Chapter 183: Monkey vs. Bear


    <span>The air is invisible and intangible, yet it is everywhere. Attacks released through the air as a medium are<span>difficult<span>to detect and extremely hard to defend against.


    <span>By the time<span>Shinji felt the pressure<span>being exerted<span>on him, he had nowhere to hide.


    <span>Shinji''s body began to tremble, and his thin shirt<span>turned into<span>pieces and scattered on the ground<span>in an instant<span>.


    <span>He was hit, without a doubt.


    <span>However, Shinji<span>wasn''t harmed<span>.<span>All his clothes were woven<span>with the Third Magic silk threads of Justeaze. When facing a sudden attack, the clothes would act as the first line of defense through the "Copse, Shrink, and Absorb Energy" method.<span>The pressure exerted by Souren Araya through the air was neutralized<span>at the cost of the disintegration of Shinji''s shirt.


    <span>After wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Shinji<span>let out<span>a long sigh of relief.


    <span>Souren Araya truly lived up to his reputation as a formidable human, chosen by a<span>certain<span>mushroom(Nasu). Even though Shinji had undergoneprehensive enhancement from the Golden Apple and had been training for over three years, he was still firmly suppressed by Souren.


    <span>The physicalbat skills honed over two hundred years, surpassing the likes of Kotomine Kirei.


    <span>The intricateposite bounded field, "Six Realms."


    <span>And the relic embedded in his left hand, enhancing his life and physicality.


    <span>The perfect fusion of these three elements supported Souren Araya''s immense power.


    <span>"My attributes are almost catching up to a Servant from the Three Knights'' sses. I''ve found myself a great opponent."


    <span>Shinji wielded the "Divine Gunde" and assumed a stance thatbined offense and defense, suitable for both close and long-rangebat, facing off against Souren Araya from a distance.


    <span>As he gazed at his opponent''s posture, full of vulnerabilities yet devoid of any openings, Shinji''s heart didn''t harbor<span>a trace of<span>fear or despair. Instead, his blood burned, and his fighting spirit boiled.


    <span>Yes, this is how it should be. It wouldn''t be interesting otherwise.


    <span>Without this level of strength, how can they be worthy opponents for me?


    <span>Ever since I began training under my<span>master<span>, I have never chosen opponents who were below my level.


    <span>With a flick of his right hand, Shinji''s five fingers grasped four runestones, poised to press against the slingshot''s string.


    <span>Knowing<span>that Souren<span>Arayacked long-range means, Shinji wouldn''t allow creating a small distance between them. A shadow shed, and the distance between the two instantly shrank to five steps. However, at this moment, Shinji had yet to release the slingshot''s string.


    <span>It wasn''t a matter of being toote; he hadn''t even considered using the slingshot to shoot. He hadn''t mastered advanced techniques like the "One Bow, Four Shots."


    <span>These four runestones<span>were meant<span>to<span>be used<span>as projectiles!


    <span>"Ihwaz" from another world!


    <span>"<span>Tiwaz<span>" the war god!


    <span>"<span>Ehwaz<span>" the swift horse!


    <span>"<span>Sowilo<span>" the sun!


    <span>These four runestones,<span>each with a different meaning, formed aposite runic magic.


    <span>In the modern world of rune magic, the cooperative application of three or more runestones<span>is known<span>as a "rune score."


    <span>The rune score Shinji was using now<span>was<span>specifically prepared<span>for Souren Araya, with some of the runestones embodying positive forces and others negative.


    <span>The onlymonality was that these forces were constantly changing, and this fluctuation shed intensely with the "Six Realms," which symbolized "origins."


    <span>The integrated bounded field revealed a w, and<span>Souren''s<span>movements were slightly disrupted<span>due to the chaotic and disorderly magical disturbances.


    <span>Shinji had been waiting for this opportunity, and he swung his Divine Gunde with his left hand, decisively striking.


    <span>"Fugu!" Souren Araya repeated his previous technique, using his left arm embedded with a relic to block the de.


    <span>But this time, the de didn''t directly pierce through his arm as before. Instead, it eerily slid downward, leaving a bloody gash on Souren Araya''s thigh.


    <span>The faint light shimmering on the magical de reflected the stters of blood in the air, illuminating Shinji''s sinister<span>grin,<span>as if to say, "I''ve seen through your technique."


