Every empire had a moment when silence was no longer enough.
For Arya, that moment had passed.
For Karna, it had arrived.
---
Anga's court was restless.
The air carried tension thick enough to choke on. Ministers whispered in corners. Generals avoided eye contact. News of the failed ambush—and Mahismati's merciless response—had spread faster than any official decree.
Karna sat on the throne of Anga, spine straight, eyes forward.
And for the first time since accepting the crown—
He felt alone.
---
"They call Mahismati a butcher state now," one minister said carefully. "Fear spreads, my king."
Karna's fingers tightened.
"Fear spreads because cowards hide behind lies," he replied coldly.
Another voice rose. "The Kauravas expect our public support. They demand we denounce Arya."
Silence followed.
All eyes turned to Karna.
---
Denounce Arya.
Condemn the man who had been thrown into the river the same day Karna was abandoned.
Condemn the one who had become king without begging for validation.
---
"I will not," Karna said.
The room froze.
---
> [Karna – Decision Registered]
> Open Defiance Initiated
---
A general stepped forward, panicked. "My king! This risks everything!"
Karna rose slowly.
"What risks everything," he said quietly, "is allowing others to decide what justice looks like."
The court erupted.
But Karna raised his hand.
Silence fell.
---
"Anga will not denounce Mahismati," he declared. "Nor will we blindly echo Hastinapura's hatred."
A minister whispered, "Then we choose isolation."
Karna met his gaze.
"Then so be it."
---
Far away, in Hastinapura, Duryodhana received the news.
He did not throw a cup.
He did not rage.
He smiled.
---
"So," he murmured, "the sun thinks it can burn without the sky."
Shakuni chuckled softly. "Shall we remind him who placed the crown on his head?"
Duryodhana's eyes gleamed.
"No," he said. "We remind him who can take it away."
---
> [Plot Acceleration – Hostile Internal Action]
> Target: Anga
> Method: Delegitimization
---
In Mahismati, Arya felt the shift before the report arrived.
The system pulsed sharply.
---
> [Causal Ripple Detected]
> Karna – Active Divergence from Kauravas
> Probability Increase:
> Direct Confrontation: +18%
> Forced Choice Event: Approaching
Arya closed his eyes.
"So you finally step off the path they chose for you," he murmured.
---
The report confirmed it.
Karna had refused to denounce Mahismati.
Arya said nothing.
But something eased inside his chest.
Not relief.
Recognition.
---
That night, Arya dreamed.
Not of the future.
Of the river.
Of a basket drifting.
Of two lives diverging from the same cruelty.
---
> [Dream-State Revelation]
> Emotional Anchor Strengthened
> Regret Modifier: Permanent
Arya woke before dawn.
And made a decision.
---
Mahismati's envoys rode at sunrise.
Not with treaties.
With truth.
They carried records.
Trade routes.
Witness accounts.
Proof of false-flag operations.
They were sent not to Anga.
But to neutral kingdoms.
---
> [Strategic Shift]
> Warfare Type: Information Exposure
> Reward:
> Narrative Credibility +1
---
In Anga, unrest grew.
Kaurava agents whispered poison.
"Your king is weak."
"He protects a tyrant."
"He forgets who crowned him."
---
One night, Karna stopped a man mid-whisper.
"Say it louder," Karna demanded.
The agent trembled.
Karna leaned close.
"Because if you speak lies," he said softly, "I want the sun to hear them too."
The man fled.
---
Karna stood alone again.
But this time—
He chose it.
---
In Hastinapura, Duryodhana's patience snapped.
"Prepare the decree," he ordered. "We question Karna's right to rule."
Shakuni smiled thinly. "A king without recognition is just a man with a chair."
---
> [Hostile Decree Prepared]
> Effect:
> Karna's Authority – Under Siege
---
The system warned Arya.
---
> [Critical Event Imminent]
> Karna's Crown at Risk
> Choice Nodes:
> Intervene – Open Alignment
> Remain Silent – Karna Isolated
Arya stared at the alert for a long time.
Intervening meant war.
Silence meant betrayal.
---
Shiva's voice echoed faintly.
"You cannot save everyone."
Arya whispered back.
"Then I will choose who deserves saving."
---
He acted.
---
Mahismati announced a caravan escort to Anga.
Public.
Legal.
Unarmed.
Protection for trade.
Protection for sovereignty.
Protection for Karna.
---
> [Declaration Made]
> Mahismati Recognizes Karna as Legitimate King of Anga
> Effect:
> Diplomatic Shockwave
---
The world reacted instantly.
Kings gasped.
Hastinapura raged.
Anga burned with rumors.
---
Karna received the message alone.
He read it once.
Then again.
Slowly.
---
"Arya…" he whispered.
Not in anger.
Not in gratitude.
In understanding.
---
> [Bond Reclassification]
> Arya ↔ Karna
> Status: Ideological Allies (Unstable)
---
But alliances born of fire demanded blood.
Duryodhana rose before the court.
"So be it," he declared. "If Mahismati wishes to stand with Anga—"
His smile sharpened.
"—then they will fall together."
---
> [Narrative Lock]
> War Between Powers: Inevitable
---
Arya stood on Mahismati's walls.
Karna stood beneath the sun.
Two kings.
Two choices.
One inevitable collision.
---
The age of pretending was over.
Now—
The Mahabharata would bleed truth.
---
End of Chapter 15