During the battle of the Gertler family, Shinji prioritized killing the head as his primary objective, while Lorelei aimed to stop Shinji and mediate the conflict, making conflict resolution her top priority. As a result, both of them held back to some extent.
However, today was different. Neither Shinji nor Lorelei had any burdens or hindrances. They fought purely for the sake of battle, without any reservations, fully showcasing their skills.
For instance, Shinji finally learned the origin of Lorelei's martial arts that could rival his own. It turned out to be the swordsmanship of Queen Boudica of Britannia, active around 50 AD, with a history spanning over 1900 years.
Nevertheless, the whip techniques used by Lorelei and the swordsmanship inherited from Boudica had undergone significant changes. The Barthomeloi family, despite valuing lineage and history, was not a stagnant clan. They continuously developed both magecraft and defensive techniques.
Today, the Bathomeloi defensive arts have integrated the strengths of various Western schools, forming their unique style. Diligent cultivation might allow one to rival those renowned heroes. Truly worthy of being an ancient family like the Clock Tower, if it weren't for Scáthach's cheat-like abilities, Shinji's lifelong efforts would still not be enough to match Lorelei.
Even in the present day, Shinji, if not careful, could be easily exploited by Lorelei's whip, as its flexibility sent his Divine GunsBlade flying.
"Well done," Shinji sincerely praised. The previous move was impeccable in terms of timing, angle, and force.
Lorelei neither showed modesty nor arrogance. She simply nodded calmly, gesturing with her hand for Shinji to pick up his weapon and continue the fight, all while discussing the matter at hand.
"A few days ago, the safe I took from you was cracked by the Department of Lore. It contained the clues I wanted."
After destroying the entire Gertler family, Shinji finds a safe amidst the ruins, which is enchanted with encryption magecraft. He had planned to forcibly break it open, but Lorelei intervened, stopping him, and took the safe claiming it as her reward for assisting him.
"Related to the White Wing Lord?" Shinji rubbed his sore wrist and shifted the Divine GunsBlade to his right hand.
"Let me give you a piece of advice. In front of me and my family, don't use the title 'White Wing Lord.' Just say Ortenrosse directly," Lorelei said as she cracked her whip, sending a gust of wind blade striking near Shinji's feet. The White Wing Lord is a mortal enemy of the Barthomeloi family, and any respectful title associated with him would displease the Barthomeloi.
"Noted," Shinji nodded, retaliating with a flame rune.
This wasn't the first time such a situation had occurred. Shinji had once held a blade against Lorelei's neck, and Lorelei had used her whip to press against the back of Shinji's head. But regardless of who gained the upper hand, they would immediately cease their actions and continue their evenly matched confrontation. On one hand, it was to assess each other's strengths and determine their future interactions, and on the other hand, it was because finding worthy opponents was difficult.
The Barthomeloi family adhered to perfectionism, and its members only appeared in public after becoming qualified magi. Before that, they could only stay in the Barthomeloi mansion for secret education, and having a mediocre skill level and exposing themselves to the outside world was considered the greatest shame by the family. Therefore, once they entered the Association, they were eligible to independently lead a certain department.
Lorelei was among the best in this regard. It might be an exaggeration to say "invincible since her debut," but Lorelei had indeed not encountered an opponent within ten years of her age.
Shinji was similar in this aspect. Now that the Holy Grail War had ended, and all the Servants had departed, he truly couldn't find anyone to engage in unrestricted magical and martial arts battles with. Touko was a mess in close combat, Souren couldn't be found, Kariya refrained from fighting entirely, and Justeaze couldn't muster enthusiasm.
After understanding the nature of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, Shiki and Tohno also lost their value as a combatant. Unless he fought against the third personality hidden within the Shiki Ryougi connection, linked to the "Root" and claiming to be the all-powerful "Root-style." However, despite knowing each other for so long, this individual showed no intention of appearing, so it seemed she wouldn't reveal herself to anyone aside from Mikiya.
As for Sakura, who possesses even more remarkable magical aptitude, her strength is sufficient. However, Sakura lacks tactical thinking and adaptability in the heat of battle. Every time they face off, Shinji easily outmaneuvers her. He can only wait for Sakura's mental maturity before they can have an exciting showdown.
It's easy to imagine the excitement they feel when they see each other, especially since their fighting styles and ages are so similar. This excitement grows to the point where they won't stop until they have a satisfying fight.
The so-called "negotiation" takes place when the intensity of the battle subsides and they mutually relax their pace. That's why they've been fighting for so long without getting to the main point.
"Fengyo!"
Lorelei uttered a magical syllable, wrapping the flame in airflow and returning it to Shinji, showcasing Barthomeloi's precise control over air currents.
Shinji, driven by a sense of comparison, engraved the rune symbol of "Gebo," symbolizing understanding, on the magical blade of his Divine GunsBlade. With the effect of Gebo, the flame rune became fixed on the magical blade, transforming it into a "flame blade." This not only utilized the rune magic taught by Scáthach but also incorporated alchemy learned from Justeaze, representing the basic version of the "shape of life."
"What's next? Have you found any information about Ortenrosse's followers?"
Immediately after, Shinji charged towards Lorelei, wielding the flame blade. Today, Shinji Matou is going to play the role of a "magic swordsman."
Shinji enchanted his weapon, and Lorelei refused to back down. The symbol of the Barthomeloi family appeared on the surface of her whip, accompanied by highly condensed, faintly visible tangible air.
"Oh, a battle mage, huh?" Shinji's eyes lit up, and he thought to himself, "I want to see if a magic swordsman is stronger or if a battle mage is stronger."
The short knife clashed with the whip.
The boy and girl simultaneously retreated, and the raging wind merged with the flames as if the collision was not between a knife and a whip but between explosive grenades.
Lorelei coughed twice, expelling the scorching air she accidentally inhaled. As she repositioned herself, she spoke:
"I haven't found them, but I did find information on another Dead Apostle. No, it's more accurate to say a vampire."
"Who?" Shinji steadied his stance, swiftly tracing magical symbols in the air with his left hand.
In the instant the final runic symbol was completed, a blue spell formed in the shape of an equilateral circle, rapidly expanding outward. The temperature of the entire laboratory dropped as a result.
In the center of the circular spell, a massive ice pillar with a diameter of over one meter quickly took shape. The tip of the pillar had irregular serrations and thrust toward Lorelei.
Rune magic - "Ice Pillar Blade!"
"Flutter, Wind Blossom."
In that instant, Shinji seemed to see white roses fluttering around Lorelei.
Countless white roses, like a plane, swiftly shattered the ice pillar released by Shiji with astonishing speed.
When the frost dissipated, Lorelei, amidst the scattered wind blossoms, uttered a name.
"Child of Einnashe."
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