Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 1049: Bluffing

Brionac.

It's the famous magic spear of Lugh mac Ethlenn, the Celtic god of light, and one of the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann from Celtic mythology, a weapon symbolizing Lugh's power.

There are many descriptions of this spear.

Some say it is a magic spear made of light, capable of piercing everything.

Others describe it as having a bizarre shape, resembling a fisherman's harpoon or a farmer's pitchfork, and when thrown, its tip splits into five rays of light, attacking different enemies.

There's also a rumor that the spear is alive, constantly thirsting for blood, and can only be calmed by soaking it in a poppy-based sleeping potion.

However, regardless of the description, they all share one common point: this is an immensely powerful magic spear. It not only radiates the light of death but also has a homing ability, making it impossible for enemies to escape. Its might is unquestionable.

Now, this magic spear, which had claimed countless lives during the Age of Gods, once again revealed its edge. Even when it merely grazed the edge of the dark forest of stakes, it caused the forest to crumble.

Because it is made of light, it arrives quickly and disappears just as fast.

It comes, sweeping away everything, and vanishes without a trace.

All that was left was a concave area of ground that had been swept clean, and at the center of the clearing, something strange stood.

It looked like a statue hastily built with discarded materials or a makeshift scaffold. At the top was a round, pitted disc, and beneath it was a black cylindrical object, as dark as coal.

Lorelei, who was floating in mid-air using magic, casually waved her hand, and an invisible blade sliced through the black cylinder, revealing a man inside, bare-chested.

Although his clothes had been burned away by the light of the magic spear, and even his body hair had been destroyed, the contours and facial features confirmed his identity—it was Matou Shinji, Lorelei's opponent. He had survived.

What was surprising was that despite being struck by an attack equivalent to an A-rank Noble Phantasm, his injuries were not severe. Other than three visible wounds on his shoulder, chest, and abdomen, there were no other serious injuries. Moreover, the three wounds were healing at a visible rate, and even his lost hair and eyebrows were gradually growing back.

"You really weren't holding back at all, were you?"

Hearing that familiar complaint, Lorelei's initial joy quickly turned to a cold indifference.

"I always mean what I say."

"Weren't you afraid I might accidentally die?"

"But you didn't die—thanks to some kind of Noble Phantasm, I presume?"

"No, it's the blessing from Arcueid. In terms of rank, she's higher than Lugh, the god of light."

In just a few moments it took for them to exchange these words, the three wounds inflicted by the light spear had already healed completely. Shinji, now fully recovered, reformed his clothing and waved with a smile toward the sky.

"Bring out whatever else you've got. Today, I'll make sure you admit defeat."

"Ugh!"

Lorelei's expression instantly darkened.

Lugh's spear was a weapon of such high rank that even during the Age of Gods, it stood among the most powerful. If that wasn't enough to take down Shinji, defeating him seemed like an almost impossible task. That damned vampire—Arcueid—even when not present, still found a way to get in her way.

"Don't let him scare you. He's not as unscathed as he appears, and his regenerative abilities aren't limitless."

Just as Lorelei's mind wavered and Shinji was feeling confident, a calm voice suddenly cut through the tension. It immediately brightened Lorelei's mood while earning an angry glare from Shinji.

"Waver!"

Indeed, Shinji surviving Brionac's blow and quickly recovering was intimidating, but Waver wasn't fooled by the surface appearance. He had pieced together the truth from the subtle clues on the battlefield.

Though Shinji had quickly disassembled the scaffolding that had encased his body after crawling out, it was enough time for Waver to notice several things: the base of the scaffold was made from Kazikli Bey stakes, and the black-and-gold disc on top was the shield Shinji had used earlier against the Dead Apostle.

If Shinji were truly unconcerned by Brionac's power, why would he need to prop a shield over his head? Why surround himself with stakes? And why wait for Lorelei to break through the stakes before crawling out?

Building a scaffold and using a shield suggested that Shinji's regeneration ability wasn't enough to withstand the spear's power. He had waited for Lorelei to break the stakes because he needed to buy time to heal. If one were to speculate further, it was possible that Shinji didn't even have the strength to come out on his own at that moment.

Given Waver's understanding of Shinji, if he still had the strength to fight, he wouldn't be standing there chatting with Lorelei. He would have already charged forward to retaliate.

The answer was clear: he was bluffing.

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After Waver's words, Lorelei also realized what was happening. With a half-smile, she taunted Shinji, "You want me to admit defeat? Fine, stand still and let me use the magic spear one more time. If you survive, I'll follow your every command."

"That's not fair, is it?"

Shinji scratched his cheek, awkwardly.

"You'd be at too much of a disadvantage."

"It's fine. You've done a lot for me over the years, so I'll take this chance to repay you."

"But I was paid for all the work I did for you. We're even. This really won't do."

"Could it be, just as Professor Velvet said, that you're bluffing?"

"Fine, think of it as bluffing if you want, but if we're talking about bluffing—let's take it up a notch."

Shinji stretched out his hand toward Scathach, who wasn't too far away, and asked, "Shishou, lend me your spear."

Scathach materialized her weapon, but instead of handing it over, she asked, "Didn't you say my spear was hard to use?"

"But I don't have a suitable weapon right now. Besides, don't you think your spear and Brionac have a lot in common? It'll be fun."

Indeed, there were many similarities. Both were throwing spears, both had a homing property, and both could split into multiple attacks. Some scholars of mythology even speculated that both originated from the same source—Gungnir, the weapon of Odin from Norse mythology.

This reasoning convinced Scathach.

"It does sound interesting. Since one of my arms is out of commission, for now, I'll lend you one."

With a casual flick, she tossed the Gae Bolg Alternative, which landed precisely in Shinji's hand. He immediately assumed a stance, pointing the spear's tip at Lorelei.

"Shall we have a spear-throwing contest?"

"As you wish."

Lorelei nodded with a smile.

"But before that, your Servant has joined the fray."

"You said there were no restrictions on tactics."

"Yes, I did. So, I've decided to learn from you."

PS: In myth, Cu Chulainn's spear doesn't have a homing ability, but in the Fate series, Nasu modified it, most likely taking inspiration from Cu Chulainn's father's spear, Brionac.