The Sun in the Snow: Super Karna in Re
Chapter 1: The Crossing of Worlds
The war was over.
Karna felt the last threads of his existence unravel as his consciousness drifted through a void of nothingness. The son of Surya had fulfilled his duty, fought with honor, and met his end. His divine spear had pierced countless enemies, his golden armor had protected him through countless battles, and now, there was nothing left but the peaceful embrace of oblivion.
Or so he thought.
"Hero of Charity," a voice echoed through the emptiness, neither male nor female, neither young nor old. It resonated with power beyond comprehension, a sound that existed beyond the constraints of reality itself.
Karna's consciousness stirred. "Who calls me?" he asked, his voice calm despite the void surrounding him.
A shimmer appeared before him, gradually taking form—not a physical shape, but rather an impression of light and energy that pulsed with a rhythm reminiscent of a heartbeat. "I am what mortals might call the Will of the World, though your kind has known me as Alaya, Gaia, the Root—mere fragments of understanding."
Karna remained silent, observing this entity with the same stoic demeanor that had characterized him in life.
"A world stands on the precipice of destruction," the entity continued. "Not through war or conquest, but through a cosmic imbalance—a single soul burdened with knowledge beyond its capacity, trapped in a cycle of death and rebirth."
Images flashed through Karna's mind: a world of fantasy, of magic unlike any he had known, of beasts and half-beasts, of spirits and witches, and at the center of it all, a young man with dark hair, his eyes filled with desperation and determination.
"What would you have me do?" Karna asked, direct as always.
"Live again," the entity responded. "Not as a Servant bound to a Master, not as a spirit tethered to the Throne of Heroes, but as yourself—Karna, son of Surya, with all your strength intact. Balance the scales that have been tipped too far in the direction of despair."
Karna considered the offer. "You speak of balance, yet you would send a being of my power into this world. Would that not create further imbalance?"
The entity's light pulsed with what might have been amusement. "Keen insight, Hero of Charity. But this world operates on different principles than your own. The powers that govern it—Od, mana, authorities—they form a tapestry unlike the one you know. Your presence will act not as a destabilizing force, but as a counterweight to forces already in motion."
"And what of my duty? My purpose?"
"That remains yours to decide," the entity answered. "I offer only the opportunity—the path you walk upon arrival is yours alone to choose."
Karna nodded, his decision made with characteristic swiftness. "Then I accept."
The void around him began to dissolve, replaced by swirling energy that enveloped his consciousness. The entity's voice faded as it spoke its final words: "The world awaits you, Son of the Sun. May your light pierce even the deepest darkness."
A blinding flash, a sensation of falling, and then—impact.
Thunder rumbled across the skies of Lugunica, dark clouds unleashing a torrent of rain upon the capital city. The citizens hurried through the streets, seeking shelter from the unexpected storm. None noticed the brilliant flash of golden light that briefly outshone even the lightning on the outskirts of the city.
In a clearing among the trees, a man materialized—tall and slender, with alabaster skin and crimson eyes that seemed to burn with an inner flame. His snow-white hair moved gently despite the raging storm, and the gold markings across his chest gleamed in the darkness. Karna, the Son of Surya, had arrived.
He stood motionless for a moment, allowing his senses to acclimate to this new world. The air felt different—heavier with magical energy of a sort unfamiliar to him. The rain passed through him as if reluctant to touch his divine form.
Karna looked down at himself. He wore the same attire as he had in his final battle—golden ornaments adorning his chest and arms, the rest of his body clad in a form-fitting black material that seemed both part of him and separate. His divine spear, Vasavi Shakti, was nowhere to be seen, though he could still feel its power dormant within him, waiting to be called forth if needed.
"So this is the world that requires balance," he murmured, his voice barely audible above the storm.
With purposeful strides, he began walking toward the lights of the capital city visible in the distance. The rain continued to pour, creating a misty veil through which the city's silhouette appeared more dreamlike than real.
As he approached the city gates, Karna noticed the guards staring at him with a mixture of awe and suspicion. His appearance was certainly unusual even by the standards of this world, with his pale skin, crimson eyes, and the golden accessories that marked him as divine.
