"Wind!"
It wasn't an ancient language or a special chanting method. It was just a simple English word, "wind," with a hint of the girl's unique accent, unleashing a terrifying gust of wind pressure.
"This is—"
Shinji, whose steps were disrupted by the strong wind, realized a dreadful fact. Not only did this girl possess the attribute of "wind," but her proficiency in wind attribute magecraft was also remarkably high.
"Oh my, oh my, I've stepped into a trap this time. The ability of the Opportunist Family to form alliances is truly terrifying. They managed to bring in such a formidable expert."
While forcing a bitter smile, Shinji didn't forget to activate the "EIHWAZ" rune to isolate the increasingly terrifying airflow.
"However, dwelling on these thoughts won't help me now that I'm already in this mess. Let's focus on completing the mission, and leave the aftermath for Lord Kenneth to handle."
With astonishing speed, Shinji's right hand moved through the air, tracing a series of runic characters that extended for more than ten strokes.
This series of characters embodied the culmination of Shinji's magical training in rune magic, signifying that he had reached new heights in rune mastery.
Previously, Shinji had only scratched the surface of rune comprehension, using simple runic symbols and rune scales composed of runes. Strictly speaking, this couldn't be considered true rune magic. However, after his battle with Souren Araya, where he depicted Kongou and Chougyou from the "Six Realms," he was finally inspired on how to arrange and combine rune symbols into spells with fixed meanings—this was the true essence of rune magic.
In the moment the spell took shape, a dazzling array of colorful radiance illuminated the entire underground workshop.
Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple—seven spheres of light in different colors surrounded Shinji's hand.
Rune Magic—"Rainbow Missiles!"
Extending his index finger, he pointed it towards the girl who resembled a wind-spirited fairy, driven by the raging wind. The seven light spheres shot out, leaving behind a brilliant rainbow trail in the air.
Sensing an unprecedented surge of magical power within the rainbow, the girl didn't dare to be careless. She used her whip to manipulate the airflow, guiding her body to change positions and evade the trajectory of the rainbow.
To her surprise, the rainbow missiles had inherent tracking capabilities. Wherever the girl moved, the seven missiles followed. Helpless, she had to change her strategy and manipulate the airflow to set obstacles in the missiles' flight path.
Just then, the corner of the girl's eye caught a scene that filled her with immense anger.
That detestable cloaked figure had once again abandoned her to chase after the head of the family. From beginning to end, he never regarded her as a threat.
"Despicable! Despicable! Despicable!"
The girl's left hand gripped the tip of her whip and squeezed it three times in succession.
With each squeeze, she uttered the word "despicable."
With each utterance of "despicable," the magical power emanating from her body grew stronger.
In the end, that power condensed into a tangible form, deflecting the rainbow missiles that had been repeatedly obstructed and were nearing the end of their strength.
In the next moment, the girl's figure vanished from where she stood and reappeared behind Shinji.
Swinging her whip, it carried a high-speed rotation and highly compressed air. The force of her strike was even more powerful than the mercury blades of the Moon Spirit Marrow.
A sense of alarm surged within Shinji, but with the target so close, he managed to evade the girl's attack by a narrow margin, perilously sliding to the side.
Whether it was due to excessive force or an intentional display of power, the girl didn't retract her whip in time after missing her target. She let the weapon fall directly to the ground. Instantly, a loud crash echoed through the workshop as the specially reinforced floor sank and cracked, becoming uneven and pockmarked.
The girl, who was stronger than a storm itself, flicked her braid and provocatively looked at Shinji with a crisp "crack" sound.
A chill ran down Shinji's spine. If he hadn't evaded in time, even with his considerable resistance to magic, he wouldn't have been able to withstand such an attack.
Does she need to be so violent? Does she have to be so powerful?
With this turn of events, things became a bit difficult.
In a one-on-one fight, Shinji wasn't afraid of this girl. Even facing two opponents at once wouldn't be a problem. It would be preferable. After a few exchanges, Shinji had already realized that Gertler's magical skills were quite average, and he had no coordination with the girl whatsoever. In a certain sense, it would be easier to deal with both of them together than to fight the girl alone.
However, the problem wasn't the battle itself. The fundamental difference lies in the objectives of both sides.
Shinji wanted to kill Gertler, the head of the family, while the girl and Gertler only needed one of them to reveal the girl's identity. If Shinji continued to act, it would violate the unspoken rules of the Clock Tower.
There's only one path left—to use the Noble Phantasm and end the battle swiftly.
The reason it wasn't used earlier was mainly due to the fear of its overwhelming power, which might accidentally kill the mediator. That is a major taboo. Now that this girl has demonstrated her formidable strength, there is no need to worry about accidentally killing her. As for the extent of her injuries, it will depend on her fate.
I never expected the Gertler family to be so troublesome. If I had known, I would have brought the "Qingyun Sword." With the girl's proficiency in wind attribute magecraft, there would surely be no problem.
As soon as regret arose in his heart, Shinji suppressed it because no amount of regret could change the current situation. The immediate priority was to complete the mission.
Shinji released the "Divine GunBlade," holding the left hand with Indra's Thunder and the right hand with the Harpe.
Born from legends, crystallized by human belief, this miracle bestowed tangible form by the mysterious Third Magic of "Soul Materialization" is now being manifested once again.
Golden thunder, majestic and awe-inspiring.
Plain sickle blades, chilling and cold.
In an instant of materialization, the girl felt an unprecedented sense of crisis.
"W-Wait..."
"Goodbye."
Ignoring the girl's exclamation, Shinji glanced at her one last time, and the artifact from India was on the verge of manifestation.
This is an attack that not even first-class Servants dare to ignore. It is enough to sever the connection between the girl and the target. All that's left is to use the Harpe to cut off Gertler's head, and the great achievement will be complete.
Just as the thunder within the artifact was fully activated and about to strike, Shinji suddenly realized that his target had disappeared. The figure of the self-righteous middle-aged man was nowhere to be seen, neither inside the workshop nor in the corridor outside.
"It's only been a moment since I shifted my gaze. Where did that guy go?"
This momentary distraction, which was crucial, finally gave the girl a chance to finish her words.
"Stop. He has already escaped. Continuing the fight is pointless."
As the girl said, continuing the fight indeed served no purpose unless Shinji wanted to kill her. As long as he refrained from killing her, the girl had plenty of opportunities to report her name, making tonight's operation a failure.
"Damn it."
Shinji glared at the girl in anger. The activated divine thunder radiated around him, leaving two stunning marks on the ceiling and the floor.
If it weren't for her interference, the Gertler family would have been destroyed long ago. Why did it have to drag on until now?
The girl remained unaffected by the intimidation of the thunder and calmly said, "Getting angry won't help. Why don't we sit down and talk? Perhaps we can find a win-win solution."
"It's a loss. Where does the win-win come from?"
Shinji cursed angrily, but the girl didn't hear his voice due to the barrier of his cloak. She continued:
"My name is—"
Unfortunately, this time her self-introduction was interrupted once again.
The ground beneath their feet began to shake violently.
PS: Guess the girl's name?
M: Has it been explained why he needs to go to this extent for this? I know Kenneth is an ally but Shinji seems the type to just shrug and back off once it got to this point as its not related to the safety or happiness of someone he cares about.
-According to their contract. its always for the sake of Matou family future development in Mystic World. Well I guess Shinji just want to challenge himself.
M: That makes sense but I think adding some internal thoughts from Shinji along the lines of finding someone strong to fight, similar to what you did with Souren Araya.
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