When Artoria sent a message to Shinji through their contract, Shinji was already covered in bruises and injuries—courtesy of Chiron.
Yes, the special training had begun, starting at 6 AM that morning.
The core of the training was adaptation, divided mainly into two aspects: speed and technique.
As a Servant, his attributes were already fixed with no room for improvement. The only thing that could be trained was experience, particularly the experience of battling Achilles.
First was speed. This was Achilles' forte, known as "the fastest among all heroes of all ages." This legend was crystallized into his Noble Phantasm, named "Comet Form."
Dromeus Komētēs: (Comet Form): A+ Rank
Type: Anti-Unit (Self) Noble Phantasm
It enables him to traverse a vast battlefield in a single burst, without slowing down even when obstacles are present. Although he must expose his Achilles' heel as a vulnerability, few Heroic Spirits can fully keep up with his speed, known as the pinnacle of swift-footedness in human history.
There is a saying: "In the world of Martial Arts, speed determines the winner." This illustrates how terrifying extreme speed can be, and Achilles possesses the most extreme speed. (Kung Fu Hustle Reference.)
Understanding this, Shinji had rigorously practiced anticipation and prepared the Divine Thunder Barrier, which indeed caused Achilles some trouble in their initial encounter. But these were ultimately tricks; if they couldn't kill the opponent in one hit, they would be less effective the second time. Now that Achilles had issued a duel challenge in the name of the Olympian gods, Shinji had to adapt to such speed—or face it through Chiron's arrows.
As the inspiration for Sagittarius and one of the top archers in human history, Chiron's archery had reached its pinnacle. His shooting speed, strength, and angle were impeccable. Only thus could he shoot arrows fast enough to match "Comet Form" without fearing a misstep that might gravely injure or kill Shinji.
However, due to the nature of arrows, there were still differences between Chiron's simulated "Comet Form" and the original. After all, arrows are much smaller than humans. If this weren't the case, Chiron's arrows couldn't reach Achilles' running speed. Truly simulating it would require enormous mana consumption, burdening Chiron's body and affecting the duration of the special training, making it not worthwhile.
Therefore, for better training results, Chiron demanded that Shinji increase the difficulty. He couldn't use his Noble Phantasms and had to dodge or block the arrows using his body alone—skills like using mana bursts to shatter the arrows were also forbidden unless he could do the same to Achilles.
"If you can't do it, don't think about taking shortcuts. It will only hinder your improvement," Chiron began lecturing again, almost instinctively as a teacher. Shinji called him "Teacher Chiron" during training, and later just "Teacher," saving "Shishou" exclusively for Scáthach.
By seven o'clock, Shinji had already turned into a porcupine, with at least twenty arrows stuck in him and countless more grazes.
Fortunately, Chiron controlled his strength carefully, making the injuries look worse than they were. After a hearty breakfast and treatment with the Goddess' Staff and Life Runes, Shinji was back in high spirits, ready for the second part of the training—technique.
Through two observations, Chiron had accurately gauged Shinji's abilities.
His technique wasn't poor, but it was far from exceptional, especially compared to heroes who had accomplished great feats in history. His greatest reliance in fighting these heroes, aside from his numerous Noble Phantasms, was his quick thinking and excellent adaptability—he could always see the enemy's strengths and weaknesses and then avoid the strengths while attacking the weaknesses.
It was this ability that made Chiron agree to help with the special training. Once the Holy Grail War starts, it doesn't last long, typically not more than half a month. For someone who fights purely with brute strength, even if they trained 24 hours a day, it wouldn't make much difference. But for someone like Shinji, who uses his brain and understands various techniques, there's a chance to find a way to counter Achilles, provided he gains enough experience fighting Achilles.
Chiron was Achilles' teacher, and Achilles learned all his skills from Chiron. No one understands Achilles better than Chiron. Although Achilles had developed his abilities after finishing his training, Chiron was more than capable of simulating a ninety-percent-accurate version of Achilles.
Chiron put away his bow and took up a pre-prepared sword, shield, and spear—Achilles' three most proficient weapons—to engage in close combat with Shinji.
At this moment, Shinji finally deeply understood the familiar saying: "An archer who can't fight in close combat isn't a good archer." (Red Archer: That's correct!)
In Chiron's hands, the shield was not only a defensive tool but also an offensive weapon. No matter what weapon Shinji used, Chiron could block it with the shield and reflect some of the force causing Shinji's wrists to go numb and even making him lose his balance.
The same was true for swordsmanship and spearmanship. Although not as intricate as Karna's techniques, each move was simple, direct, and filled with lethality. If it weren't for the practice weapons being blunt, Shinji would have died under Chiron's hands dozens of times.
It's important to note that Chiron was mimicking Achilles' style, not his own. Shinji seriously doubted that, in terms of pure skill, Chiron could duel Siegfried with a sword, match spears with Karna, and excel in every discipline without any weaknesses.
"Shishou is like this, and so is Chiron. As expected, 'Teacher' is the strongest class. Should I consider switching classes too?"
Despite being brutally beaten, Shinji still had the mind to joke, but then Chiron punched him away—Chiron had switched to fighting barehanded, yet Shinji was still getting beaten badly, reminding him of his childhood training. Although the styles of his two teachers were completely different, the results were the same.
"Focus during combat!"
After thinking for a moment, Chiron, noticing they had been fighting for over two hours with Shinji mostly taking hits, suggested, "If you're tired, take a break. You're probably reaching your limit."
"Limit? I'm far from my limit." Shinji nonchalantly wiped the blood from his mouth. "As long as I'm still standing, I haven't reached my limit. Let's continue. With this intensity, I can at least last until noon."
"You—"
Chiron carefully scanned each part of Shinji's body, his eyebrows slightly raising.
"No, your body is clearly near its limit. Why? Have you been undergoing such training since childhood?"
"Yes, indeed. As expected of a teacher, you have a keen eye. My Shishou, who taught me from childhood, believed that 'only by constantly surpassing limits can one become stronger.' Ah, at the beginning, I suffered a lot and cried until I had no more tears. Thinking back, it was tough."
Hearing Shinji's explanation, Chiron's frown deepened.
"That's too harsh. While I don't deny that extreme training can make one stronger, training with too much intensity can cause irreversible damage—I don't agree with such an education method."
You are questioning my Shishou's teaching methods. If you two meet, a fight is inevitable. Honestly, I don't think you'll win, Chiron. Whether or not you've regained your immortality, you're still a son of gods, and Shishou's 'Godslayer' skill is your bane. To avoid any issues for you, it's best I change the subject quickly.
"Whether you agree or not, you'll have to discuss it with her when you meet. Or, since you've both taught me, how about I evaluate your teachings?"
"Alright. Whether a teacher teaches well is ultimately judged by their student."
Chiron nodded solemnly, accepting this unique challenge that belonged to teachers. For him, this held more significance than simply winning a fight.