Capítulo 569: Chapter 569: I Will Kill You
A moonless night, before the altar.
Shinji approached, and Shirou appeared.
"You've come."
"I've come."
"You shouldn't have come."
"I've already come."
"It's not too late for you to leave now."
"Why should I leave?"
"You barely managed to save your life; do you want to throw it away again?"
"I don't want to die either, but some things are more important than life—tell me, where is she?"
"She? Which she? There are quite a few people that could refer to. Is it Saint Jeanne d'Arc? King Arthur, Artoria? Atalanta? Semiramis? Or perhaps— that wisp of a ghost hiding in the Greater Grail, who should have died long ago?"
The priest in black revealed a playful smile, the solemn and murderous atmosphere he had previously created vanished. Since the Tiamtum Ūmu was breached, he had returned to guard the altar personally, overseeing the treasure both sides desperately desired.
On the other side, with the help of Adam, Shinji had bypassed the palace's outer defenses and, using the cloak's concealment, quietly approached the Greater Grail—where the person he cherished most was hidden.
However, as soon as he stepped into the altar, Shirou saw through his presence. Realizing his stealth had failed, Shinji revealed himself and straightforwardly asked his question.
Thus, the scene above unfolded.
The man cloaked in darkness had cold eyes: "Since you already know, why ask? Where is Justeaze?"
"Her? She's probably in hell, or maybe heaven. In any case, she's not in this world."
"You killed her?"
Shinji's body swayed, the color draining from his face.
"No, she overestimated herself and tried to seize control of the Greater Grail from me. She failed and was completely assimilated by the Grail. I warned her not to interfere, but she didn't listen."
"So it was you who killed her."
"Fine, let's say I killed her. What do you plan to do about it?"
"You killed her, so I will kill you."
Shinji donned Perseus's full armament: the Harpe in his right hand, the Shield of Athena in his left, cloaked in the Hades Cloak, and wearing the Feathered Shoes. At this moment, his soul felt split in two—half filled with immense sorrow for Justeaze's death, the other half seething with boundless rage. If his anger could materialize, it would reduce the entire aerial garden to ashes.
"With just you? Impossible."
Shirou glanced at Shinji.
"Maybe if you brought Achilles, Chiron, Siegfried, and Artoria, there might be some hope."
"Just me is enough."
Shirou seemed disappointed by this response.
"It looks like you've lost your mind to anger, unable to see the disparity in our strengths—so be it. Throughout history, there have been many who crossed over from another world, and some were bound to be foolish. Having high expectations for you was my mistake. I should just kill you quickly and activate the Greater Grail. Oh, wait, a soul of your quality probably doesn't meet the Greater Grail's requirements. Ah, what a nuisance, I—"
Before he could finish complaining, Shinji had already launched an attack, starting with the release of a control-type Noble Phantasm.
"Gaze of the Medusa!"
The serpent-haired gorgon, who had slain countless heroes, opened her eyes. Anything caught by those golden snake-like pupils was instantly tinged with a layer of gray-white—except for the enemy Shinji desperately wanted to kill.
"The Mystic Eyes of Petrification are indeed terrifying, but unfortunately, my Magic Resistance is A. I won't be petrified."
"Of course, I know that."
As he spoke, Shinji quickly closed the distance, slashing the Scythe directly at Shirou's throat.
While Magic Resistance A could prevent petrification, it didn't completely nullify the effect of the Mystic Eyes; it merely weakened the petrification to a heavy pressure effect, hindering movement. Shinji used this Noble Phantasm to seal Shirou's Ground Shrink!
"Turning you into a statue is too lenient; I want to behead you with my own hands!"
The blade's gleam illuminated Shirou's face, which remained calm as if the incoming blade was nothing more than a gentle breeze.
Just as the blade was about to touch his skin, Shirou stepped forward, his body tracing a bizarre arc, appearing at Shinji's side in a manner that defied physics. He then unsheathed his sword.
The sword slashed six times in an instant, each cut heavier and faster than the last.
Though Shinji timely adjusted his shield to block the continuous strikes, the relentless impact transmitted through the katana made him extremely uncomfortable, forcing him to retreat.
Taking advantage of this, Shirou repeated his elusive footwork, reappearing beside Shinji to strike again, this time with seven consecutive slashes.
Shinji had no choice but to retreat further.
Shirou pressed on, delivering eight consecutive slashes.
Shinji continued to retreat as Shirou advanced relentlessly.
This time, instead of a side attack, Shirou appeared directly behind Shinji, thrusting his sword at the unguarded back.
Still recovering from the previous onslaught, Shinji couldn't use his shield or weapon to block in time. He could only tilt his body, letting the katana pierce through his chest.
With his lung punctured, Shinji involuntarily coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes dazed: "Ground Shrink?"
"That's right."
Shirou maintained his backstab stance, leisurely explaining, "For a master who has elevated footwork to the level of Ground Shrink, conventional restraints are ineffective. Once again, you made an assumption."
"No, having suffered such a setback, how could I underestimate you?"
Shinji suddenly released his shield, gripping the katana piercing his chest with his left hand, ignoring the blade cutting into his palm.
"I just needed to catch you like this. Now!"
With a light shout, the ancient sword Azure Clouds Sword emerged from above Shinji's shoulder, its magical energy transforming into a fierce black wind and fire, ready to unleash.
"So that's your plan. However—"
Shirou nodded slightly at the sight, flicking his wrist.
Shinji immediately felt the katana slip from his grasp, despite his firm grip.
Shirou, having withdrawn his katana, flicked his wrist again, creating a whirlwind of fire that clashed with the black wind and fire amidst the splattering of blood.
As a result, Shirou remained unscathed, continuing to taunt.
"And you said you weren't making assumptions. Why would you think you could take my sword this way? Do you believe techniques like disarming and empty-handed blade-taking are easy to master? Even if I couldn't draw my sword, I could simply fight without it. How do you know I don't have a second sword or another weapon? Even if I had no other weapons, how do you know I'm not equally skilled in unarmed combat? Well, your determination to kill me, even at the cost of self-harm, is commendable, but without the necessary skills, it's just an empty castle in the air, a mere illusion. With your current battered body, what else can you do?"
"What can I do?"
Shinji lowered his head, seemingly resigned and motionless.
Just as Shirou awaited his next move, Shinji's mouth twisted into a sinister grin.
The Harpe in his hand traced a similarly shocking path, slashing straight at Shirou's forehead.
"Of course, kill you!"
Status de energia semanal
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