Chapter 126

In the forest behind Ryuudou Temple, Gilgamesh frowned, looking displeased at the tiny peachwood sword Shinji had pulled out, which didn't even qualify as a weapon.

"Shinji, are you committing another act of treason against the King?"

Shinji chuckled casually as he looked at the small peachwood sword in his hand. "Well, it doesn't look like much, does it? This thing can break with just a little force. But, it has a unique quality that I really like. Keep your eyes wide open and be ready, Gilgamesh..."

Just as Shinji finished speaking, Gilgamesh noticed something.

Watching the peachwood sword seemingly merge with Shinji, drawing energy from him, Gilgamesh suddenly laughed.

"Hahahahaha... Life force? Is it really life force? Matou Shinji, you're truly interesting! Let's see how strong your life force is!"

Shinji sighed, showing a hint of resignation as he continued, "I advise you not to underestimate this. I'm about to inject all my life force into it. This is my one and only trump card, and I had to figure it out on my own."

"Oh? All of it? While I acknowledge that your current life force is much stronger than that of ordinary humans, it's still not enough to make me take this seriously."

"True. I've only injected ten years' worth so far. Now, I'm going to pour in the remaining four hundred and seventy years of my life force. Are you ready?"

With a slight smirk, Shinji channeled all the immense life force within him into the sword.

Shinji's hair moved without wind, and an invisible aura began to expand as the life force flowed into the sword.

One meter! Two meters! Five meters! Ten meters!

Leaves rustled, and branches swayed with the growing energy!

Seeing the unremarkable peachwood sword absorb more and more life force, Gilgamesh's expression grew serious.

Considering Shinji had mentioned ten years, then currently at fifty years' worth, Gilgamesh felt a bit of pressure.

If Shinji indeed had nearly five hundred years of life force, then there seemed to be only one way to counter it.

EA!

Of course, Gilgamesh had countless ways to defeat Shinji, especially since Shinji was vulnerable while gathering power. A few weapons could easily finish him off!

However, Gilgamesh didn't want to do that. Although it annoyed him to draw EA for a mere human, he wanted to see Shinji's all-out attack, betting everything he had!

Standing amidst the whirlwind, with his hair and clothes blowing, Gilgamesh raised his right hand: "Matou Shinji! Feel honored! The King acknowledges your all-out attack!"

Seeing Gilgamesh summon the shining key and hold it in his hand, Shinji, driven by his own thrill-seeking nature, felt a rush of excitement!

This excitement was caught by Gilgamesh, who grinned.

"I admit it, Shinji, we do have similarities. This thrill, this excitement, we share it!"

With that, Gilgamesh successfully unlocked and wielded Enuma Elish. The moment it appeared, the aura emanating from Shinji couldn't approach within ten meters of Gilgamesh!

Within Gilgamesh's ten-meter range, everything was calm!

As Enuma Elish's segments began to spin and gather power, its red aura easily overwhelmed and crushed Shinji's expanding aura!

Trees within a fifty-meter radius were uprooted! The ground shook as if in an earthquake!

Seeing Shinji's increasingly ecstatic expression, Gilgamesh couldn't help but mirror it.

"Are you ready, Matou Shinji?!"

"Ah, I can't wait, Gilgamesh!"

Both raised their weapons, shining with blinding light of different colors...

"This is the King's punishment! Enuma Elish!"

"Answer my call, Simum!"

The red glow of Enuma Elish representing the King's punishment clashed with the brilliant white light of Simum representing Shinji's all-in attack!

At that moment, it seemed the world was painted in their colors, filled entirely by the two's energies!

The ground churned, soil flew everywhere!

All trees within a hundred meters vanished!

Boom!!!

...

When the dust settled, Gilgamesh looked down at the exhausted, battered Shinji lying on the ground. The peachwood sword, now a broken hilt with the name "Simum" still intact, lay beside him.

