章 484: C484
Solomon gazed at him. The young man was so bright and full of life, radiating the same vibrant light Solomon had witnessed during his own lifetime—the glow of humanity he had always wanted to embrace.
Scathach danced nimbly atop the monster, her crimson spear moving so swiftly that it was almost a blur in her grasp. She didn't just tear through the monster and shatter its defenses; she also protected the other Heroic Spirits as they made their ascent towards the tainted relic of the Lord.
The monster's rage was palpable, and it let loose its divine might to its fullest. Streaks of black lightning swirled and erupted.
"Boom! Boom!"
Wherever the lightning struck, it tore through the very fabric of the Temple of Time, disrupting the temple's usual flow of space and time.
Shirou remained calm amidst the chaos. Scathach was fighting with all her might to protect the others as well. Solomon, with a tap on his throne, commanded the Demon God Pillars to engage the black lightning. Bursts of magical energy exploded in every direction, illuminating the entire space with dazzling light.
However, these blasts of magical energy could not suppress the black lightning; rather, they provoked it to retaliate.
"Boom! Boom!"
Black lightning struck fiercely, directly hitting the section housing the Demon God Pillars. Instantly, the area exploded, and the Demon God Pillars shattered into smithereens, blooming in the sky like fireworks.
But it didn't stop there. This menacing black lightning was trying its best to rip through the space-time flows of the Temple of Time, attempting to break free from this sealed temple.
However, just then, Artoria showed up, riding Dun Stallion, reaching the gleaming spot of the black cup before anyone else.
Holding the holy sword in her left hand and the holy spear in her right, she looked like an unbeatable warrior goddess, charging straight towards the black cup.
She shouted and the two Noble Phantasms fused together, casting a bright glow over the entire temple. With a deafening blast, the muddy form of the monstrosity cracked open, exposing the cup, shimmering with a sinister black glow.
She slid the holy sword into its sheath and reached out, seizing the dark cup and wrenching it free.
The abomination reacted with a ferocious roar. Its whole body erupted spontaneously, every face, every pore ejecting black mud as though it was imploding.
Shirou's voice rang out, "Artie, move!"
Digging her heels into Dun Stallion's sides, the steed responded with a powerful neigh, launching them upwards and away from the imploding abomination.
The rest of the Heroic Spirits made a beeline away from the creature, attempting to dodge the mud it sprayed and to avoid being trapped beneath its massive form.
Arjuna shot Karna a sharp look. "Looks like no one's winning this round."
Karna just shrugged, countering evenly, "Argue all you want, but it won't change the fact that I was three steps ahead."
Arjuna's eyes flared with anger, staring down Karna with the fury of a cornered beast. If not for being summoned by the Counter Force, he would've loved to settle the score with him right then and there.
Suddenly, a deafening "Roar!" cut their confrontation short.
The abomination, now without the black cup, let out a sound of pure fury. Its form liquefied, turning into a rush of mud and debris, fusing together into a large mass. Bolts of electricity danced around it. The power and aspect left by the gods of a parallel world were on full, wild display. The thick mud pooled together, then exploded outward in an endless flood.
"Scathach, take it down!" Shirou yelled over the noise.
Though this new form of the abomination seemed even more nightmarish, it was essentially just a display of raw power. Without the black cup, it put on a good show but was far less powerful than before.
Scathach's grip on her spear tightened, her eyes sparkling with fierce determination. The surrounding purple flames draped around her like a cloak of doom, rendering her presence truly ominous.
Everything converged into a single focal point, channeling into the crimson spear she wielded, and then she unleashed it with all her might.
This technique was something she had never revealed to him before. It was the epitome of her 1,500 years of growth, a paramount strike that combined everything she had, be it strength, mana, skills, or even noble phantasm, into one decisive blow.
"Boom!"
The crimson spear surged forward like a streak of crimson lightning, and in that split second, it seemed to cut through both time and space itself.
Okita Souji's face showed utter amazement. Her swordsmanship was already at a mind-blowing level, a realm that seemed beyond mere human capability. In their fleeting interaction, she recognized that Scathach, too, had achieved this extraordinary state, albeit with a spear instead of a sword.
But now, witnessing this strike, a culmination of everything, she couldn't confidently claim she could mirror it. This had already surpassed established concepts and ventured into unprecedented realms, transcending all known boundaries.
With a strike that fused everything into one, even using her A++-rank "God Slayer" skill, the abomination was torn asunder. In the wake of such formidable might, every Heroic Spirit was rendered speechless.
Even Karna, usually so vocal, held his tongue. As a spearman, he most keenly felt the dread induced by that strike. Gilgamesh, too, was rendered silent. He mentally noted to steer clear of Scathach going forward. Their past encounter during the Fourth Holy Grail War remained fresh in his memory.
Back then, he had considered Scathach a notable challenge. However, this powered-up Scathach, enhanced by Shirou more than tenfold, was evidently beyond his current strength. He was well aware that this was largely due to Shirou's Noble Phantasm, yet, witnessing that breathtaking strike, he kept his thoughts to himself.
To see gods fall at the hands of a Heroic Spirit was one thing, but witnessing martial prowess soaring into higher dimensions, crushing divine authority, and demolishing a fusion of gods? That, he had witnessed just this once.
The abomination's muddy form was obliterated, and Scathach herself began to fade into spiritual particles.
Shirou quirked an eyebrow, "That move... I've never seen you unleash that move before."
Scathach looked back at him, a smile gracing her lips. "I've only recently perfected it. But that is my answer. The wisdom you shared with me fifteen hundred years ago, I've spent every moment since honing it. Today, I've finally realized it—a pure, transcendent strike."
He gave an approving nod, deeply impressed by her advancement and refinement of her martial abilities. He had once shared his wisdom with her, and she had elevated it to a whole new level, a clear indication of her unwavering commitment and prowess as a warrior.
"Transcendent strike..." Okita Souji murmured under her breath.
She had always taken pride in her martial prowess, believing she had explored the outermost bounds of combat. But what she saw today made her realize that beyond those bounds, there existed another realm. The path leading beyond those limits suddenly became visible, urging her to chase it. Yet, as a Counter Guardian, was she even capable of growth and progress? And what exactly did she mean by 'transcendence' and 'wisdom'?
Almost instinctively, her eyes turned to Shirou, pondering these questions. She wasn't the only one. Both Karna and Arjuna found their gazes drifting in his direction too, trying to understand the profound insights they had just been exposed to.
Unlike the others, Karna turned straight to Scathach, who was beginning to fade away, and asked, "Scathach, what exactly is this 'wisdom' you're talking about?"
She paused, her usually charming face darkening for a moment before breaking into a knowing smile. "It's something you should be able to understand without a spoken explanation. Hmm… If you're really curious, perhaps you should ask Shirou about this."
Everyone's eyes quickly shifted to him.
Shirou was left speechless; he didn't know what to say. More than fifteen hundred years ago, he had offhandedly talked about this 'wisdom' to Scathach, and she had managed to create what she called a 'transcendent strike.' It was as if someone had tricked a child into buying a secret manual of the Buddha Palm. Then this naive child practiced from this seemingly dubious manual, and astonishingly, it had actually worked.
Merlin, always the storyteller, cleared his throat and gave a playful smile. "Alright, everyone, this 'wisdom of transcendence' is actually a secret technique, shared only within the Camelot dynasty. Allow me to explain…"
Merlin began to spin a tale, showcasing his usefulness in this regard.
On the side, Artoria held out the Black Cup to Shirou.
...
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