"Halt!" one of the guards called out, raising his spear. "State your business in the capital!"
Karna stopped, regarding the man with a neutral expression. "I seek shelter from the storm," he replied simply.
The guard exchanged glances with his companion, clearly unsure how to proceed. This stranger's appearance screamed danger, yet there was something in his demeanor that inspired not fear, but a strange sort of respect.
"Are you... human?" the second guard asked hesitantly.
"I am Karna," he answered, offering no further explanation.
After a moment of uncomfortable silence, the first guard lowered his spear slightly. "The gates close at nightfall, but... I suppose we can make an exception, given the weather. Just... keep to yourself and cause no trouble."
Karna nodded. "You have my word."
The guards stepped aside, allowing him passage into the capital. As he walked past them, one whispered to the other, "Did you feel that? It was like standing next to the sun itself."
The other guard could only nod, watching as the strange white-haired man disappeared into the rain-soaked streets of the city.
The capital was a maze of stone buildings and cobblestone streets, illuminated by magic-powered streetlights that cast a soft glow through the rain. Karna moved through the nearly empty streets, observing the architecture, the people hurrying to their destinations, the occasional carriage pulled by ground dragons—creatures he had never seen before.
He absorbed everything with quiet interest, comparing this world to his own. The technology seemed less advanced, yet the magical energy permeating everything spoke of different kinds of advancement. The people themselves appeared mostly human, though he noticed some with animal features—cat ears, fox tails, scales along their visible skin.
As night fell and the storm intensified, Karna found himself in what appeared to be a less reputable district of the city. The buildings were more worn, the streets narrower and poorly lit. Few people ventured out here, even before the rain had driven most indoors.
A small, dilapidated building caught his attention—not for its appearance, but for the subtle thread of fate that seemed to draw him toward it. A wooden sign swung in the wind, its paint faded but still legible: "The Loot House."
Karna stood before the entrance, feeling a convergence of possibilities surrounding this place. This was no coincidence—the cosmic forces that had brought him to this world had guided him here specifically. With resolute purpose, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The interior was dimly lit, with a few patrons scattered around rough wooden tables. A large man with a scarred face stood behind a counter, eyeing the newcomer with immediate suspicion. Conversation died as Karna entered, all eyes turning to observe the strange figure who had just walked in from the storm.
Karna surveyed the room calmly, his gaze eventually settling on a table in the corner, where a solitary figure sat hooded and hunched, as if trying to avoid attention. Even from across the room, he could sense something different about this person—an aura of magic unlike the others.
"We don't serve your kind here," the barkeeper growled, breaking the silence.
Karna turned his crimson eyes toward the man. "My kind?" he questioned, genuinely curious.
"Don't play dumb," the man spat. "Half-elves ain't welcome. Take your white hair and red eyes elsewhere."
Understanding dawned on Karna. In this world, his appearance carried specific connotations. "I am not what you think," he stated simply. "I seek only shelter from the rain."
Before the barkeeper could respond, the door burst open again, and a large figure stumbled in, dripping wet and cursing loudly. "Blasted weather! Rom, get me a drink before I kill someone!"
The newcomer was a burly woman with fiery red hair tied in a disheveled ponytail. She carried an enormous blade on her back with the casual ease of someone who knew how to use it. As she shook the water from her cloak, her eyes landed on Karna, and her expression shifted from irritation to interested surprise.
"Well, well," she drawled, sauntering over. "What have we here? Another half-elf, or something else entirely?" She circled Karna, examining him with unabashed curiosity. "You're not from around here, are you, pretty boy?"
"Elsa, leave the customers alone," the barkeeper—Rom, apparently—called out, though there was little genuine reprimand in his tone.
The woman named Elsa grinned, revealing teeth that seemed too sharp to be fully human. "But this one's interesting, Rom. I can feel it." She leaned closer to Karna, her voice dropping to a whisper. "What are you really, stranger? You smell like divinity."
Karna met her gaze without flinching. "I am merely a traveler seeking refuge from the storm."
