The surroundings were filled with enemies, but you could see them pushing each other away to create distance.
Among them, Karna saw Arjuna.
"Is this also fate…."
"Achilles!!! What is this situation! Weren't you eliminated before?"
"Sorry, sis…. I have no choice since my Master changed."
Karna looked at Arjuna, and Arjuna looked at Karna.
Atalanta was abducted by Achilles's chariot, and now all that remained was for Karna and Arjuna to face each other.
"... Karna, I challenge you to a duel."
"Is that so…. I accept those words."
"There are no more obstacles. Even if there were, I would eliminate them without leaving a single one. This time I will kill you alone!"
"Is that so."
And then Arjuna aimed his bow at Karna, and Karna also raised his spear accordingly and aimed it at Arjuna.
"I accept the 1vs1 duel. If there is anyone who interferes, be they enemy or ally, I will eliminate them."
"I will definitely kill you!"
And an arrow was fired.
Karna deflected the arrow with his spear, sending it off course, and where the arrow fell, it exploded as Arjuna continued.
"This time I will defeat you justly!"
"Welcome, come at me, Arjuna, revealing everything, with all your might."
"You speak arrogantly ――here I go!!!!!"
Simultaneously with Karna's charge, Arjuna fired dozens of arrows in rapid succession within one second.
As the arrows approached, Karna spun his spear to deflect the attacks and charged toward Arjuna, aiming his spear.
Arjuna challenged him to close combat as if he knew everything.
Unfazed by the abnormal Archer's tactics, Karna swung his spear, and Arjuna blocked the spear with his bow while loading an arrow.
Then Karna calculated that Arjuna would shoot from an undefendable distance, and while pushing Arjuna away with his spear, an arrow was fired but grazed Karna's cheek.
In the process, Arjuna rolled on the dirt ground, but even during that, he loaded an arrow and shot.
Karna dodged the arrow obscured by the dust and swung his spear to block, but it hit his left shoulder.
There was an explosion in the process, but no wound was created, only a scorched mark and a scratch were visible.
Arjuna was admiring Karna's defense.
In life, since Karna had no defense, he was easily defeated, but this time he thought it was worthwhile.
'Karna, I'll slowly inflict damage on you and kill you!'
Even with strong defense, it wasn't that there was no damage at all.
Although there was no change in Karna's expression, since the scorched and scratched marks on his armor couldn't be erased, Arjuna was smiling.
"Excellent. But this isn't even the beginning."
"I know."
Even at Arjuna's murderous gaze, Karna showed no reaction and merely fought, concentrating on the battle.
Karna swung his spear, and Arjuna maintained his distance while firing arrows in rapid succession, accumulating damage on Karna.
It was only minimal damage, but Arjuna fired without holding back.
Since his magical energy was already supported by the Grail, he could shoot as if in his prime, and even without support, Karna's magical energy was ample, so he fought accordingly.
Arjuna was smiling at the pulsating sensation resonating in his heart.
The dazzling golden armor that knew him well.
The man who ran across the battlefield clad in that….
Was the only hero who could know the disgusting 'me'.
Even when defeated, he was smiling.
He ended his life in my hands, wearing a smile that made him a mystery that raised questions.
Now, I didn't care about such questions.
Perhaps I was happy to fight again with someone who knew me.
The feeling of boiling blood that had been lost since then came back to life, and unconsciously, I was smiling.
"Karna!!!!"
Even when hit by arrows, Karna wouldn't fall, and while swinging his spear to dodge, Arjuna became covered in dirt or had blood flowing from a graze on his face, but the smile didn't disappear from the sensation that he could still fight.
Around the time they were both covered in dirt. Arjuna shouted.
"Divine Domain expansion. Space fixation. Divine punishment execution period set. All approved. I shall sever your lives here with Shiva's wrath. 『Pashupata: Scorching Light of the Destruction God』!"
"Kuaaaaa! Know the mercy of the King of Gods. Annihilation is but a single strike. Indra, behold. Burn away, 『Vasavi Shakti: O Sun, Abide to Death』! ......It can't be helped."
