Chapter 417: Special Training

Chapter 417: Special Training

When Artoria sent a message to Shinji through their contract, Shinji was already covered in bruises and injuries—courtesy of Chiron.

Yes, the special training had begun, starting at 6 AM that morning.

The core of the training was adaptation, divided mainly into two aspects: speed and technique.

As a Servant, his attributes were already fixed with no room for improvement. The only thing that could be trained was experience, particularly the experience of battling Achilles.

First was speed. This was Achilles' forte, known as "the fastest among all heroes of all ages." This legend was crystallized into his Noble Phantasm, named "Comet Form."

Dromeus Komētēs: (Comet Form): A+ Rank

Type: Anti-Unit (Self) Noble Phantasm

It enables him to traverse a vast battlefield in a single burst, without slowing down even when obstacles are present. Although he must expose his Achilles' heel as a vulnerability, few Heroic Spirits can fully keep up with his speed, known as the pinnacle of swift-footedness in human history.

There is a saying: "In the world of Martial Arts, speed determines the winner." This illustrates how terrifying extreme speed can be, and Achilles possesses the most extreme speed. (Kung Fu Hustle Reference.)

Understanding this, Shinji had rigorously practiced anticipation and prepared the Divine Thunder Barrier, which indeed caused Achilles some trouble in their initial encounter. But these were ultimately tricks; if they couldn't kill the opponent in one hit, they would be less effective the second time. Now that Achilles had issued a duel challenge in the name of the Olympian gods, Shinji had to adapt to such speed—or face it through Chiron's arrows.

As the inspiration for Sagittarius and one of the top archers in human history, Chiron's archery had reached its pinnacle. His shooting speed, strength, and angle were impeccable. Only thus could he shoot arrows fast enough to match "Comet Form" without fearing a misstep that might gravely injure or kill Shinji.

However, due to the nature of arrows, there were still differences between Chiron's simulated "Comet Form" and the original. After all, arrows are much smaller than humans. If this weren't the case, Chiron's arrows couldn't reach Achilles' running speed. Truly simulating it would require enormous mana consumption, burdening Chiron's body and affecting the duration of the special training, making it not worthwhile.

Therefore, for better training results, Chiron demanded that Shinji increase the difficulty. He couldn't use his Noble Phantasms and had to dodge or block the arrows using his body alone—skills like using mana bursts to shatter the arrows were also forbidden unless he could do the same to Achilles.

"Focus during combat!"

After thinking for a moment, Chiron, noticing they had been fighting for over two hours with Shinji mostly taking hits, suggested, "If you're tired, take a break. You're probably reaching your limit."

"Limit? I'm far from my limit." Shinji nonchalantly wiped the blood from his mouth. "As long as I'm still standing, I haven't reached my limit. Let's continue. With this intensity, I can at least last until noon."

"You—"

Chiron carefully scanned each part of Shinji's body, his eyebrows slightly raising.

"No, your body is clearly near its limit. Why? Have you been undergoing such training since childhood?"

"Yes, indeed. As expected of a teacher, you have a keen eye. My Shishou, who taught me from childhood, believed that 'only by constantly surpassing limits can one become stronger.' Ah, at the beginning, I suffered a lot and cried until I had no more tears. Thinking back, it was tough."

Hearing Shinji's explanation, Chiron's frown deepened.

"That's too harsh. While I don't deny that extreme training can make one stronger, training with too much intensity can cause irreversible damage—I don't agree with such an education method."

You are questioning my Shishou's teaching methods. If you two meet, a fight is inevitable. Honestly, I don't think you'll win, Chiron. Whether or not you've regained your immortality, you're still a son of gods, and Shishou's 'Godslayer' skill is your bane. To avoid any issues for you, it's best I change the subject quickly.

"Whether you agree or not, you'll have to discuss it with her when you meet. Or, since you've both taught me, how about I evaluate your teachings?"

"Alright. Whether a teacher teaches well is ultimately judged by their student."

Chiron nodded solemnly, accepting this unique challenge that belonged to teachers. For him, this held more significance than simply winning a fight.