At the moment of the declaration, Matou Shinji's state transformed.
It was as if he had transformed from a human into a god, from a dead apostle into a true ancestor, or akin to Scathach releasing her restraints, standing atop the mountain as a god-slayer.
This was an elevation of his rank, an enhancement of his very existence.
Both his aura and the magical energy he released had undergone a transformation, evolving from a quantitative change to a qualitative one, now capable of rivaling Scathach in her prime.
This was Shinji's preparation.
Since entering the Land of Shadows, he had not made a single move.
When the dead launched their frenzied assault, he simply observed.
When Vimana ascended into the sky, he observed.
When fireworks were released, he observed.
Even when the Servants joined forces to besiege Scathach, he remained a bystander.
Even at the end, when Scathach revealed her full strength and obliterated all the Servants in an instant, Shinji still showed no intention of stepping in.
Because all of this was within his expectations, it was exactly what he wanted to witness.
He was observing, analyzing her strength.
Scathach was an anomaly among the strong, never slacking off no matter how powerful she became, growing stronger each day. Using past impressions to judge her would likely lead to a misstep at a critical moment.
At the same time, he was waiting—waiting until all the Servants were dead, so he could collect their heroic souls and craft a Holy Grail to enhance himself.
Whether it's the function of granting wishes or opening the door to the Root of All Things, these are merely additional effects of the Holy Grail. Its most fundamental role is singular—the descent of the Holy Grail, the breakthrough of the spiritual foundation, allowing a Servant to overcome their limitations and reach greater heights.
The same applies to humans.
The effect of the Holy Grail depends on the quality of the heroic souls. The five Heroic Spirits that Shinji summoned were all top-tier great heroes, and the Holy Grail crafted from their souls was of unprecedented quality.
With it, Shinji could bridge the gap in rank between him and Scathach, just as he had said.
"Now, we're finally on equal footing."
"On the surface, that seems to be the case. But in reality...?"
Scathach spun her twin spears, creating vortexes of air in their wake.
Shinji raised his hand in response, manifesting a spiritual scythe that bore some resemblance to Harpe but was far more ornate.
"Why not find out for yourself?"
"Indeed. Let me see if you truly deserve to be my equal!"
With a flick of her wrists, Scathach's twin spears shot toward Shinji's vital points like a bolt of lightning.
The scythe flashed and intercepted the spears with a speed that matched hers, parrying them solidly.
As sparks flew from the clash of the scythe and the spear tips, Shinji's lips curled into a smile.
"How is it?"
"Not bad!"
Scáthach nodded slightly.
"But it's not enough!"
With a subtle twist of her wrist, the spear tip shifted a small distance. Combined with the previous spear trajectories, a giant primordial Runescript was completed just in time.
A massive fireball, larger than both of them combined, materialized. Don't forget, this was the Land of Shadows, not the modern world where mystery had faded. Here, the primordial runes could unleash their full power.
"Is that so?"
As if losing ground in their contest of strength, Shinji took a step back.
Where he had previously stood, a radiant frost-blue rune shimmered—the freezing rune, standing in direct opposition to the flames.
In an instant, fire and ice clashed, two opposing forces locked in battle.
Seeing this, Scathach did not retreat but instead advanced. Not only did she maintain her rapid spear strikes, but the trajectories of her spear tips continued to inscribe runes, fueling the flames.
In mere seconds, her twin spears flashed over a hundred times, and the once simple flames expanded further, now resembling the flames wielded by the fire giants that once ravaged Norse mythology.
God-Tier Magecraft—Embrace of the Flame God!
Shinji did not back down either. While his scythe firmly blocked the twin spears, every step he took inscribed another rune, turning the icy surface beneath him into a multi-layered, three-dimensional forest of ice.
God-Tier Magecraft—Crystal Prison!
There was no need to doubt it—Shinji's display had already proven that he, like Scathach, had reached the highest level of mastery in rune magic.
And with the confrontation between their weapons, the outcome was evenly matched. As of now, he had reached the pinnacle in both magecraft and martial prowess, truly achieving the ultimate standard of Scathach.
The battle between god-tier magecraft was far more terrifying than any mere clash of runes, but neither master nor disciple showed any intention of retreating. They continued their intense, unreserved duel.
When each clashes, they fight for the slightest edge!
On a narrow road, the brave prevail!
Both standing at the pinnacle, they fought, each striving for that crucial advantage.
In the ice, in the fire.
At the spear tips, beneath the scythe.
With magcrafte, with martial skills.
Sometimes with sweeping, grand movements, sometimes with nimble dodges.
Because both had honed their techniques to perfection, every action was clean and precise, without a single wasted movement, full of breathtaking beauty.
At first glance, it didn't seem like a life-or-death struggle, but more like a dance.
A dance of death.
Facing each other, passing by, charging, and then narrowly missing.
The man and woman clashed countless times.
Until the sea of ice and fire had completely extinguished, and until the two once-pristine combatants were covered with wounds, unable to maintain their intense battle any longer.
The master's spear pierced her disciple's abdomen.
The disciple's scythe slashed his master's shoulder.
Yet, despite their injuries, neither showed any signs of pain. Instead, they looked at each other and smiled.
Scathach withdrew her arm, her magic spear pulling out with a spray of blood.
"To think you could grow this much, far surpassing who I was back then."
Shinji tightened his grip and severed her arm completely.
"You walked this path step by step. I took a shortcut."
"Taking shortcuts is a skill in itself."
Scathach's expression remained unchanged as she bent down, picked up her severed arm, and reattached it to the stump. In the blink of an eye, the arm was restored.
"Honestly, I'm curious—how did you take that shortcut? Ever since you became a Magician, it's been hard for me to glimpse your fate."
"It's simple. I've connected to the Root and had numerous exchanges with Odin and other gods."
Shinji pressed a hand to his abdomen, using the information stored in his soul to manifest physical matter, repairing the damage to his body.
Even concepts like ranks and techniques could be considered forms of information that could be drawn from the Root. Many gods are known for bestowing wisdom or skills upon others, such as Scathach herself or Odin, who imparted the knowledge of runes to the gods under his command.
Given that Shinji could directly connect to the Throne of the Gods, how could he not take advantage of such a resource? They were gods, after all! Even a pig could be elevated to sainthood, not to mention Shinji, who was already a Magician.
In five years, Shinji's abilities had grown by leaps and bounds. Even without relying on Magic, he could now tear apart Servants with his bare hands and compete with Scathach in every aspect.
"Now, I can finally say this—you are the most outstanding of all my disciples, without a doubt. My choice back then was the right one."
Scathach genuinely felt joy at her disciple's growth.
The once immature boy had finally reached the mountaintop, standing shoulder to shoulder with her, gazing down upon the world below.
PS: The greatest advantage of those who are still alive is their capacity for growth. Unlike Merlin, who is lazy, Scathach, in a certain sense, is undoubtedly the most terrifying woman in the Nasuverse.