Elsa laughed, a sound that contained more threat than humor. "Aren't we all?" She finally stepped back, making her way to the bar. "I'll have my usual, Rom. And whatever the divine traveler wants."
Rom grunted, clearly unhappy but unwilling to challenge the woman. "What'll it be, then?" he asked Karna grudgingly.
"Water will suffice," Karna replied, moving toward an empty table near the hooded figure in the corner.
As he sat down, he became aware of a small crystalline sound, like ice tinkling against glass. From beneath the hood of the corner figure emerged a small, cat-like creature with blue fur and intelligent eyes. It floated in the air, regarding Karna with obvious suspicion.
"You're making my daughter uncomfortable," the creature spoke, its voice masculine and protective.
Karna turned his full attention to the pair. "That was not my intention," he responded truthfully.
The hooded figure stirred, a delicate hand emerging to push back the hood slightly, revealing a glimpse of violet eyes and silver hair. "It's all right, Puck," she whispered, her voice gentle but laced with caution. "He doesn't seem... like the others."
Karna recognized her immediately from the visions the cosmic entity had shown him—Emilia, the half-elf whose fate was somehow intertwined with the cosmic imbalance he had been sent to address. And the floating cat-like creature must be Puck, a spirit of considerable power despite his diminutive appearance.
"You are Emilia," Karna stated, not a question but a confirmation.
The hood fell back completely, revealing a face of stunning beauty—pale skin, delicate features, and eyes filled with surprise and wariness. "How do you know my name?" she asked, her hand instinctively reaching for Puck, who moved protectively closer to her.
Before Karna could answer, the atmosphere in the tavern shifted. A group of men who had been watching from another table stood up and began approaching, malice evident in their postures.
"Look at that," one of them sneered. "Two half-elves in one night. Must be our lucky day."
Puck bristled, ice crystals forming in the air around him. "I suggest you reconsider whatever you're thinking," the spirit warned, his cute appearance belying the danger in his voice.
Emilia placed a restraining hand on her companion. "Puck, please. We should just leave."
"No one's leaving," another man growled, drawing a crude knife from his belt. "Not before we teach these witch-lovers a lesson."
Karna observed the escalating situation with calm detachment. Violence was imminent, but he had given his word to the city guards that he would cause no trouble. Yet, allowing harm to come to Emilia would contradict the purpose for which he had been sent to this world.
As the first man lunged forward, knife aimed at Emilia, time seemed to slow for Karna. With movement too swift for ordinary eyes to follow, he interposed himself between the attacker and Emilia, catching the man's wrist in a grip of iron.
"I would advise against this course of action," Karna stated, his voice even but resonating with quiet authority.
The attacker's eyes widened in shock—not just at Karna's speed, but at the sensation of heat emanating from the pale man's hand, hot enough to be painful without causing actual burns.
From her position at the bar, Elsa watched with undisguised interest, her hand casually resting on the hilt of her blade. Rom tensed, clearly anticipating violence that would damage his establishment.
The confrontation hung in perfect balance, a moment suspended between peace and chaos, with Karna standing as the fulcrum upon which fate would pivot. The Son of the Sun had arrived in Re
's world, and already the threads of destiny were beginning to reweave themselves around his presence.
Chapter 2: Flames in the Night
The tension in the Loot House stretched thin as a bowstring as Karna maintained his grip on the attacker's wrist. The man's companions hesitated, uncertainty replacing their earlier bravado. They had expected easy prey, not this alabaster-skinned stranger who radiated heat and danger.
"Release him," one of the other men demanded, though his voice lacked conviction.
Karna's crimson gaze shifted to the speaker. "When he no longer poses a threat to the lady," he replied evenly.
The first attacker winced as he tried to pull away from Karna's grip. "Let go, you bastard! You're burning me!"
With deliberate slowness, Karna released the man's wrist, which now bore a red mark in the shape of Karna's fingers. The man stumbled backward, clutching his arm and glaring with a mixture of pain and fury.
"You'll regret that," he hissed, but made no move to attack again.
