At this point, Cu Chulainn had begun to understand Shinji's true strength and why Scáthach, who shared a similar color scheme with him, had high expectations for him.
It wasn't his martial skills, magecraft, or even his Noble Phantasms. Rather, it was a particular ability beyond these—some kind of mysterious power that even the once-invincible Hound of Culann and Sage of the Forest struggled to comprehend.
This power, this mystery, if further developed, might truly allow Scáthach to achieve her long-held wish.
However, for now, the power Shinji had displayed was still within Cu Chulainn's ability to handle.
Using the supposedly omnipotent Runes to defend temporarily, and then closing the distance with his speed advantage, the next phase would be his and Bazett's turn.
Cu Chulainn was confident that with his and Bazett's combined strength, Shinji wouldn't have any opportunity to pull off any more tricks. This time, he wouldn't give his kouhai the chance to play any more wild cards.
This was undoubtedly the correct strategy—if Shinji had only prepared Killer Queen as his trump card.
Just as Cu Chulainn and Bazett successfully closed the distance, and just as they both simultaneously declared, "We've got him," Shinji suddenly stopped retreating. At that moment, a flash of spiritual light, similar to the one that powered the infinite explosions, erupted from within him.
In the next second, Cu Chulainn's spear and Bazett's fists were both blocked—by six arms.
Yes, six arms.
Blue in color, these arms stretched out from Shinji's back, formed from condensed spirit particles, appearing somewhere between the real and the ethereal.
The six arms were attached to a similarly ethereal body, which had eight legs and three heads. Each head bore a terrifyingly fierce expression, looking especially horrifying.
"Demonic Eight Sword Style, Ashura!"
As Shinji's low voice echoed, the entire battlefield was enveloped by an invisible pressure, making the air feel oppressively heavy.
While technically, this manifestation was shaped by magic and spirit particle manipulation, and its appearance was entirely dependent on Shinji's will, there was a noticeable difference in its performance. Buddhist forms were relatively mild.
As Ashura appeared, the Kazikli Bey naturally transformed into a variety of weapons—swords, axes, and bows—held in Ashura's hands, which then launched a frenzied assault on the dog-man-and-woman duo.
In truth, Shinji was well aware of his awkward position regarding martial and magical skills. He had known this ever since his battle five years ago against that guy masquerading as Amakusa Shirou.
He was neither the best nor the worst. He could easily crush weaker opponents but struggled against true powerhouses. Even with all his Noble Phantasms, at best, he could be considered first-class, but not top-tier.
Fortunately, Spartacus had inspired him. If technique wasn't enough, then focus on attributes. And if attributes weren't enough? Then stop being human.
Two hands aren't enough? Grow four. If that's still not enough, grow six.
Two legs can't hold you up? Add more.
One head can't handle everything? Grow two more and you can see in all directions and hear everything.
Outnumbered?
Surrounded?
Close combat?
Then bring it on! Let's see who has more attack points.
Moreover, Ashura's manifestation wasn't like his actual body. It didn't fear injury. As long as there were enough spirit particles in the environment, the form would automatically absorb them and repair itself.
This also led to a unique battle strategy exclusive to this manifestation—specializing in grabbing, locking, and trapping enemies.
Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded.
Before they realized it, Cu Chulainn's spear and Bazett's fists had been locked by the manifestation, forcing them into a stalemate. Meanwhile, Shinji himself was free to charge in with his spear or rain down a pile of Kazikli Bey weapons, creating an even greater sense of pressure than before, with Killer Queen.
They were truly caught in a dilemma.
A real dilemma.
Retreat?
Endless explosions awaited them. For now, they could still rely on the Command Spell's amplification and Runes to resist, but once the Command Spell's power ran out, they'd be at Shinji's mercy.
Advance? How?
Ashura's manifestation was too much of a cheat. Not only did it have three heads, six arms, and eight legs, but it also didn't fear damage. Worse, its attributes were ridiculously high. Even though Cu Chulainn and Bazett were skilled and powerful, they couldn't fully utilize their abilities, leaving them frustrated to the extreme.
"What do we do? The Command Spell's power is fading."
"Should we retreat for now?"
"Do you have a way to counter the infinite explosion ability?"
"No, but the explosion's range can't possibly be infinite, right? He didn't use this ability right from the start, which means it must have limitations or require a specific condition. If we get far enough away, the infinite explosions might weaken, and then—"
"—we'll have our chance! Alright, let's retreat. Use all your magic power to boost our speed and defense, and we'll fight a mobile battle."
"I'll count to three, and we'll go together!"
Just then, the boy's voice rang out in their ears.
"—What's this? Thinking of retreating? A smart decision, but it's too late."
Though their conversation was silent, thanks to their contract, Shinji could still guess their intentions based on their body movements.
"You don't think the Runes will protect you completely, do you?"
His voice wasn't loud, and his tone was calm, but it sent a chill down Cu Chulainn's spine.
He instinctively tried to leap backward—but now, it wasn't a matter of speed. The attack had ended long before he could react.
His momentum was broken, and blood spilled from the Lancer's mouth.
"Lancer!!!"
Bazett cried out in shock, while Cu Chulainn stood there, dazed, staring at Shinji.
"Was it… iron stakes?"
"Correct. Quick reaction, but no prize."
The protection of the primordial Runes was indeed powerful, covering both physical and magical defenses. However, no matter how strong a defense was, it always had a weakness—it couldn't protect against attacks from within. Even Karna's invincible golden armor wasn't immune to this.
Vlad III's Noble Phantasm, Kazikli Bey, wasn't about stakes; it was about the phenomenon of stakes being raised. As long as someone was within this domain, no matter how strong their defenses were, as long as the wielder initiated the attack—by physically touching the target—the stakes would rise from the designated spot, even from within the target.
From the start of the battle, Shinji had touched Cu Chulainn's body three times with his spear, firmly planting the stake concept in him, which now erupted.
"It's over."
Shinji spoke, raising the Immortal Blade.
PS: Zoro's sword technique got lost.