Gilgamesh summoned a new weapon but paused, seeing Shinji's face, devoid of fear, instead filled with pure joy. After a brief thought, Gilgamesh put the weapon away.

"Shinji, the King's punishment is over."

With that, Gilgamesh turned and left, hands in pockets as usual.

Shinji, having exhausted his last ounce of strength, couldn't even move a finger.

His lungs screamed for oxygen!

His brain screamed for oxygen!

Every organ in his body craved nutrients!

At that moment, no matter how fast Shinji breathed or tried to circulate his inner energy, it wasn't enough.

I'm in trouble. I might not be able to stand for a few days. Hopefully, no wild animals find me...

Thinking this, Shinji wasn't upset about exhausting all his life force.

"Hu..." After regaining a bit of strength, Shinji managed to sit up, breathing heavily, and surveyed the drastically altered landscape, like after a massive earthquake.

"I... I blocked EA... Hahaha... Hahahahaha..."

Suddenly, Shinji burst into uncontrollable laughter, a deep excitement and thrill he had never shown before being completely released!

However...

Shinji's laughter abruptly stopped, his head slumped forward.

Life force... seemed to disappear.

But this state lasted only a second. Then, the boy opened his eyes again, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

"Finally, I've taken over. But this kid, instead of using tricks, took EA head-on. I don't get it. He drained all his life force, but that's fine. I can slowly recover. The important thing is, this perfectly trained body, this special soul, all mine now! And those women, all mine too! Damn, watching from inside made me so envious!"

"Shinji," now filled with malicious joy, laughed wildly, spouting incomprehensible words.

But then...

"Filled! Filled! Filled! Filled! Filled!"

"Five times filled!"

"But when filled, it shall be discarded!"

Hearing the emotionless, mechanical voice echoing around him, "Shinji" was startled!

"What's going on?! I took over the core! His spirit should be completely exhausted..."

"Shinji" looked around in horror, the summoning chant continuing unabated.

"Stop scaring me! Even if he has some spirit left... No! Wait!" He looked down at his body. "Where are this kid's three souls? System! System!"

Then, "Shinji" felt a searing pain in his left wrist and saw three bright red Command Seals appear!

"From the Ring of Restraint, come forth, Guardian of the Scales!"

Simultaneously, the final line of the summoning chant finished!

Before him appeared a masked, short-statured figure, bowing and saying, "Servant Assassin, summoned at your command."

"Shinji," in utter terror, raised his left hand involuntarily.

"Impossible! The Grail system is dismantled... and there's no summoning circle. How... Did he engrave the chant into the Grail system itself, using its foundation as the summoning circle?"

"Command!"

"Activate three Command Seals!"

"Assassin, use your Noble Phantasm to kill your Master!"

"You son of a...!!"

As the ethereal voice faded, "Shinji" watched in horror as the Command Seals vanished from his hand.

Hassan-i-Sabbah, just summoned, was bewildered, looking at his Master and his own compelled right hand.

What's going on?

What the hell is this?

What kind of order is this?

Why did my Master immediately use three Command Seals to kill himself?

Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?

Aren't I here to participate in the Holy Grail War?

Who is my Master cursing? Me? Doesn't seem like it...

"You dare!!"

A furious voice roared from behind!

Following was the clinking of chains!

Though knowing two Servants were attacking him, with weapons thrown his way, Hassan couldn't stop due to the Command Seals!

As his Noble Phantasm replicated and crushed "Shinji's" heart, Hassan's body was also pierced by Gilgamesh's weapons and Rider's spikes!

"I..."

Hassan turned to look at Rider and the enraged, weapon-clad Gilgamesh. But before he could finish his sentence, countless Noble Phantasms shot toward him again!

Pshhh!!!

...

When Shirou, Illya, and the others arrived, they saw Shinji, mouth bloodied, lifeless, and dead beyond recovery, supported by Rider.

Meanwhile...

A boy with flowing silver hair and red eyes, identical to Shinji, stepped out of the Great Hollow.

"Possession? What an idiot."