From her position at the bar, Elsa's interest had clearly peaked. She sauntered forward, inserting herself into the confrontation with predatory grace. "My, my... such an interesting development," she purred, eyes gleaming with dangerous curiosity as she circled the group. "A gallant hero defending a damsel? Or perhaps..." Her gaze lingered on Karna's divine markings. "Something more complex?"
"This doesn't concern you, Elsa," Rom called from behind the bar, his tone warning.
Elsa merely smiled, a gesture that never reached her eyes. "Everything interesting concerns me, Rom." She turned to the group of would-be attackers. "I suggest you gentlemen reconsider your evening entertainment. This one—" she nodded toward Karna, "—isn't what he appears to be. And neither am I."
There was something in her tone—a promise of violence far beyond what they had intended to deliver—that made the men exchange nervous glances. After a moment of tense silence, they backed away, muttering threats and insults as they retreated to their table.
Elsa's smile widened fractionally as she turned to Karna. "Interesting indeed," she murmured, before returning to the bar, though her attention remained fixed on the pale warrior even as she took her seat.
With the immediate threat neutralized, Karna turned his attention back to Emilia and Puck. The half-elf was watching him with wide, violet eyes, a mixture of gratitude and apprehension on her face.
"Thank you," she said softly, "though I could have handled it myself."
Puck floated between them, his small form somehow managing to convey protectiveness despite his size. "Yes, you could have," the spirit agreed, scrutinizing Karna. "Though I'm curious... what are you exactly? You look like a half-elf, but you feel like... something else entirely."
Karna considered his response carefully. In this world, his appearance marked him as a half-elf, a race apparently subject to prejudice and hostility. Yet he was something far different—a divine hero from another reality altogether. How much should he reveal?
"I am Karna," he replied simply, deciding that truth, even if partial, was preferable to deception. "I am not from these lands."
"That much is obvious," Puck retorted, crossing his tiny arms. "But you didn't answer my question. What are you? I can sense an immense power within you—not quite magic as we know it, but something... older. More primal."
Emilia placed a gentle hand on Puck's head. "It's all right, Puck. He helped us when he didn't have to." She looked up at Karna, her expression earnest. "Please, sit with us. The least we can do is offer conversation as thanks for your intervention."
Karna nodded and took a seat across from Emilia, aware of the various eyes in the establishment that continued to watch their interaction with varying degrees of hostility, curiosity, and, in Elsa's case, predatory interest.
"You knew my name," Emilia said once he was seated. "How?"
"I heard it spoken," Karna replied, the answer technically true while avoiding the complexities of his foreknowledge.
Emilia looked skeptical but didn't press the issue. "Well, now you know who I am. And this is Puck, my contracted spirit."
"A pleasure to meet you both," Karna responded with formal politeness.
Puck floated closer, inspecting Karna with obvious curiosity. "Your mana is... strange. Unlike anything I've encountered in four hundred years." The spirit sniffed. "It smells like sunlight."
A small smile touched Karna's lips. "An apt observation."
"Are you here for the royal selection?" Emilia asked suddenly, lowering her voice so only Karna and Puck could hear.
Karna tilted his head slightly. "Royal selection?"
Emilia's brow furrowed in surprise. "You truly must be from far away if you haven't heard. The king of Lugunica has died without an heir. Five candidates will compete to become the next ruler. I..." She hesitated, a flash of uncertainty crossing her features. "I am one of those candidates."
This information aligned with what the cosmic entity had shown Karna—fragments of a young woman's journey from outcast to potential ruler, complicated by prejudice and supernatural threats.
"A noble aspiration," Karna commented.
Emilia's eyes widened slightly, then softened with unexpected warmth. "Most people laugh when they hear a half-elf wishes to be queen. Or worse."
"I judge individuals by their actions and character, not their lineage," Karna stated simply.
Puck grinned, floating over to rest on Karna's shoulder—a gesture that clearly surprised Emilia. "I like him," the spirit declared, patting Karna's white hair with a tiny paw.
Emilia's surprise gave way to a gentle smile. "Puck doesn't warm to people easily. You must be special, Karna."
