I, Kenneth, am going to get to the root of the problem today.

Page 59

With a clang, at Kenneth's request, Mordred raised her gleaming royal sword and knocked the imposing Joan of Arc to the ground. The Command Seals branded on her back went out, and Joan of Arc, crouching with her head in her hands, turned to glare angrily at Mordred, who had ambushed her.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Ruler. Although I can sense that what you're about to say is important, before that, there's an annoying guy who wants to see you, and it must be related to what you're about to say."

"Is that annoying guy a participant in this Holy Grail War?"

As Mordred described the scene, a figure slowly appeared in Joan's mind. Suddenly realizing she had let her emotions cloud her judgment, and feeling guilty for violating her teachings, Joan immediately clasped her hands in repentance. Although not fully understanding Joan's mental state, once Mordred obtained Kenneth's exact location, the straightforward Mordred led Joan in a 100-meter sprint of prayer.

"Hey, you! I've delivered the person. Anything else? If not, I'm going to find that heel!"

With the smugness typical of a spoiled brat, Mordred, wielding a greatsword, wished she could pop her eyes up to the top of her head when facing Kenneth. After gesturing for the wary Jeanne to sit down, Kenneth finally looked at the rebellious Mordred.

"Stay here, I won't have time to look after you later. I'll be in a lot of trouble if you leave."

"Are you looking down on me? I am..."

With a kind look, the stubborn Mordred shuddered and obediently stood behind Jeanne. It was at this moment that the Lion Clan, who was not good at running, finally arrived at the tea table that seemed to belong in the battlefield.

"Saber, what's going on?"

"Don't ask! I just remembered a woman!"

Although she didn't understand why Mordred had thought of that witch, recalling Mordred's legend, Shishigaki Kairi wisely kept quiet. This time, the aura of human reason surrounding Kenneth was somewhat difficult for Jeanne to comprehend. The atmosphere became quiet.

Just as Joan of Arc was gripped by doubt and self-doubt, a heatwave swept across the plains. The solidified basalt crumbled as Karna and Arjuna clashed, and as they trod upon the drifting slabs, the still-warm dark red lava splattered with the collision of their divine weapons. Divine fire erupted, and the viscous lava was pulverized by the spreading heat before it could even coat the two of them.

"Karna, you've become stronger."

As the divine spear fell, the immense force, like a mountain crashing down, shattered the rocks beneath Arjuna's feet. Black and red lava, mixed together, was rapidly dispersed by the shockwave generated by the spear. Standing on the crimson ground, Arjuna's divine bow creaked as the two struggled.

"Have I become stronger? I don't feel it."

Feeling the force of the divine spear, Karna, being an honest man, truthfully responded to Arjuna's praise. He exhaled, and magical energy surged forth, the scattered lightning forcing Karna back while simultaneously carving deep trenches into the crimson earth.

"You're still the same as before. Your eyes can only see others clearly. When you give to others, have you ever seen yourself clearly?"

The surging viscous liquid was blocked by the ravines, and the divine spear swept across, scattering the incoming lightning net. On the scorching rocks, Karna, holding the spear in his right hand, hurled the burning divine spear fiercely.

Clang——!

After a long, trembling sound, the divine spear flipped and flew backward. Karna's body, enveloped in flames, had already reached above Arjuna. His fist, carrying divine fire, crashed down, causing the ground to collapse. Flying debris, scorched by the divine fire, scattered everywhere. With his right fist covered in lava, Karna, his left hand forming a blade, delivered a horizontal strike that dispersed all the arrows raining down from above.

"Understanding oneself? A hero once said that I am a person who lacks personality and opinions, but I don't think so. I am really happy to be able to respond to the needs of others."

In their previous lives, Karna and Arjuna had never communicated like this, but now, summoned by the Holy Grail, the two were communicating in a rare, calm and peaceful manner. Although their communication was somewhat heated, neither of them objected to continuing the battle in this way.

"Lack of assertiveness? It certainly seems so, but that's only an appearance, Karna!"

