Shinji finally understood Hercules' current state.
There was nothing wrong with his plan, and the execution went off without a hitch. The A+ rank Noble Phantasm [Brahmastra] spear directly targeted the spirit core with [Broken Phantasm], successfully breaking through all of Hercules' trials, truly shattering his spirit core.
For any other Servant, they would have turned to dust by now, leaving no trace behind. The reason Hercules was still standing was because, aside from his [Twelve Labors], he had another skill symbolizing his immortality—[Battle Continuation].
Although this skill didn't grant true immortality, it could temporarily protect his spiritual foundation in a fatal situation, allowing him to continue fighting in the present world. What Hercules mentioned earlier about willpower was exactly this. If left alone, he would disappear entirely in a few minutes.
Because his spirit core was shattered, the contract between him and his Master was severed, and the forced [Mad Enhancement] was also lifted. This world-renowned hero had regained his sanity, standing tall in the face of the man and woman who had killed him.
Though mortally wounded, he stood unyielding.
Despite the deadly enemy before him, he smiled and remained composed.
His heroic spirit naturally inspired admiration. Facing such a figure, Shinji sincerely lowered his head.
"I'm sorry. Your Noble Phantasm was just too troublesome, and your Master had something I needed, so I had no choice but to target you in this way."
"You don't need to apologize; you did nothing wrong. Exploiting an enemy's weakness is a warrior's basic skill."
Hercules smiled as he spoke. Surprisingly, despite his monstrous appearance, his smile was not frightening at all.
"You're right. A warrior who can't guard his weakness isn't a qualified one."
Shinji's response naturally brought a hint of surprise to Hercules' face.
"That phrase… it's something my teacher… From the moment I first met you, I've always felt a strange familiarity. Could it be that you too…"
[Mad Enhancement] makes one lose reason, not awareness. Even during his Berserk state, though he couldn't control his actions, he was fully conscious of what he was doing.
"Yes, my other teacher is none other than the great sage Chiron."
The comment about weaknesses was exactly the battle philosophy of the legendary archer Chiron. He had passed this teaching to all his students—Hercules, Achilles, and even Shinji were all familiar with it.
Scathach let out a brief sound of surprise, while the great hero once again smiled.
"So, you're also a student of our teacher. If possible, I'd love to have a drink with you and then a good match."
This seemed to be a common trait among Chiron's students. Although their teacher was quite mild-tempered, each of his disciples was more battle-hungry than the last, the complete opposite of Scathach's disciple. While Scathach's disciple also loved to fight, it was a trait passed down by their war-crazed Shishou. Naturally, having studied under both of them, Shinji couldn't avoid being influenced.
"That is also my wish. But it's not too late now. Let me witness the divine technique that even Chiron-sensei never stopped praising—[Nine Lives]."
"That's quite the proposal, but this time, I'll have to decline. There's someone else I'd rather challenge."
As Hercules said this, his eyes shifted slightly, focusing on Scathach, who raised her head to meet his gaze.
"You know my true name?"
"I do. A warrior wielding a magic spear, burdened with the curses and grievances of so many gods—there's no one else it could be but the mentor who rivals my teacher."
"So, you do know."
"The Queen of the Land of Shadows, the God-Slaying Warrior, will you grant me my final request?"
Hearing Hercules' heartfelt desire, Scathach responded with the appropriate solemnity, gripping her spear with both hands and pointing it at the giant before her.
"You are a true warrior and an outstanding hero. A request like this—I cannot refuse."
"Thank you. To receive recognition from you is an honor."
Hercules reached for the closest weapon, which was the halberd Leysritt had been using. His axe-sword had been shattered by the [Broken Phantasm] and could no longer be used.
However, before he could even assume a stance, Scathach suddenly lowered her spear and shook her head at him.
"Don't use that. You won't stand a chance with it—Shinji."
"Understood."
Under Hercules's puzzled gaze, Shinji helplessly shrugged his shoulders and opened his hands, drawing in the scattered mana and faith from the surrounding space.
Of course, he understood what Scathach meant. The battle-crazed Queen, wanted to see Hercules at his strongest. Although Hercules was a master of all 18 weapons, that didn't mean his weapon choice had no impact on his strength.
Just as Scathach's greatest weapon was the spear, and she was at her strongest when using it, Hercules was the same. That giant axe-sword, which looked like a mix of axe, sword, and even a bit of a bow, was his best weapon. Only when wielding it was Hercules truly at his peak.
Shinji's task was to use [Third Magic] to recreate the weapon that had been shattered. While making this weapon would increase his opponent's chances, he couldn't refuse Scathach's request. Besides, he was also curious about the true power of Hercules' [Nine Lives].
The axe-sword wasn't even a Noble Phantasm; it was a catalyst for summoning Hercules. So, what Shinji needed to do was simply recreate and reshape it, which wasn't too difficult. Soon, a brand-new axe-sword was formed.
Shinji handed the weapon to Hercules, who, somewhat embarrassed, said, "Thank you. I didn't expect you to have such impressive skills. I'm starting to regret declining your challenge."
"It's fine. In terms of pure skill, there's still a Hydra between me and you or Shishou."
Shinji spread his hands, indicating he didn't mind.
"The Hydra wasn't that hard to kill."
The Greek hero said, raising the axe-sword. The massive weapon immediately embedded itself into the ceiling.
"Uh… could you do me another favor? This place is a bit too cramped. Could you make it more spacious?"
"..."
Shinji sighed silently and snapped his fingers. Since he had already restored the weapon, preparing a proper battlefield seemed like a minor task.
In the next moment, the remaining mana in the air exploded, and the walls and ceiling started to shake again. Already severely damaged from earlier, they could no longer maintain their structure, and the last floor of the villa began to collapse.
In an instant, the walls crumbled, and rubble scattered everywhere as if a natural disaster had struck and the end of the world had arrived.