Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 1104: You’ve Already Reached Me

"Why!"

This question stirred an indescribable feeling in Shinji's heart.

The overwhelming determination, the emotion poured into every word—so intense it was almost equal to her entire life—momentarily suppressed the effects of the black hand that drained and weakened her. It also placed an immense pressure on him.

At that moment, he could no longer respond the way he used to, with teasing, amusement, to laugh at her or make her the butt of his jokes.

Had he gone too far in the past? He knew she was a stubborn tsundere, yet he kept provoking her over and over.

When he met those determined eyes, even slightly tinged with tears, Shinji swallowed the response that had been on the tip of his tongue.

Why? — Why what?

Why can you still block me? — Because I'm strong.

Why is the gap between us so large? — Because I've gone through things you couldn't imagine.

Why, after all my hard work, can't I catch up to you? — Because I'm a transmigrator.

Normally, saying something like that would just make Rin go berserk, puff up in anger, and maybe trigger her anti-gravity twin tails.

But if he said it now, it might leave a scar that could never heal, maybe even affect her future.

She had such an outstanding talent, worked so hard, and reached a level that his parallel self would have taken much longer to achieve. If she were broken because of him, that would be unforgivable.

With a long sigh, the black curse swirling around his right arm slowly faded. He gently touched Rin's forehead and, with sincerity, said, "You've already reached me."

The next second, a burst of blood exploded from Shinji's back. Blood sprayed out like a fountain.

Seeing this, Rin exhaled a sigh of relief, though she still appeared somewhat confused. Her body, like a taut string suddenly snapping, lost all its strength, and she collapsed onto the ground.

Ignoring his injury, Shinji stepped forward, catching the unconscious girl and positioning her in a more comfortable posture against his chest.

He wasn't lying, nor was he showing any condescending pity.

The reaching he spoke of, and the wound on his back, were real—both were the results of Rin's hard-earned efforts.

That final strike wasn't just the culmination of her careful planning; it also incorporated three different applications of the Second Magic.

The disappearance from Shinji's sight was a Spatial Transfer.

The next move, where one sword became three, was Multidimensional Refraction.

The strike that injured Shinji, causing blood to spurt from his back, was the Jewel Sword's most basic effect: drawing massive amounts of mana from parallel worlds, concentrating it, and releasing it in a burst.

That was Rin's strongest attack since the battle began. It not only pierced through Shinji's Vajra left arm but also bypassed the Third Magic he had activated to reinforce his body, penetrating his entire left arm.

Without the reinforcement of the Third Magic, there was no way he could have survived the Jewel Sword's nearly infinite bombardment, much less deflected Rin's final killing blow while his back was turned.

That was the trump card Shinji had been saving to face Scathach. To push him this far—wasn't that proof she had reached him?

"Rin, you're truly remarkable. I see you in a new light. It was wrong of me to underestimate you before. I apologize." freeweɓnøvel.com

At that moment, a familiar voice rang out from the sky.

"Then I can leave in peace."

It was Gilgamesh.

Looking up, Shinji saw the proudest man from ancient times looking more wretched than ever before.

His iconic golden armor was gone, his undershirt in tatters, his entire body covered in blood, leaking spiritual fragments from every pore. If it were any ordinary Servant, they'd be dead ten times over by now. The only reason he was still alive was that he kept pouring potions into his mouth, barely holding his spirit core together.

"What about Shishou? How is she?"

Shinji asked, his voice filled with concern.

These two were supposed to be all-powerful beings; it wasn't unusual for them to fight for days and nights on end. How had it ended so quickly?

"I'm here."

That ever-intelligent and calm voice reached his ears, but this time, Shinji could hear a subtle weakness in it.

He turned to look and, sure enough, it was as he feared.

Scathach didn't have nearly as many wounds as Gilgamesh—just one, a gaping hole in her chest and abdomen, large enough to fit a head. But because there wasn't any blood, it didn't look as horrific.

However, it was only temporary. Shinji, who knew Scathach extremely well, could tell at a glance that she was hanging on by the slimmest thread of life, using her skill in Battle Continuation.

"Shishou!"

Shinji instinctively gathered his mana, the azure glow of his soul spreading outward like a tide—the sign of the Third Magic being activated at full power.

Though he wasn't sure if the Third Magic he had mastered could save Scathach's spirit core from collapsing, he wasn't willing to give up. He didn't want to relive the nightmare from ten years ago, watching Scathach disappear before his eyes again. As long as there was even a one-percent chance, he would give his all.

However, just as before, Scathach stopped him.

"Don't waste your energy on me. Heal yourself first."

"Shishou, are you going to—"

"No, this time I'm not giving up. Both the King of Heroes and I fought with all we had, and this is the result."

"That's right, clown,"

Gilgamesh chimed in.

"Scathach and I had our considerations, but this battle was no farce. To say otherwise would be an insult to both me and her."

"And the result?"

Shinji asked.

"A draw," Gilgamesh replied calmly, fully accepting the outcome without any dissatisfaction.

"The most likely result we could have expected."

Scathach nodded in agreement.

"We held on just to witness the outcome of your battle and to leave you with a few final instructions."

"Go ahead, I'm listening," Shinji said, trying to suppress his swirling emotions as he listened to their final words.

"Take this," Gilgamesh tossed two crystal vials to Shinji.

"This is a divine medicine from India. One is for Rin, and the other is for you. Whether you drink it or not is up to you."

"I get one too?"

Shinji asked as he fed Rin the potion.

"Don't misunderstand, clown. As for the matter with the King of Knights, I have no intention of letting you off. However, I was the one who proposed this entire plan, and I caused this current situation. It's only natural that I take responsibility, and as the ones who assisted and benefited, you should too."

Despite being gravely injured and on the verge of disappearing, Gilgamesh's pride and dignity remained unshaken.

He was indeed worthy of the title King of Heroes and of the praise sung in the oldest of epics.