To those who left a review, thanks!
+Aerodactyl999, only time can tell if Karna will lift the mantle of Santa. I assure you that he will ensure children are happy during Christmas.
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"Stop whining Karna. Life's unfairness does not give you a license to walk the wrong path of Iniquity. "
—Krishna to Karna, on Karna's allegiance to Duryodhana
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Karna lifted up the chocolate syrup in his hand, the brown bottle hovering over the cup of vanilla–strawberry ice cream on the counter. Standing in front of him was a child, who looked to be around six or seven years of age.
Of course, next to the child was his mother, who was shuffling back and forth. The son of Radha sighed, placing the bottle down. At the woman's opening mouth, he spoke.
"Do you want my autograph?" he asked gently. He would show no hate to children, of any sort.
The boy's eyes widened, and he nodded his head so fast it might have fallen off if not for Karna withdrawing a pen from his apron's pocket. The same pen Megumi had given him.
"What is your name, child?"
"Ritsu," was the answer, and Karna quickly signed the paper. Thankfully he was given knowledge of how to write Japanese. He was naturally fluent in Sanskrit, now a dead language akin to Latin, only learned for research purposes.
"Would you like me to add something special?" he questioned with a blank face.
The mother stepped in, "We couldn't bother you any more, Fubuki–san. Right, Ritsu?"
Karna could see the boy's disappointment a mile off. "It won't be any issue," he said, taking time to write out words that held a special place in his heart. Handing the leaf of paper back to Ritsu, Karna squeezed out the syrup over the sugary treat, before handing it off to the mother.
"What does this mean?" Ritsu cried out, gazing up at Karna with wide eyes.
""Let the world turn into a righteous place, where the reign of Dharma shall ensure prosperity to everyone irrespective of their not caste and their not so noble beginnings," Karna uttered, and he could see the mother's eyes widen.
"Woah, that's so epic!"
Karna shook off the boy's grandiose proclamations and praise, and accepted the cash offered, brushing off the mother's thanks.
"If you wish, try to learn more about that," Karna said at their parting, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Blessed is he who pursues knowledge."
"I will, mister!" Ritsu promised, "I'm going to be a super strong hero one day!"
Karna did not smile, but merely nodded, although there was the shine of pride in his blue eyes. He couldn't understand the fascination with his signature— all the kids who visited (and quite a few adults) wanted them.
He would frequently write phrases from the Bhagavad Gita or those that he recalled from his previous life. He didn't fear anyone learning the truth about him. The one he had gifted Ritsu was of a special significance to him.
On his deathbed, Krishna took the form of a brahmin and approached him, asking for alms. And Karna, mortally wounded, mortal form ridden by blood and injuries, promised to give the brahmin a gift of special value. Thinking of his own capitulation, he picked a great smooth stone and inserted it into his mouth, and with tremendous blows broke two golden teeth off. Drawing himself up, he presented them to the sage.
Krishna, impressed by Karna's courage, decided to test him further. Declaring that to offer him 'teeth stained with your spit and blood' was a great sin, the avatar of Vishnu urged him to try again. Karna, whose death was steadily approaching, refused to let his honor be stained in such a way.
With great effort, he righted himself, and crawled across the floor, blood spurting from his injuries and pain racking his nerves. Yet he continued on, will unshaken.
He reached for his bow, already in tatters from his final duel with Arjuna, only to find its string snapped and broken. Turning his head to and fro, he found a spare on the floor, and once more, pushed against the beating heat of the end, his face flush with the final breath of life.
Pulling back his bow, his fingers shook. To fail now would forever stain his pride and dishonor the promise he had made— to be a Hero of Charity. Only now did he find the last push of strength in his arms to launch his final arrow, which cracked open the earth, revealing a hidden spring.
Fresh, pure water bubbled from the embrace of Mother Earth, and Karna could see the last embers of flame washed away in the liquid. Yet he dragged his body to the water, washing the teeth in the stream and presented them to Krishna.
