"Malini Devi," he said, his voice remaining composed, "I am not one of those prideful Kshatriyas who believe that raising a weapon against a woman is automatically against Dharma. If someone chooses to act through Adharma, then their gender does not change the nature of that action. An Asuric act remains Asuric whether it comes from a man or a woman—just as poison remains poison whether it is offered in a golden cup or a clay pot. So I will ask you to step aside and let me leave. I will forgive what you have done until now."
Malini's lips curled upward. Instead of stepping aside, she raised both hands again. The flames surged higher. Their heat became so intense that even the stone beneath Karna's feet began to crack.
"Do you truly believe you can defeat me?" she laughed softly. "I am Malini, Veer. I am not some ordinary Rakshasi whom you can kill with a single arrow. Even if you use a Divyastra, you will not be able to kill me within my own domain."
Karna did not answer. He simply looked at the flames. For a moment, his eyes closed. The roar of the fire surrounded him. The heat pressed against his skin. Yet his breathing remained steady.
"Hara Hara Mahadeva."
The words left his lips quietly. Then he opened his eyes and stepped forward.
Malini's smile remained for only a moment.
The flames struck his body.
A brilliant golden light erupted across his chest as his divine Kavacha materialized, covering him in radiant armor. The fire that had seemed powerful enough to consume anything suddenly began disappearing into the armor, its energy absorbed layer by layer.
Karna continued walking—one step, then another. The flames bent around him before vanishing completely. He emerged from the burning circle without even a mark upon his body.
Malini stared at him. For the first time since he had entered the cave, genuine surprise appeared upon her face.
Karna stopped before her. "Malini Devi. Let me speak for the last time. Do not come in my way, Devi. Consider this my final warning."
Malini said nothing. Her eyes remained fixed upon the golden armor covering Karna's body. The radiance seemed even more beautiful from this distance. She could feel the divine power flowing through it. Her breathing became slightly heavier.
"So beautiful…"
Karna did not respond. He turned away and began walking toward the passage. Malini watched him leave. Then suddenly she moved. Before Karna could take another step, she rushed forward and wrapped both arms around him from behind.
"Now I want you even more, Veer."
Karna's entire body became still as she pressed her body against his back.
For a moment there was no movement. Then the air around him changed. Divine energy erupted from his body. Malini was forcefully pushed backward and stumbled several steps before regaining her balance.
Karna turned around. His expression was no longer calm.
"Devi…" His voice thundered through the chamber. "How dare you?"
Malini's smile faded at once.
Karna stared at her with an anger that was far more frightening than shouting. "I am neither your kin, nor your lover, nor your husband. Who gave you the right to touch me in such an intimate manner without my consent?"
Malini opened her mouth, but Karna did not give her the opportunity to answer.
"You have been warned repeatedly, devi. You were given the opportunity to step aside. You were even given the chance to leave this matter peacefully. But you chose to ignore every warning. This is no longer a matter of misunderstanding. The pride of having power, the disregard for another person's feelings, and the belief that strength gives you the right to cross another person's boundaries—these are Asuric qualities. Just as a tree that grows without roots eventually falls, power without restraint eventually destroys both the one who wields it and those around it."
He slowly raised his hand. A familiar sound echoed through the chamber—the deep, resonant hum of divine energy gathering around him. Malini's expression finally changed.
Karna's hand closed around the invisible form of his weapon. Golden light gathered before him. His soul armament, Vijaya Dhanush, materialized in his grasp. The moment the bow appeared, the entire cave seemed to tremble beneath its presence.
Karna drew the first arrow. His gaze remained fixed upon Malini.
"So far, you have seen the patience of Dharma, devi. Now… you will learn its sharpness."
The cave fell silent.
The radiant golden bow in Karna's hands hummed softly as divine energy gathered upon its string, while Malini stood several paces away, her expression no longer playful but filled with anticipation, as though she wished to see whether the man before her truly possessed the strength his calm confidence suggested.
Karna slowly drew the bowstring.
"I have warned you enough, Devi. I shall now fulfill my duty."
The cave itself seemed to tremble beneath the presence of Vijaya. The celestial arrow was released and shot forward like a streak of sunlight.
Malini's smile widened. "My domain is not so simple, Veer."
Her body instantly dissolved into countless strands of emerald mist before disappearing completely from sight. Silence returned. Only the faint echo of laughter lingered throughout the chamber.
"You cannot strike what you cannot see."
Karna neither turned nor searched for her. Instead, he calmly lowered the bow slightly.
"There is no use, Devi. The arrows released from Vijaya do not miss. Just as the light of the sun reaches every corner of the earth no matter how many clouds try to hide it, so does an arrow from this bow find its mark."
As though responding to his words, the divine arrow abruptly changed direction. It curved sharply through the air. The cave echoed with a sharp whistle. Then a cry escaped the empty air.
"Aah!"
The illusion shattered. Malini's body reappeared. The celestial arrow had pierced straight through her chest. She staggered backward, staring at the wound in complete disbelief.
"No… Impossible…" Her trembling fingers touched the arrow before crimson blood slowly flowed between them. She looked toward Karna. "You…"
Another step.
Then another.
Her knees finally gave way.
She collapsed upon the cold stone floor. The cave became silent once more.
Karna slowly lowered Vijaya. His anger gradually disappeared, replaced by pity.
"I warned you several times," he said, his voice carrying no triumph. "A man who ignores the signs of a coming storm has no right to blame the rain when it falls."
Malini's breathing became weaker. Her eyes slowly closed. Moments later, her body became completely still. Silence.
Then something extraordinary happened. A gentle white radiance slowly rose from the lifeless body. Karna watched quietly.
"Hmm?"
The light gradually took the shape of a young woman.
Unlike the Yakshini whose appearance resembled the forests, this woman possessed neither bark-like skin nor wooden horns. Her form was clothed in garments woven from pure white light, while a soft celestial radiance surrounded her entire body. She looked peaceful, pure, almost unreal. For a brief moment, Karna wondered whether he was looking upon a Devakanya.
The radiant woman slowly folded her palms and bowed deeply.
"Suryaputra… thank you."
Karna frowned slightly. "You… What are you? You are not a Yakshini..."