Fighting the Rampaging Great Hero / The Church Priest's Corpse

"Yes!" Gudako quickly and obediently replied. Seeing the aura emanating from the black-haired girl, she had a feeling that she was being told to wash her neck and wait.

"Shirou, come and help, you might need it," Rin Tohsaka said.

"Oh," Shirou replied, stepping into the kitchen he knew so well. In the past, he had cooked enough dishes here to give a yearly cooking lecture.

"Let me check what's left in the fridge. I live alone and can't even stay here once a week," the black-haired girl said. "Eggs, ham... seasonings... and what I also need is... Shirou. I've written down the ingredients I need on a note. Could you please go to the supermarket?"

"Okay, leave it to me." Shirou nodded.

"Oh right~! It's a rare opportunity, how about we have a match after all this time?" Rin Tohsaka blinked her beautiful blue eyes and looked at Shirou provocatively.

Upon hearing the girl's words, Shirou recalled the past. It was also in this very mansion that Tohsaka had insisted on moving in without his permission. As a result, they took turns cooking, each trying to create a dish that would impress the other.

In order to defeat the girl in front of him, he even studied new recipes diligently and put a lot of effort into making delicious dishes.

In this kitchen, upon hearing the girl mention this matter—it felt like it had just happened, even though it was from a lifetime ago— Shirou smiled and replied with great enthusiasm, "Just what I wanted!"

When Shirou shopping, Rin Tohsaka had already washed the rice and put it in the rice cooker, and had also prepared all the necessary ingredients.

The two then stood side by side on the counter in the kitchen, taking turns using the kitchen utensils and having a cooking competition.

"Ah! Delicious~! It feels like home cooking, like my dad's specialty dishes," Gudako said.

"Pfft~!" Shirou couldn't help but laugh out loud, and quickly turned his head away when the black-haired girl glared at him.

Rin Tohsaka stood up, annoyed, and shouted, "What kind of ridiculous analogy is that?!"

"Well, how should I put it? When I was in Chaldea, I often ate my mother's cooking. It was made for us, taking into full consideration the intake of various nutrients. It was very healthy and tasted delicious."

Gudako said unhurriedly, "While Rin-senpai's cooking is delicious, your fried rice seems to have a lot of seasonings and oil. It gives the impression that on holiday, when the mother goes back to her parents' house, the father, who stays at home, is responsible for cooking for the family, and to save trouble, he chooses to make simple and tasty dishes."

"Although Dad's fried rice is delicious, eating it every day would lead to nutritional imbalances and various health problems. Mom, on the other hand, is the opposite. She might nag and lecture me about not eating junk food, but she would go to great lengths to make delicious and nutritious meals in various ways to keep her child healthy, with smooth skin, no acne, and soft, shiny hair."

"Hmph... I know that too. Even I can make more than just fried rice. I can also make stir-fries, braised dishes, and Mapo Tofu..." Rin Tohsaka said defiantly.

"But that's the feeling I get from Rin-senpai," Gudako said honestly.

At that moment, Shirou came up carrying a clay pot.

"Here, this is another Chinese-style soup, Old Fire Duck and Radish Soup. It aids digestion and cuts through the grease, perfect to go with Rin's fried rice," Shirou said, lifting the lid of the pot.

A fragrant aroma rose from the pot, instantly filling the living room with a rich fragrance.

"Wow, it smells so good!" Gudako exclaimed.

Shirou used a large spoon to scoop the food into small bowls one by one and handed them to the girls.

"Come on, Gudako, Tohsaka, you too."

"Thank you~! Senpai." Gudako smiled.

"Um... thank you." Rin Tohsaka awkwardly took the bowl from Shirou's hand.

"So warm, Chinese Cuisine, amazing~! This soup really tastes like mom's~!" Gudako squinted her eyes, enjoying the soup sliding across her tongue. Her taste buds felt a warm, nutritious current flowing down her throat and into her body, nourishing her entire being.

Chapter 398 Berserker Great Hero

My father's cooking is full of masculine spirit, with generous portions and rich aromas. It's Mala Tang pot, oden, pan-fried pork buns, barbecue, and braised dishes. Sometimes it's as fierce as thunder, and sometimes it has an all-encompassing reliability. He expresses his love for his family in a bold and unrestrained way.

My mother's cooking is like a gentle, flowing melody. The spicy meats are just a side dish. What's truly amazing are the everyday home-cooked dishes, where she creates all sorts of variations with limited ingredients. Even the most ordinary plate of vegetables, which we eat often, never gets old.

"Speaking of which, Gudako, who is that chef whose cooking tastes like mom's?" Rin Tohsaka found herself speechless and could only ask.

