That protagonist is trash; I could do better!

Shinji Matou, who possesses this cursed power, only knows of one demonic spear, GáeBolg (Spear of a Thousand Thorns), a terrifying weapon that, according to legend, will pierce the enemy's body and produce dozens of barbs, completely destroying the enemy's body.

Could it be that the Lancer summoned in this Holy Grail War isn't the grinder, but Cú Chulainn?

There was no time to think about the problem. It would be extremely unwise to directly confront a cursed magic spear. After blocking the magic spear, Matou Shinji still had time to cast other magic spells, and a magic barrier unfolded beneath his feet.

Space transfer

Shinji Matou's body vanished from his original spot and reappeared above the Fuyuki City Bridge.

"boom!"

The crimson magic spear pierced through the magic barrier in an instant, and the magic barrier turned into countless fragments of light that scattered like fireworks.

After piercing the barrier, the crimson magic spear defied Newtonian physics several times in mid-air before heading towards the ground.

No, a more accurate statement would be that it has returned to its owner's hands.

Shinji Matou used his Mystic Eyes to track the trajectory of the Demon Spear, looking towards the beach next to the Fuyuki City Bridge. The owner of the Demon Spear made no attempt to conceal his tracks.

A woman walked gracefully towards them, and the magic spear fell into her hand.

Because of the distance, Shinji Matou couldn't see her exact appearance, but he could make out that she was wearing a black bodysuit, with several metal protective gears reflecting the moonlight, and her purplish-red hair was draped in a black veil, fluttering in the night breeze.

What's most eye-catching are the magic guns she holds in her left and right hands.

"No way! Such a thing can happen?"

Shinji Matou's face was ashen, and he felt his stomach churning, with a dull, throbbing pain.

Both use dual pistols, but there's a world of difference between the Dual-Pistol Granny and the Dual-Pistol Brush! This Holy Grail War already has one overpowered character, and Saber, with Irisviel as her Master, is another one, so why is there a third?

Tonight, Chaldea didn't come; instead, a Servant who was in some ways more troublesome than Chaldea arrived, and who was even challenging Shinji Matou to a duel.

Shinji Matou jumped off the Fuyuki City Bridge, landing not far from Lancer. His face darkened as he demanded, "You're Lancer?"

Lancer sized up Matou Shinji, a hint of approval in her crimson eyes: "Didn't your greeting just now prove my identity? To be able to block the demonic spear I threw, your strength is quite remarkable. Your body is too young, which makes people hesitant to attack you."

The shot she just threw wasn't meant to kill; it was merely a greeting, yet it was enough to overwhelm Shinji Matou.

Shinji Matou said decisively, "Are you really a Servant? The Holy Grail couldn't have summoned you."

Lancer narrowed his crimson eyes and asked with interest, "That's quite unexpected. Do you know who I am?"

Shinji Matou pointed to the magic spear in her hand and nodded affirmatively: "There are only two owners of this magic spear in this world. Since it's not Kuran's Hound, there's no other answer."

Lancer is Scáthach, the queen of the Land of Shadows, and Cú Chulainn's mentor. She should not have been able to be summoned in a regular Holy Grail War, because she was never dead and is not a Heroic Spirit.

Incidentally, Shinji Matou recognized her at a glance not because of the Demon Spear, but because of her tight-fitting outfit, which made her hard to forget.

Lancer, like a proud queen bestowing a reward upon her subject, nodded and said, "I see. You can analyze the curse of this demonic spear from just one strike. Very well, as recognition of your wisdom, it is not unreasonable to tell you the reason. The Holy Grail cannot summon me. I participated voluntarily. Of course, the vessel prepared by the Holy Grail was used to forge this body."

The vessel is the spirit origin, which is the fundamental factor affecting the strength of a Servant. Heroic Spirits do not have the concept of strength; they are simply a mass of data injected into a vessel, and the size of the vessel determines the amount of strength they can unleash.

Scáthach possesses a god-level spirit origin, making her difficult to summon even as a Servant unless she voluntarily downgrades or is summoned through possession.

Chapter Thirty: The Queen of the Land of Shadows

The sea breeze caressed Lancer's face, lifting her long hair and light veil.

The demonic spear hummed softly, its tip gleaming with a pale red light that cast a chilling aura.

Shinji Matou used the power granted to the Master by the Holy Grail to check Lancer's ability stats, but it was like looking through frosted glass; he couldn't see anything. It's likely that she used the original runes to conceal her own information.

