Chapter 851: The Correct Use of Vampiric Impulses

By now, the observers outside the box have likely realized this: the chant Shinji recited wasn't his original creation, but a modified version of the incantation from Fate/Stay Night, used by the important character Archer, specifically for his ultimate move, the Reality Marble, Unlimited Blade Works.

And the purpose? Well, it was purely for show—yes, this time there's no deeper reason, no excuse, just straightforward, honest showboating.

Since there was no way to hide it, Shinji decided to go all out. If it's going to be a performance, let it be grand, distinctive, and impressive—let him be crowned the king of all show-offs!

He was showing off for Lorelei. To say: your investment over these years wasn't in vain; I'm worth your continued support.

Showing off for Waver and his students. To say: I, Shinji Matou, am the strongest in the El-Melloi Classroom.

Showing off for Rita Rozay-en and Sumire. To say: The man Aozaki Touko has her eye on is powerful enough.

Showing off for Dr. Heartless and the Shadow Servant. To say: The reason I didn't kill you earlier wasn't due to carelessness; it's because I've always had you in the palm of my hand.

Showing off for everyone, whether they knew him or not. To say: Yes, I have secrets, and they're big ones. But before you try to dig them up, you'd better consider whether you and your backers are strong enough to withstand my Unlimited Nail Works.

And as a bonus, he threw in a smokescreen—making it seem like he needed time to chant to activate the stakes. He was practically inviting others to interrupt him, guaranteeing them a shocking experience—introducing them to the Thousand Years of Death technique via stakes.

Aside from these goals, there was also a personal, somewhat juvenile desire of Shinji's. He had long wanted to do something like this—it was exhilarating, refreshing, and made him feel incredibly alive!

Indeed, in the world of Type-Moon, it only feels right to go all out like this. Even his aura had surged; after all, the protagonist's buff from the original series is no joke.

To make the performance even better and more atmospheric, Shinji continuously increased his magical output during the chant, adjusting the positions of the stakes. By the time he finished reciting the incantation, he had successfully set up a full-scale assault—stakes positioned in the sky, on the ground, in front and behind, left and right, inside and outside the forest, ready to rain down from all directions.

There were more stakes than Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon, packed even more densely than the original Unlimited Blade Works. Although the stakes were of average quality—merely standard iron—the sheer quantity, in the thousands, made up for everything.

"Behold my ultimate move, Unlimited Nail Works: Myriad Stakes—uh, Myriad Nails Technique! One Stake, Nine Hundred!"

This name sounds terrible; Myriad Swords Technique sounds so much better. Too bad I didn't bring the Azure Cloud Sword. Then again, even if I had, it wouldn't have produced this effect.

With Shinji's proclamation, the first wave of stakes—exactly nine hundred—descended like a rain of swords. When he said "One Stake, Nine Hundred," he meant nine hundred.

These nine hundred stakes pinned down all the newly regenerated branches and roots of the Forest of Einnashe. And this was just the beginning. Next—

"Advance: One Stake, Three Thousand!"

The second wave of stakes, numbering three thousand, arrived. They swept up from below, tearing through the roots and main body, while simultaneously descending from above, shredding all the branches and leaves within their range.

"Final Strike, Ultimate: Myriad Stakes Return to the Source!"

Now in a state of ultimate showboating, Shinji clapped his hands together. All the stakes lying in wait, both in the sky and on the ground—more than ten thousand in total—activated simultaneously, converging on the center of the Crimson Core—where the Crimson Fruit was hidden.

Indeed, having suffered once before, the Crimson Fruit no longer hung from the tree in fruit form; it had concealed itself within the main trunk of the Crimson Core, the most heavily defended area.

But even the most secure defense can be breached. After Shinji's relentless assault, the outer defenses of the core had been significantly weakened. The previous nine hundred and three thousand stakes had completely cleared the path to the core, leaving only one final step—brute force. He would smash through all resistance and claim the Crimson Fruit.

In ancient times, the phrase "ten thousand arrows fired in unison" was often used to describe the dense barrage of a long-range attack. However, in reality, there were very few instances in history where such a scale was achieved. Archers were difficult to train, and arrows were costly.

But this time, Shinji had perfectly recreated the scene of ten thousand arrows fired in unison. He had fully mobilized the Lord of Execution, capable of deploying up to 20,000 stakes. The sheer weight alone was enough to crush everything in its path, not to mention the energy propelling the stakes.

What of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors? What of the largest and highest-ranking Phantasmal Species? In the face of such overwhelming numbers, they were all but clouds in the sky.

The only fate awaiting them was destruction, destruction, destruction!

The core was being destroyed. The stakes were being destroyed.

The air was being destroyed, and the earth was being destroyed.

With each collision, with each pulse.

Amid the continuous destruction, within the dense, ear-splitting sounds of metal clashing and bending, only Shinji remained unmoved. He was waiting, waiting for the final result—would his stakes prove sharper, or would the core's shield prove stronger?

If it were the former, he would press the attack, seize the victory, and if he could claim the Fruit, all the better. If not, he would utterly destroy it, leaving no chance for its escape or resurrection.

If it were the latter, he would further unleash his trump cards, or call Arcueid over to increase their output until they achieved ultimate victory.

Who knows how much time passed, but eventually, the overwhelming rain of stakes began to thin out, and the relentless metallic screeching grew sparse. The Crimson Fruit, hidden behind layers of defense and frost, revealed its mutated true form. This tug-of-war had finally reached its conclusion.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The Fruit pulsed like a heartbeat, trying to disrupt Shinji's blood flow once again.

But this time, Shinji was prepared. As his blood surged, he temporarily shut off his senses, opened his soul, and linked it with Arcueid's.

"Come on, send over the remaining vampiric impulses."

"Now?"

"Now! I've figured out the correct use for these vampiric impulses."

"Really? Shinji, you're amazing!"

Overjoyed, Arcueid fully released the impulse she had been struggling to suppress since her last rampage and poured it all into him.

On the other side, Shinji stood ready. As the tsunami-like pressure hit, the essence determined by the moment his soul was born, accumulated over countless reincarnations, was unleashed.

The intangible impulse transformed into something tangible. The uncontrollable part was expelled as a shockwave, while the remaining portion, guided by his mental strength, formed a misty barrier. This barrier not only blocked the blood interference from the Crimson Fruit but also absorbed the shockwave's impact, preventing it from harming him.

This was the result of his near-death experience, combined with years of accumulated knowledge. The regular sharing of the vampiric impulse had made him intimately familiar with it, greatly enhancing his resistance. The earlier experience had filled in the final missing piece, providing a direction for the excess vampiric impulse to be released. The combination of these factors finally led him to this method.