Krishna was so moved by such dedication that he revealed his true form and bowed to Karna, offering to bring the dying man back to life and crown him emperor of the world.
But Karna was too flustered, declining such a position. All he asked was for his sins to be forgiven, and instead for his story to be remembered for future generations. One life was enough for him.
"Let the world turn into a righteous place, where the reign of Dharma shall ensure prosperity to everyone irrespective of their not caste and their not so noble beginnings."
That was his final wish. To leave behind a glimmering tale of a man who defied fate, who exemplified charity and bravery— all to inspire those who would come after. After all, is that not why he fought?
"How are things looking, Enji?" He turned to see Megumi exiting from the backroom, wiping her hands on the ends of her apron.
"They are fine," he answered curtly.
He had been working here for a week now, and found Megumi to be a pleasurable companion. She had a sunny disposition, one filled with a certain lightness and hope. It reminded him of Rider of Black, although more subdued.
There was a lull in customers, so he relaxed against the counter.
"So, why do you do it?" Megumi asked, stepping right next to him.
"Do what?"
"You know, work a regular job! No other hero would have ever done it!"
Karna found the idea preposterous. "I have worked many jobs, as you call them, in my life. I shall not renounce my past simply because I have been gifted with power."
"Uh huh."
He turned to face her. "I see nothing wrong with accepting tokens of thanks, but my issue arises from the definition of the word…"
Megumi tilted her head in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"These heroes are nothing but mercenaries."
Megumi's face shifted through several expressions, anger being the most prominent. "You can't say that!"
Karna shook his head. "I am not saying I have an issue with them— merely that the worship of these so-called 'heroes' is not something I would expect." He crossed his arms. "You define a hero by someone who has been given license by this HSPC, and thus is a member of the government, who fights for the people. Thus, he is a soldier— only, there are not the ranks found in any such organized army. No commanders, tacticians, or ranks. Instead these people compete for jobs and wealth according to a ranking system tabulated by the government—"
"It is like a guild from isekai…" Megumi muttered.
"I suppose you could see it that way."
"So what— they still help people, so they're heroes in my eyes!" the young lady exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air.
Karna sighed again. "When you create such a system, you have established a hierarchy. These 'heroes' get their power from a Quirk, which stems from lineage. Established families have an advantage already, and those with Quirks not suited for Hero work are dubbed weaker."
She fidgeted under his heavy gaze. "And I have not even mentioned the Quirkless— naturally, they are the lowest in this new society you have created. In other words, a person's worth is derived from their birth."
"But… but…" the girl struggled to gather her thoughts, grabbing at the edges of her apron.
Karna broke her out of her momentary reverie. "And then there are those who use their quirks for personal gain, or those who squander power for selfishness. The definition of your Hero is 'one who fights evil' or 'those who break the laws'."
Megumi nodded her head.
"So when you wish to be a hero, do you not wish for an equal crime to occur?"
Megumi opened her mouth to answer, only to find no response. What else could she say?
"Thus, the core of a hero is selfishness. They save people because it is their duty and they receive pay— such is the cycle you have wrought." Karna scoffed. "A never ending stream of young children, all dreaming to be a hero. Similarly, an endless horde of dreamers who are denied, labeled as villains for their quirk or for other misconceptions—- where do they go?"
"... They become the villains."
"The bloat and waste of such a system is exorbitant." What was the point– countless academies would form around Heroes, constantly fighting for a spot in the limelight. "Instead, all you must do is place them into a system, akin to an army. Eliminate the ranking system, and promote camaraderie instead."
Karna knows what jealousy can do. The feeling of being the shadow of another man for so long. Duryodhana had swam in it, and pulled Karna in as well, the two of them promising to crush the Pandavas.
"... You sound like you have personal experience." Megumi guessed gently. He could feel the softness in her tone.
