Shinji didn't waver under Scáthach's overwhelming presence. Instead, he smiled confidently.
"I know. I still have a trump card."
"I'm looking forward to it. I hope you won't disappoint ," Scáthach smiled as well.
"Of course not. It's sothing you'll never expect."
"Oh? Then what are you waiting for? Show it to . Let see."
Hearing Shinji's response, Scáthach's smile grew even more joyful, her gaze predatory as if she was ready to devour him whole.
She understood what sothing unexpected ant.
Over the past ten years, she had developed a little hobby—using her Clairvoyance to watch over her disciple. While her Clairvoyance wasn't as convenient as rlin's, who could monitor the whole world, she could still track people like Shinji through their connections.
Whenever she finished her daily training or was bored, she would secretly check in on the world, watching Shinji and Sakura's growth, noticing Justeaze's changes, keeping an eye on whether Byakuya relapsed into old habits, or seeing if Kariya's love life improved.
Of all her observations, her hopes for Shinji were the highest, and she spent the most ti watching him.
However, Scáthach wasn't rlin—she wasn't a voyeur. She didn't constantly spy on him. When Shinji was training or fighting, she deliberately avoided watching. She didn't want to lose the surprise of facing his grown abilities herself.
Still, as soone who had lived far beyond the human world, as a Queen of the Shadow Realm, even the smallest bit of information allowed her to infer a lot. It was an unconscious instinct born from her long life.
The skills, weapons, tactics, and strategies Shinji had shown so far weren't things she had necessarily witnessed firsthand, but she had anticipated them to so degree. They weren't too surprising.
But now, the sothing unexpected Shinji emphasized was sothing she had no prior information on—perhaps sothing he had gained after being taken by Zelretch and had been kept hidden, never used in this world.
That kind of complete surprise was what she looked forward to most—the kind of unexpected treasure that truly excited her.
However, just as Scáthach's anticipation was reaching a fever pitch, Shinji suddenly put away his shield and golden bow, shaking his head as he said, "I'd love to, but I refuse!"
"Why?"
"Because I, Matou Shinji, love saying no to people who think they know it all."
"You're teasing , aren't you?"
"Yep, and I'm having a great ti doing it. Surprised? Didn't see that coming, did you?"
Shinji couldn't help but laugh at his joke.
"Yes, I'm surprised. Surprised enough to want to kill you."
Scáthach's gaze shifted, becoming predatory in a whole new way. The aning was crystal clear—"Try teasing again and see what happens. Are you, Matou Shinji, feeling bold, or have I, Scáthach, really gotten too old to teach you a lesson? Just because you've disard yourself doesn't an I won't hit you. It's a master's right to discipline her disciple."
Seeing that Scathach was genuinely angry, Shinji quickly wiped the smile off his face and explained, "Alright, that's not the main reason."
"What is it then?"
"First reason, ti's up," Shinji raised a finger.
"That's it? You said you'd defeat , and now you're backing out?"
"Of course not," Shinji shook his head.
"But to defeat you, I need to do so without any outside interference. This place won't do."
"You're worried about Cú Chulainn and his Master?"
Scáthach glanced toward the edge of the field.
"They won't interfere. They're not that type of people."
"I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about—who's already here."
When they chose the school as their battleground, dea had set up multiple wards and surveillance spells around the area. The mont sothing happened, Shinji would be alerted.
Just monts ago, Shinji had received that information—another Servant was charging toward them, making no effort to conceal their presence.
As soon as Shinji finished speaking, everyone heard a heavy, low rumble, followed by the screech of tires on the ground. A golden flash appeared on the horizon and ca to a halt on the school's walls.
It was a golden motorcycle. The engine was still running, emitting a thrilling roar that resonated with the air.
The rider, a man with golden hair, a black coat, and dark sunglasses, was unmistakably a Servant. Sitting astride the bike, he looked down at everyone on the field from his elevated position.
"I sensed so noise in my courtyard. As expected, a bunch of mongrels are making a racket. Since I'm in a good mood today, I'll give you one chance. Leave now, mongrels."
"Oh dear, seems like we've got quite the big shot here. And that mount of yours is interesting. Is it a modern-day horse?"
Cú Chulainn, holding his spear with one hand, grinned at the motorcycle-riding Servant.
"Your eyes aren't too bad for a mongrel, but—"
Suddenly, countless weapons appeared in the air, each gleaming with a chilling light, brimming with the power and mystery of Noble Phantasms.
"—When I tell you to leave, it would be polite to comply!"
With a snap of his fingers, the weapons in the air rained down. Half of them were aid at Cú Chulainn, while the rest indiscriminately covered everyone at the school.
"Tch, this guy! Master, stay back."
Cú Chulainn clicked his tongue and pushed his Master aside, charging forward with his spear to et the barrage of Noble Phantasms.
The rider smirked in disdain, clearly thinking it was a foolish move.
But the result was different. More than twenty weapons, each falling like a torrential downpour, didn't touch the blue Lancer—not one. He either dodged or deflected them with his spear.
The sa was true for the others. Though Cú Chulainn and Bazett moved, the others—Shinji, Scáthach, and dusa—did not. Before the weapons reached them, more stakes rose from the ground, colliding with the incoming Phantasms.
The stakes were shattered, but they successfully deflected the Noble Phantasms' trajectories.
Seeing this, the rider's smirk didn't fade.
"Oh, you managed to block that? Not bad, for a mongrel. But—"
The sky darkened, or rather, it lit up.
The stars in the sky were eclipsed by even more Noble Phantasms, their radiance turning the battlefield as bright as day.
Shinji prepared to retaliate with another barrage of stakes, but Scáthach stopped him.
The Queen of the Shadow Lands patted her disciple on the shoulder, then leaped onto one of the stakes, now eye-level with the rider.
"You haven't changed at all, have you, King of Heroes from Babylon?"
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