And the entire arena quieted almost instantly.
Even those who disliked him could not deny the weight his presence carried.
No arrogance appeared upon his face.
No attempt to show dominance.
Yet every movement naturally commanded attention. The sunlight reflected faintly from his earrings.
And unlike the others, he did not immediately lift the bow. Instead, he simply stood there — watching. The five golden leaves continued moving before him — left, right, rotate, rise, fall. The shifting gaps appeared and vanished continuously like flowing river currents.
Karna's eyes narrowed slightly. His breathing slowed. The entire arena watched in silence.
Several moments passed. Some impatient princes frowned. Others leaned forward. Even Bhishma silently watched with full attention now.
Then finally Karna slowly raised the bow.
The motion itself felt strangely effortless — smooth, controlled, absolute. The bowstring stretched backward with a deep vibrating hum that echoed faintly through the arena air. At that moment the entire court held its breath. Even the leaves seemed slower somehow beneath the pressure of expectation.
Then—
*Whoosh!*
The arrow vanished from the bowstring almost too quickly for ordinary eyes to follow.
It sliced through the air like a beam of sunlight.
First gap.
Second.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Not touching even a single golden leaf.
The arrow moved so precisely through the constantly shifting spaces that for a moment it almost looked unreal, as though the leaves themselves had parted willingly before it.
Then—
*THUD!*
The arrow struck directly into the exact centre of the wooden target behind — perfectly, dead centre. The impact echoed across the arena. The shaft vibrated lightly while buried deep inside the crimson mark.
For one heartbeat, complete silence swallowed the gathering. No one moved. No one spoke. Even the musicians stood frozen.
Then suddenly the arena exploded into thunderous applause.
Cheers erupted from every direction. Warriors struck their shields loudly. Ministers rose from their seats. Servants shouted praises. Several kings who earlier carried visible arrogance now stared at Karna with stunned disbelief.
Above the royal platform, Dushala's eyes sparkled beneath her veil while a soft smile unknowingly appeared upon her lips.
Pride and relief flooded her chest together so strongly that she almost forgot the thousands watching below.
Beside Dhritarashtra, even Bhishma gave a slow nod — a rare nod, not out of political courtesy but genuine approval. Duryodhana himself stood halfway from his seat, unable to suppress his excitement.
"Magnificent!" he couldn't help but declare loudly across the arena. "Maharaj Karna has displayed extraordinary skill and patience! Not merely strength… but complete mastery!"
The applause continued for several moments more before finally calming. Yet the challenge was not fully over. The remaining contestants still attempted the trial afterward. Most failed badly. Some lost concentration entirely after witnessing Karna's performance. Only one among them managed something remarkable.
The prince of Trigarta, Shurasena, stepped forward with grim determination. Sweat glistened faintly near his temples while he concentrated fully upon the moving leaves. His release timing was excellent.
The arrow passed the first leaf.
Then the second.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
A wave of shock spread through the arena instantly. But at the very final moment, the shaft brushed the edge of the fifth golden leaf from the side — just barely. That tiny touch altered the angle slightly. And instead of striking the centre target, the arrow veered downward and buried itself into the ground.
A collective groan escaped the audience.
Shurasena lowered his head in frustration. Still, many respected his near-success. Yet no one seemed truly surprised by the final outcome anymore. Because everyone present already knew the truth silently inside their hearts.
The thunderous applause from the archery test slowly faded away, though the excitement lingering in the arena did not fully disappear.
Servants hurried across the field, removing broken arrows and damaged targets, while groups of armoured attendants dragged away the wooden structures from the previous challenge.
Soon the centre arena was prepared once again. But this time the mood shifted entirely. Gone was the elegance of precision archery. What stood now was raw power.
In the centre of the field, workers erected an enormous iron plate mounted upon a thick reinforced wooden frame supported by chains and stone bases. The metal itself was dark, heavy and brutal in appearance — nearly four inches thick. Even from the royal seating, the sheer density of the iron was obvious beneath the sunlight. There were no weak points. No gaps. No marks. Just solid iron.
Behind the plate, several yards away, another wooden target had been positioned with a bright red circle painted in the centre.
A murmur immediately spread through the gathering.
Many princes frowned visibly. Some older kings narrowed their eyes. Even experienced warriors understood the absurdity of the challenge instantly. Piercing armour was one thing. Piercing shields was another. But driving a spear fully through a solid iron plate that thick… and still retaining enough force afterward to strike the target behind… that demanded monstrous physical power combined with terrifying precision.
Duryodhana stepped forward once more, his voice booming across the arena.
"The second test… is Spear Throwing!"
Servants carried forward massive ceremonial spears one by one, each heavier than ordinary battlefield weapons.
"The contestant must throw the spear with enough force to pierce through the iron plate… and strike the centre of the target behind it." He extended his arm dramatically toward the challenge. "Let the test begin!"
Immediately, several princes exchanged uneasy glances. The atmosphere had changed completely now. The archery test had demanded precision. This one demanded domination.
The first contestant stepped forward with visible determination. Muscles tightened beneath his royal garments as he gripped the spear with both hands. He inhaled sharply, roared loudly to gather momentum, and hurled the weapon forward with full strength.
*CLANG!*
The spear struck the iron plate directly. Sparks flew outward. The entire wooden frame shook violently. But the spear itself bounced backward uselessly and rolled across the ground. The prince's expression stiffened with embarrassment. A few sympathetic murmurs spread through the crowd.