Even though she was summoned as a Lancer, she still possessed knowledge of the original Norse runes.

"It is not modern runes, but primordial runes, the cosmic mystery discovered by Odin, the supreme god of Norse mythology. It is a miracle equivalent to divine magic, no wonder he could find his traces."

Scáthach, now in the Lancer class, is at least TOP level in strength, on par with Saber and Rider, but slightly inferior to Archer when she gets serious.

Considering compatibility issues, if Lancer and Archer were to fight, Lancer would most likely be the winner.

Lancer said casually, "What's wrong, Caster? Don't be shy, feel free to make your move. Although I don't know your real name, you must be a renowned magician to have blocked that shot just now. I like fair and square battles. Since you are a magician, I will give you the opportunity to perform your magic."

His voice was cold and clear, filled with fighting spirit.

Since he had already been provoked, Shinji Matou had no intention of running away with his tail between his legs. Compatibility was not an issue. From the moment he landed on the beach, Shinji Matou had secretly constructed a magical barrier to resist the curse and attached it to the fist of the Void Elemental Spirit, turning it into a weapon that could contend with the Demon Spear.

Its silver eyes shone brightly, like a bottomless pit greedily devouring the magical power within Shinji Matou's body, transforming into a high-speed spiritual computing machine that could perceive Lancer's spirit.

The Mystic Eyes, merging with the Master's authority, cheated by examining the composition of Lancer's spirit, the flow of magical energy, and the contents of the casting vessel...

Feeling the intense gaze of Matou Shinji, Lancer snorted: "Interesting eyes. Since you don't intend to attack, then I will open the curtain on this war."

The crimson magic spear twirled and was thrown. The instant Lancer's body disappeared, the two of them arriving in front of Matou Shinji almost simultaneously.

So fast!

The demonic spear thrust forward, the entwined curse transforming into a blood-red gale that tore through the air, disintegrating along with the invisible magic.

His silver eyes reflected a crimson hue, like a comet falling into the Milky Way. His spiritual computer was running at full capacity, and the world that Shinji Matou saw froze for a moment. An abnormal blush appeared on his face, a sign that his brain was overworking.

The elemental spirit appeared out of thin air, its right hand, shrouded in a purple aura, grabbing the thrown magic spear and using it as a weapon to strike the blood-red whirlwind.

"boom!"

The power of the curse exploded like red fireworks. Before the curse of the magic spear could corrode his body, the Void Elemental Spirit let go and threw it away.

Having blocked Scáthach's twin-pistol thrust, the Void Spirit pressed its advantage, its hands transforming into a meteor shower as it continuously bombarded Scáthach's spears.

The invisible elemental spirits and their bizarre attack methods caught Lancer off guard.

Lancer is a warrior who has entered the realm of the gods. In terms of melee combat skills, he is an absolute king among Servants. After his thrust is blocked, he turns from offense to defense.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The pale purple fist clashed with the red magic spear like two storms collided, with relentless wind and rain, thunderous explosions, and the mud beneath Lancer's feet crumbling.

"Maximum magic output!"

Shinji Matou extended his right hand, and hundreds of light streaks lit up his arm, from which magical power surged.

The Void Elemental Spirit's Strength and Agility attributes have both been upgraded to A-level.

Taking advantage of the brief opportunity when the Void Elemental Spirit suppressed Lancer in melee combat, the magic power inside the Elemental Eye circulated on its own, the transmutation circle emerged from the pupil, the magic power was injected into the ground, and the alchemy was activated.

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle~"

The soil beneath Lancer's feet turned into stone, fixing her legs in place, while countless stone spears pierced out from all around.

There is nowhere to escape, neither in heaven nor on earth.

"Shadow Burial!"

Lancer shouted, swinging her magic spear to destroy all the stone spears that had sprung from the ground. The overflowing curse blocked the attack of the air elemental spirits, giving her a chance to catch her breath and retreat in a zigzag pattern.

Lancer easily resolved the seemingly insurmountable predicament that had been meticulously designed.

"As expected of the Queen of the Land of Shadows," Shinji Matou praised with a smile.

“Even though I was quite wary of you, it seems I underestimated you, Caster. Not only do you possess formidable offensive skills and are proficient in magic, but you are also very skilled in combat.” Lancer chuckled as he pulled the stone spear from his thigh, his tone cheerful, showing no anger whatsoever due to his injury.