The lightning blade cleaved the lake of stone and fire in two, flowing lava overflowing and filling the cracks in the ground. Splattering lightning tore through Karna's flames, which dissipated with a crackling sound. With an expression that said, "No one understands you better than me," Arjuna slammed the lightning bolt in his hand heavily onto the shaft of Karna's spear.

"You are not lacking in individuality; you are simply following your own right path. It doesn't matter who makes the request; you will respond whenever someone asks for something."

With a deafening roar, the strata of earth, bearing an undue burden, shattered completely. Looking at the man so close before him, Karna's face showed a rare expression of surprise. As the saying goes, only your enemy knows you better than yourself; Arjuna's words shattered Karna's preconceived notions of his nemesis. Noticing Karna's change in expression, Arjuna's eyes gleamed with a hint of triumph. To see such an expression on the usually composed Karna's face, Arjuna's satisfaction surpassed even the thrill of battle.

Raising his hand, his right palm, imbued with lightning, fell. With this shocking strike, the thunder accumulated in the sky crashed down, and flames shot into the sky. The two stalemated natural disasters suddenly exploded as the magic power continued to be released. The blue and red that met rapidly expanded, and as the ground bulged, the spreading impact blew away all the heat that enveloped the plain.

"That's just the kind of person you are. No matter who the other person is or what their stance is, you will fulfill their entrustment without reservation. Your sense of rightness overshadows your personality, and your persistence obscures your opinions. Sometimes I really wonder if it's really appropriate to call someone like you a hero."

A look of astonishment flashed in Karna's eyes. Arjuna's revelation stirred up waves in Karna's heart. Through that person's eyes, Karna had seen something similar, but Arjuna in front of him had already seen through everything. If it weren't for this Holy Grail War, Karna would never have imagined that his half-brother, who was his lifelong enemy, would see him in this way.

"Although it's a bit embarrassing to talk about, someone once said something similar to me and gave me an explanation. Although I really don't want to admit it, I can't help but feel a little proud to be praised like that."

"Are there really people like that? It seems you've had a great trip. I'm quite envious of you."

He drew his bow, pulled the string, and an arrow, imbued with lightning and gleaming white, slowly emerged from beside Arjuna. Having been unwittingly exposed to Karna's presence and unaware of his past involvement in the Holy Grail War, Arjuna inexplicably felt an urge to shoot Karna with an arrow.

A burst of white light exploded before Karna's eyes, and arrows appearing beside Arjuna, marked by the exploding light, hurtled towards Karna, who was running with his spear. His gaze shifted, locking onto beams of light coming from all directions. He lowered his body and pulled back with his spear, Karna's speed suddenly increasing to a new level.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The relentless beam of light blasted into a barrage of craters in the solidified basalt as Karna dodged. With a sudden stomp of his toes, flames erupted from his cloak. The oncoming light arrows silently melted away before Karna, who was now engulfed in flames. He raised his spear high, and the divine fire that had been engulfing him instantly took hold of the spearhead.

Like flowing gold, a pillar of fire, gleaming with golden light, tore through the air and arrived before Arjuna with a sharp sonic boom. Long before Karna acted, lightning descended, and with a step forward of his right foot, a lightning blade compressed to a translucent white sliced ​​through the pillar of fire. The next moment, the cleaved flames spread further with Arjuna's advance, the golden breath striking the ground and melting everything in its path. The lightning blade shattered, the breath ceased, and a divine spear, gathering golden light, locked onto its target the instant Arjuna appeared.

"As expected, you've become stronger, Karna."

Zhi! !

The plate armor at his waist grazed the fiery spear as it advanced, the sparks dissipating into the azure light before even touching Arjuna. With a snap, the divine bow aimed straight for his throat was blocked by the gauntlets on his wrist. The next second, the two locked in a stalemate, simultaneously releasing their weapons, their right fists crackling with lightning and fire collided violently. The force of the blows spread, and the magic enveloping them trembled violently under the impact.

Karna's eyes flashed with doubt at Arjuna's conclusion of returning to the starting point. The struggle continued, both men, unwilling to hold back, channeling all their strength into their right fists.

