Karna And Hogyoku!?

Around the young man sitting on the throne, coiled a gigantic creature, a six-headed snake, its body reaching thirty meters long, with hard scales resembling ancient metal shells.

That was the Hydra, the last guardian of the labyrinth.

Each head is unique: six different colors adorned each head, with intricate patterns engraved like ancient curse symbols.

A pair of dark red eyes stared hatefully and warily at the intruders.

El stepped forward first, his body erect, his gaze cold and focused. He stood in front of his two students, as if a solid protective wall in the face of approaching danger.

Without hesitation, El activated Rinnegan again.

El's eyes changed drastically: they became ripple-patterned purple, with six tomoe slowly rotating, emitting the essence of Samsara.

In the next second, Rinnegan's Eye of Insight was activated and in that instant, the world seemed to lose meaning, leaving only black and white.

El's right hand moved reflexively, drawing Shana, the white sword at the back of his waist, which instantly responded with a reddish-purple aura.

Behind him, Hajime raised Donner, preparing for the worst.

Yue stood right behind him, magic light began to swirl around his body, he was preparing to launch the strongest possible spell whenever needed

Hajime glanced at El, then looked back at the young man sitting on the magnificent throne. The atmosphere in the room became increasingly heavy.

In a low but firm voice, Hajime asked, "Who is he...? His aura is... unbelievable."

Yue did not answer.

As usual, Yue just stood silently behind Hajime.

Yue's red eyes stared intently at the young man on the throne, but his expression remained calm, almost flat. Maybe it was because he was used to facing powerful creatures with Hajime.

But El was different. He showed no curiosity or confusion. There was only depth in his gaze, as if the past and future were crossing in front of his Rinnegan eyeballs.

El took one step forward and said in a low, yet meaningful voice: "You're... Karna?"

"Karna?" said Hajime in surprise, frowning. "Do you know him?"

But El did not answer Hajime's question, silent, alert, though the gaze of the eyes was full of calm.

The young man with long white hair did not move. His gaze remained sharp, silently returning El's gaze. It was as if time itself was holding its breath watching this moment.

El continued, his voice still calm but deeper. "What are you doing here...? Are you... guarding something, or aren't you?"

Karna still did not answer. He just raised his right hand slowly. In his palm, a small bluish-purple orb appeared, glowing softly, like a living heart.

The orb's light seemed to travel slowly, bouncing off the purple crystal pillars, flooding the room with a mysterious aura.

As soon as it appeared, El felt the call intensify, as if his soul was being pulled towards the center of the light.

El frowned, holding back his suddenly stronger heartbeat. "That... can't be... But why is it here...?"

The aura of the room slowly changed.

Quiet. Heavy. As if time itself respected the existence of the object.

Karna finally spoke. His voice was deep, resonating with eternal authority. "I have been waiting for you, El Ira Adrian. The rightful holder of... Hogyoku."

El stiffened.

His gaze locked on the small, softly glowing orb, as if the world around him disappeared. Its aura pierced his soul, shaking something that had been hidden deep within him.

Karna's voice echoed, not just heard, but seeped directly into his consciousness, like an echo from a dimension untouched by time.

El squinted, held back the turmoil in her chest and said to herself, "That... is really Hogyoku? But why...? Don't tell me... all this time..."

Even though his gut feeling screamed the truth, El still asked in a heavy voice, "What do you mean...?"

"El Ira Adrian," Karna said, his voice heavy, vibrating the air as if the universe was listening. "Hogyoku chose you long before you realized it. Not as a tool... but as a work. The end goal."

El was silent. There was no denial, only silence in his turbulent mind.

Flashes of memories flashed through his mind, the family body that was gone, the sense of loss, the promise to be strong, and the decision to walk alone, despite having to endure it all.

El took a breath, then continued, "If I end up failing this test... can you at least allow them to use Hogyoku's power just once?"

His gaze lowered, fully aware of the gravity of the request. "Sorry... if this request sounds too greedy."

Karna was silent for a moment, as if considering the depth of El's words. His gaze was sharp, but not judgmental.

His voice finally rang out, echoing like the echo of destiny itself. "Not greed... but you are alive. And true life always comes with an unending thirst: for meaning, for answers, for the future."

He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "And Hogyoku chose you... not because you were perfect, but because you were willing to keep going, even in pain."

Silence descended again, before finally being broken by Hajime's voice.

"...Okay, hold on." Hajime stepped forward with a face full of confusion. "What the heck are you guys doing? Adrian, Karna... you're talking like two fragments of entities from ancient times that existed before the world was born!"

Yue just let out a small sigh, as usual, not wanting to interfere. Although the look in his eyes contained curiosity.

El turned his head slowly towards Hajime, smiling faintly with a somewhat mocking expression. "Well... if I'm a god, then you're a disciple of a god. Be thankful, ordinary human."

Hajime immediately pouted. "Crazy teacher! What kind of nonsense is that-"

Sir!

A jolt of air hit his forehead with painful precision. Hajime's forehead turned red, and his body slightly retreated backwards due to the subtle yet effective pressure.

"A-ARGH! That hurts, you know! Stop doing that damn thing!"

"That was... a bonus for stupid questions," El said casually, then glanced at Karna. "We're moving on, right?"

El stared at Karna in silence. The air seemed heavier, but his mind remained clear.

"...So what's the final exam?" El asked quietly, knowing what Karna's answer would be. El asked just for reassurance.

Karna nodded once, let the Hogyoku float back into the body and firmly said, "Beat me."

For a moment, El glanced to the right and left. Hajime and Yue stood not far from him, both tensed up. At the side of the throne, Hydra was still coiled, watching with deadly silence.

El took a breath. "May I make one more request?"

Karna looked at him silently, implying an agreement to listen.

"May we not... fight here?" El continued. "This labyrinth will be destroyed, and they... " he glanced at Hajime, Yue, and even Hydra, "... might be affected."

"Our fight is no ordinary duel. And I don't want any of them to be victims."

Karna closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "A wise request."

The voice was still heavy and calm, but it felt like a mountain shifting clouds, filled with power that could explode at any moment.

"I will take you to the appropriate place," Karna said.

With a single finger movement, the space around them shook subtly. Like cracked glass shattering into shards of light, the world split apart, opening a rift to another dimension, where the true test would begin, now laid out near the thrones.

Space slowly opened up, as if a curtain of sky had been gently torn away. Beyond it, the vast desolate desert stretched, shrouded by a twilight sky that burned in silence.

The wind stirred up golden dust and the shadows of towering monoliths dotting the test field were sparse, but plentiful.

With steady steps, El reactivated the Rinnegan, both eyeballs turning purple, displaying a calm ripple pattern like pond water, with six tomoe slowly rotating.

Arriving in front of the dimensional rift, El did not step inside yet. He stood still, looking at the crack of space that rumbled softly, then turned to Karna.

"...I thought you were going to use the Reality Marble. Or, is this really a Reality Marble?"

El's eyes narrowed slightly, trying to read the near-perfect flow of dimensional energy.

Karna looked at El with a sharp gaze, but remained calm. "In the past, I 'probably' would have opened up a battle space using the Reality Marble."

"But now, with Hōgyoku, I can create this test field without limitations. I'm more than just a Heroic Spirit now."

"I see..." El smiled faintly. "I can actually use Rinnegan to open portals, too..."

"I know all your abilities." Karna answered without hesitation. "But in a test, providing the terrain is the examiner's responsibility. You just need to show up and prove yourself."

El simply nodded, understanding the principle.

Karna stepped into the dimensional rift, his body slowly disappearing into the nameless desert.