Chapter 131 – Final Peak Showdown
Dai Zong started running again. To the naked eye, he seemed to transform into afterimages, as though long, trailing shadows were chasing after him, making it appear like he had clones.
"So fast!" Hiratsuka Shizuka cried out in surprise.
Dai Zong's Divine Travel Technique, much like the famed Wall-Penetrating Technique and Earth-Burrowing Technique, was one of the Daoist secret arts.
He had only learned a fraction of it, but in using it, he tied talismanic papers called Jia Horses around his legs. With two Jia Horses, he could run five hundred li in a day. With four Jia Horses tied, he could run eight hundred li a day. These Jia Horses were talismanic papers painted with immortal images.
His power lay not only in speed, but also in endurance. Running eight hundred li a day—horses would collapse and die, yet Dai Zong had once kept it up for two days straight.
Now, when he abandoned endurance for sheer burst speed, his footwork reached its maximum. He became a streak of afterimage, so fast that even the cheetah—the fastest animal on land—would not be his match.
At such a furious speed, his sword, simply held in hand without even swinging, became a lethal weapon.
If speed is great enough, even playing cards can slice cucumbers. In this accelerated burst, if one were cut by his sword, not to mention human flesh—even thick timber pillars in this building, two people wide, would be cleanly sliced in half.
"Shirou, careful! He's coming!" Hiratsuka Shizuka shouted in warning.
"It's fine." Shirou was not flustered. He activated his pseudo-spirit foundation and transformed into the Heroic Spirit of Iron Forging, "Nameless." His Mystic Eyes flared, following Dai Zong's rapid movements.
"You've got guts. Then try this!" Dai Zong held his sword horizontally, and when he neared the boy, he suddenly accelerated. His long afterimage streaked across in front of Shirou.
At that instant, Shirou projected Kanshou and Bakuya, crossing them before his body on the right side while leaping aside.
Steel clashed with the black-and-white twin blades, sparks flying violently. The afterimage passed by, but the strike was blocked.
Shirou calmly discarded the shattered projected blades and slowly turned, his gaze still locked onto Dai Zong's darting afterimage, his demeanor light and effortless—as though this posed no burden at all.
Dai Zong saw the boy's performance and took it as provocation.
If his speed was not enough, then he would increase it further! The talisman papers glowing on his legs—two Jia Horses—became four. In that instant, his whole figure turned into—a gale.
Shirou's eyes had always been sharper than ordinary men's. With magical reinforcement, they became "Clairvoyance"; reinforced further, they became "Eagle's Eyes."
When facing the meltdown of a nuclear power plant reactor, he had staked his life. His eyes mutated at that critical moment, shutting down the rampaging core, transmuting harmful nuclear fallout, and saving all the plant's workers.
Reborn into this world, his mutated eyes became innate Mystic Eyes, growing with him, continually strengthening. After connecting with Chaldea's FGO system, and through endless battles against monsters and corrupted Heroic Spirits, their evolution accelerated far beyond expectations.
Even now, Shirou himself did not know the limits of these eyes.
Dai Zong's speed was indeed overwhelming. But in the face of these eyes, time and space ceased to be barriers. In this confined indoor battle, such speed was meaningless.
Shirou summoned a longbow, projected three Hrunting -Hound of Red Plains—serrated black longswords—and transformed them into arrows through magecraft. He nocked all three onto the bowstring.
Within four kilometers, even high-speed targets would be struck. Magic poured into the arrowheads, glowing with crimson light, and he loosed.
Dai Zong, charging like a storm, sensed danger. In an instant, he veered right, dodging the first arrow—only to be met head-on by the second!
"—Tch!" Dai Zong hastily changed his stance again, turning right.
But the third arrow came. Dai Zong braced himself and shifted once more. With tracking ability, the first and second arrows curved around to chase after him. Though his endurance was great, even Dai Zong now showed signs of strain.
The Divine Travel Technique was never easy to control. In Water Margin, only two people had ever mastered this Daoist secret art. Its use required fasting; afterwards, offerings had to be burned. It came with many restrictions. Hence, he carried only one horizontal sword as weapon while running.
At this moment, Shirou kicked off with both legs, appearing directly in Dai Zong's only available path of escape, charging toward him head-on.
"What?!" Dai Zong was stunned. He hadn't expected his opponent to take such a reckless risk—rushing straight into him. Behind him was already sealed; there was nowhere left to evade.
In that instant, Shirou reached him, extending his gauntleted hand to seize Dai Zong's sword arm.
Dai Zong clenched his teeth, flipping his horizontally held sword to strike down upon him.
If Shirou touched him first, Dai Zong would lose. If the blade cleaved first, Shirou would be cut in two.