"So those eyes really did blind you? Karna, what are you fighting for this time!"

Karna's eyes widened as Arjuna pointed it out, and he finally realized that this battle was his own. There were no demands attached to the battle, no desires of others to bear, or rather, the desire he carried was simply to fight the man before him. He could enjoy the battle with the man before him without reservation.

"Oh, I see. So that's how it is. Even if my body has already made its choice, I haven't realized it yet?"

A wave of heat swept out, and the flames grew purer as his mind cleared. With a sense of liberation, Karna gazed peacefully at the man opposite him.

"Arjuna, this time, I am here to fight you, but there is only one promise: I will fight you with all my might. Someone is waiting for me to return."

Chapter 156 For this, I will give up everything!

Go! .jpg

Sensing Karna's radiant confidence, Arjuna smiled—not the kind of smile that comes from hesitation, but a carefree smile of liberation. Karna had seen his true self, and so had Arjuna.

In this Holy Grail War, Karna and Arjuna, once sworn enemies bound together by fate, rediscovered each other. If there's a next time, they might sit down and have a proper talk. Now, both Karna and Arjuna see a fighting spirit that will never cease until death in each other's eyes. This war transcends all positions and factions! It's solely to fulfill the regrets of their past lives and to bring their imperfect existence to a complete close!

"Karna, you have a promise of certain victory, but I also have my reasons for winning. So what if you've become stronger? This time, I will defeat you fair and square!"

“Since you desire it, then I will surely respond, Arjuna! Let me shatter your divine gift!”

At Arjuna's challenge, Karna responded with a provocative remark that defied his usual persona. After a brief moment of surprise, noticing Karna's change, Arjuna burst into unrestrained laughter.

"That's right, Karna, that's exactly it! Only defeating someone like you can satisfy me! Karna!!"

Zheng!

The vibrating bowstring caused the air to tremble, and the gleaming golden spear, leading the charge, shattered the lightning arrow and appeared before Arjuna. The divine bow was raised to deflect the spear, and the ever-spreading net of lightning exploded under Karna's fiery onslaught.

With his left hand, Karna caught the divine bow that was slashing down at him, while his right hand, slightly open, saw the divine spear that had been deflected return to his grasp in the blink of an eye. Lightning spread, piercing through the divine fire and striking Karna's body. Lightning serpents crawled across his arm, leaving streaks of lightning, suppressing the numbness in his left arm. In the instant Arjuna chose to release his grip, bursts of divine fire left scorch marks on Arjuna's shoulder.

Ignoring the burning sensation on his shoulder, Arjuna swiftly swung his left hand like a blade, the long lightning blade disappearing into the earth after Karna dodged it, erupting into a burst of skyward lightning. In the blink of an eye, as Karna straightened up, Arjuna, wielding the lightning, was already in front of Karna. The armor on Karna's arm armor groaned, and Karna's body was uncontrollably thrown backward.

Just before the spear slipped from his grasp, Karna gripped the hilt with his five fingers, and as the fiery streak spread across the shaft, he swept it out. With a dull thud, Arjuna's plate armor shattered. Ignoring the intense heat of the divine fire, Arjuna planted his left foot deep into the ground to brace the spear, while his right hand, dragging a bolt of lightning, slammed it heavily onto Karna's shoulder.

click-

Dense cracks spread across the armor formed from the sun disc, and Karna's body tilted sharply under the immense force. Indra's divine lightning entered his body, and a trace of pain appeared on Karna's face. He pulled back his right arm and struck out with blazing flames, sending Arjuna, who had been protecting his heart with his arm, flying into the sky.

Raising his slightly numb right hand, divine fire flowed and spread across the divine spear, locking onto the figure in mid-air. The muscles beneath the golden armor bulged, and the divine spear, like an anti-aircraft missile, crushed the ground and shot into the sky amidst spiraling flames.

