Chapter 45: Two People Who Are Similar Yet Different
The Scáthach who removes her mask and gets serious is completely different from the Scáthach who isn't serious.
This statement may sound redundant, but when applied to Scáthach, it holds absolutely true.
Under normal circumstances, the Scáthach you see—the one capable of normal conversation—is not her true personality.
This intellectual yet deeply Celtic warrior-like demeanor, authoritative yet approachable image, is a persona crafted by Scáthach's rationality.
It is her rational mode.
In this mode, Scáthach acts with far greater rationality and carefully considers her actions.
She would even resort to tactics like using bodily disintegration to end a battle, as seen in FGO against the "Black Dog," or directly retreating when facing Goetia.
This is Scáthach's rationality at work.
But Scáthach's truest self is not like this.
Or rather, the original Scáthach... lacked rationality entirely!
Otherwise, someone like Cú Chulainn wouldn't fear her to such an extent, and the legends of the Land of Shadows wouldn't be passed down in Britain as horror stories.
The true Scáthach, or rather, Scáthach in her state as the Queen of the Land of Shadows, is her serious mode.
It is also her most ferocious side, revealed after tearing away the false rationality and the mask concealing her face.
Upon entering this state, a fully unleashed Scáthach becomes utterly savage. Her movements grow more perilous, and her attacks become sharper and more relentless.
At times, her ferocity isn't merely about dealing death—it feels as though she's intent on mutual destruction!
With rationality no longer acting as a limiter, Scáthach in this state moves faster, strikes harder, and occasionally employs magecraft.
Of course, even her use of magecraft in this state is intensely savage.
For instance, while relentlessly attacking with her twin spears, she might suddenly trace a Rune Magecraft symbol right before your eyes!
If it's your first time facing Scáthach, witnessing such a drastic shift in combat style upon her getting serious would undoubtedly be disorienting.
After all, reality isn't a game.
In games, a boss can naturally enter a second phase, and as a player, you can retry after dying, memorize patterns, and treat the boss's various forms as a performance to watch.
But in reality, when you've been fighting someone for a long time and have adapted to their rhythm, only for them to suddenly switch styles completely—even if your mind can process it, your body won't keep up.
And if you can't react in time... you might not get a second chance.
That is the most natural outcome.
But... this wasn't Noah's first encounter with Scáthach.
In simulated memories, he had faced her countless times.
Moreover...
His martial arts were fundamentally derived from Scáthach's combat style!
Watching Scáthach suddenly grow serious, Noah didn't attempt to adjust his own rhythm. Instead, he simply shifted the sword from his left hand to his right and tossed the spear from his right hand to his left.
After that, his stance became completely different from before.
If Noah's previous fighting style could be summarized as "cutting rain and retaining rainbows," then now his offensive approach underwent a fundamental transformation as the weapon in his left hand—originally responsible for disrupting the opponent's attack rhythm—shifted from a shorter sword to a longer spear!
When Scáthach's spear clashed with Noah's, she felt his force act like a hook, directly pulling her into the attack range of Caliburn!
Then, as she was dragged forward, the muscles in Noah's right arm tensed up, even swelling noticeably.
The already fully swung Caliburn smashed directly toward Scáthach's head!
Yes.
Noah's motion shouldn't be described as a slash—it was undoubtedly a smash!
Seeing this, Scáthach smiled.
The spear that Noah had hooked was slightly lifted by her, and her hand, originally gripping the rear part of the shaft, shifted to the upper section.
This immediately altered the spear's attack range.
Transforming it from a long spear into a short spear.
It also allowed her to retract the spear from Noah's interference.
Then, Scáthach used one hand to block the descending Caliburn with her spear, while the other hand, as if thrusting a dagger, drove the short spear straight toward Noah's heart!
At that moment, a crimson light flashed in Scáthach's eyes, and the spear in her hand unleashed its full effect.
—It was an unavoidable strike!