"... There was a man." Karna said, hesitating. Should he speak of Arjuna, or digress? But something within him hummed— perhaps it was his father's guidance, but he felt a sudden warmth within his chest. "All my life, I wished to beat him. He was a radiant warrior— a hero of superb moral quality."
"Every time we met, I was filled with sudden rage and bitter jealousy—"
"No way!" Megumi interrupted, leaning into his face, "You? Jealous!?"
Karna ignored the sudden outburst. "As I was saying, every time we met, we clashed. I hoped to beat him, but he disregarded me."
He thinks of Arjuna, the perfect man. Well, as perfect as a man could be. "He was generous in all his attributes, and superior to me in the skill of arms. He was filled with an untamable vigor, and endowed with the heart of a king."
"But above all, he retained his honor. Every action he took, he did so in accordance with the duty of a true warrior. But never did he do so as a machine of fate—"
Karna remembers the man he hated as an enemy but loved as a brother. "He was ever conscious of his heart, and faltered at numerous times. He would break into tears at loss, but never throw away his bow."
He sees Arjuna, poised on the chariot bearing the standard of Hanuman. He feels the hunger within his chest the same time turmoil racks his heart. It is a battle of life and death.
Karna remembers Kunti coming to him, begging him to join with the Pandavas. It would have been a story of light— of brothers reunited, of justice and truth victorious. But at the same time, he knows he cannot turn away from his path.
It was Duyodhana, not Kunti, who had acknowledged him in the tournament to win Draupadi's hand. She had remained silent out of shame, shame of her creation. But Karna is the Hero of Charity.
To come to him, to fully confess her sins, requires no small deal of courage. It is a form of courage and conviction that only mother's bear.
He did not know who she loved at the moment— the Pandavas or him. But he knew it was a selfish love, born of self–love, for Kunti would not have been able to live with herself if her sons had died.
So Karna had granted her a boon. No matter what, she would always be the mother of five heroes. She had given life to him, so he bore no resentment to her.
It is not in his purview to judge her actions, all he can do is act on his own for his own happiness.
Megumi waits, and Karna realizes that he must have hesitated again. Her face looks almost like Radha's in the light— the same concern in her eyes when he comes home, the same disapproval at giving away his life for someone other than her.
He smiles, and Megumi feels something.
"I may not know much of heroes, but I do know this." Looking at his pale skin, the wisps of flame burning deep within his pale blue eyes, Megumi can only watch in awe. Is this a true hero, a treacherous part of her brain whispers.
Because she has seen Karna. Seen the way he indulges every request, big or small. And when he speaks about Quirks, she can feel some deep–set sorrow, as if he had experienced something similar.
"When I was born, I was set on a river." She gasps in shock— Enji has been abandoned? "It was fate that led to my safety, and the birthright awarded me by my father—"
No wonder. It all clicked together. To have such a childhood…
"When I learned, I was mocked for my pale appearance. The other boys would laugh at me, insulting my father and myself. They saw no potential in I, the son of a poor worker." Karna says, "It mattered not my strength or talent. No matter how large my will or heart, they would forever look down at me."
"All I fought for was to live a life worthy of the gifts bestowed upon me, so—"
"Let the world turn into a righteous place, where the reign of Dharma shall ensure prosperity to everyone irrespective of their not caste and their not so noble beginnings." Megumi recites breathlessly, and she can see Karna's nod of approval.
A quiet silence engulfed the parlor.
"I do not resent my mother. She was fearful and ashamed of what she had done, and I forgave her a long time ago. But my father, who endowed me with my flame and set me on the path of a warrior, I—"
Karna does not know what to say, for once. He cannot say he met Surya after the God had appeared before him, so he instead leaves his words hanging.
"Enji, you, that…"
"I did much wrong in my life. I let my jealousy and anger sway me from the path of righteous—" He recalls his final moments, of a content smile and a promise honored. He had been able to be both son and friend. "But nonetheless, that is who I am. And to see such a system in place, it naturally stands against anything I believe."