"Hmm..." Gudako glanced at Shirou beside her. Although they looked slightly different, they were definitely the same person.

Tohsaka at Shirou to the side.

The girl's delicate side was shattered; she knelt on the ground, hands on her hips, and muttered dejectedly, "I lost! I lost again. I lost in terms of feminine strength! It must be my fault for focusing so much on martial arts training and neglecting my cooking!"

"Well, it's just because I have more opportunities to cook." Shirou smiled and comforted the black-haired girl. After all, the girl lived alone after her rebirth, while he hadn't been idle in this life either. He had elderly parents and young children at home who were waiting for him to cook for them every day. Truly delicious food really needs someone who truly wants to let them taste its deliciousness.

"Damn it... I'll definitely practice my cooking skills hard and surpass you. I'll have another bowl!" Tohsaka gritted his teeth, raised the bowl, and said.

"Okay." Shirou smiled and took the bowl, adding another portion for the girl.

"Speaking of which, is there no one else in this world? Kiritsugu... the owner of this house, do you know anything about him?" Shirou asked.

"He must have lived a few years longer than in our original world, and he passed away two years ago," Rin said.

"Is that so?" Shirou nodded, looked around the dining room, then glanced at the backyard corridor, and softly agreed.

Rin Tohsaka continued, "Most of those involved in the last Holy Grail War have disappeared. Sakura is no longer in this world, and the Matou family has completely fallen. Mitsuri and Taiga- sensei are at the school, though. Would you like to see her? She's like an older sister to you, right? But just so you know, she doesn't have any memories of you."

Shirou shook his head and said, "No, this is good. Sister Fuji is definitely living a happy life every day. There's nothing better than this."

"Ah! Speaking of which, I've already bought this place, so it's now the Tohsaka Estate. And after I was reborn here, I went to the park that Fuyuki built several times. It doesn't seem to have been damaged much by the fire; most of the apartment buildings were preserved."

"I couldn't find you either. Otherwise, I would have taken you home. Would you be called Tohsaka Shirou now? It's a little regrettable." Rin Tohsaka looked directly into Shirou's eyes and said teasingly.

"..." Shirou remained silent for a moment, filled with emotion, then looked at the girl, gave her a genuine smile, and said, "Thank you, Tohsaka."

Rin Tohsaka, who had intended to tease the boy, received an unexpected response and suddenly blushed, saying, "Wh... what?! This kind of reaction? Don't you know I was teasing you?! It's because of this that..."

"Yes, yes, thank you for the treat, I'm full." Gudako put down her bowl and said, clasping her hands together.

Led by Rin Tohsaka, the group arrived at the area where Berserkers were active.

"Be careful, this is that incredibly strong Berserker!" Rin Tohsaka warned.

Shirou stared at the black giant. In every timeline of the Fifth Holy Grail War, regardless of the timeline, it had caused him and Saber immense suffering, leaving them wounded and forced to flee—a terrifying monster brimming with oppressive power. But this time, facing this monster head-on, Shirou felt no emotion. He held eternal respect for the Great Hero who had risked his life to protect Illya.

"But... the Berserker, now controlled by the dark aura, is no longer a threat!" Shirou said, stepping forward and Projection his weapon for the final battle. "Haaah!! -- Nine Lives Blade Works!!"

"Roar!!" The giant monster stared with its red eyes at the golden battle axe that was about to strike its face, and a slight look of surprise appeared on its face, but it was fleeting.

Heracles, son of King of the Gods Zeus, was a mighty warrior who could fight the God of War of war head-on during his lifetime, and is widely recognized as the strongest among the Greek heroes! In the entire Greek Epic, he is the only one who can be said to have been invincible. Although his end was tragic, he was ascended to heaven after death and became a god.

When he was born, his mother, fearing Hera's jealous revenge, put him in a field.

By chance, he was found by Hera of Gods, who happened to be passing by, and nursed him, thus activating his demigod bloodline and displaying astonishing talent. Even as an infant, he could hold a venomous snake in one hand and crush the poisonous creature Hera sent to kill him to death, playing with it at will.

As he grew older, he learned various martial arts, Riding, and arts from Chiron and other renowned masters.

As an adult, he honed his martial arts skills through countless trials and battles, relying on his innate strength. He was brave, resourceful, and righteous, but also had a reckless and domineering side, though he was generous and loyal to his friends. He spent his life killing harmful monsters, fighting against bandits and bullies, and obeying the King's orders.

This immortality represents the divine achievement of Heracles, the most famous Great Hero of Greece, praising his accomplishments in completing the Twelve Labors. When transformed into Noble Phantasm, it grants him remarkable endurance in prolonged battles. If he is killed by an attack and then resurrected, he will develop a significant resistance to that attack, making it virtually impossible to kill him using the same method again.

