Chapter 392: Paralyzing Strike (Part 2)

Chapter 392: Paralyzing Strike (Part 2)

"Let me cross your lightning!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Red Rider's figure halted abruptly, then disappeared in the next instant.

No, he didn't disappear; rather, his forward speed was so fast it appeared as though he had vanished.

At the moment he "disappeared," a strong sense of danger drove Shinji to instinctively summon a bolt of lightning. Because it was instinctive, the lightning's placement, trajectory, and timing reached an unprecedented peak.

Yet, even such an excellent lightning maneuver couldn't stop Rider's charge. As the lightning struck, he leaped up, hurdling over the barrier of lightning—literally crossing it.

Through several attempts, Rider had identified Shinji's weakness.

No matter how fast the lightning was, it ultimately couldn't keep up with his speed. As for predictions, as long as he did something unpredictable—like jumping—he could evade them.

A competent warrior would never readily let their feet leave the ground, as humans without wings lose their footing and mobility once airborne, making it impossible to dodge attacks. If he could evade lightning on the ground, why risk jumping?

With this understanding, Red Rider successfully broke through the lightning barrier.

Now, there were no obstacles between him and Shinji.

"It's over!"

Confident in his speed, Rider raised his fist, knowing that at such high speeds, this punch could shatter Black Assassin's bones, regardless of any weapon the enemy might use.

To Rider's surprise, Black Assassin made no move to defend, nor did he panic or dodge. He stood calmly, his lips parting to utter a single word: "Forward!"

In that instant, the familiar sensation of paralysis once again invaded Red Rider's body. Though not as intense as when struck by lightning, it was a fleeting, slight numbness, lasting less than a breath. But at a critical moment, any negative impact could change the outcome.

The bounded field is based on the "portable barrier" technique left by Araya, with Shinji himself as the core and the Thunder of Indra as the pivot. Normally, Shinji's current level wouldn't be sufficient to sustain such a high-level bounded field. However, since the bounded field originated from Buddhism, and both the Thunder of Indra and the relic are Buddhist artifacts, this dual enhancement compensated for the technical deficiencies, completing the bounded field.

Of course, this bounded field, reliant on external objects, still had considerable gaps compared to Araya Souren's "Six Realms Boundary." Nonetheless, this newly developed technique proved extremely practical.

Bounded Field - Divine Thunder Barrier: This magecraft extends the power of Indra's Thunder over a wide area. The larger the area covered, the weaker the lightning's power.

However, Shinji didn't intend to use the bounded field for direct attacks. He valued the paralyzing effect that the electric current would produce on the body. At a crucial moment, even a top-tier Servant would be brought to their knees—Red Rider being the first victim.

Despite being caught off guard and suffering a significant loss due to the lightning-bounded field, Red Rider's spirit was undiminished, if not intensified.

"I made a mistake. I shouldn't have underestimated you because of your class. Even an Assassin is a heroic spirit—worthy as an opponent."

A hero of his stature instinctively rejected those who relied solely on ambushes and assassinations, forgetting that an assassin's class didn't define the heroic spirit's true nature.

Using his full strength against an assassin felt like an insult to himself, but not taking a heroic spirit seriously was an insult to both parties. At this moment, Red Rider fully set aside any contempt and resolved to seriously defeat the enemy before him.

Seeing the undisguised fighting spirit and smile of Red Rider, Shinji's expression turned somewhat bitter.

"If possible, I'd prefer not to be recognized by a warrior like you. It's gratifying but also more troublesome. I can recommend a worthy opponent for you who'd be delighted to fight."

However, the more Shinji responded this way, the more intrigued Red Rider became. This attitude of helplessness without fear, of frustration without retreat, was something he didn't expect to encounter in the Holy Grail War.

"I'm indeed curious about the opponent you mentioned, someone who sees through my immortality and says such things. But, compared to an unknown opponent, I want to defeat you. You remind me of someone who, knowing he couldn't beat me, still used all sorts of ways to restrain me. Every time I wanted a one-on-one fight with him, he always said similar things."

"In that case, you and I are destined to be rivals! Oh gods of Olympus, grant glory and honor to this battle!"

Red Rider pointed to the sky with his still-bleeding right hand, maintaining his heroic demeanor both in life and in death.

This time, it was Shinji who felt paralyzed.