Arjuna, a hero of myth, guided by his strategist Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, one of the Trimurti. His strength wasn't a major concern, as he wasn't overwhelmingly powerful.
In the Toaruverse, Morpheus might've worried about such a figure drawing out Vishnu's other avatars, risking world collapse. But in the Nasuverse, he had no such fears.
Hearing Morpheus's words, Arjuna, though not angered, loosed an arrow without hesitation.
Even a casual shot carried his confidence in felling most foes.
This opponent was just a human, after all!
Under such a powerful attack, the only outcome was death!
He could clearly sense this human, bearing a Servant's traits, had a body as fragile as any mortal's!
Boom!
The high-speed arrow struck, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
As it cleared, Morpheus stood unscathed, his clothes pristine, as if the attack had no effect.
Arjuna's eyes widened. For a moment, he wondered if he was trapped in an illusion, seeing falsehoods.
How could a frail human withstand his attack without a single wrinkle in his clothing?!
As Arjuna grappled with doubt, Morpheus spoke again. "Ready to use your full strength now?"
Arjuna paused, then lifted his head with a hint of pride. His heart ignited, excitement surging.
Facing such a formidable opponent, Arjuna got serious. His hands gathered immense power, wild mana embodying destruction!
Morpheus felt the vast energy but wasn't afraid, only intrigued.
"This feels like a spell tied to Shiva… or rather, a Noble Phantasm. Per myth, it's likely the Pashupati Astra, granted by Shiva. If I could study it, I might channel Shiva's power for a Father God summoning…"
Morpheus mused, raising his right hand, where a golden ring faintly glowed.
"Hand of the Destroyer!"
The power of destruction descended with Arjuna's roar. The force called "Moksha" Surged toward Morpheus, embodying Shiva's judgment on the world, now condensed against a single target... Morpheus.
In this judgment, the target would be "liberated," an instant-death attack.
Sensing Morpheus's unique nature, the power didn't weaken over time but grew stronger!
This shift startled Arjuna. "You're a son of a god?"
Not Jesus, but one with divine blood, like Gilgamesh or Heracles, bearing divinity.
"I've no divine blood, just divinity," Morpheus replied.
"My Hand of the Destroyer grows stronger against divine targets. Even if it doesn't kill you, it'll severely weaken you!" Arjuna declared.
As he spoke, the wild power around Morpheus dissipated. A faint glow enveloped him, holy runes circling, blocking the instant-death curse!
The Ring of Solomon, inscribed with words of the sacred Lord!
Without the Eye of Horus, Morpheus couldn't reflect the curse back to let Arjuna taste instant death's delight.
Seeing Morpheus withstand the attack despite his divinity, with holy light negating the weakening effect, Arjuna was shocked yet thrilled.
Facing a strong foe was cause for joy!
His eyes blazed like an eagle's, mana gathering, granting conceptual clairvoyance!
Clairvoyance!
Blessings and luck flowed to him, as if the world favored him. He stood as a child of the world!
A hero beloved by the gods, divinely ordained!
From Indian myth, the gods' blessings!
In a mere breath, Arjuna's power surged to its peak!
He raised his bow, nocking an arrow, mana coalescing into a fiery dragon!
"Roar of Agni!!"
A gift from the fire god Agni, this Noble Phantasm's blazing power embodied Agni's world-scorching might!
This was Arjuna's strongest attack, channeling his full strength. Even his rival Karna couldn't withstand it!
Yet his proud strike didn't yield the expected result. A dazzling light burst from his opponent's hand, like a beacon in the night, clashing with his arrow!
A starlit greatsword, its form unclear, only recognizable as a two-handed blade.
Wild mana surged from it, crushing Agni's flames into dust.
Gripping the sword, Morpheus moved lightly, breaking the sound barrier with a sonic boom, the glowing blade slashing at Arjuna!
Such speed!
Arjuna, startled, dodged. He sensed the sword's terrifying power... if hit, he'd be cleaved in two!