【Brahmastra kundala, curse me!】

Arjuna drew back the taut bowstring, the fractured bone in his arm having no effect whatsoever. Holding his breath, he aimed, and the divine bow bestowed upon him by the fire god was pulled to its limit. Azure flames swirled around it, and a lightning-fast arrow pierced the night sky, striking the earth.

[Roar of the Fire God——Agni Gandiva]

hum!

The high-frequency vibrations shattered the crystalline sand, and the scorching collision of sharp points scattered trailing flames, a tapestry of blue and red, lightning and fire. A stalemate, a surge, a dissolution! The opposing magic, compressed to its extreme, exploded with a deafening roar, the spherical impact rapidly spreading and crushing the ground, the expanding heatwave soaring into the sky. Before the flames could spread, the two impatient figures had already rushed into the inferno and collided.

The raging flames were contained in Karna's palms, and the clouds, gathered by the heatwave, churned with viscous electrocution at Arjuna's command. The scorching heat of the earth extinguished rapidly, and Karna held stars in his hands; a surging sea of ​​lightning enveloped the figure in mid-air, bathing Arjuna in its light, his arms reflecting a blinding white glow. The wind stopped, and the battlefield, filled with smoke, was now only broken by intermittent crackling sounds. Looking at each other, at this moment, the other's light had become the only thing in their eyes.

Karna—!

Arjuna—!

Like a battle cry before a final showdown, the two, with nothing else to do, roared each other's names at the last moment, and the white light falling from the sky collided with the red light rising into the air. The magic that had been suppressed for so long bared its fangs at this moment, abandoning defense and holding nothing back, both sides putting all their magic into the belief that they could break through each other.

Flames tore through the air and burned the sky to ashes, while lightning crashed to the ground, shattering everything it touched. The two, having abandoned their magical defenses, gritted their teeth and endured each other's divinity. The output of magic continued, and an invisible wind pressure, accompanied by their low roars, distorted the sky. Flames surged and lightning leaped.

With a deafening roar, the light, intertwined with the fates of the two, could no longer contain its surging power. Uncontrolled lightning pierced the earth and destroyed the ley lines. The divine pressure forcefully pushed the rock layers, leaving a bottomless abyss in the scorched earth below. Rampages of fire melted through the barriers, leaving a void that devoured everything in the endless sky. Deadly tornadoes, mixed with lightning and fire, were swallowed by the darkness outside the shattered space.

Crack! Bang! The confrontation between the two palms was decided in this moment. The scorching heat of the sun in one hand pierced through the abdomen of the man in front of him, turning the man who was wrestling with him into flames. The leaping lightning broke through the flames of mythology and shattered the golden armor in front of Arjuna. Indra's divine lightning, with boundless divine power, crashed hard into Karna's chest.

Bathed in divine lightning, Karna's body fell like a meteor, entwined with the curses of the gods. Tidal waves of lightning relentlessly assaulted Karna's frail body beneath his golden armor. Looking at the man who stood unyielding even as he was engulfed in flames, Karna calmly held his divine spear before him.

“Arjuna! It is time, for you and for me, to surrender everything.”

Looking at the solemn-looking man not far away, Arjuna, who was engulfed in scorching flames, also smiled. When Karna said these words, it meant that this battle was coming to an end. The warrior's passion had been satisfied. Now was the time to sever the destiny!

"Yes, fate has already been decided here, cause and effect, retribution! will be revealed at this moment."

[Realize the mercy of the King of Gods; annihilation, this final strike.]

(Here I release myself from my past karma, as a child of both man and God.)

As the chanting began almost simultaneously, a call to return to mythology arose. The armor bestowed by Surya melted away as flames overflowed from his chest. His body, now unprotected, was exposed to Indra's raging thunder. Lightning tore through his skin, and hot blood dripped down. Karna's face revealed unspeakable pain. The golden light vanished completely, and his hands flickered their illusory flames. The return was complete.

With a clenched fist, Arjuna's unseen divine spear slowly emerged as Karna lifted it up. The raging flames that blotted out the sky found their way home at this moment. The sweeping flames rushed in, lifting the supreme myth back to the mortal world. The bursting flames tore through the sky, and the spreading heat waves melted the ground beneath their feet like a tidal wave.