So, the force on the spear wasn't just from her thrust; it carried the causality inherent to the weapon itself.
The first point of contact was between Noah's Caliburn and Scáthach's raised spear.
In that instant, Scáthach was completely overwhelmed by Noah's sheer brute force.
The violent downward power was something she couldn't hope to block with one hand.
But this was within Scáthach's expectations.
As her spear collided with Caliburn, she tilted it immediately, much like Noah's earlier sword-and-spear combination centered on "cutting rain and retaining rainbows." Using the force of Caliburn striking the shaft, Scáthach pressed her entire body forward toward Noah's position, allowing her short spear to generate more power.
Then, the causality carried by her previously thrust short spear pulled her bent body along, making her glide like a swallow skimming the ground, slipping past Noah's Caliburn and driving the short spear with even greater force toward his heart.
Victory.
Scáthach felt she had won.
And just as when she defeated others, she might smile during the fight, but after winning... it was truly boring.
—Once again, she failed to die.
With that thought, the previously frenzied Scáthach allowed rationality to return.
And then…
Thud!
As Scáthach lunged toward Noah, he spun the spear in his other hand with a single grip.
In the midst of Scáthach's advance, the rear half of the spear shaft—the one Vortigern had provided—struck her abdomen, right at the center of her force momentum.
Thus, Scáthach, thrusting with her short spear, found its tip halted just before Noah's chest!
Noah used this moment of pause to pivot sideways, leveraging the force of the downward-swinging Caliburn.
His chest narrowly grazed the tip of Scáthach's abruptly thrusting spear.
But it didn't end there.
Because Scáthach's spear could not be so easily evaded—even after Noah dodged the initial thrust, the spearhead twisted unnaturally, bending into a bizarre arc as it continued to drive straight toward Noah's heart!
Noah had long anticipated this. Caliburn he had just swung down was already twisted back, its blade positioned behind his back, allowing Scáthach's spear to strike squarely against the flat of the sword.
At that moment, one of Noah's arms seemed to wrap around Scáthach's waist, while his other hand gripped the spear, its shaft slamming hard into her abdomen.
Noah himself stood on Scáthach's other side, Caliburn still braced behind his back, blocking her spear.
Then, using the momentum from the impact, he shifted forward slightly, bent his knee, and drove it hard into Scáthach's waist.
A terrifying force shot straight into her spine!
The immense impact distorted Scáthach's posture, freeing Noah's grip on Caliburn.
For an ordinary person, the fight would have ended there.
After a blow like that to the spine, there would be no way to evade Noah's sword.
But even in excruciating pain, Scáthach's expression was not one of agony—it was a smile.
Beautiful, icy… and tinged with madness!
Her right hand twisted the spear, and just as Noah had earlier thwarted her attack, she swung the shaft straight at his face.
But her goal was different from his.
As the spear shaft blocked Noah's line of sight, her other hand drove a second spear thrust directly toward his temple!
Seeing this familiar move, Noah didn't even need to look to the other side.
He had already gripped the front half of the spear shaft—turning the long spear into a short one—and thrust it forward.
The spear Vortigern had given him collided squarely with Scáthach's.
And then, as expected, it snapped!
The break disrupted Scáthach's attack, and with his spear shattered, Noah was forced to abandon his thrust with Caliburn, shifting his center of gravity.
As Vortigern's spear broke, Noah immediately discarded the remaining piece, seizing Scáthach's wrist and forcibly twisting her movement apart with brute strength.
At the same time, he called out mentally to Mary.
If Scáthach continued to unleash her spear's ability, Mary would activate Avalon.
But just as Noah remembered, Scáthach stopped.
Now lying in Noah's arms, she did not activate her spear's power. Instead, she remained pressed against his chest, even nestling closer. Her face, long freed of its mask, shifted from that frenzied expression to one of regret.
What a pity!
If only he had a better weapon, he might have truly been able to kill me!
Such a shame!
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