Before he could respond, the door to the tavern burst open once more, admitting a gust of rain-laden wind and a diminutive figure wrapped in a tattered cloak. The newcomer pushed back her hood, revealing a young girl with blonde hair and determined red eyes.
"I'm looking for Rom," she announced, her voice high but commanding.
The large barkeeper straightened. "Felt? What are you doing here at this hour? And in this weather?"
The girl named Felt marched directly to the bar, ignoring the other patrons. "Business, old man. The kind that pays well." She glanced around suspiciously, her gaze lingering momentarily on Emilia and Karna before she turned back to Rom. "Is there somewhere we can talk privately?"
As Rom led the girl to a back room, Emilia's expression became troubled. "We should leave," she whispered to Puck. "We've stayed too long already."
Puck nodded, floating back to hover by Emilia's shoulder. "You're right. It's not safe, especially with—" The spirit's eyes darted toward Elsa, who was watching them with undisguised interest.
Karna stood as Emilia began gathering her things. "Allow me to accompany you," he offered. "The streets can be dangerous at night."
Emilia hesitated, clearly torn between caution toward this stranger and recognition of the genuine assistance he had provided. Before she could respond, however, Elsa appeared beside them, moving with predatory grace.
"Leaving so soon?" the red-haired woman asked, her voice silky with hidden menace. "The night has barely begun, and I find myself... intrigued by your new friend."
Puck bristled visibly, ice crystals forming in the air around him. "We have no business with you, Elsa Granhiert."
Elsa's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Oh? You know my name? I'm flattered." Her gaze slid to Karna, assessing and hungry. "But it's not you I'm interested in, spirit. It's this one—the man who smells of divinity and moves faster than the eye can follow."
Karna met her stare evenly. "Your interest is noted but unnecessary. We are simply leaving."
A flash of something dangerous passed across Elsa's features before her smile returned, wider and sharper than before. "Of course. Far be it from me to delay your departure." She stepped aside with exaggerated courtesy. "Though I suspect we'll meet again very soon."
The threat in her words was barely veiled, but Karna merely nodded, ushering Emilia toward the door while positioning himself between her and Elsa. As they reached the entrance, Emilia glanced back at the red-haired woman with obvious concern.
"She's dangerous," Emilia whispered once they were outside in the rain-soaked street. "They call her the Bowel Hunter. She's a notorious assassin who takes... trophies from her victims."
Karna absorbed this information with characteristic stoicism. "I sensed her violent nature," he acknowledged. "Though I wonder at her presence in such an establishment on this particular night."
Puck shook his head, creating a small magical barrier that kept the rain from drenching them. "Nothing good, that's certain. Which is why we need to leave this district immediately."
As they began walking, Emilia glanced at Karna curiously. "Where are you staying in the capital?"
"I have no accommodations," Karna replied honestly. Having just arrived in this world, he had yet to consider such practicalities.
Emilia bit her lip, clearly debating with herself before coming to a decision. "You helped us when others would not," she said finally. "I can at least offer you shelter for the night. I'm staying at the Roswaal Mansion, outside the city."
Puck's eyes widened. "Lia, are you sure? We barely know him."
"You said yourself you liked him," Emilia reminded the spirit. "And besides, Roswaal and Ram will be there. It's not as if we're defenseless."
Karna considered the offer. The mansion would provide a base from which to better understand this world and the role he was meant to play in it. Moreover, it would keep him close to Emilia, who seemed central to the events unfolding around them.
"I accept your hospitality with gratitude," he said with a slight bow.
As they made their way through the rain-slicked streets toward the city gates, none of them noticed the shadowy figure watching from the rooftops above—a slender silhouette outlined briefly by lightning, a curved blade gleaming in her hand before she disappeared into the night.
Nor did they sense another presence that would soon arrive at the Loot House—a young man from another world, about to begin his own journey of suffering and growth, whose path would now intertwine with that of the Son of the Sun in ways neither could possibly anticipate.
The wheels of fate were turning, their paths altered irrevocably by Karna's arrival. The balance of this world, precariously maintained through cycles of death and rebirth, had begun to shift. Whether toward salvation or destruction remained to be seen.