Then came another.
And another.
And another.
Most failed badly. Some spears barely left marks. Some created shallow dents. Some shattered partially from the impact itself. One prince from a smaller kingdom lost balance entirely from the recoil of his own throw, nearly stumbling forward while laughter quietly spread among nearby warriors.
The challenge was merciless. The iron plate stood unmoved like a wall mocking everyone before it.
Then the king of Kosala stepped forward. Unlike the younger contestants, his broad frame and hardened shoulders immediately suggested experience in warfare rather than ceremonial display. He rolled his wrist slowly around the spear shaft, testing its balance while the arena gradually quieted again.
Then suddenly he moved. With a loud battle cry, he spun once and launched the spear with terrifying force. The weapon tore through the air like a thunderbolt.
*CRAAANG!*
The impact echoed across the arena. For the first time, the iron plate was pierced. A collective gasp spread through the crowd. The spear forced its way partially through the iron, cracking the surface loudly before emerging from the other side. But by the time it passed through, most of its momentum had already died. The spear fell downward before reaching the wooden target.
Still, the court applauded respectfully. Even Bhishma gave a small approving nod. That feat alone already exceeded what most warriors present could achieve.
Afterward came Virata of Matsya once more. Virata planted his feet heavily into the earth before throwing. His spear struck with tremendous force. The iron plate dented inward visibly this time. A deep circular depression formed upon its centre. But the spear itself snapped sideways afterward and dropped uselessly. Virata exhaled slowly, frustration visible beneath his composed royal demeanour.
The arena slowly grew quieter afterward. Because now people truly began understanding the scale of the challenge. Some princes who originally intended to compete suddenly looked hesitant. Several had already lost hope entirely. Even among the audience, whispers spread quietly.
"This is impossible."
"No ordinary warrior can do this."
"Perhaps no one will pass this test either."
Above the royal platform, Dushala's fingers tightened over the edge of her seat. Her heartbeat had gradually become faster throughout the challenge…
Everyone knew that Karna was a great archer, but what about his other skills? Even she had no idea how he was with the spear.
Finally, Karna rose again.
And once more the entire arena fell silent. The earlier excitement returned immediately, but now it carried something heavier beneath it — expectation. Even rival kings who disliked him watched carefully now. Because after the archery display earlier, nobody could fully predict the extent of this man's abilities anymore.
Karna walked calmly toward the centre arena where the ceremonial spear rested upon its stand. The heavy weapon would have required most men to brace themselves properly before even lifting it. But Karna picked it up almost casually — not arrogantly, simply naturally.
He walked toward the throwing mark. Stopped. Then stared quietly at the iron plate. No wasted movement. No unnecessary theatrics. Just focus.
Karna slowly rolled the spear once within his grip. His fingers adjusted slightly around the shaft. His breathing steadied. The silence became suffocating now. Even the horses near the outer royal area seemed restless beneath the tension.
Then Karna moved. His entire body rotated with terrifying smoothness while the spear shot forward from his hand with explosive force. The air itself seemed to scream.
*BOOOOM!*
The spear struck the iron plate with such force that the entire structure shook violently. A loud metallic cracking sound exploded across the arena.
For a brief instant, the spear disappeared completely through the plate — not pierced, not partially entered. It tore straight through. The thick iron burst apart around the impact point while fragments flew outward. And the spear continued forward without slowing.
*THUD!*
It struck directly into the centre of the red target behind. But it still did not stop. The wooden target shattered apart violently. The spear pierced through it completely. Then tore through the wall behind the arena before finally vanishing outside the grounds altogether.
For several seconds, nobody reacted. Because many genuinely failed to process what they had just witnessed. The broken iron plate still vibrated loudly upon its chains. Dust drifted slowly through the air. Fragments of shattered wood rolled across the arena floor.
Then suddenly the court erupted. Thunderous applause exploded from every direction, louder than before. Warriors slammed fists against shields. Kings rose halfway from their seats. Servants shouted praises loudly. Even people outside the arena walls could hear the roar spreading through Hastinapura.
"Maharaj Karna ki jai!"
"Dakshina Kalinga Naresh ki Jai!"
"Extraordinary!"
"What strength!"
Above the platform, Dushala lowered her eyes quickly beneath her veil to hide the happiness spreading uncontrollably across her face. Her lips curved into a soft smile while warmth rushed through her chest so intensely that she almost forgot the thousands watching around her. In her heart, it felt like destiny itself was slowly moving closer.
Beside her, Dhritarashtra remained silent for a long moment after hearing the reactions of the crowd and the descriptions from attendants near him.
Then finally he murmured quietly beneath his breath, "I suppose… there truly is no stopping him after all."
Nearby, Duryodhana and Shakuni looked visibly delighted. Duryodhana especially could barely contain his excitement anymore. Every success of Karna felt to him like confirmation that his choice had been correct from the beginning.
But not everyone shared that joy. Bhishma gave a clear nod of acknowledgement. No warrior could deny such a feat. Yet unlike the others, he did not smile. Instead, his aged eyes remained thoughtful… heavy… troubled.
He did not want Dushala to wed Karna, yet he was also helpless.
He could stop it by simply revealing the truth, but if the truth came out, Kunti would be humiliated. And it would have a great impact on Yudhisthira as well.
Moreover, the right to reveal the truth lay in the hands of Kunti, not him.