And with each death, he grows stronger due to his resistant defenses and the magic power he accumulates.

In terms of Noble Phantasm battles, among the many Servant descended to earth, there are all sorts of Noble Phantasms with amazing effects, but only one has ever appeared that could kill this Great Hero in one go.

That was the Ark of the Covenant of the Covenant, guarded by King David. It disregarded the rules, directly absorbing all the magic power of those who touched it and taking away their souls.

In numerous Noble Phantasm battles, besides the King of Heroes, there is another person who has been able to do this, and that is Shirou!

The golden battle axe, moving faster than the boulder weapon, cleaved Heracles' face in two.

In their past lives, they faced Great Hero who fought to protect Illya, but now they are just monsters wreaking havoc everywhere. Having conviction and not having conviction are two different things.

Shirou's offensive isn't over yet!

The moment Heracles' body was fully repaired, he Projection two bladed spears into his hands, crossed them, and slashed at the opponent's neck. Then he turned the spears around, aimed them at the Great Hero's heart, and unleashed another attack using his specialized Inherent Domain.

Then...

--Holy Lance! Anchored!!

--The Golden Sword Inevitable Victory (Caliburn)!!

--Broken Phantasm!!

--Crane Wing Triple Slash!!

Four black and white blades flew out and pierced Heracles, causing him to collapse to the ground with a thud.

"In short, kill him six times first!" Shirou sheathed his black and white twin blades and said softly.

"Um... um..." Rin Tohsaka stared blankly at Shirou, wanting to say something, but unable to utter a word.

"So strong! So cool! Shirou-senpai! That's what Rin-senpai said~!" Gudako was standing nearby, was very understanding and put her hand to her mouth, shouting as if she were making a louder sound.

"No, that's not true!" Rin Tohsaka blushed as she looked at Gudako, then at Shirou, and protested. Suddenly, her expression changed, and she shouted, "Watch out!"

At that moment, a violent black aura erupted, centered on the mountain-like figure, creating a black hurricane that blew away Shirou, who was trying to get close.

"Roar!!" The monster roared furiously, glaring at the boy, and charged forward. At this moment, it would no longer let Shirou kill it so easily.

Rin Tohsaka steered her Sky Boat into the sky, caught Shirou as he was thrown backward, and pulled him into her arms. She looked down and teased, "You're not up to it either, are you?"

Shirou blushed slightly and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I was just careless. The battle has only just begun."

Rin placed Shirou on the ground, pulled out a handful of jewels, and said resolutely, "Now, watch me!"

Rin Tohsaka dodged the axe and swept her leg straight at the black giant's lower body, even though the giant's muscles seemed to be hitting steel. The girl gritted her teeth, clenched her fists upward, and with a gust of wind, kept throwing punches, striking the front of Heracles' steel body again and again.

Bang! A cracking sound came from inside the giant's body.

Tohsaka waved her reddened hands. Relying on the fists and palms of Baji Quan, she first used the palm technique of shattering the heart meridian with hidden force, and then used the force to smash her chest inward, letting the broken bones pierce her heart with her fist, killing Heracles twice.

Then Rin summoned the Heavenly Boat, which flew straight into the sky. She activated her Noble Phantasm, gathering the energy of Venus, which she ruled, from her Inner World into an arrow of light that shot straight toward Heracles.

The moment the light arrow touched the ground, it exploded with a deafening roar. In that instant, the heavens and earth were covered by a blinding white light, and the black giant that was directly struck was enveloped in the light barrier.

"Roar!!" The black giant's forehead bulged with veins, and its roar, which came out of its gaping maw, was like a sonic boom that made people's ears hurt. A sonic boom occurred around them, Shirou and Rin Tohsaka were directly blown away.

"Couldn't you just Projection the Caliburn like last time and solve it all at once!" Tohsaka complained.

Shirou said, "We were with Saber at that time, and the scabbard also provided us with the amplification of our abilities. There were also various coincidences involved, making it an impossible miracle to replicate."

"But I'm stronger now than I was back then!" Shirou said, activating his Projection Magecraft again. Projection a spiral drill-shaped sword in one hand and gripped a crimson thorn spear in the other.

"Rainbow Sword - Caladbolg!"

A beam of light, swirling with a seven-colored rainbow, erupted from the sword, striking the black giant as if it had cleaved through the space around Heracles. The corrupted Great Hero didn't even have time to utter a sound before his upper body was completely engulfed by the rainbow light.

