Shinji Matou At Your Service

Chapter 435: The Converging Storm in Sighişoara (Part 9 )

Shinji, busy dealing with Mordred's outburst, did not hear her inner thoughts.

"I never thought there would be a day when I'd trust a magus."

Until now, she had never placed any trust in magus. She always thought of them as twisted, reclusive individuals. No, in fact, the magus she had encountered were generally like that.

However, this magus was different.

He didn't hide behind the scenes, plotting unseen schemes like other magus.

He fought head-on like herself, willing to do whatever it took for victory, with an attack-to-defense ratio of probably ninety to ten.

Like her, he trusted his intuition.

He would risk his life for her when she was in danger.

So, there were magus out there who shared her interests.

It made sense. The catalyst used to summon her was a fragment of the Round Table. This meant that any of the Round Table Knights could have appeared—even Lancelot, who insulted her father, or the detestable model student, Gawain—but it ended up being her.

The answer was clear: she and her Master, Kairi, were the same kind of people.

So, what was there to worry about?

Mordred let out a loud cry, spun on her heel, and swung her massive sword, creating a storm of blades.

"All I have to do is take you down!"

The road they were on was not wide. Once Mordred's blade storm began, Shinji's space to dodge was severely limited, and his wrist blade and hand axe were insufficient to block the increasingly heavy King's sword.

In an instant, the situation took a sudden and dramatic turn.

"Got you, Assassin!"

In the blink of an eye, Shinji was cornered against the wall, but there was still no hint of panic on his face.

With a flick of his wrist, the hand axe that had caused Mordred so much trouble was thrown. Then, changing his strategy from evasive maneuvering, he charged into the blade storm. A dazzling light shone from his outstretched left hand, and even the wrist blade attached to the device on his left wrist seemed to be coated in a layer of gold.

This light was different from the light of the Excalibur that protected the planet or the light of the Rhongomyniad that protected humanity. It was a color rare in the West, a mystery from the East, the power called "Buddha," the faith known as Buddhism.

Under the protection of this power, Shinji charged into the tornado-like sword pressure with a bravery that matched Mordred's.

The continuous impact of the sword pressure, as strong as real blades, struck his body, cutting through the Buddha's light protection, creating numerous fine wounds and drawing forth blood dyed gold by the Buddha's light.

However, Shinji's expression remained unchanged, as if he did not feel any pain.

If the one being harmed did not fear, the one causing the harm would fear even less.

"Mana Burst" at maximum output, the Clarent was drenched in crimson lightning, completely turning into a red, demonic sword.

The demonic sword, infused with all of Mordred's strength, slashed towards the increasingly close wrist blade with a force that surpassed fierce intensity.

This strike was the strongest Mordred had delivered today, nearly reaching the peak of her power without unleashing her Noble Phantasm.

This strike was not something the "fragile" wrist blade, even enhanced by magic, could withstand.

Unsurprisingly, the wrist blade shattered, breaking into pieces from the tip of the sword and finally being blown to powder by the crimson lightning.

With the last barrier between them gone, Mordred believed her King's Sword would sever the arm before her and then cleave its owner in two. However, what happened next was entirely beyond her expectations.

Just before this fatal blow, which would undoubtedly cause a mortal wound if it hit, could touch Shinji's skin, his left hand grabbed Mordred's sword-wielding wrist first.

"No—"

The first word reached her ears, causing a sharp pain in Mordred's nerves—a warning from her "Instinct." But it was too late for her to react; she could only watch as her fully-powered Crimson King's Sword was forcibly halted.

To be precise, it wasn't completely stopped; its momentum was skillfully redirected—changing the body's center of gravity through footwork, thus moving Mordred's body.

It was a throwing technique!

It was only then that Mordred realized what technique it was. Shinji's right hand pressed against her breastplate, flipping her into the air and slamming her into a nearby building.

It was also at this moment that he had time to finish the rest of his sentence.

"—I've got you."

The fierce attack was deftly redirected back to Mordred, the violent impact penetrating through her armor, into her muscles, and finally reaching her internal organs. The young knight involuntarily spat out a mouthful of blood, her trembling right hand barely managing to thrust her King's Sword into the wall before she slid down. Using the leverage, she leaped onto the rooftop.

Seeing this, Shinji couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.

If the battlefield were wider, allowing Mordred to be thrown into the air and then slammed down, Shinji could have followed up with another combo, potentially crippling Mordred in one go.

Hearing the sound of armor scraping against the rooftop above, Shinji knew he had missed his chance.

Despite the precise calculations, Shinji had inevitably suffered significant injuries. His chest, thigh, and waist bore gaping wounds, the price of breaking through the blade storm.

His left arm's biceps and triceps were also damaged. Even though he had grabbed Mordred's wrist and despite the wrist blade breaking the impact, even in his Vajra's Left Arm mode, he couldn't fully block Mordred's strike. This was why Shinji hadn't pursued her.

"What a pity, I even used 'Pankration'."

With a soft sigh the "Staff of the Goddess" and "Life Runes" appeared simultaneously, quickly healing Shinji's injuries.

Pankration, originating from ancient Greece, is a comprehensive combat technique that blends boxing and wrestling, the world's oldest form of mixed martial arts, and one of Shinji's specialized training results.

Chiron, who possessed Wisdom of Divine Gift, mastered all Greek system skills—sword, spear, and bow, not to mention unarmed combat techniques. To counter Achilles's speed and fierce combat style, Chiron specifically taught this combat art, which emphasizes flexibility over brute force and ingenuity over ritual, focusing on anticipation and adaptability, to Shinji.

Shinji naturally used this throwing technique from the combat art against Mordred's ferocious assault.

What? He mastered "Pankration" in just two days of special training and could use it proficiently. Are you sure this isn't a joke?

It's not a joke at all. Shinji indeed mastered "Pankration" and became a true wrestler.