IBHJ 1147

"Abby, I'll leave the rest to you," Shirou said.

Abigail nodded. The keyhole between her eyebrows glowed with mithril light, and three portals opened in front of them. Shirou and the others shared a look before stepping through.

They couldn't afford to lose Tír na nÓg.

They had no other strongholds left!

When they arrived at the ice island in the far north, Merlin spoke up: "I never thought Ambrosius would really help us... Looks like she really was one of the relics Tethys left for the Inheritor of the Vortex. It's amazing that you figured it out."

Shirou shook his head. "You've got it wrong, Merlin. What I said before—I was lying to all of you."

"What?" Merlin froze, taking a moment to process this.

"Nothing in this world stays hidden from Gaia, but Gaia knew nothing about this. And from what I know of Tethys, that Barbie doll isn't the type to leave backup plans. Most importantly, even if Tethys had given Ambrosius those orders, she definitely wouldn't follow them. After all, who'd choose to be someone's servant when they could live life on their own terms?"

"Then... what was your real reason for saying all that?"

"When you want people to help you, don't you need to give them a good reason for doing so?" Shirou said with a smile.

Merlin frowned. "I suppose..."

He knew what Shirou meant, but something about his tone and expression suggested there was more to it. It left Merlin feeling a bit lost.

Shirou didn't explain. Some things were better left unsaid, but he'd noticed how Ambrosius looked at Merlin—the same way he looked at his daughter Mordred...

Yes, Ambrosius was just like him—an awkward father.

Suddenly.

A massive wave of killing intent erupted in the distance.

This wasn't like the vague "battle aura" people read about in stories—this was raw bloodlust, a pure hunger for combat, for death, for worthy enemies to destroy!

"They've found us!"

Shirou raised his hand, projecting two crimson Gae Bolgs into existence. "She might not be the same person I knew, but Aife showed me plenty of 'hospitality' before. Time to return the favor."

He charged toward the source of that bloodlust with Gáe Bolgs in hand. He soon found himself on an icy plain, facing a mysterious woman with twin spears who radiated death itself.

He'd seen her once before, at the Nordic connection point. She was Scathach's self-proclaimed rival.

"Gae Bolg..." Aife's eyes locked onto the spears in his hands. She tightened her grip on her own pair of Gáe Bolgs, eyes narrowing. "I knew it... you're that Pan-Human History Heroic Spirit who inherited the Fomorian Spear Arts, aren't you?"

"Never heard of it," he shook his head.

Merlin whispered to him. "The Fomorian Spear Arts are the techniques Scathach mastered, inherited from the Fomorian gods."

These legendary techniques came from the Fomorian gods under Balor's rule. The Fomorians were major figures in Celtic mythology as the first gods to rule over heaven and earth until the Celtic gods defeated them and threw them into the abyss.

Scathach didn't get these spear arts through Fomorian blood, but through her role as guardian of the Land of Shadows. She had killed so many Fomorian gods and learned their techniques that she reached divinity despite being born mortal. This transgression was why she was cursed with immortality and why Gaia banished her to the Outside of the World.

While other mortals throughout history had risen to divinity, rare but not unheard of, what made Scathach terrifying was how she had taken Shirou's words to heart. Starting with her already incredible power, she had pushed into another realm that no one before her had ever reached.

If Gaia didn't kick her out, who else would she banish? How could she let a ticking time bomb stay in her territory?

"I am the ruler of the Shadow Land, Aife!" Her eyes locked onto Shirou like a predator sizing up its prey. "You're the Pan-Human History Heroic Spirit who mastered the Fomorian Spear Arts. Are you the king of the Shadow Land in Pan-Human History? Are you my counterpart?"

"No," Shirou shook his head. "If I'm anyone's counterpart, it'd be the Emperor's."

"His Majesty the Emperor?" Aife froze, then her eyes flashed with rage. "How dare you insult His Majesty!"

"Oh? You don't think I'm worthy? Well, funny thing is—I feel the same way about you. You're not fit to be Queen of the Shadow Land. That title belongs to only one person—"

Before he could finish, Aife snapped. She shot forward like lightning, appearing right in front of him as her red spear blazed toward his face.

Merlin reached for his sword to help block, but Shirou had already seen it coming. His spear snapped up horizontally just in time.

"CLANG—"

Metal screamed against metal.

"The Queen of the Shadow Land can only be one person—" Shirou's words rang out like an immutable truth. "And that is Scathach!"

He shoved Aife's spear aside while driving his second spear forward. Aife hung suspended in mid-air with nowhere to brace herself—the strike seemed impossible to dodge. But she moved as if she'd read his attack, twisting her wrist to spin her deflected spear and letting her body follow the momentum. The rotating shaft caught his weapon just below the head. The move knocked Shirou's thrust off course as she landed gracefully on her feet.

When he saw Shirou was unharmed, Merlin let out a quiet sigh of relief. The Shirou standing here was a far cry from the rookie who'd had nothing but Black Mud and Projection. Now his skill with a spear was nearly unmatched. While he couldn't compare to Scathach, he could hold his own against any legendary spear-wielding Heroic Spirit.

I was worried for nothing. Merlin pulled out a holy sword and took his place beside him. Since Ambrosius had taken the Staff of Selection to Avalon for unknown reasons, he'd have to make do with what he had. Not that it mattered much—he was basically a walking armory of holy swords.

Shirou's eyes narrowed as he watched Aife's flawless landing. That counter was insanely difficult to pull off. Even Diarmuid another master of dual weapons, would have fallen to that attack.

Shirou knew this for sure because he'd crossed spears with Diarmuid before. Yet Aife had brushed it off like it was nothing.

Then again, what else could he expect? This empire had existed for 100 million years!

Which meant Aife had been honing her spear skills for at least millions of years!

That was even longer than Scathach!

If mastery came with time, had Aife reached Scathach's level?

"Scathach... that name sounds familiar."

Recognition dawned in Aife's eyes. "Ah, now I remember. Scathach... that woman... the one who nearly got eaten by the Fomorians. So that's it—the ruler of the Shadow Land in Pan-Human History is actually her? Ha, how ridiculous."

Shirou frowned. "What's so funny about that?"

He usually didn't care what others said, but when it came to someone he cared about, he wouldn't let it slide.

"What's so funny?" She fixed her eyes on him. "You're awfully protective of this woman. Tell me, boy—what is she to you?"

"I'm her student."

While technically he was also Scathach's king, that was just a title. To him, she was first and foremost his teacher. After all, she'd taught him everything he knew about spearmanship.

"Scathach's student? That woman—that weakling—actually has a student?" She burst out laughing. "Now that's rich! So in Pan-Human History, that pathetic woman who nearly got eaten by the Fomorians managed to take on a disciple? Hahaha, this has to be the joke of the century!"