He didn't dare be careless. While evading, he pulled back, firing two arrows to halt Morpheus's pursuit and create an opening.
Even as a defensive move, these arrows were stronger and faster than his initial shot!
But Morpheus's speed outmatched his. The figure dodged both arrows effortlessly, maintaining momentum, charging at Arjuna.
The greatsword glowed again, and with a swing, a sword beam shot toward him!
Its power matched Arjuna's strongest arrow!
Dodging, Arjuna watched the beam strike the ground, exploding into a crater filled with red-hot molten rock!
Two more sword beams followed. Arjuna dodged frantically, but his escape slowed. A whoosh came from behind.
Morpheus's sword was upon him!
No way to dodge!
Arjuna raised his bow to block. The sword clashed, its solid light scattering.
Like blocking a river, the sword slid past the bow, reforming into a solid blade!
Boom!
With a roar, Arjuna lost sensation, crashing like a meteor. The violent light and heat ravaged his spiritron body, leaving only fragments.
He felt his life fading. Soon, he'd return to the Throne of Heroes.
If not for his Servant body's resilience, that strike would've obliterated him!
"Feels about as strong as Saber's light sword, maybe a bit weaker…"
Morpheus landed beside Arjuna, muttering. He picked up the fallen Noble Phantasm, examined it, and snapped photos of the half-destroyed Arjuna. "Let me see the weapon Shiva gave you."
Arjuna, stunned, couldn't believe the man who defeated him so easily said this.
Was this the time for such talk?!
"Don't be stingy. Let me see. I'm not interested in your bow, but Shiva's stuff? Very much so. If I use your Shiva weapon to summon, could I bypass you and call Shiva himself?"
"That's what you want to say?" Arjuna asked.
"Yup. What else? You'll return to the Throne upon death. I'm just a magician chasing knowledge. Shiva, in your pantheon, represents perfection... with his wife, that is. A vital reference for me.
"Supreme feminine and masculine... key concepts. This is my chance, so I'm seizing it. If you don't let me see it now, I'll summon you later. Shiva's weapon? I'm determined to get it!"
Arjuna stared at Morpheus, finding this human bizarre.
Speaking incomprehensible things, yet demanding Shiva's gift.
"Don't you know a Servant's items vanish with them?"
"I know. So hand it over quick, before you disappear, so I can study it!"
Resigned, Arjuna handed over the Pashupati Astra, called the Hand of the Destroyer.
As the loser, he had no right to haggle.
Shiva's gift to Arjuna held his power... not all of it, but part, tied to Shiva's Pashupati avatar.
Holding the beastly weapon, Morpheus analyzed its structure, snapped several photos, and returned it to the dying Arjuna.
A beast, tied to fertility. Destruction wasn't its core. Summoning with this would likely call Shiva's Pashupati avatar, not Shiva himself.
But with tweaks to emphasize the Father God concept, summoning Shiva might be possible.
Summoning Nasuverse's Shiva might be fine, but a true mythical Shiva's avatar could collapse the world.
"With my strength, it shouldn't be that bad. At most, like the Four Archangels, limited to planet-destroying levels," Morpheus muttered, looking at Arjuna.
"Any thoughts? Last words?"
Arjuna shook his head. "None. I'm just returning to the Throne, not vanishing."
"Alright, then I'll send you off." Morpheus raised his hand, the starlit sword gathering power... the Sword of Promised Victory spell... aimed at the half-bodied man.
Arjuna finally voiced his question.
"What's that magecraft?"
"Sword of Promised Victory. If your father were here, he might recognize it," Morpheus said, swinging. With a flash, Arjuna's body dissolved into spiritrons, vanishing from the Singularity.
After dealing with Arjuna, Morpheus sighed, continuing at a leisurely pace. Ritsuka's team had joined the third faction, busy photographing Servants.
Morpheus figured by the time he dealt with Cú Chulainn and Medb, Ritsuka's team would be done.
***
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