That's for sure.

Shinji Matou thought to himself, "Scáthach, the queen of the Land of Shadows, is a complete battle maniac. She is obsessed with fighting and dying. The stronger the enemy, the more excited she becomes."

After she pulled out the stone spear, the wound on her leg healed automatically, and her torn bodysuit was restored as well.

Master's support? No, Matou Shinji's Mystic Eyes didn't see any external magical energy flowing into her body, so it must be an ability possessed by this body.

"An immortal curse, bringing this ability to the Holy Grail War, there's a limit to how much you can bully people." Shinji Matou was quite troubled.

Lancer was neither happy nor proud of this: "I also want to give up this ability. I participated in the Holy Grail War precisely because I was looking for something that could kill me. Battles where you can't see the outcome are what make people's blood boil, aren't they?"

An immortal curse, a world-class curse, a punishment for the Queen of the Shadow Kingdom for slaying a god. She cannot be killed no matter what, and even causal weapons are ineffective against her.

Shinji Matou shrugged: "I'm sorry, but with my current abilities, it's impossible for me to kill you. I'm not sure if the other Servants in this Holy Grail War can kill you, but I know someone who definitely can. How about I tell you his name, and you withdraw from this Holy Grail War?"

Lancer's calm, red eyes rippled: "Are you serious?"

"He is a suitable opponent for you, and he also has the ability to kill you."

"Do you say this because you know the curse I bear? Fine, I am the Queen, and I will not break my promise. Since I have participated in this war, I should fulfill the duties of a servant."

————————————————————

【The Crimson Mansion of the Young Lady】29831 6 354

P.S.: Shadow Burial Step is a skill of the FE Master.

【The Crimson Mansion of the Young Lady】29831 6 354

PS2: I rarely read comments and book reviews because they can affect my writing mindset. If there are any errors in the chapters, please send me a private message. Thank you very much, but I cannot reply at the moment because my phone is already linked to another account.

I read and carefully correct most of the private messages. One reader reported an error in the title of chapters 13 and 14, which I suspect is a refresh issue. I checked again but still couldn't find the incorrect title. I usually update the upload before correcting typos, but it seems like Hedgehog Cat doesn't refresh? I will correct this practice to avoid the same error in the future.

【The Crimson Mansion of the Young Lady】29831 6 354

PS3: I've seen many people mention the issue of Shinji Matou's magic circuits.

"Although this clan has been depleted, the Matou bloodline still retains traces of hereditary magic circuits. With Illya Sophie's heart, this thing that's like a nuclear furnace was inserted into her body, the sealed circuits would probably be forcibly opened."

As Rin from UBW said, putting aside the quality of the degraded magic circuits, without Holy Grail-level magic power, how can one break through the blocked magic circuits?

Alchemy also requires equivalent exchange. The protagonist can't produce magic of that level, so he can only make a living with low-level products like pseudo-circuits.

Furthermore, some people have said that alchemy uses the power of the earth's veins. What the heck? If you don't understand the setting, don't give random explanations. Alchemy is the one that uses the power of the earth's veins.

That's why I said that reading posts and book reviews can affect my writing; answering these questions alone is enough for me to write another chapter.

As for deleting posts, I certainly won't. That's the price of youth (actually, it's because I find it troublesome). Think carefully before writing a book review, don't be too impulsive, and don't be too absolute.

There's no need to worry about it too much.

I won't manage book reviews; people read books as they read, and that's all I suggest.

Why? Book reviews are a place to write opinions. Where there are opinions, there are conflicts. Where there are conflicts, there is a rhythm, which is very difficult to manage. If you want to stir up trouble, then do so. Anyway, you like reading them (laughs).

I saw an interesting comment in the book review section about the compatibility between the brush guy and the protagonist. It's best not to underestimate the protagonist. The Elemental Eye is set up as an A+ level skill, which is equivalent to having a super computer assistant and the President's strongest eye ability.

The protagonist was able to fight the president hand-to-hand in a one-on-one situation and die together, so this mere brush-wielding guy... well, he's still a bit weak.

That's why they concealed their tracks from the beginning (laughs). Lancer couldn't possibly find the protagonist; on the contrary, the protagonist could directly kill the director.

There will be one update tonight. I'll check the comments section, posts, and private messages first.