It was a duel of speed. Life or death hinged on a single heartbeat—victory if faster, death if slower.
At the razor's edge, Shirou struck first. Using wrestling techniques, he grabbed and heaved, disarming Dai Zong. The sword flew from his hand as Dai Zong himself was flung away, spinning three hundred and sixty degrees before crashing down, skidding across the floor, and finally smashing against the wall where he stopped.
"You are indeed fast—but speed means nothing to me." Shirou turned to look at Dai Zong as he said this, his tone flat, as if stating an obvious truth.
Dai Zong, dejected, slumped against the wall, waving dismissively. "Lost again, huh. Well, so be it. I've no desire to linger in this Xunyang Tower anymore. My story ended long ago. Go on—the Drill Master and that girl are waiting upstairs."
He was no true hero—merely a man of Jianghu loyalty. As Chief Warden, he'd lived by extorting prisoners' offerings. When Song Jiang was arrested here after drunkenly writing his seditious poem, Dai Zong was already destined for Liangshan.
The Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, banners of Heaven's Justice—it was magnificent. As intelligence chief, commanding his scouts, conveying military orders, in rebellions and in the Liao campaigns, he had done his share of service.
Thus he had been granted a military title, made a general. His surviving brothers rejoiced, but they did not understand. Song Jiang did not understand. Lord Lu did not understand. Only Dai Zong himself saw it clearly.
He was suited to be a petty official—currying favor with superiors, bullying prisoners. That was enough. But to be a general—that he could not be. He resigned first, left officialdom, became a monk at Yue Temple, and not long after, died laughing.
Laughing at the world. Laughing at men blind to reality. Laughing at his own wasted efforts.
"Ha… hahaha! Hahahaha!" Dai Zong looked up toward the higher floor, then at Shirou, and laughed aloud again. At the moment of his defeat, the Holy Grail's magical supply had been severed, and his body began to fade.
"Let's go." Shirou turned and walked directly upstairs. Whether Dai Zong had been laughing at him or at something else didn't matter. He would only continue walking the road he had chosen.
On the fourth floor, no soldiers remained. No extra furnishings either—only a tea set on the windowsill. A red-haired middle-aged man reclined in a grand chair, resting. Beside him, a black-haired girl poured his tea. She bore no signs of injury.
Kasumigaoka Utaha had awakened not long after being brought here. Finding that her captor bore no intent to harm, her courage had gradually returned.
To ordinary people, who could not be his opponents, Li Shuwen had no interest. While waiting for challengers, he simply passed time in idle conversation with the girl.
"Master Li, why are you doing this? Isn't this just helping Shirou-kun adapt to combat?" Kasumigaoka Utaha asked.
"You would not understand. All my life, I have been devoted to martial arts. My pursuit is to fight at the very peak, giving everything in battle. The stronger the opponent, the better. Whether victory or defeat, if it brings me to greater heights, then it is worth it. If not, then it is meaningless." Li Shuwen replied.
"I suppose I can partly understand. In the modern world, many industries are driven by competition. The strongest few are admired, while most are eliminated and forgotten. At times, seeing those talented people, I too feel jealous enough to want to crush them.
But in the end, I wish to use my own hand to think, to write works that can rival theirs. Otherwise, I could never be satisfied.
So my eyes only fix upon those stronger than me. They are my goals. I'll use every means to surpass them. As for those weaker than me—there's no time to care about them." Kasumigaoka Utaha spoke with deep feeling.
"Well said. To lose means the end. To fail means no worth. So every match must be fought with the resolve that defeat means death. Extra emotions, concern for others, are only burdens in battle. Such things must be cast aside from the very beginning." Li Shuwen sipped his tea and nodded in agreement.
"But Master Li, your world is far too cruel. Must you really fight Shirou-kun and Hiratsuka-Sensei to the death?" Kasumigaoka Utaha asked.
"For me, it is enough to battle strong opponents. The rest is irrelevant. Once this fight ends, I will send you out. For now, sit here, and be witness to this contest." Li Shuwen answered coldly.
"…I see. I cannot stop you. But I must say—Master Li, someone like you could never defeat Shirou-kun. I will watch everything, remember it, and write it down!" As a professional,
Kasumigaoka Utaha held respect for the martial arts grandmaster—but by stance, she would be his enemy.
"Heh. Bold words, little girl." Li Shuwen chuckled indifferently.
At that moment, Shirou and Hiratsuka Shizuka ascended.
"Shirou-kun! Hiratsuka-Sensei!" Seeing them, Kasumigaoka Utaha cried out in delight.
"Senpai, are you unharmed?" Shirou asked the girl.
