This is a battle of extremes.
The so-called extreme is reaching the highest degree.
In this battle, one side possesses the ultimate skill, while the other has the ultimate power.
Such a collision is bound to be accompanied by unparalleled shock.
The extreme power is like a massive wave, constantly radiating from the young man who has already transformed into a being with three heads and six arms. Each strike causes the space to tremble.
The extreme skill, however, does not have such a grand display. At first glance, it seems like a small boat in the raging waves, always on the verge of capsizing. But if you observe closely, it is not difficult to see that the danger is merely an illusion. The small boat is navigating very steadily—because the boat, controlled by the black-clad priest, always maintains the most appropriate angle to go with the flow. The boat and the waves are truly in harmony, so no matter how big the waves are, they cannot overturn the small boat.
Hearing thunder in silence and seeing blossoms in colorlessness, this is the charm of ultimate skill.
The waves are rolling, brewing a new round of tsunamis.
"Hah!"
Shinji roared, his voice like a thunderclap. Just a light shout released an impact like a cannonball.
Shirou tilted his head to avoid the roaring sound wave, and then his figure flickered, creating more than a dozen illusions. He launched a fierce attack on Shinji from all directions—up, down, left, right, front, and back.
Shinji did not dare to be careless. His three heads, six eyes, and six ears achieved true omnidirectional awareness. Although Shirou's illusions were many, they could not escape his detection.
Six arms rotated and moved, the Scythe swept horizontally, Athena's Shield blocked, Ishtar's War Lance stabbed, Indra's Thunder radiated lightning, Azure Cloud Sword spread wind and fire, and the Goddess's Scepter projected a shield.
For the first time, Shinji simultaneously used the six weapons he had acquired. This was a fighting style he had never imagined before, a feat impossible for a human body, and a testament to his resolve.
Massive magical energy raged on the altar. The magic power of the Noble Phantasms, Shinji's magic, Shirou's magic, and the Greater Grail's magic intermingled, forming a devastating magic storm.
At the storm's center, Shinji's expression was indifferent. He calmly endured the blade-like wind pressure cutting his body, his six eyes tightly watching his surroundings, seeing Shirou's illusions disappear completely.
The air above his head rippled, and a bright blade light suddenly appeared like a reversed Milky Way, slashing straight at Shinji's head.
Shinji's expression did not change, nor did he block. He just slightly tilted his body, letting Shirou's slash pass.
This abnormal behavior aroused Shirou's vigilance. He changed his move on the fly, switching from slashing to smacking, using the back of the blade to leverage Shinji's shoulder and swiftly retreating.
Then a surprising scene unfolded. Seeing that Shirou had not hurt him, Shinji swung the Scythe and cut off one of his arms, throwing it in the direction Shirou was retreating.
"Not good!"
Shirou's face changed. He already knew what Shinji was planning.
The next second, the discarded arm emitted a dazzling white light and exploded violently.
"Reduced Earth!"
With a flash of red light, another Command Seal activated, taking Shirou out of the explosion range at the last moment.
"A human bomb? Are you crazy?"
"Yes, I am crazy."
Shinji's expression remained indifferent, a deathly calm.
"The strongest attack of Crying Warmonger is to release all the magic power converted from damage, conducting a pure strike or self-detonation. Based on this, I combined it with my other Noble Phantasms to develop a weakened version."
Spartacus's self-detonation sacrifices the entire body and all magic power. Shinji's human bomb sacrifices the limb cut off by Scythe and the stored magic power in the limb. Although the power is not as great, it can be used in segments and multiple times.
The reason for emphasizing that the limb was cut by the Harpe is that the regenerative ability of the mutated Beast is too strong. Ordinary cuts are not enough to sever limbs; they reattach as soon as they are separated. Only a special Noble Phantasm like Harpe, which prevents wounds from healing, can truly sever the limb, forming a human bomb.
Although the cut limb cannot regenerate due to the Noble Phantasm's effect, new arms can grow from other parts of the body due to the vitality converted from damage.
A new arm quickly grew from the stump below the cut, splitting open in three seconds.
The new arm picked up the Azure Cloud Sword that fell to the ground and, together with Indra's Thunder, launched a new round of ranged attacks.
"From the moment you killed her, I went mad. As long as I can kill you, no pain is too great to endure!"
Undoubtedly, the whole process of self-mutilation and high-speed regeneration must come with immense pain, and the increasingly alien body would torment Shinji's spirit. But what does all this matter compared to the blow of losing Justeaze?
"Shit! ——"
Shirou rarely cursed, hiding his left hand behind his back, preparing to do something.
Suddenly, his expression relaxed, and he put his hand down, coughing twice. While deflecting the wind, fire, and thunder with his sword, he smiled and said:
"Very good resolve. It seems you have indeed grown—but in this world, resolve alone is not enough."
"Of course, I know that! That's why I turned into this, to gain the power to defeat you!"
With thickened and strengthened legs, Shinji launched an assault. The momentum was no less than that of the Hydra outside the palace.
"Uh, you misunderstood."
Shirou quickly dodged, not confronting this humanoid beast directly.
"I'm not talking about power, but luck. Although your luck stat is A, it seems your luck didn't activate this time—is it because you're wielding Lance, triggering the Lancer's curse?"
"What do you mean? Stalling for time?"
Shinji paused, feeling an inexplicable premonition.
"Haven't you noticed yet? It seems your overwhelming power has left you no room to pay attention to the external situation. Pay close attention to your contracts."
"Contracts?"
Shinji suspiciously stared at Shirou, determining that he wasn't lying. Such an easily exposed lie would be pointless, and a few seconds wouldn't change the outcome of their battle.
He quietly diverted a trace of his mind to scan the two remaining contracts on him.
One was intact, but the other was extremely weak, like a candle flickering in the wind.
"No, Artoria!"
Shinji's face changed dramatically. Before he could initiate telepathy, a cool breeze blew past, and the already tenuous connection was severed.