Shinji Matou At Your Service

Chapter 268: Vajra’s Left Arm

Shinji's concerns were completely unnecessary. Due to Riesbyfe's emotional intelligence and proficiency in Japanese, she couldn't detect any hidden malice in his words. She simply believed that Shinji wanted to continue the fight.

As the one who initiated the conflict, Riesbyfe had no opposition to the battle. However, before proceeding, she needed to clarify one thing: "Which sect of monks do you belong to?"

Shinji was slightly taken aback but quickly realized that Riesbyfe mistook him for a Buddhist monk.

Upon reflection, it made sense. His radiant Buddhist aura made it hard for anyone to believe that he had no affiliation with Buddhism. Moreover, in Japan, a country with a significant Buddhist influence, encountering a skilled Buddhist practitioner would not be surprising.

Since Riesbyfe associated him with Buddhism, Shinji decided not to correct her and vaguely replied, "I am not a monk, but I have some connection to the Tendai sect."

The holy relics he used to strengthen his body came from Araya, who was a Tendai sect monk. Therefore, it was logically sound for Shinji to claim a connection to the Tendai sect.

"This gentleman from the Tendai sect, tonight's battle was my initiative and has nothing to do with the Church. I hope your sect doesn't misunderstand the Church because of this."

It was strange that Riesbyfe, a muscle-brained warrior, would worry about sectarian conflicts and speak in such diplomatic terms. Did she possess such emotional intelligence?

Glancing at the stiff expression of the Holy Shield Knight, Shinji guessed the reason. Someone must have specially taught her, and that person held a significant position within the Church. Otherwise, they wouldn't be concerned about sectarian conflicts.

Shinji's guess was correct. Before coming to Japan, Riesbyfe had indeed received guidance and instructions from Cardinal Gessebarne, a high-ranking member of the Church.

The Cardinal, also known as the Scarlet Cardinal, belonged to the second hierarchy under the Pope in the Church's structure. He was undoubtedly a prominent figure. It was thanks to his recognition and support that Riesbyfe became the captain of Vestel Shield Knights at such a young age. In comparison, another female warrior with similar achievements but lacking a powerful background was far inferior in terms of status and reputation to her.

Perhaps sensing Shinji's peculiar gaze, Riesbyfe added, "I, Riesbyfe Stridberg, will take full responsibility."

This silly girl, Shinji couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It was like handing him a knife and asking him to cut her flesh.

Shinji sighed again. He had initially wanted to gain some advantage from Stridberg, but seeing her current state, he lost the desire. He figured there was little to gain from this naive girl.

"Alright, alright, don't make that self-sacrificing expression. As I said earlier, I merely have some connection to the Tendai sect, but no direct affiliation. Rest assured, no matter what happens to me, the Tendai sect won't trouble you, let alone the Church."

"I see. Then there's no problem. Let's continue the battle," Stridberg said as she raised her holy shield once again.

Without a trace of doubt, what if she encountered a scheming conspirator? Shinji felt like he had lost all his fighting spirit.

Amid his complaints, Shinji once again confirmed that Seo Shizune's future sight was accurate. It was indeed unfavorable, incredibly unfavorable.

Five meters away, Riesbyfe urged, "Aren't you coming? Then I'll come to you."

"Ah, here I come," Shinji replied. With a stomp on the ground, he used the "Instant Acceleration" technique taught by Scáthach, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared on Riesbyfe's right side. His left fist, charged and ready, mercilessly struck out.

Riesbyfe was prepared, and she swiftly turned her body. Her shield, much wider than her body, intercepted Shinji's punch.

The tremendous forces collided, and the stadium resounded with a dull sound of metal and stone.

Unlike their second collision, this time Riesbyfe was prepared in advance. Shinji's punch only caused her feet to sink into the track, sliding back a few meters.

In the blink of an eye, Riesbyfe had already turned around, with her shield in front and her right fist behind, retaliating against Shinji.

Empowered by the Buddha's relic, Shinji intended to test the strength of his body. He didn't dodge or perform any fancy moves but simply used his fists to face Riesbyfe's counterattack.

His left hand against the shield, his right hand against her right fist.

This time, it was Shinji who was sent crashing into the ground.

In the next instant, Shinji stepped out of the pit he had created with his impact, using the left side of his body as a weapon, charging towards Riesbyfe's shield.

Upon collision, both of them were forced to retreat.

Then came the fifth, sixth, seventh... up to the tenth collision.

Riesbyfe's attack pattern remained unchanged, consisting of charges, shield strikes, and whenever there was an opportunity, a follow-up punch with her right fist.

Shinji tried everything: punches, kicks, elbows, knee strikes—he experimented with various techniques. Luckily, it was a shield, the least dangerous weapon. If it were a different weapon, Shinji wouldn't dare to be so reckless. Based on this data, he finally gained a systematic understanding of his body strengthened by the relic.

The enhancement provided by the relic can be roughly divided into two parts: strength and hardness.

Strength includes attributes such as power and speed, which are the basic attributes of a human. It relies on the circulatory system to enhance the entire body.

Hardness refers to the toughness of the skin, muscles, and bones, determined by the distance from the relic. The closer the distance, the higher the hardness, and the farther the distance, the lower the hardness.

The hardest part is undoubtedly the left arm from the hand to the elbow, which can be described as impenetrable and impervious to water and fire. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is invincible. The next level is from the elbow to the arm, which requires some effort to cut through. The areas outside the arm can be ignored.

In general, the enhancement provided by the relic to Shinji is not significantly different from the enhancement provided to Souren Araya. In other words, disregarding rejection reactions and the instability of the enhancement, Shinji now possesses the physical qualities of a Knight-class Servant and truly can match Riesbyfe.

With this confirmation, Shinji can finally start to counterattack, using the unparalleled martial techniques bestowed upon him by the unparalleled female warrior.

Due to the nature of possessing multiple Noble Phantasms, Shinji is unable to specialize in a single skill like many warriors do until they reach their peak. Instead, it would be a waste for him. Therefore, Scáthach's guidance to her new disciple is different from her guidance to other disciples. She does not teach specific techniques but focuses on teaching various fundamental movements, leaving the rest for Shinji to comprehend and practice on his own.

Techniques are nothing more than the connection of fundamental movements, and the various Noble Phantasms that Shinji possesses determine that he does not need to be constrained by a single weapon. Choosing his armament freely according to the situation is the most suitable way for him to fight.

Facing Riesbyfe, if he cannot break through the defense of the Holy Shield, any weapon would be the same, merely providing an extra layer of cushioning between his body and the sturdy shield to prevent his relatively vulnerable body from being injured.

Now, this role is replaced by the "Vajra's Left Arm" brought by the relic.

Currently, Shinji doesn't need any weapons at all. He chooses to fight barehanded!