The battle between the two legendary archers continued. Ren, who inherited the Divine Authority of Hou Yi, competed with the Hero of Charity, Karna, in a contest of archery skills.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
Each arrow they released was not merely an ordinary projectile. Each carried destructive power that surpassed modern firearms, at least equivalent to the destructive force of a small missile. Every impact created shockwaves that shook the ground, causing the unfortunate Canvey Island to continuously change shape under the barrage of their attacks.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
Repeated explosions echoed, deafeningly loud. Clouds of dust and fragments of rock flew in all directions. Flames from the remnants of their attacks blazed around, making the battlefield look like a fiery hell.
Ren frowned. He had already landed several direct hits on Karna's body, but the results were disappointing.
'Tsk, Karna's defense is incredibly tough! Even after being hit by my arrows, the damage is insignificant. It must be because of Kavacha and Kundala.'
Karna was no ordinary hero. He was a nearly impenetrable warrior thanks to Kavacha and Kundala, two divine treasures bestowed upon him by Surya, the Indian Sun God.
Kavacha, golden armor that was attached to his body from birth, was an impenetrable shield that could even withstand the attacks of the gods. No matter how powerful an opponent's attack, Kavacha drastically reduced its impact, leaving Karna virtually unharmed.
Kundala, sacred earrings that complemented Kavacha, granted him extraordinary regeneration. Wounds that should have been fatal to him would heal quickly, making it almost impossible to incapacitate him in a prolonged battle.
Among all the Heretic Gods Ren had faced, Karna was clearly one of the most difficult to defeat. Even Kinich Ahau, the Mayan Sun God, whom he had defeated the previous night, did not possess such strong defenses.
However, Ren was not the type to give up just because his opponent was tough.
'If ordinary attacks aren't enough to penetrate Kavacha and Kundala, then I only have one option... deliver an attack that can finish him off in one strike!'
"..."
Across the devastated battlefield, Karna watched Ren intently. As an experienced warrior, he could read his opponent's intentions through their movements alone. Although he had now fallen as a Heretic God, the virtues of charity and honor that he had steadfastly upheld in his previous life remained undimmed.
Karna narrowed his eyes, then in a calm yet firm voice, he spoke:
"Campione... I can see your intent. You intend to deliver a final blow to defeat me, do you not? If so, let us conclude this battle with one last attack. Without deception, without tricks. Just one decisive strike to determine who stands as the victor."
"...?!"
Ren was momentarily surprised. He did not expect a Heretic God to propose something like this. However, seeing Karna standing with his honor as a knight intact, he could not refuse the challenge.
"Alright. Let's do it."
Both sides stopped firing arrows and retreated a few steps, each preparing their ultimate attack.
*BUZZ!*
His body was enveloped in an increasingly bright golden radiance as Karna raised his bow, Vijaya, and the sky above him changed.
The sun shone with terrifying intensity, as if responding to Karna's call. Golden light flooded the battlefield, creating a swirling vortex of solar fire around him.
"Hear me, vast heavens! Oh, boundless horizon! In the name of the Supreme God, I call upon the power that gives birth to and destroys worlds! Let this arrow be the wrath that ends all!"
As soon as the incantation was spoken, the sky trembled violently. The air around Karna shifted, as if the entire world was holding its breath. In an instant, golden light converged on the arrow. The wind blew fiercely, creating a vortex of energy that threatened to tear reality itself apart.
"Campione! Prepare yourself!" Karna exclaimed, his eyes shining with burning determination.
On the other side, Ren did not remain idle. He also drew his bowstring and chanted his own incantation.
"You who shine in the sky, bringing light to the world and unbearable heat! Abundant light is a blessing, yet also a curse to those who cannot bear its flames. Even the sun has its limits, and today, that limit has arrived. With this bow, I pluck your radiance from the heavens and let eternal shadow swallow your arrogance!"
As the arrow materialized in his hand, the very space around him trembled as if it could shatter at any moment. Even so, Ren continued to chant his incantation with extraordinary composure.
"From the hand of an archer, the end of the sun is born! This arrow brings destruction to the rulers of light, and with a single shot, your arrogance will vanish! In my name, and in the justice of the heavens, disappear from the sight of the world!"
