Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 1046: Two Equally Proud Individuals

Matou Shinji is, after all, just a mortal.

Crossing between worlds, living two lives, receiving expert guidance, and mastering magic and magecraft—all of these things could make him extraordinary but could never turn him into someone who excels in all areas or is socially adept. Perhaps, deep down, he simply lacks that innate talent.

Fortunately, Shinji has one strength—he's courageous enough to admit his mistakes and correct them once he recognizes them.

When Lorelei Barthomeloi laid everything on the table, Shinji didn't stubbornly cling to his pride. He immediately lowered his head.

"I was wrong. Once this is over, I'll give you a full explanation. Whether you want to punish me or not, that's up to you—but for now, you really can't stay in such a dangerous place. I'm begging you, please go back."

However, even this sincere plea was met with the same response:

"I still can't."

"Lorelei!"

Seeing that Shinji was getting anxious, a complicated expression flashed across Lorelei's eyes. She bit her lip and said:

"Shinji, have you forgotten what I just said? It's too late now. Do you think I can just go back after seeing all of this?"

Modern magus who haven't seen a Servant with their own eyes will never understand the sheer power they possess. Lorelei herself was once the same. Even though she had already heard from Kayneth and Waver that Servants were formidable, she hadn't taken it seriously. That was until Faker appeared—someone who suppressed her with both the skills of an Age of Gods magus and a warrior.

From that moment on, she truly equated Servants with Ancestor-level Dead Apostles. And after witnessing top-tier Servants like Iskandar and Altera, this belief became unshakable. The idea of using the power of Servants to hunt Dead Apostles wasn't a lie, nor had it changed. But after truly seeing the war between Servants, a new thought had blossomed within her.

What exactly is being fought over by beings of this magnitude? It wasn't greed that motivated her—just pure curiosity mixed with her duties as the Lord of the Department of Policies: to manage the mysteries of the world.

"I never understood why someone as capable as you would refuse to step into the spotlight, why you didn't want your homeland to draw any attention. But now I finally get it. It's because of the Holy Grail War or something behind this ritual, isn't it? If it weren't for the exposure of the Night of Wallachia incident, you probably wouldn't have even wanted me to send people here."

"..."

Once again, Shinji was silent. Lorelei's words were spot on, without a single mistake. Magus aren't idiots—many things can be deduced from just a few clues, and Lorelei was one of the best at doing just that.

After a brief silence, Shinji let out a sigh.

"I'll say it once more—I don't want you involved in this. After the Holy Grail War ends, I'll give you a full explanation. If you want to know, I'll tell you everything from start to finish, without hiding anything—whether it's technical details or anything else."

This was Shinji's biggest concession. In the past, he hadn't trusted Lorelei, but after years of working together, he trusted her now—completely. As long as the Greater Holy Grail could be purified, what would it matter if he gave it to her as a gift?

Lorelei understood his sincerity, but that didn't mean she was willing to accept it.

"And I'll say it again—it's too late."

"Do you think I'm lying to you?"

Shinji's face was expressionless. He was already simmering with anger due to Roa's escape, and now, with Lorelei pushing back, his temper was becoming harder to suppress.

Lorelei shook her head.

"Of course not. You wouldn't lie to me after making such a promise."

"Then why? You know how dangerous the Holy Grail War is. This time, the war is twice as large—not even you—"

"Not even me—what?"

Lorelei raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased.

"Yes, the Holy Grail War is quite dangerous, but I'm not El-Melloi. Are you underestimating me?"

Shinji narrowed his eyes.

"This isn't about underestimating you."

"Then what is it about?"

"Excuse me, but can I—"

Waver, who had been standing nearby, opened his mouth, intending to say something to defuse the situation, but was immediately shut down by both of them in unison.

"—Don't speak. This is between us."

The Clock Tower's top teacher sighed helplessly. There was no saving this now—two fools.

Trust? Mistrust?

Danger? No danger?

These were just surface issues, not the real problem. The real issue lay in their personalities.

These two young people, both excessively outstanding, had naturally strong-willed characters. In their interactions, whether consciously or subconsciously, they both sought to take the lead. Back when they were at the Clock Tower, the mutual goodwill between them as a young man and woman, along with the mediation of people like himself, Kayneth, and Sola, had kept their conflicts from coming to the surface.

But now, with an issue where neither party could back down, their conflict had fully erupted. Waver could already predict what would happen next.

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"Matou Shinji, you're too full of yourself. Do you think you're invincible just because you have a Noble Phantasm?"

"I never thought that. But you, on the other hand, ever since you inherited the Barthomeloi lineage crest, you've certainly started acting like nobody else is worth your time."

"There are very few people who are worth the attention of a Barthomeloi."

"And I—"

"What do you think?"

"Heh."

"Hehe."

Their eyes locked, and cold smiles clashed.

"Come to think of it, since you inherited the magic crest, we haven't had a proper fight, have we?"

"That's because I didn't want to take advantage of you with the magic crest."

"Take advantage of me? I was afraid I wouldn't be able to control my strength and accidentally hurt you."

"Oh? How about we test that now? Let's see who hurts whom—anything goes, unrestricted combat."

"Fine, but on one condition—if you lose, you'll obediently return to London."

"Alright, and I have a condition—if I lose, you'll follow my commands for this battle."

"Deal!"

"Deal!"

For two equally strong-willed individuals, only when one completely overwhelms the other will the conflict be resolved.

And for two people like Shinji and Lorelei, who stood at the pinnacle of their era, the simplest way to settle things was through battle—to let their strength speak for itself. Whoever had the bigger fist was in the right.

The two, standing less than half a meter apart, simultaneously extended their hands and sealed the deal with a high-five.

The moment their hands parted, Shinji twisted his wrist and threw a punch directly at her. Immediately following that, his left hand and right foot joined in, mimicking Roa's sudden attack, a move he had just learned.

The smirk at the corner of his lips revealed his attitude—You're the one who said no restrictions, any means necessary.

Lorelei hadn't expected Shinji to be so shameless. She was a fraction of a second too slow, losing the opportunity to counter and forced into a defensive position. She took several punches and kicks in quick succession, using the recoil to pull herself back.

The moment she steadied herself, the counterattack began.

Lowering her stance, shifting her weight, throwing a punch!

The Barthomeloi are obsessive perfectionists, and Lorelei was no exception. The Queen of the Clock Tower had no weaknesses. Wherever she had been placed at a disadvantage, she would find a way to reclaim her ground.

If you want hand-to-hand combat, then hand-to-hand combat it is. If you want close-quarters fighting, then so be it.

With just one punch, Shinji fell to one knee.

It was almost as if he were kneeling in reverence to the Queen.