Heracles vs. Karna (Continued)

This made Heracles think of the sun, and of his friend, Apollo.

The sun god Apollo was his friend, and he knew very well just how powerful an enemy like this was.

To fight gods with a human body required not strength, but wisdom and courage.

A ferocious fire dragon gathered in Karna's hand, his silver hair rising in the hot wind.

He stood at the very center of an area nearly a thousand meters wide that had melted into lava, the fire dragon drawing in all the heat that had gathered nearby.

Or perhaps—the heat radiating from that fire dragon had melted the entire area?

To contend with a Noble Phantasm like this, one either needed a Noble Phantasm of equal rank to oppose it, or one had to deny the opponent any chance to use it from the start.

Perhaps he had truly underestimated his opponent.

Heracles thought.

He had actually allowed his opponent to unleash such a powerful Noble Phantasm, one fully comparable to Excalibur or Enuma Elish.

If he still had Twelve Labors—

Heracles immediately rejected that thought.

Even with Twelve Labors, he might very well die in this instant.

He had to stop the opponent's Noble Phantasm, or at least avoid being hit head-on.

"Black Faction's Archer, to show you my sincerest respect, let my strongest strike bring your story to an end! To die beneath this spear, you may rest in peace with a smile!"

"You truly must be joking. There is no death or defeat in my life."

Heracles tightened his grip on the golden bow Apollo had given him.

The golden bow glimmered faintly.

He had never given up.

His life had been victory, victory, and then victory again.

Dire circumstances could not stop him. Even the fastest creatures in the world