A tsunami of stone and fire swept in, and the black light spread silently. The darkness representing the destruction of the world isolated the world of fire from its outside. The raging flames engulfed him were extinguished, and Arjuna's body merged into the darkness representing the end. A hazy ball of light gathered from his palm, and the divine power belonging to Shiva became the only light after the destruction of the world.

【Indra, watch closely.】

(Shiva's halo, come forth with the collapse.)

The world was cleaved in two. The aura of the shattered world carved out a patch of darkness within the sea of ​​fire, while the flames of the returned divine fire shone with their own light within the divinity of the collapsing world. Bearing the sorrow of their destiny, the two met again and unleashed the devastating blow of the collapsing world upon each other without reservation.

【Burn completely, O sun, submit to death!!】

(May your lives be ended here with the "Shadow of the God of Destruction"!!)

In an instant, the light illuminated the stars, shattered the barriers that held up the world, and the two opposing divinities collapsed the heavens like a kryptonite explosion. The Noble Phantasms at the pinnacle of the same mythology unleashed their power without reservation. The spear of light flashed, gathering the breath of the sun and carrying the raging thunder of Indra, and poured into the domain born of the god of destruction. Darkness was dispelled by the light, and flames were destroyed and collapsed. The shimmering halo expanded rapidly, carrying the aura of Shiva, and completely engulfed the two opposing figures.

Destruction, carrying an aura of liberation, enveloped Karna. The aura symbolizing the end of mythology invaded Karna's unprotected body. This was the divinity of Shiva, the will to bestow indiscriminate liberation upon all beings. His form began to disintegrate, and the deep darkness silently licked at Karna's body.

Flames filled the void of annihilation, and the flowing fire devoured Arjuna, who had become the embodiment of destruction. Brahma's fire ignited this body imbued with divinity. Creation and destruction, new life and annihilation, the beginning and the end that should not have met in mythology collided in an era when mythology receded. The annihilation of Shiva and the compassion of Brahma, each refusing to yield, crushed the universe.

This is a darkness deeper than darkness itself, a primordial state hotter than the sun. The world tugs at the edge of life and death, one side collapsing, the other blazing. At their point of clash, starlight tears through the surging lava, creating chasms like chasms. Torn tectonic plates coalesce into hills upon impact. The once-plains are now engulfed by raging flames, the scorching heat licking at the wounds of the planet beneath its feet in the churning waves...

Under the guidance of liberation, consciousness returned to tranquility, and the aura of disintegrating the body also stopped at this moment. Gazing at the figure standing in the raging fire, Karna knew that the other had reached the limit just like himself.

“Arjuna, my nemesis, you have an obsession that surpasses mine, and I have a reason to win. In this world, there is still someone waiting for me, and there is only one thing I can entrust to him. For this, I will give up everything!”

【My father, please forgive me! My son, Karna, hereby returns your mercy!】

As the illusory sun rose, Surya's radiance, spanning millennia, enveloped Karna. At the prayer of the Son of God, the blood originating from Surya overflowed from every crevice of his body. Abandoning the past and relinquishing divinity, the sun's radiance transformed the Son's divine brilliance into a raging inferno, igniting it all. At that moment, the sun's flames shone like flowing gold.

Go, my son, live on in the name of the Son of Man.

"Thank you for your mercy, Father."

Darkness vanished, and the sun's immense power offered its final blessing to the divine child who was parting from him. The sun fell, and Surya's divine power pierced the cycle of annihilation, spreading warmth that dispelled destruction throughout the world. Crack! The divine spear bestowed by Indra shattered, and the out-of-control spear of light pierced the darkness, carrying Karna's body and breaking the silence of the crumbling world.

