Those who have played online games know that when it comes to PvP arenas, assassins fear encountering a tank, also known as an MT (Main Tank).
Why is that? It's because assassins have a small frame and can't withstand heavy hits. Warriors, on the other hand, have high health and defense. They can withstand opening sneak attacks, backstabs, kidney shots, disarms, and swift counter-attacks. A classic combo of backstabbing won't do much damage to a warrior, especially an MT, but a few strikes from the warrior in return can bring an assassin to their knees. It's simply a case of brute force overpowering finesse, with a significant difference in class attributes.
Strictly speaking, Shinji couldn't be considered an assassin. When leading the Brigade to hunt down the Dead Apostles, he played the role of a warrior, charging head-on with the enemies. It's not an exaggeration to say that Shinji's physical abilities ranked top among the Mage's Association.
However, there will always be someone stronger. Shinji's pride in his physique fell short in front of behemoths like Araya Souren and Riesbyfe. Unless he relied on his Noble Phantasm, Shinji would constantly be on the defensive against them.
To change this situation and transform himself into a humanoid behemoth, to truly face off against Servants, Shinji implanted the relic left by Araya into his left hand.
Although he was still in the early stages of adapting to the strongest rejection response, Shinji could already sense the changes in his left hand. The power released from the crystallization of the accumulated wisdom of the Buddhist sage gradually influenced Shinji's body. He even believed that if his body fully accepted the relic, he might possess the power of a Buddhist guardian, capable of slaying dragons and demons.
His left arm had already begun to transform in this direction. If he could unleash the power of his left arm, he might have a chance against Riesbyfe. He didn't seek to overpower her with strength, but as long as he wasn't crushed, the martial arts he learned from Scathach would have a place to shine.
The only concern was the excruciating pain that came with using his left arm. If he couldn't endure it, he would truly have no chance of victory.
As he pondered, Riesbyfe once again swung her shield and launched a charge.
More than ten minutes had passed since the start of their battle. The Holy Shield Knight of the Church had been maintaining this relentless fighting style, seemingly unaffected by fatigue. It wasn't just the characteristic of a Church Knight, but also her extraordinary physique, or perhaps a combination of both.
Regardless of the reason, this resilience became the final weight on the scales of Shinji's internal conflict.
He wanted to become this formidable, he wanted to become a humanoid behemoth! If he couldn't achieve even that, how would he stand against Scathach? How would he be able to kill his Shishou, who resided on the outer edges of the world, and fulfill her wish?
He made up his mind.
Isn't it just about fighting? Haven't we been fighting since we were young?
Isn't it just pain? I can endure it. I surpass my Shishou's various tortures.
Shinji no longer evaded or dodged. He stood quietly in place, pressing his right hand firmly against the back of his left hand, feeling the pure power through the layer of flesh.
Hey, unnamed Buddhist sage, don't you want to lose to the heretics? Although their sect may be larger than Buddhism, this is Japan. It's your absolute stronghold. If you lose even here, where will the face of Buddhism be?
Do you understand? Do you understand? Then lend me your power.
Let me defeat the heretics for you, as a guardian deity for Buddhism, to become a guardian Vajra.
Perhaps it was Shinji's ramblings that touched the relic, or maybe it was simply the influence of his unwavering fighting spirit. For the first time since the implantation, the Buddhist relic, which had always been in a passive state, erupted with power.
Golden Buddhist light spread outward from the relic that replaced his phalanx. This was both the reinforcement of the relic's power on Shinji and the intrusion of a foreign entity into his body.
The body's defense instincts sounded the alarm repeatedly, and these alarms were conveyed to the brain through the nerves as pain signals. Every nerve and cell in Shinji's left hand was changing, protesting.
In an instant, Shinji's clothes were soaked with sweat, and at this moment, it hadn't even been a second since Riesbyfe launched her new charge.
Endure, endure, endure.
Buddhism speaks of ascetic practices. Only by enduring the greatest hardships can one attain true enlightenment.
Persist, persist, persist.
Everything requires persistence. One must not give up halfway.
So, endure the pain, and persist in silence.
Allowing the golden radiance to fill his bones, infiltrate his flesh, and eventually penetrate through his skin, a layer of golden light identical to Indra's Thunder covered Shinji's left hand.
This radiance was no less powerful than the divine words of God. It was the radiance of the Buddha.
As the Buddha's light extended from his left hand to his arm, at the moment when Shinji was about to endure the pain and cry out.
Riesbyfe, the Holy Shield Knight, wielding her formal weapon, Gamaliel, charged toward Shinji. Her shield came crashing down heavily as if intending to smash Shinji into a pulp with the force of a thunderbolt.
The shield swept away the air, emitting a roar like an avalanche.
Instinctively sensing the mortal threat, Shinji swung his left palm, facing that mountain, that sea.
With the breakthrough of the threshold, the unbearable pain that could no longer be suppressed let out a roar, as if it were the final counterattack of a beast cornered to the brink of despair.
"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!"
The excessively painful and crazed roar puzzled Riesbyfe. It seemed that she hadn't injured him.
Except for the first time, Shinji had evaded each of her previous attacks. She thought that this time, the opponent would also avoid her like an eel. But unexpectedly, this magus not only didn't dodge but chose to confront her head-on. She didn't understand why he cried out so miserably. Was it some kind of secret technique?
The doubt in her heart did not affect Riesbyfe's movements. This knight commander, who had crusaded against countless heretics, never showed mercy.
The shield symbolizing God's grace and the left hand containing the radiance of the Buddha finally collided.
With a loud bang.
It wasn't like flesh colliding with a shield but more like two cars with full horsepower colliding head-on.
For the first time since the start of the war, the unstoppable and relentless Holy Shield Knight was forced to retreat.
Not voluntarily, but involuntarily. She maintained a posture with slightly bent knees, allowing her to exert force as she slid on the ground. The metal boots made of an unknown alloy vigorously rubbed against the synthetic track, leaving behind two scorched black marks and an unpleasant burnt smell.
Shinji, who had forced his opponent to retreat with a punch, was more disheveled. He was knocked down by the tremendous force of the shield, rolling on the ground continuously. He rolled for tens of meters, passing through the synthetic track, crossing the athletic field, and crashing into the surrounding wall of the sports field.
With a dizzy and throbbing head, Shinji stood up against the wall, his eyes fixed on his left hand.
Although he was somewhat numb from the impact, he was not injured. It was worthy of the Buddhist relic that had once received Indra's Thunder.
He had won the gamble!
Shinji clenched his fist tightly. The cracked mask shattered, revealing a strange smile that had been concealed.
P.S.: What Shinji said to the relic was just rambling. A true enlightened monk wouldn't care about such things. Real saints—well, it's hard to say. Even the Catholic saint, Martha, acts like a delinquent girl.