Karna responded immediately. The Vijaya Dhanush bent again and again.
His fingers moved so fast that the bowstring seemed to disappear.
Golden arrows poured onto the battlefield like heavy rain from the sky. Each arrow flew with enough power to pierce through armored elephants.
Yet Balarama kept coming.
He swung his divine plough once, then again, and again. Every swing shattered whole groups of arrows before they could reach him. Sparks flew through the air like bright fireworks. Broken arrow shafts rained down on the ground.
Still he advanced, step after heavy step, like Time itself moving toward its goal.
Karna sped up his shooting. The bowstring made one long continuous humming sound. The arrows became so fast that no eye could tell them apart.
But even the heaviest rain cannot stop a river that is determined to reach the sea.
Balarama broke through the storm of arrows.
Now he was close.
The plough came down with crushing force.
Karna instantly dropped the Vijaya Dhanush. Golden light gathered in his empty hand, and from that light appeared Suryatej, the divine sword, blazing like a piece of the sun itself.
The moment the sword met the sacred plough, the battlefield exploded with noise. A deafening clash rolled across the coast. The walls of Dvarika shook by the wave generated by the clash. Dust jumped from broken stones. Even the sea seemed to pull back from the violence.
Balarama's strength was terrifying. Each strike felt like an entire hill collapsing. Every swing was meant not just to wound, but to completely destroy whatever stood in front.
Karna met every single blow.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Suryatej flashed through the air, blocking the divine plough each time. But every collision still pushed his feet backward across the broken ground, even with his celestial armor protecting him. The force traveled through his arms like heavy waves crashing against a cliff.
Fighting Balarama was not like dueling another warrior. It felt like standing in front of the ocean during a raging cyclone and daring it to stop.
Suddenly, Balarama changed his grip and slammed the plough hard into the earth.
The battlefield erupted. The ground rose in violent waves. Huge slabs of stone burst upward under Karna's feet while shockwaves tore across the plain, splitting the land.
Karna moved with great skill, his body twisting and slipping between the rising pillars of rock.
Another crushing swing came right after.
Then another.
And another.
Neither warrior gave the other even a moment's rest.
The battle went on.
One hour passed.
Then another.
The morning sun climbed higher over the sea while the battlefield became almost unrecognizable. Craters dotted the plain everywhere, outside Dvarika. Dust covered everything. Broken stones lay scattered for hundreds of meters around.
Again and again they clashed — sword against plough…
The shining power of Surya against the mighty strength of Haladhara.
Sometimes Balarama's enormous power sent Karna flying backward through the air, no matter how perfectly he defended.
Sometimes Karna moved like a streak of sunlight, his blade finding tiny openings to cut glowing wounds across Balarama's armor before quickly pulling back out of reach.
Watching them fight, one would remember the old truths taught by the elders: Fire does not boast because it burns, and the mountain does not boast because it stands. Each simply follows its own nature. In the same way, Balarama fought because raw strength flowed through every part of his body, while Karna fought because mastery had become the very rhythm of his soul.
However, despite the fact that Karna was getting overpowered, he never once used the destructive flames of Suryatej, for they belonged to Lord Shiva's Third Eye.
He was here to defeat Balarama and save Subhadra, not to cause anyone's death.
So, he persisted under the aggressive attacks of Balarama while dealing him minor injuries again and again.
More than five hours had already passed.
The sun hung directly overhead now, burning down without mercy. Heat waves rose from the cracked earth, making the air shimmer. Even the distant sea seemed quieter, as if nature itself had grown tired of watching these two giant warriors clash again and again.
Balarama's breathing had grown heavy and rough.
Blood flowed slowly from several deep cuts on his arms and shoulders.
His white clothes were dirty and stained with red. Dark bruises covered parts of his body where the armor had been damaged.
But his eyes still burned with fierce determination, and the divine plough in his hands continued to give off a terrifying pressure.
Meanwhile, Karna stood a little distance away. His golden armor still glowed faintly in the sunlight. From the outside, he looked almost untouched. But inside, things were different.
His body felt the strain more and more with every passing minute.
Using his divine armor continuously had started to weigh him down. Under that protection, his muscles ached badly from taking so many of Balarama's powerful blows. He kept his breathing steady, but every now and then a wave of dizziness passed through him like a shadow crossing the sun.
Karna knew clearly now — this battle could not go on forever. One of them had to end it.
Then, without warning, Karna changed his approach.
He suddenly kicked forward with great force. His foot slammed straight into Balarama's chest. The massive Yadava prince staggered backward several steps, his heels digging deep grooves into the dirt.
At the same moment, Karna threw Suryatej. The divine sword spun through the air like a small blazing sun.
Balarama's instincts kicked in instantly. He twisted his body sharply to the side. The golden blade just missed him, cutting through a few strands of his dark hair before burying itself deep in the ground far away with a loud explosive crash.
But Karna was already moving.
The second Balarama dodged, the Vijaya Dhanush appeared back in Karna's hands.
*Ding*
The bowstring sang loudly as he released a huge volley of divine arrows. They flew forward like a golden rainstorm pouring down from the sky.
Balarama growled loudly and spun his plough around himself in a fast circle.
The giant weapon turned like a wheel of destruction, smashing aside arrow after arrow. Sparks flew everywhere. The loud metallic clashes mixed with the roaring wind created by the spinning plough, echoing across the entire battlefield.
Karna kept moving backward, creating more distance. He watched carefully, studying every movement.
After creating enough distance, he closed his eyes for a brief moment and began chanting.
The air around them changed at once. The bright sunlight seemed to dim a little. A strange electric feeling spread across the field. Blue-white arcs of lightning started dancing around the Vijaya Dhanush.
"Om Vajradhara Mahendra Deva,
Svarga-Senapati, Megha-Nayaka,
Yasya Vajrena Girayah Kampante,
Yasya Garjanena Trailokyam Namati,
Mama Sankalpam Dharma-Hetum Grihana.
Indrastra Divya-Shaktim Prabodhaya!
Vidyut-Jvalam Samudbhava!
Shatru-Balam Bhasma Kuru!
Om Indraya Astram Mokshayami!
"Indrastra."
The moment the mantra finished, the skies exploded with power.
Thousands and thousands of lightning arrows appeared high above. Not just a few — not hundreds — but thousands. They came down like divine judgment from Indradev.
The battlefield disappeared under the storm.
"No matter how many divyastras you can shoot, you will fail, Karna..."