The disintegrating divine spear spread like meteors. The spear of light, originating from mythology, revealed its true nature and pierced the earth's crust. The beam of light that shot out tore through the sky and reached the clouds. Not only the planet beneath their feet, but also the sky of Romania trembled under this blow. The Sky Garden shook incessantly, and the swirling black coffin completely collapsed under the aftershock. The impact from 65 million years ago was repeated. The spear of light anchored to the new sphere dissipated. When everything calmed down, only Karna's body stood in the kilometer-deep crater.

"Congratulations, Karna, this time, you have won."

With a faint voice, Arjuna, his body utterly torn apart, struggled to lift his head and gaze at the swaying figure. His unfocused eyes held no regret, only contentment. As darkness filled his vision and his ears went numb, Arjuna, having offered his blessing to the victor, slowly closed his eyes.

“Yes, I have won this time. But, Arjuna, the bodies of warriors should not be buried under the ruins. Stand up with me.”

With a staggering sound, Arjuna was helped to his feet. Even though he had lost all sensation, Arjuna's remaining consciousness still sensed Karna's actions. With a relieved smile, Arjuna's body vanished before Karna's eyes.

"You really are still that worrying idiot. Anyway, thanks."

Chapter 157 The Holy Grail About to Be Full

The beam of light anchoring the planet dissipated intermittently, and the bulging rocks ceased their trembling. Karna's life force was weak but not beyond saving. Kenneth breathed a sigh of relief as he turned his gaze away from the sky, which had been illuminated crimson by the firelight, and then focused his attention on Joan of Arc, who had remained silent.

"Ruler, what are you struggling with? Is it the change in my aura? Or that thing in the sky? Since you've accepted the invitation, I'll answer your questions."

Hearing this, if it weren't against the doctrine, Joan of Arc would have rolled her eyes at Kenneth. Leaving aside the fact that she had been dragged here by Mordred, Joan might have believed Kenneth's nonsense if he had removed the restraints on her. Just moments before, when Joan noticed Karna and Arjuna's weakened state, she had tried to mediate their fight. However, before she could even use her Command Spell, Kenneth, who was prepared, immediately forced the village girl back down from her attempt to whistle.

"Master of the Black team, what exactly is your purpose? You should know what is being nurtured in the Holy Grail. Why did you allow Faker to defeat Archer of the Red team?"

"Why? It's nothing. Since I have the ability, I want to fulfill his wish."

Kenneth's words directly triggered Jeanne's mentality. It was obvious that Kenneth knew what was in the Holy Grail, but even so, he still allowed the Servant to weaken her life force. With a "whoosh," Jeanne broke free from her restraints and stood up, determined to protect humanity.

"Faker's Master! Do you know what you're doing? In the face of crisis, we should unite and strive for the continuation of humanity. Why would you, who is blessed with humanity, do such a thing?!"

Kenneth pressed down on Chris's raised naginata, signaled Kyoshiro to retract her Noble Phantasm, and calmly stared at Jeanne d'Arc, who was glaring angrily.

"Of course I know what I'm doing, and I know better than you what I'm about to face. The protection of human reason is such a hypocrite."

From the very beginning of his transmigration, Kenneth was battling the so-called Counter Force. The Holy Grail of Fuyuki, the embodiment of the Counter Force, even sent down Heroic Spirits to annihilate him upon reaching the outer reaches of the world—Kenneth survived. Now, with the world facing a crisis, casually tossing him a collar as if to place him in the position of savior, Kenneth wanted to laugh.

Kenneth is not a saint, much less a saint. The greater good of the world cannot suppress him. He will deal with Ayaka Sajou, not for any nonsense about saving the world, nor from the perspective of human reason. He is simply rebelling against the monster that covets him because of personal grudges.

"You...! How could humanity choose you? How can you entrust the future of humankind to you!"

As a village girl who adhered to her principles, Joan of Arc simply couldn't find the right words to describe the man before her. In Joan's eyes, Kenneth was utterly incomprehensible; how could someone who so scorned human reason possibly defeat such a monster?

"Ha, do you think I want this? Those who treat all living beings as pawns arbitrarily impose their self-righteousness on others, their so-called protection of humanity—disgusting! They make it seem like I was chosen by them. How arrogant!"