However, the Twelve Labors continued to operate, with the black energy continuously pouring in to the point of malfunctioning the magical channels within the giant's body, seemingly inexhaustible. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the Great Hero's Noble Phantasm's uses were replenished and activated once more.

Only the severed lower half remained, emanating magical energy. The flesh writhed like worms, quickly returning to its intact state. Its crimson eyes flashed with ferocity, as if it wanted to rush forward and tear Shirou to shreds.

With a body as large as a mountain, yet with the speed of a cheetah, the ferocious Great Hero halved the distance between himself and Shirou in the blink of an eye.

However, Shirou was prepared. He raised his right hand and shouted the words to activate his Noble Phantasm, "Piercing Thorn Spear—Gáe-Bolg!!"

A crimson meteor shot out and, in the blink of an eye, pierced Heracles' heart; the demonic spear pierced the Great Hero's very soul.

Heracles ignored the demonic spear, reactivated his Noble Phantasm, reconstructed his body, and continued charging forward, raising his weapon high, determined to smash Shirou's head with the stone axe in his hand.

Bang! Bang!

Heavy footsteps echoed from the ground, the massive, steel-like feet leaving cracks in the earth as they accelerated. At this moment, Heracles was less than two meters away from Shirou, and the enormous axe blade, now Black Shadow, loomed over the boy's head.

"Drink!!" Just then, Tohsaka leaped into the air and delivered a flying kick directly at Heracles' head. In that instant, the girl activated three A-rank Magecraft gems, channeling their enhancements into her right foot, making her golden boots gleam with the light of Venus.

The corrupted Great Hero's head shattered!

Its towering body crashed to the ground, turning into tiny particles that gradually dissipated in the setting sun.

This great battle has finally come to an end.

"Tohsaka, what are your plans after this Holy Grail War ends?" Shirou asked, looking at the setting sun.

Rin Tohsaka said, "I'll probably still go to London after this. Although Fuyuki has changed, London seems to be the same. After all, I've done all the training that could be done in Fuyuki. If I want to go further, besides going to Hachiman, only Lord El-Melloi II can give me guidance. Besides, even if I stay in Fuyuki, there's no one at home to keep me company."

"Lord El-Melloi II, well, that teacher is indeed remarkable!" Shirou nodded and said. Shirou was no stranger to Lord El-Melloi II, after all, in one world he had served as the gravedigger of the male King Arthur, becoming his disciple and serving as his attendant and bodyguard. That teacher was indeed a responsible mentor.

Chapter 399 The Corpse of a Church Priest

Lord El-Melloi II, whose real name should be Waver Velvet, was a participant in the Fourth Holy Grail War. In terms of strength alone, he was only second-rate, not even comparable to the top students of the Clock Tower.

However, at the same time, he is also the most popular professor at the Clock Tower. Although he cannot practice the Magecraft he developed himself, he has a super genius-level ability to understand Magecraft theory, explain it in an easy-to-understand way, and classify it systematically. Although he is not liked by his peers, he can be said to be the Carl Sagan of the Magecraft world.

Carl Sagan was a world-renowned astronomer and physicist, but not a first-rate scientist recognized by the academic community. He was very active throughout his life and was recognized by people all over the world, but he was a famous person as a popular science writer and anti-pseudoscience.

In later generations, popular science works such as Hawking's * A Brief History of Time * have become very famous. To be honest, if you haven't learned the relevant basic knowledge, very few people can really understand them.

Carl Sagan, on the other hand, is truly renowned for explaining complex science to the general public in an easy-to-understand way. His popular science works are enjoyable for many laypeople. He can be considered one of the top popular science writers, and his works have won the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Pulitzer Prize, and have topped the US bestseller list for dozens of weeks.

He was a popular television presenter and a highly popular full professor at Harvard.

As a fighter against nuclear war, Carl Sagan, amidst the US-Soviet and the global nuclear crisis, when the world was overly optimistic about the dangers of nuclear weapons, organized his colleagues to jointly propose the famous "nuclear winter" hypothesis.

The detonation of a large number of nuclear weapons would cause a dramatic drop in global temperatures, making ordinary people realize for the first time that a nuclear war would not only affect their local area, but the entire world.

Although, according to accurate modeling, the threat of nuclear weapons is not as exaggerated as he claims; at most, it's just a 'nuclear autumn,' and the situation will be alleviated within three or four months.

However, Carl Sagan's hypothesis did cause a sensation at the time and contributed to preventing a nuclear war to some extent.

However, his lack of rigor in popularizing science was seen as unprofessional by his academic peers. Although Carl Sagan taught at Harvard, he did not receive tenure and was rejected multiple times by the US National Academy of Sciences.