Clang, clang, clang!
Lancer's form flickered between buildings, arrows narrowly missing him.
Were it not for Lancer's concern that these cannon-like arrows might harm innocents, he deflected them with his spear, sending them precisely into the sea. Not one could touch him.
In mere moments, Lancer crossed miles, arriving before his foe.
Seeing the enemy, Lancer was speechless with shock.
"Karna..."
Clad in a white robe adorned with intricate purple patterns symbolizing thunder and kingship, the figure stood in contrast to Karna's pale skin. His dark complexion resembled that of someone overexposed to the sun, distinct from African heritage.
He wielded a magnificent, imposing bow, two-thirds his height, its string a fiery cord that underscored his extraordinary presence.
Yet his aura shattered this near-perfect image—wild, frenzied, like a ferocious beast fixated on Karna, growling his name.
"Karna!"
"You are...? Arjuna! How...?"
Clang!
Before Karna could finish, Arjuna charged like a wild animal, lightning crackling around him. He swung his great bow like a club.
Karna hastily countered, his golden spear clashing with the bronze bow.
Sparks flew.
"Arjuna? Impossible!"
This foe was Karna's "brother" and "rival," both featured in the Indian epic Mahabharata. Arjuna was the epic's protagonist, while Karna... perhaps the opposing force.
Both were noble, mighty warriors who clashed repeatedly in the epic.
They were brothers and mortal enemies.
Half-brothers by the same mother, they were among six siblings, all with different fathers, born to the wife of King Pandu.
In the epic, Arjuna delivered Karna's final blow.
In life, Arjuna stripped Karna of everything—maternal love, the divine armor granted by his father at birth, even his life through what some might call underhanded means.
Strangely, Karna bore no resentment, accepting his demise calmly.
As a warrior, he genuinely admired Arjuna's strength and nobility.
He couldn't fathom how such a man had fallen to become a maddened Berserker.
Or rather... what could drive this hero, even in madness, to manifest with such a desperate wish?
"Karna!!!"
Arjuna roared, pressing forward with immense force, knocking Karna back.
Golden lightning wreathed him. As Karna fell freely, Arjuna drew his bow.
The lightning formed his arrow. His gaze turned pure as water, his breath steady, as if the bow breathed with him.
The arrow shot forth, a thunderbolt like divine retribution, piercing the air and illuminating all.
Karna adjusted midair, using a nearby building for leverage. With a thrust of his spear and a push from his feet, he surged upward.
The building he touched remained unscathed.
Like an arrow loosed, Karna met the thunderbolt head-on.
His spear pierced the lightning. Unable to deflect it safely without risking collateral damage, he chose to take the hit.
The thunderbolt exploded against him, but his unique armor absorbed the damage, leaving him nearly unscathed.
For reasons unknown, Arjuna didn't press the attack.
"..."
Karna landed on a rooftop beside Arjuna, pointing his spear toward the distant outskirts.
"..."
Arjuna answered not with words but with action, darting across rooftops like a bolt of lightning.
Karna followed closely, their speeds remarkably matched.
Golden lightning and crimson flames flashed across rooftops, reaching the wilderness in moments.
Karna, smiling, aimed his spear at Arjuna. Though unaware of what drove Arjuna's madness, he knew his rival remained a noble warrior.
Facing this fated foe, Karna's battle spirit reignited!
"Karna..."
Arjuna's roar was a battlefield challenge, a declaration of war!
In that instant, they clashed.
Spear met bow—an improbable duel, yet their transcendent skill turned any weapon into a lethal instrument.
Thunder roared, flames howled. Each clash cracked the earth, each exchange made the winds wail.
This was a duel lost to the modern age, possible only in an era when myths still lingered—a brutal contest.
Karna, clad in unique armor wielding a golden divine spear, faced Arjuna, a hero undaunted with his splendid bow, locked in ferocious combat amid flashing sparks.
Though fought with cold weapons, the colliding mana and devastating gusts rivaled modern artillery.
Their steps shattered the ground, the pressure from their spear and bow felled trees behind them.
The wind moaned.
In a space defying worldly physics, the air whimpered neurotically.
Their figures darted within a twenty-square-meter arena, magical spear and holy bow clashing in the air.
Having fought in ancient times, they needed no probing, no restraint—only to kill with all their might.
Stronger, faster, sharper.
They wielded their weapons relentlessly, trading blows in a fierce dance of attack and defense.
Their legendary Noble Phantasms, wielded with superhuman strength and speed, broke triple the speed of sound.
In fleeting gaps, Arjuna, the divine archer, unleashed lightning-forged arrows, some of which Karna instantly deflected.
Thunderbolts exploded on the ground, hurling earth and stone.
If there was a flaw in this battle, it was the lack of an audience to witness this clash spanning myth and modernity!
***
If you enjoyed this story, don't forget to drop 5 stars and your power stone. And if you want to read more than 70 chapters in advance, feel free to visit: pat reon . com / KangTL