Shinji Matou At Your Service

Chapter 269: The Monk and the MT

:MT(Main Tank)

Shinji's unarmed combat, euphemistically called "freestyle" or "unconventional" and derogatorily referred to as "disorganized" and "chaotic," is commonly known as "I-ryu" or "my style." This is naturally the result of Scáthach's unique teaching method, but if you think Shinji is not strong, then you are mistaken.

The biggest problem with pure hand-to-hand is that it lacks systematic and progressive training. There is no reference to the experiences of previous practitioners, so one can only rely on their exploration. However, how can one person's exploration surpass the heritage of a martial arts school unless they are truly a genius or have experienced countless battles?

Unfortunately, Shinji is not the former. Fortunately, his teacher has provided him with enough training to accumulate experience.

Although Scáthach claims to be an elegant and delicate woman who is not skilled in hand-to-hand combat—ah, there's no need to be surprised or show disbelief. That's what Shishou said, so just believe it. If you don't listen and question the image of the gentle and delicate shishou, be prepared to be kicked into the sky by the shishou's whip-like legs. But everyone knows that the Queen of the Land of Shadows, who is proficient in all eighteen martial arts, cannot possibly have any shortcomings.

From the day Shinji started practicing boxing and martial arts, Scáthach began to spar with him using various techniques. In other words, Shinji had to fight at least five different masters every day. After Scathach left, the inheritance she left behind also included various mental illusions. Each illusion represented a different style of Scáthach, and breaking through these illusions became Shinji's daily task.

Over time, Shinji overcame the most difficult hurdle of freestyle. Although he was still far from reaching his unique style, he did have the ability to compete with various martial arts masters.

Shinji's boxing skills were honed in actual combat, concise and efficient, but also unpredictable. Sometimes he fought honorably, and sometimes he used strange and elusive techniques. Influenced by the ideology of victory above all else, he was not bound by moral principles. As long as it was for victory, he would use any dirty tricks like eye-gouging, nose-picking, and kicking below the belt.

It's not an exaggeration to say that unless they are highly skilled, opponents facing Shinji, who has no taboos, are easily at a disadvantage. However, once facing such a skilled opponent, Shinji doesn't have many good options.

And the current opponent he is fighting Riesbyfe, belongs to the latter category.

Although it seems that she only makes a few moves, in reality, her use of the shield has reached a very advanced level.

What is the purpose of a shield?

Defense. It is designed to withstand the enemy's attacks, which is why it has such a wide surface. It is meant to provide better defense against the enemy's attacks.

Riesbyfe's movements may appear monotonous, but she hasn't given Shinji any opportunity to break through her shield and cause damage. No matter from which direction Shinji launches an attack, she can precisely block it with her shield. It carries the meaning of "I remain unmoved" regardless of your ever-changing attempts. This is the impressive aspect of this Holy Shield Knight and the source of Shinji's frustration.

Riesbyfe perfectly embodies what it means to be a tank, and what it means to have an impenetrable defense. Even with the enhancement from the relic, leveling the playing field in terms of strength, Shinji still can't break through her defense.

At this moment, Shinji can only think of two ways to defeat her: either overwhelm her with absolute strength or skill advantage or wear her down until she runs out of stamina.

The problem is that the former can only be achieved with the trump card, Bellerophon's power, which Shinji would only use in a life-or-death battle. Even if he loses, Shinji wouldn't resort to it.

As for the latter, to be honest, Shinji isn't confident in winning a battle of endurance. Which profession can outlast a tank in terms of stamina?

However, even if he can't outlast her, Shinji will still fight. Firstly, it's currently the only option available, and secondly, since his shishou's departure, he rarely has the opportunity to fight until he is completely exhausted.

A series of fierce attacks yielded little result, and Shinji not only showed no signs of faltering but became more courageous as the battle continued.

"Come on, let's keep fighting until my invincibility wears off or until we both exhaust our stamina and magical power, Riesbyfe!"

Shinji and Riesbyfe charged forward together, with Shinji enveloped in a golden aura, leaping up to deliver a knee strike.

Riesbyfe placed both hands on her shield, using the thickest central part of the shield to withstand Shinji's knee. She slid her feet backward, causing a spray of sand, but she didn't try to deflect the powerful force. Instead, she pushed it to the side.

At this moment, Shinji's body was still in the air, while Riesbyfe leaned forward, extending her right fist through the gap in the shield and throwing a punch.

Shinji held Riesbyfe's right fist with both hands, utilizing the force to elevate himself once again. Then, with his feet together, he unleashed a powerful kick on top of the Holy Shield. The leg muscles are two to three times stronger than the arms, so the force behind this kick can be imagined.

Riesbyfe was immediately sent flying for over ten meters, and Shinji seized the opportunity to pursue.

With her weight pressing down, Riesbyfe inserted the bottom of her shield into the ground, halting the backward momentum. She slapped her right hand on the ground and swiftly got up. As Shinji approached, the Holy Shield came crashing towards him.

Shinji, who was on a roll, firmly held the edge of the shield with both hands, standing tall. However, the plastic track beneath his feet couldn't withstand the struggle between the two humanoid monsters and cracked with a series of miserable fractures.

Riesbyfe, who had always kept herself well protected, suddenly extended her left leg and kicked Shinji's shin.

Shinji was already aware and lifted his leg to block the hidden strike, unaware that he had fallen into Riesbyfe's trap.

Riesbyfe's kick was an upward force, while Shinji's defense was a downward force. In this brief interaction, the forces that were originally parallel to the ground became unbalanced. Shinji was propelled upwards with no way to release the force, while Riesbyfe could leverage the power of the earth.

In an instant, Riesbyfe exerted force with both hands, lifting her shield upwards and roaring, "Go up!"

Shinji's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't rely on the effects of his feathered shoes. He allowed his body to soar into the sky and then fall under the control of gravity. In mid-air, he did one thing: adjusting his posture, aligning his Vajra's Left Hand with Riesbyfe's shield.

Riesbyfe knew that Shinji intended to use gravity to overpower her and had no intention of directly confronting him. She calmly took a few steps back, positioning herself in a defensive position where she could attack or defend. If Shinji's landing point remained the same, she could launch an attack while he was still unsteady. If not, she could adapt accordingly. As someone skilled in defensive counterattacks, she had more patience and endurance than anyone else.

"Five steps?" Shinji silently evaluated the distance. "It might be enough for others, but for me, it's still far from sufficient. Release mana burst!"

This was a new attempt to see if his mana burst could coexist with the strengthening of the relic, and the answer was definite.

Accelerated by the thin but surging magical power, Shinji not only changed the direction of his fall but also crashed toward the observing Riesbyfe at an astonishing speed.

Like a golden rocket!