On the first day of February, Shinji returned to London, back to the headquarters of the Chelon Canticle Brigade.
In Japan, there is a New Year holiday, and Western countries have a long holiday between Christmas and New Year. Depending on local regulations and policies, the holiday can last from one week to one month.
Therefore, Shinji decided to give the members of the Brigade an end-of-year break. Those who needed to go home went home, and those who needed rest took a break. Regardless of what the outside world may think, Shinji always believed that magus were also human beings with families and friends. He didn't want the Brigade to become cold machines.
Surprisingly, even though the scheduled return date was February 1st, all the members of the Brigade, except for Shinji, had already returned to the headquarters before February and spontaneously engaged in daily training.
When Death stepped into the underground training grounds, wielding the scythe, Harpe, the brilliance of various magics filled the air like fireworks, painting the entire training ground in vibrant colors, creating a magnificent sight.
"They're going all out even before the holiday is over. Did these guys get pumped up?" Shinji exclaimed.
The larger the scale of the magecraft, the greater the commotion it caused. The entire training ground was filled with the radiance of magic. Conservatively estimating, at least a dozen members had used high-level magecraft, and there might even be grand magecraft. These were trump cards that magus wouldn't easily employ, so it's no wonder Shinji was amazed.
The life force greatly enhanced by the Golden Apples transformed into magical energy through the magic circuits and then diffused throughout the body through the Buddha's Relic in his left hand, altering its nature.
In the span of a breath, all of Shinji's attributes doubled—not through physical strengthening magic, but through the newfound utility of the Buddha's Relic.
After his battle with Riesbyfe, Shinji had figured out some ways to use the Relic. What he was currently using was the simplest method, which had effects similar to strengthening magecraft. Although the degree of enhancement was not as powerful as the "Golden Body State," it was relatively easier to control and had fewer side effects.
If there was any regret, it would probably be that after that power struggle, Shinji hadn't entered that miraculous "Golden Body State" again. However, he wasn't in a hurry. Now that he had found the way, he would eventually unearth the full power of the Relic.
Feeling the newfound power surging within him, Shinji smiled with satisfaction. "You all seem to be having so much fun. Should I join in too? After all, the battlefield is always full of surprises."
The light distorted for a moment, and soon Shinji's figure disappeared into the air, like drops of ink sinking into a water tank.
On the west side of the underground training ground, there was an artificial shelter area constructed on a square kilometer of rocky ground, consisting of hundreds of shelters. Beneath the shelters were large-scale ritual magecraft. Every once in a while, the structure of the shelters would change, and even magus specializing in earth magecraft wouldn't dare claim that they could understand the structure in a short period.
A few minutes ago, the structure of the shelters had changed, causing trouble for the Sword Squad and the Chalice Squad.
The two teams, known for their expertise in positional warfare, were engaging in intense combat when the terrain suddenly shifted, disrupting their formations. Several unlucky individuals fell into newly formed shelters, losing contact with their teammates.
In an artificial cave about 500 meters from the point of conflict between the two teams, two men looked at each other and smiled.
The relatively young man had a very audacious smile, not hiding his joy.
The older man had a gentle smile, although it was only on the surface. Everyone in the squad knew that whenever he showed this expression, someone was bound to be in trouble.
"That Pope thought he could scheme against us. Doesn't he realize how easily we can scheme back? Well, now he's dug his own grave."
"So, it goes to show that the young ones are inexperienced."
Who were they? They were the Vice Captain Chariot and the Inspector Judgment of the Brigade, second in rank and strength only to Shinji.
They were the ones who initiated this large-scale combat activity. Moreover, to provoke the enthusiasm of everyone, the two oldest members of the Brigade personally participated.
The militarized concept of the Brigade was proposed by the two of them, so one can imagine how strict they were in everyday life. The strict training and discipline certainly accelerated the cohesion and combat effectiveness of the squad, but it also accumulated a lot of resentment among the proud and arrogant members. Today's combat provided a perfect outlet for venting.
Of course, the two of them did not plan to sit back and wait for defeat. They could be knocked down, but before falling, they had to achieve enough military results. The reputation of the Vice Captain and the Inspector must not be compromised.
"I suppose things outside have stabilized by now," said Judgment, leaning against the wall and twirling his well-groomed mustache.
"There are fifteen seconds left," Chariot suppressed his smile and returned to an expressionless face, indicating that he had fully entered the combat state. As an excellent earth magus and the designer of the shelters, no one understood this place better than him.
"Let's go. It's time to show these young ones how formidable we are."
"Especially those newly recruited kids."
The newly recruited kids referred to the new members absorbed after Shinji took over. The battle against a string of hunted Dead Apostles in the autumn of '98 earned the Brigade considerable fame, and the number of applications to join the squad increased.
After a series of reviews and trials, eight outstanding young individuals were selected, and the Brigade's members increased from twenty-five people when Shinji joined to thirty-two people (with Lorelei temporarily on leave).
Well, newcomers always tend to be ignorant, so it's the duty of the old folks to make them understand reality.
"By the way, Judgment, how about we have a competition to see who can achieve more kills?"
"I had the same thought. I haven't been idle during the few months the Captain was away."
"Same here. Let's get started then."
After saying that, the two of them rushed out of the cave simultaneously.
And then—they flew back at an even faster speed—yes, they were truly flying, backward.
A figure blocked the entrance of the cave, holding a plain-looking long-handled scythe.
"Oh, long time no see, you two. Where are you off to?"
"C-Captain—!"
"You've returned."
"Yeah, I just arrived and stumbled upon this interesting activity, so I decided to join in. Just to make sure, there are no restrictions on participants for this event, right?"
Both Chariot and Judgment shook their heads in unison.
"Then I can rest assured." The scythe was slowly raised, and the atmosphere in the cave instantly turned solemn and murderous. "Let's start with you two."
The sense of oppression and tingling sensation transmitted through their nerves and magic circuits told the two individuals that their Captain wasn't joking around.
If they didn't want to fall here, they had to give it their all. Perhaps there was a slim chance of victory by putting their training results during this period to use.
With just a single glance, these old comrades who had known each other for many years understood each other's thoughts.
In the next second, Shinji felt two unprecedented surges of magical power.
"I see, absence makes the heart grow fonder, huh? But it's not just you who has grown."
Amidst the surging magical power that continued to rise, Shinji raised his left palm.
Vajra's Left Arm radiates the brilliance of Buddhism.
This was Shinji's greatest achievement during his vacation.