Shinji dared to provoke Araya Souren because he naturally had something to rely on.
His physical abilities were inferior to Araya's, his martial arts skills were not on par, and he couldn't break Araya's bounded field with his magecraft. This only served to prove that Shinji's strength was inferior to Araya's. After all, he had only been studying magecraft for four and a half years and martial arts for three years and nine months. No matter how hard he worked or how talented he was, he couldn't bridge the gap of over two hundred years in time.
However, this didn't mean that Shinji couldn't defeat Araya. Many factors determine the outcome of a battle, and strength is only one part of it. In addition, there's the environment, tactics, mindset, and most importantly, equipment—the very thing that gave Shinji his confidence.
Looking at the entire world, few could claim to have better equipment than Shinji. His entire set of equipment was like a pantheon of heroes gathered from various timelines throughout history, and it was undoubtedly top-notch.
It was truly divine equipment—not crafted by gods, but made by someone who could kill gods. Even if it were worn by a mere foot soldier, it could be unrivaled on the battlefield, let alone in the hands of Scathach's highly anticipated disciple.
Previously, he had tested his strength, honed his skills, and gained experience from fighting formidable opponents, which is why he now faced Araya with his power alone. Now that the testing was done, the training completed, and the experience mostly gained, it was time to end the battle.
Shinji intentionally showed signs of exhaustion and deliberately created distance to lure Araya Souren into pursuit, ensuring that Indra's Thunder would accurately hit its target.
Indra, the god of war from the Vedic age, wielding the Vajra, riding a white elephant, and casting thunderbolts. "Indra's Thunder" manifested as the power of this great deity, representing his divine authority. Once unleashed, it displayed astonishing power.
In a flash.
Thunder roared and lightning flashed.
With each rotation of the artifact, it unleashed a golden lightning bolt.
The golden electric shock shook the atmosphere, and the trails it left behind were like long whips, cutting through the transformed corridors.
Even the residual waves dissipating during its movement possessed such tremendous power. One can imagine the terrifying power contained in the pointed end of the rod-shaped artifact.
Araya Souren felt the danger, a lethal danger.
The pressure brought upon him by this nearby artifact was no less than the guardians dispatched by the Counter Force when he attempted to open the door to the "Root."
Could it be that this mysteriously originated child was also an extension of the Counter Force, which is formed by the aggregation of human unconsciousness?
Although he had long known that the Counter Force would organize humanity's arrival at the Root, and the reason the first three attempts to reach the Root failed was due to the obstruction of the Counter Force, he didn't expect it to come so soon this time!
However, this time, he would not lose again.
His heavy and serious expression turned into solemnity as Araya Souren expanded his bounded field to its maximum.
Shinji finally witnessed the complete version of the renowned "Six Realms of Existence."
Araya Souren usually carried three bounded fields with him, but this time, he opened all six realms to withstand Indra's Thunder.
"Dakatsu!" The first bounded field is binding.
However, before the binding net could touch the surface of the Noble Phantasm, the surrounding electric currents shattered the lines of magical energy.
The electric current spread downward along the broken lines of magical energy, and the first realm of the "Six Realms of Existence" was thus destroyed.
"Ouken!" The second bounded field, the stagnation.
This bounded field was silent, yet it caused the speed of Indra's Thunder to slow down.
Seizing this opportunity, the third bounded field, the sealing "Fugu and Kongou," began to exert its power.
Just as the two bounded fields complemented each other, cooperating to confine Indra's Thunder, the black bead at the end of the artifact suddenly emitted a thunderous light that was thicker than the main body of the artifact.
In the flickering of the lightning, the air and even the space that was sealed and stagnated by the bounded fields instantly appeared with numerous fine cracks, like a shattered mirror.
The next moment, the mirror shattered, and both the "Ouken" and the "Fugu and Kongou" bounded fields were shattered in response.
Three realms of the "Six Realms of Existence" remained.
"Fugu!"
"Chougyou!"
"Ouken!"
Under Araya Souren's command, the three bounded fields were simultaneously activated.
With the same origin but different aspects, the bounded fields converged around the most powerful defensive "Fugu" bounded field as the core, constructing the strongest defensive line in front of Araya Souren.
Encountering the unprecedented obstruction of Indra's Thunder, it finally unleashed its full power.
With the black bead as its core and a conical tip as its termination, the golden thunderbolts resembled dozens of mythical serpents from ancient India.
In an instant, the golden serpents danced wildly.
Shinji could no longer see the physical form of the golden club wrapped by the golden serpents. All he knew was:
This was the light that brought destruction.
This was the divine punishment delivered by Indra himself.
This was lightning that did not belong to this era.
Under this devastating blow, even the defensive line formed by the three bounded fields began to tremble.
First, there was a slight shaking.
Soon, it became violent shaking.
Before long, Araya Souren's body began to sway, along with the trembling of the bounded fields.
It wasn't just the bounded fields and his body that were shaken, but also the long-dormant heart within him.
This top-tier specialist in bounded fields, this ancient monster who had lived for over two hundred years, had a fire burning in his heart, a flame called anger.
Why do you keep stopping me, time and time again?
Why does it have to be stopped every single time?
"Do you not want me to reach the Root? Dakatsu!"
With Araya Souren's roar, the entire corridor shook.
The conflicting Noble Phantasm and bounded fields.
The divine punishment of the Thunder God, and the determination of humanity, clashed relentlessly.
"Ouken" couldn't hold on.
"Kongou" struggled to continue.
Only one realm of the "Six Realms of Existence" remained, the final "Fugu."
The momentum of the golden artifact showed no signs of slowing down.
"Roar!"
With a burning determination, Araya Souren poured all of his magical energy into his left hand, channeling it through his left hand into the last barrier that resisted the thunderous might of Indra's Thunder.
Amid the intense light, the sound of something shattering could be heard.
It was the sound of the battlefield where the two magus were located, and the distorted corridor returned to normal.
The estrangement reverted into tangible moonlight, and Araya Souren, covered in wounds, extended his left hand, which no longer had flesh. Only charred bones remained, with most of them burned by electric currents.
The only thing unaffected was a fragment of tooth-yellow, jade-like bone, a precious relic left behind by a Buddhist saint after their parinirvana—Śarīra. It was this relic that blocked the final impact of Indra's Thunder.
"It's truly remarkable. I never expected your bounded fields to be even tougher than the fabricated body," Shinji sincerely praised Araya Souren.
"Come and kill me then, you lapdog of Counter Force."
Araya Souren's voice was calm and heavy, carrying the acceptance of his fate.
The golden artifact, depleted of magical energy, detached from the exposed hand bones and fell to the ground, making a clear sound.