Two girls.
Without a doubt, they were Rin Tohsaka, Master of Gilgash, and Luvia Edelfelt, Master of Karna.
They were the explanation Shinji had promised. After Roman's sudden departure, Shinji had rushed to the battlefield where Rin and Luvia had been fighting. Carrying one girl in each arm, he brought them back to Gilgash and Karna.
The girls didn't resist being carried—because they couldn't. It wasn't that Shinji had used force, but because their physical condition was so bad that they were completely at his rcy. This was the reason Roman had said the battle couldn't continue.
Just how bad was it?
The most obvious and critical point was that they had lost consciousness, falling into a deep coma.
There were two reasons for their unconsciousness.
First, injuries. The girls' bodies were covered in wounds from head to toe. At a glance, there were at least a dozen bruises and welts, as if they had been splashed with paint. Even their faces, so precious to won, hadn't been spared.
Rin's cheeks were swollen, making her look like she had mumps. Luvia wasn't faring much better; her beautiful eyes had turned into panda eyes. Scrapes, bruises, and sprains covered the rest of their bodies—too many to count.
Second, exhaustion. For magus, exhaustion doesn't just an physical depletion; it also ans magical energy depletion, both of which are forms of life force. If a magus faints from exhaustion, it's a sign that their life force is extrely weak and in danger.
After laying the two girls on the ground, Shinji added two runes for life restoration. From the mont he arrived, he had been using his magic to replenish the girls' life force. As he drew the runes, he explained himself.
"I swear by any ans you wish—I didn't lay a finger on them. All these injuries were caused by their fight with each other. As for their magical energy... well—"
Shinji let out a slight chuckle, his eyes briefly passing over the two EX-class Noble Phantasms. The implication was clear: Even top-tier magus can't sustain the repeated use of such high-level Noble Phantasms. How many tis have you two unleashed them during this fight? Even with mana-storing gemstones, the consumption on this scale is unsustainable.
On his way here, Shinji had checked Rin and Luvia's gemstone pouches. There wasn't a single intact gemstone left—only fragnts and dust from drained mana crystals. Gilgash and Karna's exhilarating fight had been made possible only by Rin and Luvia's reckless efforts.
In their current state, if Gilgash were to release EA or Karna his god-slaying spear again, they would undoubtedly shorten their Masters' lives. Worse still, it could very well kill them.
Both golden Servants possessed the ability to see through lies and discern the truth, so they didn't doubt Shinji's words.
Karna imdiately knelt beside his Master, sincerely apologizing:
"I'm sorry, Master. I was so absorbed in the battle that I neglected your condition. Thank you, Shinji Matou, for saving my Master."
"Ah, don't ntion it. We know each other, after all. I couldn't just stand by and watch them die."
Shinji waved his hand dismissively. After all, part of the reason he had insisted on coming to the scene was exactly for this.
Gilgash, however, remained floating in the air, showing no intention of descending. He let out an annoyed snort.
"They couldn't even handle this much? Today's magus are far too weak. Back in my ti, my contests with my friend lasted for days, or even weeks. I'm sure Karna would say the sa."
"Don't compare ordinary humans with demigods like yourselves," Shinji retorted.
"You claim to hate the gods, yet you use their power. The Hero King, child of the goddess Ninsun and Lugalbanda—two-thirds divine."
"Are you provoking , Clown?"
Gilgash's tone was both scornful and warning.
"If that's how you want to take it, then sure."
Shinji's voice held no trace of fear as he slowly stood up, eting Gilgash's gaze in the sky.
"But let remind you—if you keep wasting mana at this rate, Rin won't last much longer. Is this how you fulfill your responsibilities as King, Hero King?"
"A Clown is always blinded by the obvious and fails to see the truth beneath the surface. Rin and Luvia are no longer ordinary magus, and neither are you, Clown. Now, take this and sprinkle it on their faces."
With a flick of his wrist, Gilgash summoned a crystal vial from his treasury, which landed neatly in Shinji's hand.
"What's this?"
Shinji asked.
"A potion to stimulate life force."
"Huh? With them in this state, where could they possibly have any life force left?"
Gilgash sighed as if bored with Shinji's protest.
"If your teacher were here, she wouldn't question my decision. In fact, she would have seen the truth already—wouldn't you agree, Karna?"
"Do as the Hero King says, Shinji Matou," Karna said calmly, nodding.
With a guarantee from the noble hero, who was too honest to lie, Shinji no longer hesitated. He opened the vial and, following Gilgash's instructions, sprinkled the potion on Rin and Luvia's faces.
True to Gilgash's reputation for only possessing the finest treasures, the potion was instantly absorbed into their skin upon contact. Almost imdiately, a radiant glow began to emanate from the girls' bodies, and their once-terrible complexion and injuries started to heal before his eyes.
Seeing this, Shinji furrowed his brow and let out a soft "Hmm?"
With his current knowledge and insight, he could tell that Rin and Luvia were recovering by drawing on their life force. But where was all this life force coming from? It wasn't as if they had consud the blood of a True Ancestor.
After thinking for a mont, Shinji turned his gaze back to Gilgash.
"You—you didn't feed Rin sothing, did you?"
"Your perception is lacking, but your instincts aren't bad. Here's a hint: your teacher made a deal with ten years ago."
"I see now—golden apples!"
Shinji's eyes flashed with realization.
"So, every ti you're re-summoned, your treasury resets."
"You do have strange priorities, Clown," Gilgash chuckled.
"Aren't you going to ask why I did it?"
"No need to ask. It's either because she wants to defeat , or you want a fair fight with Shishou. Though arrogant and self-centered, you've always been generous to those you favor. And Rin happens to have great compatibility with you."
Gilgash let out a surprised "Oh" at that response.
"Your insight is surprisingly sharp in this area. You're right—the reason is exactly as you said. Inspired by Scathach, I gave Rin a golden apple and water of life. However, due to the short amount of ti, much of the apple's power remains dormant within her, waiting to be fully absorbed. This injury has provided the perfect opportunity for her to accelerate the absorption. By the next ti she faces you, she should have completely assimilated the golden apple's effects. Prepare yourself, Clown. I will personally help Rin exact her revenge."
PS: Just to clarify, Gilgash didn't destroy the Age of Gods. During his ti, most of the gods were natural deities rather than faith-based ones, and there wasn't a concept of divine pantheons or god systems.
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