"Kasumigaoka! You're not hurt, right? He didn't do anything to you, did he?!" Hiratsuka Shizuka exclaimed.
"…Yes. Master Li didn't harm me. But…" Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded, though worry still showed in her eyes as she looked at the two.
"Since you're here, prepare for battle." Li Shuwen rose from his chair, fixing his gaze on Shirou. "This girl is ordinary. After this duel, I'll send her back. But you two—stay here forever. Having crossed blades with me, there must be a conclusion!"
"Haah?! Don't think about laying a hand on my student!" Hiratsuka Shizuka roared, clenching her gauntlets.
"Losing means no value. Losing means death. Just as you did to the soldiers and Servants below?" Shirou asked the blackened Heroic Spirit, Li Shuwen.
"Exactly. If you're dissatisfied, then let fists decide everything." Li Shuwen said, activating the Holy Grail's power within him to enhance his strength.
"The opponent's Spirit Origin values are continuously rising—there's a massive magical energy reaction coming from his body. It's the power of the Holy Grail!" Da Vinci at Chaldea looked at the data in shock and issued a warning.
At the moment the battle began, all things in this world—life, the trees in the valleys, those soldiers—had their magical functions cut off, and they began to dissolve bit by bit. Apart from the magic maintaining this building, all the Holy Grail's energy was now being poured into this duel.
"Come! Let us fight! Let me savor the joy of battle!" Red light flashed in Li Shuwen's eyes, his whole body exuding a murderous aura, manifested by immense magical energy. His upper garments burst apart, revealing lean but powerful muscles, every line brimming with deadly explosive force.
"Yes… in the end, from the start, there's been nothing for me to say to you black mud-tainted ones," Shirou said as he stepped forward.
"What you faced earlier was nothing more than the simple truths of martial combat: speed, precision, ferocity, stability, and agility. I wonder how much of that you've managed to grasp?" Li Shuwen asked.
"We'll know after a fight, won't we? Come on!" Shirou raised his armored fists and shouted.
"Good lad! That's how a true man should be! I, Li Shuwen of Bajiquan, ask for your guidance!" As his words fell, Li Shuwen stepped forward and charged at the boy.
"Blabbering nonstop—you're so damn noisy! Coming after my student, try eating my fist first!" Hiratsuka Shizuka rushed in front of Shirou and swung a heavy punch.
"Hmph! Straightforward tricks like that are useless against me now!" Li Shuwen caught the heavy punch with his hand, raised his right knee, and thrust it toward the woman's abdomen.
"So heavy!" Hiratsuka Shizuka also raised her leg to collide, but Li Shuwen's Grail-enhanced strength far exceeded her expectations. An immense force surged against her, her leg shuddered, and she lost her balance, tilting backward.
"Got you! Hah!" Li Shuwen, of course, wouldn't miss such an opportunity. He clenched his fist and launched a deadly blow.
"Like hell I'll let you succeed!!" Shirou dashed in, his uppercut colliding with the incoming strike, deflecting it and saving Hiratsuka Shizuka.
In the air behind Li Shuwen, a dozen iron swords manifested, shooting down toward him simultaneously.
"Haaaah!!" Li Shuwen stomped the ground, qi erupting. The iron swords were blown away mid-air by the pressure of his aura. And in that instant, his body shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, closing in on Shirou. His collapsing fist fell like a meteor, unstoppable.
"Not happening!" Hiratsuka Shizuka thrust a kick straight toward Li Shuwen's vital spot, forcing him to abandon the attack and dodge.
Even though Li Shuwen's Spirit Origin values at this point far exceeded the pair's, making his power overwhelming, Shirou and Hiratsuka Shizuka both wore steel gauntlets engraved with the same emerald-gold markings, used the same fist techniques, and fought with such flawless coordination that their strength was formidable.
"Mm. Excellent. Individually, each of you still has flaws. But together—boy, it seems you're not just reckless. You've also got the gift of fighting in tandem." Li Shuwen praised.
"If you've got the leisure to say that, then get off the stage already!" Shirou projected the colossal axe of Heracles, raising it single-handedly and bringing it down toward Li Shuwen. It was the secret technique of the Greek hero—Nine Lives: Shooting the Hundred Heads—about to be unleashed.
"Spectacular indeed… but this is where it ends! Hah! Fierce Tiger Ascends the Mountain!!" Li Shuwen stepped forward and punched upward with a thunderous roar.
Before the secret strike could descend, it was stopped dead by his fist.
Then his punches followed, swift and unrelenting—one! two! three!
Shirou clenched his teeth, straining with all his might to hold the giant axe, but the force from those blows sent numbness running through his arms.
