Even as nothing more than a soul, Shendu's power was beyond question.
As a villain whose presence loomed large from beginning to end, he possessed power on a higher level than anything Roland had encountered so far.
"What a shame. If only it were Shendu in his entirety..."
The moment that thought surfaced, Roland swiftly shook it out of his head. People who believed themselves invincible rarely met a good end.
Besides, if it had been Shendu in his entirety, the influence might have driven him to conquer the world or something. As things stood, the price and the abilities were practically one and the same.
"But this assimilation condition..."
Roland puzzled over it.
This was his first encounter with a high-risk, red-tier Contract Spirit. Unlike Yoshikage Kira's clearly defined assimilation condition, the Soul of the Holy Lord's condition was decidedly ambiguous.
Resurrection?
What does that mean? My soul has already ascended into a demon's soul, and my body is perfectly fine. What would count as resurrection? Finding all the Twelve Talismans like Jackie Chan?
But Shendu had already been a soul when he became a Contract Spirit. Where would the talismans come from? After racking his brains without finding an answer, Roland suddenly clapped his hands.
"If I don't understand, why not ask him directly?"
Eroded Wisdom of a Thousand-of all the abilities the Soul of the Holy Lord had granted him, this was the one that interested Roland most. Most people were drawn to Shendu's Twelve Talismans and overlooked the fact that, as one of the Eight Great Demons who had ruled the world, Shendu had never been a simple brute. He was a powerful demon sorcerer.
He knew the secret of the Book of Ages, could discern how to undo the spell sealing him, knew how to open the Demon Portal, and had even written the Spellbook. He used spells to harness the power of the Shadow Realm. In both knowledge and experience, he stood at the very pinnacle.
Unfortunately, he had been imprisoned in hell. After the long years wore away his wisdom, barely a fraction of his memories of those spells remained. He had to seek out the Spellbook he had once written to recall the precise methods. Most of the time, Shendu behaved like a brute. He could not even use his own talismans as skillfully as Jade, the new generation's Saint.
For Roland, this ability did not pour Shendu's memories directly into his mind. Instead, it subtly integrated the experience and discernment contained within that wisdom into his subconscious.
Whenever Roland encountered a question he could not answer, that wisdom would provide one. Whenever he encountered a spell formula he did not understand, it would analyze the formula's structure and method of execution, allowing him to comprehend it. In that respect, he could now be considered the bane of all magi.
So what could understand the true meaning of this so-called resurrection better than Shendu's own wisdom?
After a brief moment of contemplation, Roland received his answer.
-Possess a physical body.
It was not as simple as the literal wording suggested. Its true meaning was to possess a body that matched his soul. Shendu could not tolerate housing his soul in a mortal vessel.
Even without the talismans' divine power, it would at least have to be an innate dragon body like Dao Long's, suited to his soul.
In fact, Roland had already vaguely sensed this. The alien quality he had seen in the mirror earlier was the clearest proof.
If his body and soul had not already been one, he probably would have been able to leave his body at will by now.
"So I really am giving up being human..."
Roland sighed. As for how to acquire a physical body, he knew the answer even without a reminder from the Wisdom of a Thousand.
One of the characteristics of Servants was their ability to assume spirit form, which also meant they had to rely on magi to remain in existence for long periods. But if they acquired physical bodies, they could escape the necessity of returning when the Holy Grail War ended and remain in the present world indefinitely. It could be considered another form of resurrection.
Of course, gaining flesh through the Holy Grail was merely a basic method. If possible, Roland coveted the Third Magic that truly formed the foundation of the Greater Grail.
Viewed in that light, it made sense that the Soul of the Holy Lord had caused such massive fluctuations in the worldline during the previous Holy Grail War, even though it had been reduced to nothing but instinct.
Materializing the soul and using it as a template would create the most perfect physical body.
"It seems I have a reason I absolutely must win this war."
Roland waved his hand and walked back over to Sakura Matou.
"Sakura, start preparing the summoning ritual."
Although he had no experience whatsoever in this area, Roland easily finished drawing the summoning circle in the enclosed warehouse nearby under the guidance of Shendu's wisdom.
Sakura Matou also stood nervously in her designated position, serving as a magical energy battery.
Next came the question of the catalyst.
Roland opened the box Zouken Matou had given him. Inside lay an exquisite short sword, with a round jewel set into the end of its hilt. It seemed to combine the qualities of a staff and a blade.
Still, rather than a practical weapon, the short sword looked more like a commemorative work of craftsmanship.
"The Mercury Sword?"
Roland blurted out the name in surprise. Among the many Mystic Codes, this remarkable one-also known as the sword that stabbed whoever gave it away-was difficult for him to forget even if he wanted to.
Was Zouken Matou trying to hint at something by giving him this?
Rubbing his chin, Roland quickly dismissed that possibility. Tokiomi Tohsaka was not dead yet, so it was unlikely to mean that. Besides, considering Zouken Matou's identity, this really might be a Holy Relic.
It might even have been crafted personally by that Heroic Spirit.
The founder of modern alchemy, Paracelsus von Hohenheim.
Judging by his abilities, the man really had not been boasting. As a Caster, the great alchemist who had created the Philosopher's Stone was indeed first-rate.
His personality, however, was a little problematic, especially considering that the Holy Grail truly might offer a connection to the Root.
"And yet I can't give anyone else the chance to make a wish."
Roland's smile gradually faded. Although he had another Holy Relic on hand, with Saber already summoned, if Avalon actually summoned a Caster, the most likely candidate would merely be that Magus of Flowers.
In a certain sense, he would be even worse than Paracelsus.
Roland did not care how powerful the Heroic Spirit he summoned would be-with his current strength, very few Heroic Spirits could surpass him anyway.
Perhaps it was Shendu's desire to dominate at work, or perhaps this was simply Roland's own personality, but whether a Heroic Spirit was trustworthy mattered greatly to him.
For that reason, random summoning based on compatibility had never been among Roland's options.
"What a pain. Is there some way to quickly find a Holy Relic that meets my requirements?"
With the summoning circle already drawn, not proceeding with the summoning felt as though something were missing. Suddenly, Roland's eyes lit up.
Although this request was willful and unreasonable, given how vague the criteria were, the Shadowkhan seemed capable of accomplishing it.
In the original story, when Jade served as queen of the Shadowkhan, she had once made the equally unreasonable, willful demand that they find someone who could read the Spellbook. Yet the Shadowkhan had faithfully carried out that order.
Following her example, Roland snapped his fingers and issued an order to the two Shadowkhan who emerged from his shadow.
"Bring me a suitable Holy Relic!"
Without showing even a trace of confusion, the two ninjas sank into the shadows, then swiftly surfaced again, as though they had never left.
Unlike before, however, they now held a fluffy, beautiful sheepskin whose sunlike golden radiance could not be suppressed even in the darkness.
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