Every student should be placed into a standard system of schools. He does not know, but these Quirks could be used for so much more than Hero work— his flame could keep hundreds of generators online, could power a city.
He recalled bitter words.
"Once a charioteer's son, always a charioteer's son." Draupadi had said. He had protested, and even with Duryodhana appointing him King of Anga, she still refused.
"..."
"I do believe we should return," Karna points out, motioning to the line of customers who have watched the two's argument.
Megumi looks absolutely gobsmacked for just a second, before resuming her business mode. "Alright," she grinds out, "But we are having words!"
As Karna steps forward, the first person in line speaks up— a young man, with black hair.
"Do you…?" he asks, waving his hand back and forth hesitantly.
He smiled politely, or at least wiped out any anger in his face. "Any place will have its faults or flaws. To assume such arrogance by taking a position such as that as the truth— no, I shall not do that. I just pointed out the flaws I observed from my stay here."
"I see," the man grunts, "And I think you're right."
Karna raises an eyebrow as he reaches for the banana tub.
"It's a sad day when kids know more about All Might than the Prime Minister who's supposed to be in charge of the whole damn HSPC."
He hums as he scoops out some blueberries, sprinkling them over the yellow sherbet cup.
"Heroes or vigilantes, doesn't make a goddamn difference. Just a piece of paper with some authority handed to children these days." The man handed over a neat pile of bills, "You're right about the whole ranking system. All kids these days want to be number one, cheering for a hero like they're sports teams."
Karna nodded quietly, passing over the finishing Banana Blast.
"What happened to serving quietly, moving up the ranks? No, now we just let them do willy–nilly, and the Heroes fight over everything, debuts, rankings, all for some cash. Before, we had the police. They worked honestly, were transparent, and never hogged the glory. Best of all, they were people— not some clowns in spandex."
"Like you," the man continued, "You don't wear a mask. You work a job part–time, and help anyone out. You don't give a shit about fame or stuff. You're just a guy who wants to help others— selfish or not, I don't give a damn."
Karna nodded quietly. "If I may, I would ask you to forgive those who wronged you."
The man blinked in surprise.
"Not many harbor such distaste for heroes, unless you had a personal experience. But being heroes, I can only assume that you felt wronged. After all, you aren't a hero. What can you say about someone who was doing their job?"
At the silence that followed, Karna handed the receipt to the speechless customer. "The Human spirit is imperfect, flawed. And Heroes are just like that— we can blame them, but to that end, should we not blame ourselves as well? Men like you, who preach from the safety of their homes, never knowing what the reality is like. But at the same time, was it not civilians who extolled quirks, who relentlessly praised Heroes, who gave their approval to this new order?"
The challenge was declared.
(Unbeknownst to Karna, someone had recorded the entire conversation, and naturally posted it to Youtube.
Later on, Karna will have regretted not reprimanding the young boy watching the scene.)
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"Whether a charioteer or a charioteer's son, or whoever else I may be, that is of no consequence! Birth in a noble family depends on fate; but manliness depends on me."
– Karna
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All Might stares at the screen in front of him with a grim face. He had been aware of it, of course. But he was the Symbol of Peace first, and a man second.
Looking at this Karna, a vigilante who the HSPC hadn't punished yet— Namosa had said something of another Hero interfering, which had left Yagi scratching his head. Mirai had always been the brains of their operation, and without him, Yagi was at a loss.
"All my life, I wished to beat him. He was a radiant warrior— a hero of superb moral quality."
All Might thinks of just a second of Enji— how odd that the two men share the same name, and flames. Wait. His brain nearly stops as he snatches his phone from the couch, hardily smashing 'Enji Todoraki' into the search engine. Clicking at the personal life tab, he sees a face with white hair and cool blue eyes looking back at him.
"When I was born, I was set on a river."
