"Boom!"
A colossal explosion of magical energy shook the heavens. The thunderous roar echoed for miles, as if the very world itself had trembled. Shockwaves tore through the air, collapsing nearby structures in a chain reaction, reducing towers to dust and burning debris.
Amid the smoking ruins, two figures charged at each other with unrelenting fury.
The battle between Arthur and Karna was no mere clash between heroes — it was the collision of two myths, two beings forged from legend and immortalized through the ages.
Their movements were so fast that no human eye could follow them. With every strike, the ground shattered; with every blow from Karna, the air itself seemed to burn.
The two forces weaved through the perimeter of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, moving in devastating, circular trajectories — sometimes crashing to the ground, other times soaring into the skies like meteors colliding amidst the clouds.
Each impact was followed by an ear-splitting detonation, every dodge slicing through space and distorting the air in violent waves of pure magical pressure.
Both the heavens and the earth had become their battlefield.
The Hanging Gardens, once a symbol of Semiramis' grandeur and vanity, had turned into a living inferno. Columns crumbled, flames towered like mountains, and the entire structure quaked under the weight of their wrath. It was an apocalyptic vision — the collision of two men whose power transcended the bounds of humanity.
Not even Semiramis, with all her imperial arrogance, dared intervene. She merely watched, aware that any attempt to stop them would be futile.
"Clang!"
Spear and sword collided again — the sound ringing like a divine bell. Sparks burst from the impact, flooding the battlefield with golden and crimson flashes. No one could count how many times they had clashed. Both warriors knew this duel would be remembered as legend.
Using the force of the blow, they leapt back, sliding through the debris. For a moment, the world held its breath.
Amid the smoke and fire, they stood facing each other — two gods in mortal flesh.
Karna's burning eyes met Arthur's with quiet resolve.
"It seems ordinary attacks won't be enough to defeat you, King of Heroes. In that case... I have no choice but to use that."
Arthur smirked, the corner of his mouth curling with genuine excitement.
"Is that so? Then let's end this, shall we?"
His voice was calm and composed — yet carried the majesty of a king standing before the storm of war.
Karna lifted his spear high above his head.
Instantly, the energy around him erupted. The golden armor that shielded his body began to burn away, its sacred runes breaking apart one by one until all that remained was fire — pure, divine fire.
Bathed in that inferno, he looked like a sun incarnate — a demigod warrior ready to offer everything he had left.
"This will be... my final Vasavi Shakti," he murmured, his voice a mix of resignation and resolve.
Arthur closed his eyes briefly. When they opened again, his crimson pupils gleamed like twin stars in rage.
"Excellent... Excellent! That's how it should be!"
He laughed with fierce delight, extending his right arm. His sword fell — replaced by a weapon that made reality itself tremble.
The air warped.
Space groaned beneath the weight of the power that poured from the Gate of Babylon.
From its depths, Arthur slowly drew a blade that reflected no light — EA, the Sword of Rupture, the divine instrument that split the world at the dawn of creation.
Karna's Vasavi Shakti was not fire — it was lightning. The fury of the heavens, the divine wrath contained within a spear forged to strike down even the gods themselves. An anti-divine weapon, destined to seal the fate of any being touched by divinity.
"I'll offer this final strike as a farewell gift to you," Arthur declared with a confident smile, raising EA high.
"And I shall speak of the beginning."
The ground split apart.
The air convulsed as if the universe itself feared what was about to unfold.
"Heaven and Earth shall part... Nothingness shall praise creation... My Sword of Rupture divides the world!"
"Mortar of the stars — the infernal heaven heralds the celebration of creation!"
"Now you shall die... and fall into silence!"
As Arthur roared his incantation, the world trembled.
Across from him, Karna whispered softly:
"Brahma, watch over me. This is my final battle."
His voice echoed with reverence and power before he roared aloud:
"Once more... feel my Noble Phantasm's wrath!"
"This spear has devoured my armor and yet hungers still!"
"Let it be satisfied... with this one final blow!"
"VASAVI SHAKTI!"
Arthur's reply came as thunder:
"ENUMA ELISH!"
Two divine roars collided — and the world exploded.
The two attacks met with unthinkable force. Light and sound vanished; for an instant, there was only blinding white. The air was swept away, the earth shattered, and an annihilating wave of energy consumed everything.
The shock was felt by all.
Semiramis and Astolfo, deep within the Gardens, were thrown to the ground in disbelief.
Atalanta and Frankenstein, rushing toward the site, were engulfed by the shockwave.
Jeanne d'Arc and Shakespeare, belowground, felt the world tremble above their heads.
Except for Chiron and Achilles, trapped in another dimension, and Shirō Amakusa, hidden within the Great Holy Grail, none escaped the apocalyptic impact.
The unleashed energy birthed a magical storm that devoured all in its path.
Towers crumbled, torrents of fire swept the halls, and the air vibrated with the sound of destruction.
Even the sky seemed to weep.
The Hanging Gardens trembled violently, tilting like a sinking ship.
---
"W-What's happening!?" Semiramis cried in disbelief.
She, who once commanded every stone and pillar of that fortress, could feel her creation collapsing from within.
The power of those two heroes was literally disintegrating its foundations.
The entire fortress creaked and leaned, as if the heavens themselves sought to punish them for daring to awaken forces meant only for gods.
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."