    <span>Unlike<span>the way<span>"Avalon" is imnted in a person''s body, Souren Araya reced his bones with the sacred relics of Buddhist saints, " ?arīra." As a result, his left arm was the<span>strongest<span>part of his entire body, resistant not only to swords and des but also highly resilient against mysteries. On the other hand, the<span>other<span>parts of his body were not as<span>tough<span>.


    <span>Having seeded with his strike, Shinji immediately retreated.


    <span>The subsequent scene proved that this choice was correct. If<span>he<span>had withdrawn even a momentter, Souren''s palms would havended on his body. Without his shirt, Shinji''s bare upper body would have suffered multiple broken bones.


    <span>"Chougyou!" Souren Araya clenched his empty hands tightly,pressing the surrounding air twice<span>in session<span>.


    <span>Shinji<span>was prepared<span>for this. The hurricane runestone "Hagz" activated.


    <span>The flowing wind indicated the<span>direction ofpression<span>, and Shinji casually adjusted his footwork to dodge<span>Souren''s<span>pursuit.


    <span>One step back, followed by one step forward.


    <span>Runestone in his right hand, Divine Gunde in his left.


    <span>Whether shooting from a distance orunching a surprise attack up close with the rune scoreplementing the Gunde.


    <span>There was only one key point—don''t be confined by forms<span>, find<span>opportunities in movement.


    <span>This<span>was Shinji''s tactic.


    <span>Araya Souren''s origin is "Stillness." His awakened origin granted him a long life and an almost immortal body<span>, but it<span>also brought some<span>negative<span>effects, such as a mncholic temperament and an excessively steady fighting style.


    <span>Due to the influence of his "origin," Araya is not adept at change. The trajectory of his attacks and movements appears monotonous, often relying on stillness to control his actions, going straight toward his target. Although his movement speed is not slower than Shinji''s, he constantly fails to<span>keep up with<span>Shinji''s relentless footsteps.


    <span>The rhythm of the battle gradually fell under Shinji''s control.


    <span>He would advance at times, retreat at others, and sometimes even maneuver directly on the walls, resembling an agile monkey, toying with the lumbering bear that was Araya Souren.


    <span>Indeed, it was merely a "game" he yed.


    <span>No matter how the monkey showed off, it couldn''t bridge theprehensive gap between it and the bear—differences in size, strength, endurance, defense, and so on were on<spanpletely<span>different levels.


    <span>The monkey scratched a few times<span>,<span>but<span>it<span>was ineffective against the bear.<span>If the bear swatted the monkey with its paw,<span>the monkey<span>would<span>be left<span>with half its life.


    <span>The bear remained calm and energetic, even after squatting in ce all day. The monkey, on the other hand, would tire after just half an hour of running around.


    <span>Therefore, Araya Souren, ying the<span>role of the bear<span>, felt no urgency. He willingly relinquished control of the rhythm. Originating from "Stillness," he had more patience than anyone else. As long as Shinji showed the slightest sign of fatigue, Araya could seize the opportunity to strike back and regain the advantage.


    <span>The counterattack came earlier than Araya had anticipated. Although Shinji''s movements remained unpredictable, the distance between the two was growing wider.


    <span>He wanted to run!


    <span>It was useless.<span>The corridor had beenpletely sealed by the bounded field.<span>Without undoing the bounded field, no one could escape.


    <span>Two thoughts simultaneously shed through Araya Souren''s mind. He started<span>running,<span>like an armored vehicle speeding forward, crushing any obstacles in his path.


    <span>Suddenly, a golden radiance tore through the darkness.


    <span>The light was so dazzling<span>,<span>yet<span>so<span>solemn as if it carried the authority of a divine being high above in myth and legend.


    <span>The light was also<span>so<span>familiar, reminding Araya Souren of the Buddha relics that had already merged with him.


    <span>The light emanated from a weapon simr to a Buddhist Vajra.


    <span>The golden weapon spun and whistled as it approached.


    <span>In an instant, Araya Souren''s hair stood on end.


    <span>PS: In "Kara no Kyoukai," it is described that Araya Souren<span>possesses the ability to<span>dodge bullets fired from a handgun and crush a person''s skull with a single grab. His agility and physicality are at least of B rank.


    <span>PS2: The three Knight sses, Saber, Archer, and Lancer, generally have higher attribute panelspared to the Assassin, Caster, and Rider sses.


    <span>//Souren Araya Six Realms: Fugu (不倶), Kongou (金剛), Dakatsu (蛇蝎), Taiten (戴天), Chougyou (頂経), and Ouken (王顕)