Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

But to outsiders, this was undoubtedly a provocation.

"State your royal lineage, you rude wretch!"

Karna lowered his head slightly, knowing that once he revealed his identity, his "outrageous actions" and long-held obsession would be completely severed.

The warriors who had been silently maintaining order had begun to move in this direction.

"If he is not king, I will make him king of Anga, then he will be qualified to participate in the tournament, right?!"

The speaker was none other than Darius, and Arjuna looked in the direction of the voice and couldn't help but frown slightly.

During the standoff, the crowd below the stage began to push and shove again. An old man in tattered clothes, leaning on a cane, was struggling to move towards them, calling out "Karna" with a voice full of worry. He was undoubtedly the father of the boy on the stage.

"So that's how it is. It's laughable that a mere coachman's son is so lowly. When did such a lowly person become worthy of standing on the same stage as us?"

Bhikkhu, one of the five sons of Pandavas, mocked.

He burst into laughter, "Get out of here with your lowly old father. This is not a place for beggars."

The boy suddenly raised his head, his eyes seemed to spit fire, and flames seemed to rise faintly from his body.

Arjuna was tense, his hand poised to fire the arrow.

"The Kshatriyas rely on power, not birth. Besides, aren't the origins of you Pandavas also questionable?!"

Nan Di angrily refuted the army, glancing worriedly at the thin figure on the stage.

"You... forget it..."

Bù Jūn sneered, turned around and prepared to leave, and the others followed suit, wanting to get away from this place of trouble as soon as possible.

Arjuna followed his brother off the arena, his astonishment and confusion almost uncontrollable. For a fleeting moment, he had indeed seen invisible flames spreading across the boy's body, and for the first time, he felt that his arrows might be consumed by the flames before they could even be released.

In his haste, he turned to look at Karna, who was still on the stage, only to find that those emerald eyes were also watching him.

Destiny.

These two words suddenly struck his heart heavily, like his arrows that always hit the mark.

——————————Plot Break———————————

The war has raged on this land for a long time, and it seems there will never be an end. The reasons for the outbreak of war are complex, but the manifestations are so simplistic as to be almost powerless.

Blood and hatred.

Karna, reflecting on his earlier conversation with Krishna, the envoy of the Kuru, fell into deep thought. The atmosphere in the camp seemed to have become even more tense after the peace talks broke down; the sound of boots pounding on the hard ground echoed behind him. The Ganges felt somewhat unfamiliar at night; the wind playfully churned eddies across its flat surface, splashing up damp, cool spray.

"Karna, you are a noble Kshatriya who has inherited the blood of the sun god. Come back and inherit the throne as the eldest son of the Pandavas. Take back everything that you are rightfully entitled to."

Everything I should have had...?

The boy closed his eyes, looking somewhat weary. Thirteen years had passed since he became King Anga and joined the ranks of Durdi.

All those years of royal life were but fleeting moments to him, far less than the kindness and favor he had shown in protecting and appreciating him, which he could hardly repay, not to mention the coachman and his wife who had raised him.

Since the enemy needs him to fight on the battlefield, he should repay them, if that is his destiny.

The night was growing deep, and the camp not far away had quieted down. The footsteps of the patrolling soldiers and the crackling of the firewood in the campfire made people drowsy, and the air seemed to move more slowly in the brief silence. However, the silence was suddenly broken by the somewhat chaotic footsteps behind them.

The boy did not turn back.

“Karna…my child…”

The woman's voice trembled slightly, her guilt and grief sobbing along with the Ganges.

The woman before him was no longer the noble Queen Bandhu, nor did she wear any magnificent jeweled headdress or stunning makeup; she was simply an ordinary, heartbroken mother.

"Come back...don't fight with your own brothers anymore..."

Gunty tried to touch Karna, but his fingers only touched the coldness of the armor.

The boy's eyes seemed a little moist, but in an instant all vulnerability disappeared, making one wonder if it was just an illusion created by the moonlight reflecting on his pale skin.

“The coachman and his wife raised me and nurtured me, and they protected and valued me. I must never betray them.”

The woman's hands trembled as she released Karna.

The Ganges' mournful roar lashed at her like a poisonous whip, reminding her of that afternoon many years ago, also by the river, when she had placed her newborn child in a basket and pushed it into the river. The moment she released the basket, she knew she would be punished one day for her selfishness and cowardice.

