Chapter 64: The Roar of the Untamed Flame

Chapter 64: The Roar of the Untamed Flame

The royal arena of Hastinapur buzzed with excitement. Nobles, warriors, and scholars sat in anticipation as the grand welcome for the returning Kuru princes reached its climax. Yet, what had begun as a joyous occasion had now turned into a battleground of pride, ego, and revelation.

Karna stood tall, his golden earrings gleaming under the sunlight, his expression composed but resolute. The tension was palpable.

"Did Guru Dronacharya consider Parashuram or Bhishma while declaring Arjun the greatest archer?" Karna's voice rang clear. "Can one who has just stepped out of gurukul be compared to the Maharathis who have walked the earth like demigods for decades?"

Gasps rippled across the arena.

He continued, "If mere knowledge of divine weapons is enough to be called the greatest archer, then every Maharathi is a 'greatest archer' by that logic."

Dronacharya, sitting near the throne, shifted slightly. His expression wavered.

"Arjun," he said at last, "lacks only experience. One day he will become the greatest archer."

Karna's gaze sharpened. "Guru, if you cannot frame your words with clarity, how can your disciples gain true knowledge? There is a world of difference between is and will be."

Arjun's face turned red. His pride, his confidence — perhaps his very identity — had been struck. He stepped forward, voice booming, "Enough of your insults! Challenge me, Karna! I'll prove Guru Drona is right!"

A collective hush fell over the arena. Kripacharya, calm and mocking, interjected, "To challenge a Rajkumar, one must at least be a Senapati. That is the Kshatriya rule."

Then, like poison leaking from a cracked vessel, Bheem joined in — with scorn in his voice and cruelty in his words.

"A suta putra wants to challenge us? Do you even know your father's name, Karna? Did your guru teach you to beg for knowledge outside someone's palace? Do your arrows carry the blessing of royalty, or are they as worthless as your caste?"

A stunned silence followed. Some turned their faces away in discomfort, others watched wide-eyed. They did not know that this was Surya Veer Karna — a man whose story was yet to be told.

Then it happened.

The very air of the arena shifted.

The warmth of the sun vanished. A chill descended like a vengeful spirit. Snowflakes — soft, impossible — began to drift from the sky. A shiver ran down the spine of every person present. And then, inexplicably, cold sweat drenched them, as if some ancient predator had just taken note of its prey.

It was the silent fury of Eklavya and Ishita.

Karna stood calm, unshaken. He had suffered worse insults in his life. But he knew Ishita and Eklavya could not bear this. Neither could he, if it were them insulted in his place.

A melodious, calm, and sharp voice cut through the thick air. "Caste, designation, parentage — these matter, don't they, Yuvraj?"

All turned.

Ishita — radiant and dignified — descended the stairs with Eklavya. Her beauty struck the crowd dumb. Even Bheem's jaw dropped before he remembered to sneer.

"You were born with a golden spoon, weren't you? Became the disciple of the great Dronacharya? Learned all there is to know about warfare?" she asked sweetly.

Bheem puffed out his chest. "Yes. I have learned all of shastra and shaastra. I am unmatched in mace combat!"

Ishita's smile sharpened. "Then tell me, O great Gadadhari, what is your Siddhi? In which Prana Realm are you now? Do you even know about Shakti Vidya?"

Bheem's grin faltered. His mind scrambled. Siddhi....Prana...Shakti... what?

A chill passed through Bhishma's heart. He could sense it — something was wrong. Very wrong.

Ishita turned to Arjun. "And you, Dhanurdhar — same questions."

Arjun, still confident moments ago, faltered. He opened his mouth, closed it. Not a word came.

"Thought so," Ishita mocked. "You wear your ignorance like a crown. Arrogance built on hollow teachings. Perhaps Guru Drona was too busy protecting his pride to teach you truth."

Arjun clenched his fists. He couldn't ignore that.

"I challenge you, Karna!" he shouted.

Karna looked at Kripacharya. The elder tried to stop them — he saw the fire behind Karna's calm. But Arjun was adamant.

The duel began.

Arjun didn't wait. He unleashed a series of divine astras — brilliant and deadly.

Karna calmly drew his bow. His arrows met each incoming attack, infused not with borrowed mantras, but his Siddhi — Sun Fire with radiant Prana Urja. The crowd gasped. His movements were effortless, like a lion swatting flies.

Arjun's frustration grew. He summoned the Tridev astra: Brahma Shakti Astra — a miniature Brahmastra. The arena panicked. Elders stood from their seats. But Karna…

He dropped his bow.

Folded his hands.

Everyone stared. Bheem saw his moment.

"Look! The coward surrenders! Praying to the Gods for mercy! Perhaps the girl should kneel with him too!"

He turned to Ishita. "You commoners should learn your place. Trying to confuse us with fake words. You insult our Guru — You are trying to create Discord."

Meanwhile

The Brahma Shakti reached Karna.

with a blinding light.

Golden armor appeared on Karna's body — divine, radiant. The Astra struck… and vanished, negated without even a sound.

Silence.

Kunti rose from her seat, her eyes wide with horror. Her mind reeled. No... it can't be…..

Bhishma clutched his seat. He saw it. The divinity. The aura. This was no commoner.

(though same name as Surya Veer Karna, No one associated that the famous Rudra's Disciple was just a Suta)

Arjun stepped back in disbelief. Nakul and Sahadev stared blankly. The crowd murmured, some knelt instinctively.

And Bheem — his greed now overtaking sense — shouted, "You thief! You stole this armor! You must have murdered some divine sage to steal such a treasure! Repent, you wretch! You don't deserve it! Hand it to Arjun as penance!"

He turned to Ishita, voice dripping with filth. "You should apologize too. That tongue of yours needs discipline. Maybe, your beauty caught my eye — you should be honored. Serve us five brothers in Bed till we are Satisfied and we'll forgive your arrogance."

The arena froze.

Eklavya's breath hitched. Ishita's fists clenched. Karna Eyes wide and fire blazed in them. Even the sky seemed to hush.

But it was Rudra whose presence now changed.

He did not move.

Yet something ancient stirred.

Behind him, the air darkened. The winds halted. In the depths of his soul — and through the veins of those who had insulted them — a primal fear crept.

Rudra's eyes had begun to blaze.

Chapter Ends.