""I do not resent my mother. She was fearful and ashamed of what she had done, and I forgave her a long time ago. But my father, who endowed me with my flame and set me on the path of a warrior, I—"
He drops back against the couch, phone all but forgotten as the horrible realization flows through his mind. Endeavor's family troubles had been in the news, something about his wife hurting a child, but this?
It's a wonder the young Enji grew up so well— his foster parents must have been truly exemplary people, no matter how poor they were. When he speaks of being bullied, a pit forms in the Number One hero's stomach.
He knows that feeling, that constant anger against the world. Even now, he hasn't fully forgotten the way they used to look at him— once with distaste and dismissal, but now with admiration and hope.
"The system—"
All Might watches as this child dismantles everything people believed in. But throughout the discussion, he never loses his cool. Not once does he speak with hatred, in fact, the only emotion he shows is admiration; and that's for the mysterious rival.
He and Endeavor had never seen eye–to–eye, but what if…? Could the man resent Yagi for constantly keeping first place in the rankings? He had never considered it, because to him being a Hero was saving people— he didn't give a damn about his ranking or what not.
Karna, Yagi decides, is an alright boy. He doesn't deserve to be punished for his vigilantism– not when he's no doubt lived such a hard life. And to top it all off, he refuses to accept money for the services he renders.
"-was it not civilians who extolled quirks, who relentlessly praised Heroes, who gave their approval to this new order?"
The video cuts out, and All Might watches as a news report is played, but he ignores it. He had been complacent. But the more he thinks, the more he realizes that he had a shop to pay a visit too.
He still hasn't thanked young Enji for stopping that Sludge Villain, hasn't he? And those words he gave to young Midoriya were truly inspiring.
Another sigh left his lungs. To think that the boy would deny his power, instead promising that he would make it in his own way— All Might had wished him the best of luck, but he was left without a successor.
Unless…
His eyes flickered to the screen.
Enji Fubuki.
Could he be the one All Might had been looking for? The one to defeat All for One?
All Yagi knew was this— he had to meet this kid.
A/N: Never did I think that so many people would be interested in this story, so thanks to you all for showing up and leaving behind comments and likes!
Karna is a weird character, in that his lines in the Mahabharat contradict his character in Fate. In the original, he's far more resentful of Kunti, and refuses to recognize her, and at the same time he is
far more loving of his adoptive parents, something which is glossed over for Fate's interpretation of the character. He is also far more hateful of Arjuna, and the Pandavas, and is more of a ambitious anti-hero than the Saint Fate's version is.
So, I had to balance the two out. Keep enough of Fate's Hero of Charity while balancing him out with the OG Vasuneva (the name Karna's adoptive mother gave him), which shows in this chapter. Karna is harshly critical of Hero society- to him, it is pompous and misses the whole point of what a
Hero is. But at the same time, people love it, and he is a man far removed from this world, so it is not his right to pass judgement.
He is honest about his background because he identifies with the Quirkless. He feels their frustration at being denied the path to being a warrior, of being denied the recognition they crave since the moment they're born into a world where Heroes are worshipped as Gods. But at the same time, Karna keep his distance. And his conversation with the unnamed man is all about that.
He is not Arjuna, the hero who abides by Dharma and is the shining virtue of what a Hero should be. He is Karna, the man who is renown for his charity and kindness, but also for his cruelty and jealousy. So that's what he does. He praises Heroes for what they do, but criticizes them for being short-sighted.
Because Karna is a
soldier. He fights for a cause, and that is the people of the future (at least for now), so he'll abide by their will while pointing out their flaws in true Karna fashion. And the story about Karna and Krishna is true, search it up!
As for the All Might POV, yeah...
Yagi has made some misconceptions, and Karna's speech about conviction made Izuku turn down OFA. So now, he decides to pay 'Enji' a visit, already spooked by his guesses about Endeavor. And if you think All Might reacted weirdly, just wait till Endeavor watches it...