, who decided he wasn't needed by Kali anymore and left.

At some point, her son blamed her for the death of his friends. Although Yuta initially claimed their deaths were truly her doing, it was later revealed that Taraka willingly took the blame in order to spare Yuta's feelings, after he unknowingly devoured them.

Taraka spoiled Yuta often, telling him he could do as he pleased to show he was on top of the food chain. She referred to him as her successor. Whenever she would learn the truth behind her role as a substitute, she'd ask Yuta to kill her. The problem was that Taraka would be resurrected with her memory reset.

Eventually, Yuta escaped from Taraka and fled to the Garuda clan. After Garuda's children were separated, Yuta was sent to Shuri, something Taraka was aware of. She spent her time looking for Yuta to take him back with her, because apparently Visnu helped hide Yuta from her.

Season 1

Chapter 8: The Wavering King

(6) Taraka mocks the principles of "the Way of a King." She tells her son it's absurd for a king to hide their true feelings to be considered a proper king. She instructs Yuta that the only qualities to be her successor is to do what he wants, eat what he wants, and to stand atop of the food chain. Their clan, after all, rejects law and order.

She finally found Yuta inside the Water Channel, in the rooms linked to Carte's Channel, and tried to take him back to the sura realm. She appeared as a large formless monster to the party, except for Yuta who recognized her and went to her, leaving Leez, Asha and Ran behind, hoping they would continue on to the exit to Kalibloom without him.

Taraka and Yuta had a discussion where she revealed that Maruna and Kalavinka were both in the human realm. She was seemingly offended, since Yuta was looking to return to the Garuda clan instead of to her. Taraka refused to believe he loved Leez, referring to what he felt for her as a "twisted form of suppressed hunger". Yuta strongly refused to go back to the sura realm, and when Leez arrived, Taraka sent some Chaos suras to attack her. Leez was able to fend them off, and attacked Taraka directly, believing she was taking Yuta as hostage, but Taraka mortally crushed her against some nearby rocks. Leez was able to return to her pre-death state thanks to the Golden Knight's Regeneration transcendental, but it used up all her remaining vigor so she fell asleep almost right away in Ran's arms.

Yuta then proceeded with transforming into full sura form and took Taraka head-on to protect Leez, and revealed to Taraka the truth about her creation and purpose, blaming her for all the pain he felt in the past. Taraka was initially in denial and cried, but after calming down she revealed that she was having doubts about her own memories for quite some time, since there were blanks in her memories. This time she wouldn't ask her 'son' to kill her, nor would she force him to do anything. Yuta was very surprised at the news, and after Taraka insisted that her insight about Leez was probably important, he indulged her. Taraka explained she saw him attacking an older Leez with the Sword of Re. Yuta refused to believe he would attack Leez, since her insight couldn't be trusted. She agreed but advised him to leave the group after getting the sword. With that, she left for the sura realm.

Chapter 11: The Power of the Name

(5) Somewhere in the Water Channel, Yuta is upset at his mother for destroying Kasak's earrings – a supposedly powerful god-level item forged by primeval god Visnu himself – in order to drag him back to the Chaos Clan. He asks himself this because he knows they both know he is not needed there.

Season 2

During the attack on Kalibloom, Kasak was confronted by Taraka when using Crescent Gate to travel. She captured and held him for some time, revealing that Yuta was the true king of the clan, and presumably that Yuta's development to his 3rd stage was imminent. Kasak killed her during this confrontation, in the process undoing the transcendental seals she had left on Gandharva, Sagara and Samphati . It is currently unknown precisely why Taraka intervened or revealed Yuta's true role to Kasak; Kasak believed she was stalling for time to allow Yuta to develop but Agni warned him of Taraka's superior insight, and that it was possible she had another agenda entirely.

When Yuta fatally wounded Leez whilst attempting to kiss her, he finally realized that it was in fact he who ate his past friends, and Taraka wasn't to blame after all.^[4]

Season 3

Chapter 42: Crossroads

(6) In times long past, the nastika Menaka made a deal with the primeval goddess Kali, exchanging her future for the power to persuade Gandharva to change his wicked ways. When Menaka passes away in the year D675, Kali comes to collect the price for her deal. She tells Menaka that she will now have to work for her, perform work that only someone with a noble soul, yet bearing the heaviest of sins can fulfill - she would become the mother to Kali's son. Menaka takes on the shape of Taraka.

Chapter 45: Soul

(4) As Sagara overviews her fully gathered forces, she reveals that they are now allied with Taraka, who is standing slightly aside the group along with a Tarakafied Samphati. (10) Sagara goes talk to Taraka and learns that the human they were waiting for has returned and started to take action, albeit a frightful sight. This means that her forces should head out.

