Covered in blood from head to toe, blood still flowing from the spear wound pierced through his chest,
Yet he laughed loudly.
"HaHahaHaha!"
He cackled without restraint like a gleeful, petty man.
"In the end I was still one step ahead. You lost, Karna!"
Taking advantage of Karna's moment of shock, Arjuna channeled a surge of mana into his bow, Agni Gandiva.
"I'll send you off with Shiva's rage!" he shouted wildly.
The destructive power of Shiva contained in [Raised Hand of the Destruction God] combined with the roaring flames of [Flame God's Roar].
Karna would not be able to block it.
He couldn't!
Thousands of years of anticipation were finally drawing to an end. Arjuna would be the victor! He would tell everyone with this battle that he, Arjuna, could defeat Karna himself—even without the gods' assistance!
Sensing the danger, Karna knew he couldn't withstand the combined offensive of two Noble Phantasms, even with Kavacha and Kundala.
And now, Arjuna already had the upper hand. Even if Karna unleashed his own Noble Phantasm, he would still be a step behind.
Karna channeled mana into Vasavi Shakti. The spear emanated the scorching aura of the sun, as if wanting to incinerate everything.
But—
"Useless! Hahahahaha!" Arjuna cackled again.
Without a doubt, he could attack first. He would blast Karna before Karna could retaliate!
The curtain was falling! The ancient war from thousands of years ago was finally ending!
He, Arjuna, would be the victor!
But...
Suddenly...
"Boom boom boom boom boom!"
The sky flashed brightly as a pillar of stars fell from the heavens, crashing directly onto Arjuna.
"Boom boom boom boom!"
Arjuna was obliterated in the earthshaking beam, his Noble Phantasm grinding to a halt.
Karna shot towards him in a flow of light, mercilessly running Vasavi Shakti through the remnants of his body.
Crack!
The sound of shattering.
"Damn...it!"
Disbelief was written across Arjuna's face as he stared at Vasavi Shakti impaled in his body.
He truly hadn't expected this outcome...for things to actually turn out like this!
Clearly...he had come so close.
"A...Arjuna!!!" Karna roared, madness flickering in his faintly-glowing eyes.
-"In this situation, do you still insist on being so stubborn? Are you sure you can defeat him?"
-"I will win!"
-"And what if you lose?"
-"Then I'll bring him down with me!"
That was the oath he himself had made.
This was precisely the task Eternal King had entrusted him with. Yet now, the outcome was like this.
Arjuna recalled the past - in his decisive battle with Karna, the gods hadn't trusted him. Their interference resulted in Arjuna defeating Karna in an extremely unfair fight. Ultimately, the gods had believed Arjuna could not win on his own.
Such an unfair victory couldn't be considered honorable, only shameful.
And so, he had been ashamed of himself for thousands of years.
Perhaps... Perhaps he truly was no match for Karna after all.
However...the one thing he absolutely could NOT do was lose!
Crack!
The sound of piercing.
Fusing the destructive power of the both gods in his hands, pushing his divinity to the limit, Arjuna briefly overcame Kavacha and Kundala's defenses.
[Flame God's Roar] pierced through Karna's chest, crushing his Spiritual Core.
"Uh...A...Arjuna..." Karna looked down at the palm fused with destructive power stabbed through his chest.
"I cannot defeat you, but you...also cannot defeat me..."
Arjuna smiled faintly as his body began dissipating into light.
Then what if you lose? Wasn't this the only natural outcome? To take him down together...
However, in the end there was still no victor.
Arjuna sighed as he faded away completely.
"Arjuna..."
With his corrupted Spiritual Core shattered and the constraints on his will dispelled, clarity returned to Karna's eyes.
He truly hadn't expected that the one to ultimately break his shackles would be Arjuna.
Gazing at the fading spiritual particles where Arjuna had been, Karna remained silent.
He and Arjuna had been born enemies so there was no need to say more.
However...if only there would come a day when he could describe Arjuna with different words.
Karna tightened his grip on Vasavi Shakti. Though his Spiritual Core had shattered, unlike Arjuna he hadn't been instantly obliterated by [Hanging Garden's] beam cannon.
His Core crumbled like an avalanche, breaking off in pieces, yet still holding together for some time longer.
If things had already deteriorated this far, then at least...there were still things he could do.
Karna turned his head slightly, gazing towards the central region. Tightening his hold on Vasavi Shakti, he began dragging himself in that direction.
His entire being emanated a thick aura of the sun.
Crack crack crack!
As his Spiritual Core crumbled more and more, Karna's aura grew ever more powerful, its scorching breath like that of the true sun.
Crackle crack crack!
The spear blade dragged across the ground, giving off electric flashes and leaving a scorched trail.
Sizzle sizzle sizzle!
Any demonic worms that approached were reduced to ash, as if fallen into the sun itself.
Even the miasma of two Divine Beasts burned away amidst this scorching aura.
Karna strode towards the central region, step by step.
Crack crack crack!
The remnants of Kavacha and Kundala crumbled from his body as the might of Vasavi Shakti grew increasingly fearsome.
"Karna?"
Sitting atop her throne, Semiramis raised an eyebrow as the approaching Karna became more illusory in form, yet more terrifying in aura.
"You broke free of the control?"
"Indeed," Karna nodded.
"I see. When your Core collapsed, you regained clarity?" Semiramis smiled thinly. "Have you come to settle accounts with me then?"
Karna shook his head, his tone even. "No, I do not intend to do so. Being summoned and controlled in this way, I have no complaints. However, there are some things I cannot overlook as a Heroic Spirit."
"Of course." Semiramis gave a muted chuckle. "In that case, I have lost the dignity befitting my status. Meeting an end like this is quite fitting for a woman like me."
She was surrounded on all sides by misshapen worms, the viscous acid covering the ground making the scene exceedingly nauseating. No longer was there any majesty resembling a palace - instead, it was more like a vile insect nest.
Karna didn't reply. His aura simply blazed with scorching intensity, like the sun illuminating the wretched scene before him.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
Sensing danger, the worms let out strange roars as they surged toward Karna. However, the moment they drew near, they disintegrated to ash, as if scorched by the sun itself.
Crack crack crack!
Karna's Spiritual Core crumbled yet again.
He looked to Semiramis. "Does our prior agreement still stand?"
"What agreement?" she showed no panic, instead asking with interest.
"Regarding my Master."
"Ah yes, that trivial matter," she said indifferently. "Rest assured, my Master has already relocated yours earlier."
She didn't struggle, having known from the moment Eternal King destroyed her Hanging Garden that she would not win this war.
Karna's previous attack to defeat Arjuna was his final struggle. Unexpectedly, the dying Arjuna managed to shatter Karna's Spiritual Core, restoring his clarity.
"Then I can rest assured," Karna revealed a faint, relieved smile. The god-slaying spear in his hand, carrying enough power to destroy everything, shot toward Semiramis.
"O Sun, Abide to Death!"
Semiramis welcomed the spear calmly.