The next moment, both sides released their arrows from their bows simultaneously.
Karna: "Brahmanda Astra!"
Ren: "Solar Annihilation!"
*SWOOSH!*
The two arrows collided with each other, carrying a shockwave that spread clouds across the sky, shook Canvey Island, and violently churned the seawater within a radius of several kilometers. The sky, previously bright blue, now turned into a sea of fiery red, as if a second sun had been born above the world.
*BOOM!*
The explosion that occurred did not merely shake the air, but created a wave of energy that cut through the ground and split the oceans, causing massive whirlpools that swallowed anything nearby. The golden light of Brahmanda Astra clashed with the bluish-white light of Solar Annihilation, swirling around each other and trying to dominate.
The storm winds born from the clash of energy tore apart trees, lifted the earth, and made the entire island seem to be in the throes of an unimaginable natural disaster. The air temperature rose drastically, even the rocks around the battlefield melted into lava due to the heat released from their attacks.
*CRUSH-BANG!*
The clash between Brahmanda Astra and Solar Annihilation did not last long.
Solar Annihilation was an attack specifically created to destroy the existence and supremacy of entities related to the sun, turning their power against themselves. The greater the target's connection to the sun, the more severe the destruction they suffered.
So it was not surprising that Solar Annihilation overwhelmed Brahmanda Astra, pierced its defenses, and shot towards Karna with unmatched speed.
*SWOOSH!*
*Pu-chi!*
His body was pushed backward with tremendous force, leaving a trail of fire in the air before finally crashing hard into the ground.
*BOOM!*
Karna was the son of the Sun God, his divinity deeply intertwined with the sun, so this attack had a far more devastating impact. Even with the protection of Kavacha and Kundala, the injuries he sustained were so severe that the radiance of his divinity began to weaken.
"Cough… Cough…"
Karna vomited luminous golden blood, his hands trembling as he tried to support himself. Although his body could barely move, his eyes still burned with an indomitable will. He looked at Ren, not with hatred, but with a rare respect he gave to a worthy opponent.
However, Ren gave him no chance to recover.
"Blazing Horizon!"
In an instant, Ren activated Godspeed and instantly filled his body with pure solar energy, merging with the light itself. As he shot forward, his body seemed to disappear in a flash of bright light that burned the air around him.
Then, a massive explosion occurred.
*BOOOOOOM!*
Waves of fiery light slammed into Karna like a solar flare erupting from the surface of a giant star. The thermal explosion that occurred was so immense that the atmosphere above Canvey Island vibrated, creating towering fire-mixed wind vortices that reached high into the sky.
The ground, which had turned black since Ren's battle against Kinich Ahau the previous night, was now completely transformed into a sea of burning embers. Magma cracks began to appear from the scorched surface, turning Canvey Island into a graveyard for any life that had ever grown there. For decades to come, nothing would be able to grow on this land.
"Hah... Hah... Hah..."
Ren stood in the middle of the hellish landscape created by his previous battle. His breath came in ragged gasps, his body weak after fighting all-out against Karna.
Before him, Karna knelt on the cracked ground. The flames blazing around them seemed like the final stage for the epic battle that had just taken place. He looked at Ren with a faint smile on his face. Despite being severely injured, he still maintained the dignified demeanor of a hero.
"Your strength is truly extraordinary. Tell me the identity of the archer whose power you wield."
"Hou Yi."
"I see. He is a great archer. I have no regrets fighting against you. If I must be defeated, then let it be by someone worthy."
His smile widened, as if Karna felt satisfied despite his defeat. Compared to his defeat against Arjuna due to Indra tricking him into relinquishing Kavacha and Kundala, his defeat by Ren involved no such deceit.
"Congratulations on your victory, Campione. Use my Divine Authority that you have obtained well. It is a legacy worthy of someone like you."
Before Ren could reply, Karna's body began to fade, dissolving into particles of golden light that slowly vanished into the air. With a final, peaceful smile, Karna disappeared without leaving any trace other than the lingering memory of the battle that had just occurred.
"So this is the Hero of Charity... Whether it's the Campione World or the Type-Moon universe, Karna deserves respect for his character."
After Ren said that, he felt a new surge of energy flow through his body. It was a sensation he knew very well—the addition of a new Divine Authority!