As a blue circle expanded, Karna fired a magnificent lightning strike, burning away the concept.
Karna screamed while using his Noble Phantasm, and the reason was the painful process of his armor, fused with his body, being torn off, but now, at the cost of completely losing his defense, he could use the power of the lightning spear.
And Arjuna's Noble Phantasm was canceled out by Karna's Noble Phantasm, Arjuna began firing, and Karna used all his power to cut through Arjuna's attacks with his lightning spear.
The lightning spear and arrows accumulated damage on each other, maintaining a balance.
Karna's attack power, which increased by sacrificing defense, and the arrow power that boasted Arjuna's long-range attacks were each fatal, but they were nearly evenly matched.
A single mistake would determine defeat.
Since Karna sacrificed his defense, Arjuna's attacks might be advantageous, but the situation was now close to close combat.
Even if he landed one arrow, it would be meaningless if blocked by that spear.
Conversely, for Karna, if hit by one arrow, the affected area would be utterly destroyed.
If he could burn Arjuna with lightning in close combat, Karna would definitely win, and if Arjuna landed one proper arrow, it would inflict fatal damage.
"This time for sure!!!"
"Haaat!!!!!"
As the spear and bow clashed, lightning was unleashed, burning Arjuna's left arm, and before his left arm was completely burnt, Arjuna released the arrow nocked in his right hand, and the arrow was fired.
And as Arjuna's left arm burnt away, the arrow pierced through Karna's right shoulder and exploded.
To anyone watching, it could be seen as a will to commit mutual suicide.
However, although Arjuna could no longer hold a bow, his will to fight didn't disappear.
Seeing that, Karna smiled and made a request.
"Arjuna, may I make one request?"
"Making a request during a warrior's fight!!!"
"……. Sorry about that."
After a moment of pondering, Arjuna asked.
"Speak."
"I want you to save our original Masters. They are now… confined in a room in the garden created by Assassin. Not only have they lost their sanity to Assassin's poison, but their Command Spells were also taken by Amakusa Shirou, causing them to be eliminated from the Great Holy Grail War."
At the point where they were both severely injured, Arjuna was dumbfounded.
"You intend to keep your loyalty even if you lose your qualification as a Master."
"Yes… My enemy and my friend. I ask this of you."
"……. Understood. Karna, do you intend to withdraw now?"
Arjuna essentially understood. That Karna, in a state with no more magical energy and injured, could no longer fight….
Arjuna realized that even if he could no longer use his bow, if Karna continued to fight, he would clearly be forced to withdraw over time, which is why he was making such a request.
"They were the Masters who first summoned us, but even if they were eliminated from the start, their existence cannot be denied."
"……."
Karna smiled.
"I want to ask one last thing. Why did you smile and die back then. Karna!"
"Ah…, the story from those days. I see, so you didn't know…."
Karna began to shine bit by bit, starting to withdraw.
"I merely thought that perhaps you wished to defeat me so much that you would break the rules as a hero."
"……."
He recalled the memory of having shot an arrow at a weakened Karna, even abandoning a warrior's pride.
There was a promise that 'one should not attack a human who has fallen into a state where combat is impossible,' but he had pulled the bowstring and killed Karna.
Because he didn't want to acknowledge his own wickedness, he now fought honorably.
However, after hearing Karna's final words, he could feel a sense of relief.
"I don't know if this is my victory or yours."
"Arjuna… you won, and I was merely defeated. If we can meet again, I will accept your challenge once more."
Arjuna gave a bitter smile and affirmed Karna.
"That matter was a shameful one for me."
"Is that so…."
And then Karna disappeared with a smile, and thanks to Karna who disappeared in an unsatisfactory manner, Arjuna acted somewhat dazed and resolved to fulfill Karna's request.
"Karna, that request… I shall help you to the end. Even if I disobey my Master's orders… I will definitely keep that promise."
Afterwards, Karna withdrew from the battlefield.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register