"Looking for someone Angaraja?"

Karna hissed as the arrow sliced through his forearm, barely missed the shell of his left ear and whizzed past him with such speed that it was nearly rendered invisible to the naked eye. 

Even if the King of Anga would not have recognized that slightly humorous tilt in that ever familiar baritone then the dexterity of the shot would have announced the attacker with clear certainty. 

He turned towards the other man and pointed his bow in a welcoming stance, his handsome face marred with the typical cruel smirk that had always been his trademark expression. 

"You missed."

Karna shouted back through the din of the uproarious battle as the midday sun seemed to get enthused by the entry of his spiritual child, threatening to burn down everyone on its path. Grime and sweat rolled down both the armies' anticipatory faces as their beady eyes glittered alight with the promise of impending bloodshed. 

"I never miss."

Arjuna smirked back, a hint of a strangely calculated sparkle in his sapphiric gaze which was as alien on the usually serene faced prince of thunder as is a stain in the pious waves of the Ganga. 

Karna scowled as he noticed that Arjuna's arrow had effectively cut down the flagstaff of his golden chariot which now lay dusty on the red slicked ground beneath. The third Pandava tilted his head in a mock bow as if he was merely pleasing his rival with his undaunted prowess and was definitely not taunting him per se. 

As expected it incensed the son of Surya and the glare of a sunburnt heat stung the dark skinned prince along his scarred arms which didn't quite seem to affect Kunti's youngest either way. 

The air around them was charged electric. 

"Came out of your hiding finally have you, Kuntiputra!", Karna jeered raucously, his amber eyes aglow in burning hatred. 

"I have been on the field for days now Radheya. But where were you again? Sulking like a five year old back in the tents?", Arjuna replied nonchalantly like he was but asking about the weather. 

"Sharp words won't save you from my arrows today Partha"

"Are you all bark no bite then, Vasusen? I seem to remember a different version of you back in Matsya. Pray tell, how is the chest wound?"

Savyasachi laughed as the next attack upon him wasn't one of the nature of words. 

Yet none of Karna's familiarly gold tufted arrows could even cross the halfway mark before being cleanly severed into two. 

It was a few minutes of pure chaos as the two warriors showered incessant missiles at each other. They had created such a thick curtain of metallic shards that not even their mounts were visible to the audience. 

It was soon that Karna realised that Arjuna had tactical advantage on being atop a horse. The steed was astonishingly fast and somehow seemed to be reading his rider's mind like he could understand the archer's move before he even made it. 

Karna's chariot was heavier and his charioteer took time to manoeuvre it according to his master's wishes and the opponent's attacks. 

And Arjuna, true to form, didn't give either Karna or his charioteer the time to breathe, forget coordinating halfway into a rhythm to counter him. 

Both the maharatha's were bleeding copiously and if someone were very conversant with the advanced methods of warfare, they would probably realise that Karna was currently having a slightly better form. 

He was on an all out offensive. 

He was magnificent. 

Like a maddened bull ready to charge. 

Arjuna as reputed countered brilliantly yet seemed either unable or rather unwilling to disarm the other man at the moment. He looked contended to just defend; appearing as breezy as if taking an evening stroll along the banks of a river and not engaged in combat against one of Bharatvarsha's deadliest archers. 

It was probably his nearly icy and cavalier attitude which snapped Karna's patience at the end. None of his furious attacks was able to provoke the son of Indra into assuming an equally tense form. It had started to look more like a waste of time than a proper fight. 

"Am I boring you Arjuna? Or is this a diversion?"

Karna snarled frustrated as Arjuna cut off the string of his bow for the umpteenth time but resisted from attacking immediately as the former tied it up in a lightning fast move. 

"You always bore me Karna. And you are welcome to leave if you think it is a diversion. After all no one will find it surprising", Arjuna answered in a bored tone. 

Karna let the taunt slide for once instead of transforming into a venom spitting hundred headed snake as usual and continued suspiciously. 

"The Acharya means to capture Yudhishtira. I am certain you are well aware of this. Maybe this is just a plan to keep me away from the thick of the battle."

"Well then, you are keeping me away too, isn't it?"

Karna was forced to consider that possibility as well. 

Without Arjuna by the side of the former Emperor of Indraprastha, the master of the Kurus will have much better odds to take him as a captive as per their King's orders. 

"It is better if we take him as hostage. Alive, the paragon of virtue that my idiotic oldest cousin is, he won't let his brothers fight us for the release. Then according to the rules, they will be defeated."

Duryodhana had said rubbing his hands as if trying to dispel some unknown cold which had seemingly set in his bones since Bheeshma's fall. 

"But we can just kill Yudhishtira off. Wouldn't that be easier?", Dusashana had asked perturbed, before Karna could have voiced the same. 

"No. If Yudhishtira dies by our hand, Arjuna will kill us all", the oldest Gandharisuta had informed them, a deep frown marring his otherwise immaculate brow. 

"Mitra, I am present in this battle now. He won't be able to make a single scratch on you", Karna had replied confidently but only for his best friend to shake his head. Duryodhana's brown eyes had been lost in the mire of past memories. 