On the fourth punch, the giant axe was blasted from Shirou's hands, and his whole body was flung back by the tremendous force, lifted off the ground.
"Haaa!!" Li Shuwen shifted his stance, punching straight toward the boy's chest.
This punch was unavoidable.
"Shirou!" Hiratsuka Shizuka leapt in, ramming into her student to knock him out of harm's way.
"Uwaaahhh!" Taking the strike for Shirou, she was sent flying by the blow, crashing straight through the wall of the tall building and out into the open air.
"Sensei!" Shirou's eyes widened, watching helplessly as his Sensei was blown away in order to protect him.
"Hmph. Sensei and student bonds, eh? Touching, truly touching… but in the arena, they're nothing but excess baggage." Li Shuwen said coldly.
"AAAAHHH!!" Shirou roared furiously.
"Shirou, calm down! Her defenses are strong—she'll be fine!" Da Vinci shouted.
But… there was no way to calm down anymore.
To stop all misfortune, to let everyone be happy, to become such a hero of justice. To protect… yet always feeling despair and guilt over his own weakness.
Then at least protect the people closest to him.
If his power was lacking, he would mimic the strong.
If his strength was not enough, he would borrow it.
At this moment, the boy's only thought was to become stronger—strong enough to protect his loved ones, his comrades, his school, his city, even the whole world.
For that, he would pay any price.
The magical power of the Holy Grail within him was completely mobilized, surging with maximum output into his eyes.
His eye cores and membranes fractured like shards, then rapidly repaired, finally becoming like a kaleidoscope composed of countless lenses. Each shard emitted a different light, shifting colors endlessly.
At last, the kaleidoscope shattered.
His Mystic Eyes had evolved. No longer were they gem-like, reflecting faint colorful radiance. Now, they themselves emitted dazzling prismatic light—the radiant hues of a rainbow.
This was the ultimate foresight that "sees beyond and brings it here," as well as the ultimate retrospection that "sees the origin and recreates it."
Normally, a possession summoning was almost impossible to achieve. For one Heroic Spirit to find a compatible vessel—even among billions—was already a miracle. To host two Heroic Spirits in a single body was nothing short of a fantasy.
But pseudo-Spirit Origin was different. It only relied on the Holy Grail's power to simulate what the Mystic Eyes foresaw in a certain world's future, then recreate it as a pseudo-Spirit Origin.
Though he gained those memories and battle experience, from start to finish, the one within was still Shirou.
In such conditions, the chance of a possession summoning succeeding again was less than one in ten million—but not zero.
Or rather, as long as it was not absolutely impossible, then these Mystic Eyes could create the very opportunity to make it possible.
The Mystic Eyes pierced through the barriers between worlds, searching one after another. There was a female Merlin, an old man Merlin, a loli Merlin… until finally, it locked onto the playboy Merlin in Avalon, atop the flower-covered tower.
"Really now, don't stare at me with those terrifying eyes. I get it, I get it. I'll lend you my power." Sensing the Mystic Eyes appear behind him as he fiddled with his magical computer in his tower, Merlin gave a wry smile.
The Mystic Eyes themselves opened a passage. Merlin reached out and placed his hand upon the interdimensional gap, answering the summons.
Rainbow light erupted around the boy.
After borrowing Merlin's power, Shirou's pseudo-Spirit Origin ascended in that instant. Crimson battle garments, silver-white hair flowing down his back, amber eyes gleaming with violet light, still sharp enough to pierce all weakness.
With Merlin's unique magical reinforcement, his Spirit Origin ascended once more, all attributes rising by one rank, his magical energy surging explosively.
At that moment, Shirou had become the strongest he had ever been in both lifetimes.
Unlimited Blade Works instantly deployed. The high-rise battlefield transformed into a wasteland of countless blades protecting the world.
Merlin's illusion magecraft, at rank A, had reached such profundity that it could project phantasms into reality itself, altering the very environment.
When this ability combined with the Reality Marble, Unlimited Blade Works, the reaction was explosive.
With the same magical energy consumption, he could normally create fifty Noble Phantasms. Now, that number doubled to one hundred. As he continued projecting, one hundred became two hundred, and the count kept rising…
Meanwhile, Shirou's body became shrouded in a white mist, his figure thinning, with afterimages trailing behind him. As he moved swiftly, it was impossible for others to distinguish which was real and which was false.
"Let's settle this, Li Shuwen!" Shirou glared at his powerful foe and shouted.
"Good! That's how it should be! Yes, this is the opponent I've long desired! Hahahaha!" Li Shuwen, trembling with excitement, his whole body quaking, let the black mud surge forth, covering his entire form except for his face.
Laughing madly, fists clenched, he charged forward.
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