Tonight, she let go once again.

The moon was completely hidden in the clouds, and the croaking of frogs in the distance sounded somewhat comical, but it was quickly drowned out by the heavy footsteps of the soldiers changing guard in the camp.

“I will not follow the Pandanas, but I swear here that I will never lay a hand on any Pandanas brother other than Arjuna,” Karna said calmly. “Please…please ask Mother to return. It is fate whether Arjuna or I die in battle.”

The long night ended rather abruptly, and the darkness before dawn sighed in surrender, about to be utterly shattered by the impending flames of war.

Karna thought somewhat absentmindedly that summer was coming to an end.

The war may be coming to an end.

——————————Plot Break———————————

Indra stood under the tree waiting, relieved that there was no annoying cicada chirping or scorching sun.

Summer is finally coming to an end. Even the most dazzling sun will lose its arrogance and succumb to thunder and lightning in the cool autumn.

His disguise was perfect; any passerby would think he was a truly respectable Brahmin, and no one would refuse a Brahmin's request.

Including the son of the sun god.

War is tiresome, but ruthlessness can make that tiresome end faster.

Indra looked up at the sunlight blocked by the lush foliage, knowing that the person he was waiting for had finally arrived. A soft sigh mingled with the rustling of leaves.

The approaching youth seemed lost in thought, his azure eyes fixed on the distant Gobi Desert, the place where the fateful war was about to ignite. His pale skin appeared almost translucent, and the calm on his face made it hard to believe that he had faced death countless times on the battlefield.

But what's most eye-catching are the dazzling golden armor and earrings.

"Young man, could you bestow upon me your armor and earrings?"

The Brahmin earnestly requested.

In the brief silence, Indra slowly and imperceptibly opened his palm, and lightning stirred in the late summer sky.

"as you wish."

The peeling process must be extremely painful.

The armor and earrings were stained with flesh and blood, the spreading red obscuring the precious gold, as if coated with a heavy curse. Karna offered his own flesh and blood to Indra, his weak body trembling slightly as if enduring excruciating pain.

The faint rumble of thunder that had just echoed in the sky had vanished without a trace, and the sunlight listlessly shone on the two people in the open space. The only sound was the dripping of blood from their armor onto the ground.

"In return, I bestow upon you the Spear of Destruction, a god-slaying spear that even the gods cannot evade, but it can only strike once."

Indra turned away from the boy who was about to fall, his hands, which held the armor, stained with bright red blood.

——————————Plot Break———————————

Once, the enlightened one was invited by the king and was warmly received.

The banquet continued into the night, and the path home of the enlightened was swallowed by darkness.

Although Wang used a great deal of wealth to light the way...

However, a mere gust of strong wind extinguished all the lamps that Wang had prepared.

However, the path of the enlightened is still illuminated by a faint light.

It is said that this was because someone of a certain status was ineligible to attend the banquet.

A lamp left behind by a poor old man who couldn't even afford a gift, a lamp full of heartfelt sentiment.

Numerous praises, numerous hopes,

It might indeed add brilliance to one's life.

Simply possessing a sincere heart that goes unnoticed by others,

Then you will feel the happiness of this life.

The sun has fallen.

Karna hovered in the darkness, surrounded by endless void. He was somewhat confused; his wounds, including the one that had just pierced his neck by an arrow, had healed completely.

An unprecedented sense of comfort healed the fatigue brought on by the long war. The image of Arjuna firing his arrow for the last time was somewhat blurry in his mind, as if it were a long time ago. A familiar coolness spread through his body, and the armor covering his scars gently enveloped Karna, allowing him to enjoy the long-awaited reunion. The God-Slaying Spear floating beside him swayed gently with the boy's steady breathing, bringing an irresistible drowsiness.

He did not struggle, but waited quietly in the darkness, even though everything was filled with inexplicable strangeness.

Awaiting their destiny.

A circle, deeper than pitch black, appeared in the void, and a dim halo awakened the slumbering darkness.

"Son of the Sun God, have you ever regretted anything? Are there any unfulfilled wishes?"