"Karna, you did not see him in battle today. I cannot risk so many lives. My men and then you all. Arjuna wields the weapons of the Gods. He has... too much power. And even I can see his tenuous control slipping. If he snaps... we are all doomed."

Karna had shut up and felt the rank aftertaste of humiliation settle in his mouth. 

Never before had Duryodhana ever doubted his abilities whatever the others had been wont to say. Yet at the end it seemed even the first born of Dhritarashtra had unknowingly sided with the entire world; those who have always condemned him. 

Who continuously belittled his talent in front of the great Arjuna.

'But today, this day, this Sutaputra will prove his mettle.'

"Whatever little conspiracy you have cooked, it won't save you. I am going to kill you today, son of Indra. I hope you have kissed your wives and children goodbye."

A hard glint appeared on Arjuna's silver orbs and Karna congratulated himself on hitting the other archer right where he has always been so easily bruised. 

His precious little family. 

"What are you waiting for then Angaraja? Take out the Vasavi Shakti. I know you have it hoarded up for this very purpose", Arjuna replied calmly while still countering the other's arrows as they came unchecked and continuous.

"You know about the---", Karna began confused. 

"Yes I do know about that. About my father's little... foolishness. Ah well.. I am a father too. And I have done plenty foolishness by virtue of being overprotective. I can forgive him for that."

"Yes it is pretty foolish of you to remind me of the weapon that can kill you with certainty."

Karna smiled aglow, the mantra of the Vasavi Shakti, Indra's special celestial weapon right at the tip of his tongue. He could practically taste Arjuna's blood in the air and what a delicacy it was. And then he almost dropped his bow in shock as his silver clad rival suddenly burst out into delirious laughter. 

Arjuna laughed so hard that he could clearly spot the tears of mirth in former's eyes. 

"Have you gone mad?"

"Oh no! Just the irony of getting killed by my father's stupidity due to his overprotective tendencies is just too hilarious. And the fact that you are the person who is going to take credit for it. History is going to be so fascinated with you, Angaraja. Truly."

Arjuna's bright smile and his oddly humorous tone did everything to only increase Karna's already bubbling anger. He could feel the strict control he had over his own temper snap like a twig under a boot. 

"It is me who will kill you Arjuna. Do not mistake that. Your father is just be a conduit--"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night Angaraja. I could have killed you during the war for Matsya. Hell, I could have killed you when Chitrasena attacked. But my hands were tied by dharma. And now, my father the King of Gods gave you the ace in the cards. Even a child can kill me with that."

Even time had seemingly stopped to give an ear to this strange colloquy between the warriors as everyone saw Arjuna progressively becoming calmer and Karna exponentially more mercurial. 

The son of Surya could still feel the bitter ashes of defeat hang heavy on his self after the Gandharva war and the Virata war. Arjuna's scathing attack had rendered him breathless and the urge to survive had made him so depravedly animalistic that he had forgotten his love and loyalty for Duryodhana and just fled. 

History will never forgive the son of Surya, for these indignities. 

And looking by the face in front of him and the sheer level of confidence and utter disregard for his own death that the third son of Pandu had, Karna knew that every word spoken by him was right. 

The Vasavi Shakti had been a trade off. 

A bargaining chip. 

His armour and kundalas in exchange for the divyastra that can kill anyone with the mention of them. 

An ace card. 

Anyone blessed with it can kill anyone by just uttering their name. It won't prove any warrior's greatness. Instead, it might only demean them. A weapon received in exchange of something used to kill someone he possibly couldn't kill without it. 

There will be no talk of his superiority. 

No ballads sung of his greatness. 

His legacy will be one borne out of plain and simple luck. And Indra's magnanimity or foolishness, as one would look at it. 

The slow realisation of this painful fact seemed to only fan the Suryaputra's irritation. 

'Does personal glory matter to you so much, that you would let go the best chance at breaking the other side? Arjuna's death would render the Pandava's fangless.'

'And yet it will be cleared who was the best amongst you both.'

'Do you even need the accursed weapon to kill this upstart?"

Karna looked upwards at the sun and glowered like the sky held all the solutions to this dilemma which now had him in a chokehold. 

Arjuna just smiled and gently plucked off the arrows stuck to his horse's body and stroked his mane softly. His next words were uttered slowly. As if he was thinking alongside. As if the strings of fate were tying into this course of action and resetting the pieces on the chessboard. 

"And after all, it wouldn't matter either ways. I have an ace in the cards too."

"What do you mean?", Karna asked suspiciously.

"Your weapon can't be countered. It will kill me on a single summon. And if that happens it is imminent that I'll have to finish the war before I.. well die. By any means necessary. Can't leave my family hanging now, can I?"

"And how will you do that, if you are dead?"

"The Pashupata. Shiva's ultimate celestial weapon. I don't need a bow for that. I don't even need my body. I can cast it with a single thought. A split second."

