Shinji Matou At Your Service - Chapter 660: Reliable 

Is Shinji really reliable?

The answer to this question was revealed two days later.

When he walked out of a certain mountain villa, carrying a barely alive man in his hand, Ji Lin and Zhang Puzhuo’s doubts were completely dispelled.

This was Shinji’s first mission target and one of the most difficult among them. Ji Lin had reviewed the information beforehand; the target was an expert in reinforcement magecraft, capable of making his body harder than steel, akin to the traditional martial arts techniques Golden Bell Shield and Iron Cloth Shirt.

Even Ji Lin, who had mastered God Fist Style, would need considerable time to handle this target; one moment of inattention could allow the target to escape. Magus, unlike martial artists who rely on their bodies, have many peculiar methods. They might not be very strong, but they can cause a lot of trouble.

Both men were prepared to provide immediate support in case of any unexpected events. Unexpectedly, within just five minutes, this young man walked out carrying the target’s corpse.

The body, once harder than steel, had been reduced to a wreck. The spine, both arms, and both leg bones were broken. The resilient muscles now appeared sickly and aged, unrecognizable from their original state.

The magus, who had once caused significant losses to the Clock Tower, struggled to lift his head, his face ashen and managed to squeeze out a few words from his throat.

“You, who, what, are you?”

“Special envoy from the Eastern Division of the Clock Tower, Shinji Matou, greeting you on behalf of Lord Barthomeloi and the Law Department. The judgment may be delayed, but it will never be absent. Enjoy your time in hell!”

This was the task Lorelei had assigned to Shinji and the reason he acted alone rather than with the exchange group.

Unlike the other members of the exchange group, Shinji had only one task, and it was his specialty—assassination.

Cooperation and exchange are not limited to cultural and technological aspects; they also include combat, which can involve friendly matches or joint efforts to eliminate enemies. Lorelei’s primary task for Shinji was to kill the Clock Tower defectors hiding in this country.

These defectors had paid certain prices to gain the tacit approval or even protection of the government and local forces. As long as they didn’t cause trouble, the government wouldn’t take action against them. However, if an accident occurred, that would be a different story. Playing with words and finding loopholes in rules is a forte for these people. Since these defectors’ value had been exhausted, their final worth was to be handed over to the Clock Tower as a gesture of goodwill.

Similarly, the Clock Tower had sent a gift to the Country. They did it more directly, without any excuses, sending the Law Department’s assassination squad to eliminate targets. Although the methods differed, one thing was certain—politicians everywhere have dirty hearts.

“Those fools don’t keep their promises. I curse you all…”

The defeated magus’ body emitted a sinister magical energy, but it did not harm Shinji. The malevolent energy was purified before it could approach, reverting to the purest life force.

“Don’t waste your energy. It’s useless. Since I came, I naturally made thorough preparations.”

Even the curse of Artemis, the Boar of Divine Punishment, couldn’t harm me. What chance do you have?

Returning to the real world from the parallel world, although he lost that nearly perfect body and couldn’t reach the peak state of his final battle with Shirou, it didn’t mean Shinji hadn’t grown.

On the contrary, compared to before the Holy Grail War, Shinji’s power had increased several times. Magic, origin, new Noble Phantasms with different functions, the teachings of the great sage Chiron, and the experience from fighting various top-tier Servants—all these allowed him to possess combat power comparable to even the highest-tier Servants, despite his insufficient physical strength. In the real world, apart from rare geniuses like Lorelei and those ancient monsters, few could pressure him.

Casting a cold glance at the dying magus, Shinji’s hand ignited with crimson flames, reducing the body to ashes in moments—this was the extraction of the Immortal blade concept, the solar flames from the Sun God Surya.

“Master, am I seeing things?”

Zhang Puzhuo, observing from the side, gaped in astonishment.

“No, although I wish you were. I didn’t understand why only one person was sent before, but now I do.”

Ji Lin shook his head and sighed.

“A monster, a true monster.”

“Target confirmed eliminated. The next one is—?”

Shinji waved his hand, scattering the ashes, and looked sideways at the two men.

Zhang Puzhuo responded blankly, “Ah, oh, the next one is in Qingxu. There’s a car coming to pick us up at 8 AM tomorrow.”

“Then let’s find a hotel and rest for the night?”

“Okay, okay…”

…

The hotel they checked into was quite ordinary. It wasn’t particularly good, nor was it bad, but Shinji didn’t mind. This was a joint mission, not a high-standard reception; he could enjoy luxuries once the mission was over.

After closing the door, Shinji discreetly placed a rune stone by the door and threw another one into each corner of the room. Accompanied by a barely perceptible magical fluctuation, an invisible barrier isolated the room from the outside.

Then, with a flash of lightning, fine arcs of electricity leaped from Shinji’s fingertips, spreading along the barrier. Once the last arc vanished, Shinji exhaled softly.

“Now, any eavesdropping or surveillance devices should be disabled. Although this is just a randomly chosen hotel and it doesn’t feel like we’re being watched, it’s better to be safe. Some secrets are best kept hidden.”

As he spoke, Shinji unfastened the strap around his chest and placed the backpack he had been carrying on the ground. Inside the backpack was not luggage but a coffin.

Yes, a coffin.

Its black surface, four long sides, and two short sides formed a symmetrical yet irregular hexagon, resembling the style of coffins popular in medieval Europe—except it was much smaller, about one-sixth the size of a normal coffin, otherwise, it wouldn’t fit in the backpack.

Placing his hand on the coffin lid, Shinji infused it with magical energy. A white line appeared in the center of the previously smooth and unmarked lid.

With a “bang,” the coffin lid opened along the line, splitting to both sides. After scanning the room with his mind to ensure there was no danger, Shinji stepped into the coffin—standing upright, stepping in, his feet touching the bottom of the coffin.

In the next second, Shinji’s body sank rapidly. As his hair reached the level of the coffin lid, it automatically closed, leaving the pitch-black room empty.