Karna, through the dense foliage, vaguely saw a faint smile on the lips of the boy resting under the tree with the coachman. Drona gently shook his head at the stubborn boy. Rama, holding an axe, couldn't hide his disappointment when he uttered the curse. The dazzling presence of the five Pandavas on the arena couldn't compare to the worried gaze cast upon the boy. The deep voice of the Black Sky, the mother's tears and the Ganges River at night, the kind smile of the old man in white, leaving behind the departing figure of the Brahmin after the God-Slaying Spear and the lingering sigh.

Arjuna's arrow shot in the heavy rain and the lotus flower hanging low in the boy's hand.

"No regrets in this life"

After a brief silence, a faint song drifted from the end of the void.

"Karna, would you be willing to become the rising sun again, bestowing light upon that barren land?"

The dim circle of light gradually expanded. The darkness seemed to retreat in fear.

"as you wish……"

——————————Plot Break———————————

The dim light illuminated the rugged path beneath the boy's feet, showing no fear of the endless darkness. Tiny specks of dust danced freely in the dim light.

The time to answer the call has come; the heroes who have been given this gift must still embark on their journey.

"Servant, Lancer! My true name is Karna. Nice to meet you."

Pale to the point of being almost transparent skin, with a deep red line lying at the corner of the eye, sun-like eye rims, looking around, and finally looking down.

A little girl wearing ill-fitting, oversized clothes looked up at him with a mixture of fear and curiosity, and cautiously extended her clenched right hand.

He opened his right hand, and a handful of dates fell into Karna's palm.

The hero who gives alms is given away before he can give them.

"Eat, you eat, it's very sweet!"

The little girl licked her lips and made a solemn promise, then slapped her forehead, realizing what she had done, and foolishly added to the statement.

"Oh, by the way, my name is Gina, we can play together from now on!"

The echo was crisp, the house was empty, and apart from that, there was complete silence.

Chapter 42 No BB! 4.5k

As night fades and dawn breaks, the first hints of light appear in the clouds, signaling the arrival of a new day. The luxurious courtyard, suspended in the air, is divided in two by the dawn and the darkness of night.

In the east bedroom, Karna, who was on the sofa, slowly woke up, shook his groggy head, and dispelled the remaining distracting thoughts.

I dreamt about things from the past again.

Because in the Holy Grail War, Servants and Masters form a contract and are interdependent, so their memories and past experiences will inadvertently be revealed to each other, and their dreams will be connected.

This can be considered a different kind of "soulmate".

].

As the sun rose above the horizon, golden-red light streamed through the window, dispelling the shadows in the bedroom. Karna looked down at the blanket covering him, a subtle ripple appearing in his heterochromatic red and blue eyes.

After a brief pause, the follower's gaze shifted to the study where the sound of keyboard typing could be heard intermittently.

A Master who got up very early was sitting in a swivel chair with the door half-closed, typing away at a computer with a bunch of pop-ups and blue data streams lit up. He would occasionally grab a handful of potato chips, stuff them into his mouth, and crunch them.

Seemingly sensing the gaze from outside the door, Gina, sitting at her computer desk, jolted awake and instinctively sat up straight. She even pulled her hand, which was holding potato chips, back under the desk, looking rather apprehensive.

Karna shook his head, as if he hadn't seen it, then turned around, tidied up the house, got up, and walked outside to inspect the defenses.

As the door closed and footsteps faded into the distance, Gina's tense frame suddenly relaxed and slumped. She quickly grabbed a handful of potato chips, stuffed them into her mouth to calm herself, and simultaneously enlarged a pop-up window, rapidly typing on the keyboard.

"President, I'm telling the truth! That guy yesterday was terrifying! He slapped Director Ken away! In his hands, even Moon Spirit Essence Liquid is as easy as tearing a window!"

"Who? Director Ken? That guy always has a long face, flaunting his bloodline-only ideology. He deserved to get beaten up. Last time I argued with him, I was punished by having to clean the classroom! This is something to celebrate!"

At the clock tower, in front of a computer desk in a student dormitory, a blonde, twin-tailed goddess of the underworld clapped her hands in delight upon hearing the good news.

"Come on, tell me how miserable he was, just to cheer me up. He even dared to punish me by making me copy homework and clean the classroom. If it weren't for the credits, I would have punched him!"

"He has a few broken bones, and the Command Seals on his hands are destroyed. He looks like he's in a lot of pain. He's already been sent back to the Clock Tower, and you should be able to see him in a few days..."