Given the strength demonstrated by the Red Lancer, even if some of the force was diverted by the Lance of Ishtar, this thrust could pierce through Shinji's heart in 1 second—no, 0.5 seconds.
In the blink of an eye, or even less, the golden spear bypassed Shinji's outstretched left hand, stopping less than fifty centimeters from his vital area. The fierce wind from the spear tip penetrated his spiritual attire, causing a sharp pain.
In this life-or-death moment, Shinji's expression remained unchanged. The five fingers that the Red Lancer had forced open with his spiral force swiftly curled as if to grasp something.
No, it wasn't "as if"; he did grasp something.
A sword—a short, blunt sword, ancient in design, bearing inscriptions of Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind.
Noble Phantasm: Qingyun Sword!
The materialization of the Qingyun Sword was perfectly timed. The unopened blade fiercely rubbed against the rapidly advancing spear tip, causing the divine spear, initially aimed at the heart, to deviate at the last second, ultimately grazing Shinji's right shoulder.
The fatal thrust was deflected, and the Red Lancer immediately withdrew his spear. However, this time, Shinji's reaction was swifter.
Before the left hand could fully retract, his fingers transformed, index and middle fingers extended, thumb pressing against the ring finger and pinky, forming a sword gesture.
The ancient sword, glowing with green light, surged with overwhelming magical power. The ancient inscriptions of Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind simultaneously lit up.
In an instant, black wind like knives and a curtain of fierce fire, following the direction of Shinji's sword gesture, swept towards the Red Lancer.
The Red Lancer seemed momentarily surprised by Shinji's counterattack, a flicker of amazement in his eyes. But only a flicker. Those who reach a divine level in any field have experienced battles beyond ordinary comprehension, with unshakable will and impeccable experience.
With a flick of his wrist, the Red Lancer redirected the golden spear, striking Shinji, who was focusing on wielding the Qingyun Sword and sending him flying. As for the black wind and fiery wall enveloping him, the Red Lancer ignored them, allowing the wind blades and wall of fire to strike him.
Shinji, who was sent flying, experienced what the Red Lancer had felt earlier—losing footing and being unable to aim his Noble Phantasm accurately. Reluctantly, he ceased supplying magic to the Qingyun Sword.
On the other side, the Red Lancer, unhurriedly retrieving his golden spear, casually cut through the weakened wind and fire, facing the landing Shinji from afar.
"Impressive, truly impressive. Such spear techniques are rare even among the countless heroes in the Throne of Heroes. To wield a spear before a master like you is akin to showing off before an expert."
As he spoke, Shinji used his free left hand to draw two runes, applying them to the wound the Red Lancer had inflicted. Under the nourishment of the healing runes, the minor external injury quickly healed.
The Red Lancer did not interfere with Shinji's self-healing, as he too was using this time to rely on his self-recovery ability to heal his wounds. Despite taking the brunt of the Qingyun Sword's strike at close range, he hadn't come out unscathed.
"The spear is not your usual weapon. Bring out your true weapon, or you will die."
The Red Lancer's tone was emotionless, not a provocation but a statement of fact. And Shinji acknowledged this truth.
"Since the 'Hero of Charity' has said so, I can no longer test with these minor tactics. However, the spear isn't your most proficient weapon either, is it?"
"Oh? You've discerned my true name in such a short time. Impressive insight." The Red Lancer finally showed a change in expression at having his identity revealed.
"It's inevitable when your appearance is so striking. The golden set of armor, ranked among the top divine constructs, nearly the highest level of godliness, like a small sun, and spear techniques reaching divine levels—I can't think of any other hero fitting these criteria."
For others, unless they had considerable knowledge of Indian mythology, it would be challenging to identify the Red Lancer quickly. But Shinji was different; he had the advantage of foreknowledge. A slight probe confirmed the identity of the person before him—
Karna, the hero with an immortal body praised in the ancient Indian epic "Mahabharata." Born from the union of the Sun God Surya and the human woman Kunti, he received the golden armor from his father as proof of his heritage, marking him as a natural-born great hero.
In terms of heroic status and strength, he is undoubtedly among the strongest in the Throne of Heroes.
"The Mage's Association has gone all out this time. Well, that's fine. It gives me a chance to see just how much of a gap there is between me and a top-tier Servant."
As he spoke, the wounds on Shinji's waist and right shoulder healed completely. The Qingyun Sword in his hand also left his grasp, floating in mid-air.
"Come on, Black Assassin."
Karna, who had also healed his wounds, raised his golden spear.
As Shinji mentioned, Karna's true expertise lies in archery. The Rakshasa-Piercing Immortal had accompanied him through countless battles in its bow form. However, due to class constraints in this instance, he could not carry both a sword and a bow, so the Rakshasa-Piercing Immortali transformed into a golden spear.
Nevertheless, Karna possessed the skill "Uncrowned Martial Arts," making him proficient in all weapons. Whether it was a bow, a sword, or a spear, it hardly impacted his prowess.
Shinji formed seals with both hands, channeling vast amounts of magical energy into the Qingyun Sword hovering in mid-air, unleashing the ancient sword's maximum power.
In an instant, black wind and raging fire engulfed an area several hundred meters around Shinji.
Karna, unhurried, swung the golden spear. Each strike shattered the approaching black wind, dispersing the rampaging flames. In the blink of an eye, a hundred spear thrusts had passed, and not a single gust or flame touched his body.
The Qingyun Sword, after all, was an anti-army Noble Phantasm. Its wide range meant the pressure on an individual target was not as intense. Karna didn't even need to use the true name of his Noble Phantasm; his divine-level spear techniques were sufficient.
Focused entirely on defense, he wasn't in the slightest hurry. For him, swinging his spear was routine; he could maintain this for hours without issue. Meanwhile, Shinji was using a Noble Phantasm. Even if it wasn't of the highest rank, the magical energy consumption was significantly faster.
In Karna's view, it would only take a few minutes for Shinji to retract his Noble Phantasm, which would be the perfect time for Karna to counterattack.
Unfortunately, this time he was mistaken. Not only did Shinji not retract his Noble Phantasm, but he also escalated, directly using a second Noble Phantasm—Ishtar's war spear, which Karna had knocked away earlier.
Amidst the wind and fire, Shinji suppressed his presence, pulled out the war spear embedded in the highway, extended his left arm, bent his right arm, and assumed a throwing position.
"Take this! An Gal Ta Ki Gal Šè: (Kindling of Venus that Shook the Mountains)!"