Karna's body froze up as the imagery the sheer scale of destruction the weapon of the Destroyer could cause presented itself in front of him. 

"You.. you can't.. it is forbidden to caste the divyastras on..", he stammered only to be cut off. 

"Stop parroting the rules none of us follow anyway, Karna! Neither our revered Grandsire nor our respected Acharya hesitated to use the celestial weapons against the armies! Then why should I?"

Arjuna snarled so viciously, the expression so manic on his handsome face that Karna was startled. The former breathed heavily for a minute and then continued in his priorly unperturbed way. 

"And I have been cautioned against using it on an enemy who cannot hold it. But an entire army? Ten akshauni having super warriors like Dronacharya, Duryodhana, Ashwatthama, Kripacharya, Bhurishrava, Somadatta.. yourself... I think we'll be fine with the fine print, here."

Arjuna concluded mindlessly and dusted off what looked like a piece of bone stuck in the tangle of his thick curls. 

Duryodhana was right. 

This version of the warrior who is legendary for his compassion didn't seem to sit quite right on this coldly manipulative and ruthless avatar that Arjuna had taken. The younger archer had very effectively trapped Karna now. 

He may very well kill the one man he had dreamt of defeating his entire life. 

For just one second of satisfaction. 

The Pashupatastra would wipe out the entire Kaurava side. 

Arjuna too has had an ace card all this while; hidden right up his sneaky filthy capricious sleeve. 

"Bloody fantastic strategy! You know now I can't use the Shakti astra anymore. Did you, father and son plan this whole thing after all? Made a fool out of me?"

Karna retorted hotly, gripping his Vijaya dhanush in a white knuckled hold, the mantra of Indra's weapon vanishing off from his mind as a thousand different scenarios ran instead. All with the same conclusion. 

The defeat of the Kauravas. 

Of Duryodhana. 

"Oh wouldn't you like to know!", Arjuna smirked condescendingly. 

Karna never thought there would come a day when he would actually miss the Arjuna who always seemed so naïve in his innocent glory and righteous tirade against him and every other rival. 

That man had been chemically incapable of this level of cunning machination.

This was a stranger in his skin. 

Or Vasudeva Krishna who was still conspicuously absent from his dearest friend's side, had somehow rubbed off on the latter a bit too much than was expected. 

This was not that man who had given shelter to Mayasura from Krishna and Agni out of his innate benevolence, or who had rumoured to have almost given up his weapons at the start of the war because he didn't want to spill the blood of his kin. 

This was a monster borne out of the red drenched dirt of the Kurukshetra. 

Of the constant strife between the cousins that has pushed them into this cataclysmic conclusion which is very near to ending in a catastrophe of unseen proportions.  

Yet the son of Radha had one last move to make. 

"But...I have another suggestion", Karna said slowly, almost stroking the curve of his heavy gold plated bow like an amorous lover.  

Arjuna raised an eyebrow; the Gandhiva grasped firmly in one cautious hand.

"Let us settle the score once and for all. Me and you. Just us. On a level playing field. No celestial weapons and no divine protection. A plain and simple, purely hardcore duel. One survivor."

Karna words unfolded and the gods of fate watched with bated breath.

Arjuna's eyes sparkled once. 

It was an ancient nearly faded parody of a long forgotten enthusiasm buried deep in those prussian depths. It was like they were back in Hastinapura's arena. Just two youngsters wanting to outshine the other in a battle of their most cherished form of war. 

"Say it then...", the younger man replied then; his voice coloured in anticipation. 

Karna's left eye twitched once and his skin felt tight against the dried blood from his numerous wounds. The battle amidst their individual squadrons had almost stopped, as both sides appeared too eager to listen in on their leader's dialogue than in their fight. 

"Panduputra Arjuna, I challenge you to a duel in the net of Surya!"

Karna's proclamation drew gasps from all around them. 

Even the Gods gathered above to be witness to the climactic conclusion to this spectacular rivalry felt the shock settle in their immortal bodies like a static blanket. 

The cogs of destiny had turned again. 

Then one by one the akshaya tunira's vanished into the air. It was followed by the celestial energies thrumming in the dark skinned ivory clad prince's ripped frame extinguishing like a wisp of smoke

Then with his dry curls fluttering in the dusty winds of the afternoon sun, Arjuna flashed such a maniacal grin on his blood streaked face that it reminded one of a shark who had finally scented the blood in the water. 

'Come to my parlour sayeth the spider to the fly'

"I accept Angaraja Karna."

Karna smirked equally virulently, the glow of the divyastras vanishing from his vermillion visage just as quick. 

"Let us give these peasants a show to remember..."

The taste of a bitter rivalry pulsated between the two super warriors as heavy as their shared history of a dark and tumultuous tapestry of derision and ambition drowned into a whirlpool of glory, loyalties and burdensome duty. 

This was a clash of titans. 

A battle for the ages. 

And only one man will remain standing at the end. 

To be continued. 

A/N:- I did kinda distort a little piece of an idea for the duel which was originally presented by Amish in one of his books. So, it is inspired by him.. yeah.