Chapter 47: Words That Never Reached You

(2) Sagara, standing next to Taraka, announces that they are ready to start and use their first pawn, hinting at Shess.

(8) After Shess caused a disturbance in Kalibloom under the influence of a mental transcendental, Sagara sits on a rock besides Taraka and comments that with this, Gandharva will be taken care of for a while. She continues that if she had known things would be so easy, she would have joined this side seven years ago.

Chapter 48: Separation

(1) Taraka is standing alongside Sagara. Sagara asks her what she is thinking and continues that Taraka might not be thinking anything at all. Sagara continues to say that she used to hate Taraka, but now she pities her.

(4) As attacks on multiple cities are underway, Sagara is deciding where she would go. Chatan suggests she go to Kalibloom, but she responds there is no need for her to go and sends Taraka in her stead, calling her "Menaka".

(5) Taraka arrives in Kalibloom followed by an army of minions. She cancels the transcendentals of Kasak Rajof, who is protecting the city in his sura form, and engages in combat with him.

In the sura realm, Taksaka and a One-horned Kinnara clan nastika discuss that when Taraka died at Kasak's hand seven years ago, her role as Yuta's mother ended and she was set free. (8) In space about Willarv, Samphati further reveals that Taraka's original soul was released 7 years ago and replaced by another soul. This soul was unable to handle the Taraka name, a fact that allowed "those who were not completely dead" to recover their minds. She then specified that this soul belonged to the human that died 7 years ago at the exact same time as Taraka - which must be Teo Rakan.

A flashback to N16 shows Hura telling Gandharva how to ensure Teo's resurrection via Hoti Visnu. Hura asks if what happens to the original soul matters to Gandharva, he answers negatively. (10) A continuation of this flashback reveals Kali and Menaka overlapping with Hura. Kali grins and tells Menaka that she exists nowhere.

(8) Shess and Gandharva join Kasak in the fight against Taraka. (9) At one point, a huge humanoid Taraka clan sura, resembling the weapon that the Ancient Human Race once created, appears and makes Shess freeze on the spot.

(10) After Teo Rakan gets stabbed in a fight with Laila Hemawati, Taraka's eyes change color to purple. As the huge sura weapon attacks Shess, Taraka entangles it in her tentacles, thus helping the group.

(11) A group of rakshasas search for the portal back to Sagara but cannot find it. Since Taraka, one the people who were supposed to keep it open, is right before them, they deduce that she must have betrayed them.

The huge Taraka sura weapon strangles Taraka and smashes her into the Kalibloom city barrier. (12) Despite Gandharva's protests, Kasak attacks the huge Taraka clan sura. He then points out that the Kalibloom barrier is cracking and voices suspicion that Gandharva wants the city destroyed. Kasak clarifies that no one trusts Gandharva and they are all accepting him only for Menaka's sake. Both Gandharva and Taraka look sad.

(22) Kasak wonders how come the sura weapon can use transcendentals while he cannot. Gandharva points out that this means Taraka is allowing it, which proves they are working together. Taraka attempts to entangle the sura with her tentacles, but they quickly get burned. Kasak states that this behavior would be odd if those two were on the same side, but Gandharva only sees some intricate scheme on Taraka's part behind her actions and emphasizes that they need to kill her.

(23) While the huge Taraka clan sura is burns Taraka, and Gandharva tries to convince Kasak to go finish her off, Taksaka suddenly appears, scolds Kasak for not being able to deal with something as weak as that Taraka weapon, and demonstrates that the use of transcendentals is no longer restricted. Kasak and Gandharva must have fought for so long that their skills got sealed, which means Taraka will have to die if they ever want them back. Taksaka then smashes the huge Taraka clan sura and tells Kasak to handle the rest on his own.

(24) When Taksaka reveals that Atera is probably destroyed, Kasak refuses to fight and prepares to use a Crescent gate to check up on his daughter. Just then, Taraka opens a portal to Atera and Taksaka goes through it to look for the daughter in Kasak's stead.

(28) Gandharva attempts to convince Kasak to focus on killing Taraka. Finally, Kasak rips off Taraka's head and holds it up high, saying that no matter if his daughter is dead or alive, Taraka is her enemy. Gandharva then uses his soul-destruction skill on Taraka and she dissipates.

(29) The soul of Teo Rakan/Taraka speaks of how she wandered aimlessly when suddenly Menaka called upon her, urging her to run faster before she is caught. Teo races towards the light despite not knowing what she is running from. The last thing she remembers is Menaka's dissipating body, her smile, and her voice telling her that she will take away all her sins and asking her to live happily and recognize the one who truly loves her.

Sagara reveals that Menaka just got annihilated while they were talking. Her thoughts reveal that if Taraka got sent to Kalibloom, the chance she would get annihilated was 90 %.

References