Shinji Matou at Your Service

The Earth Goddess Gaia, one of the first generation of Olympian gods, is a primordial being in Greek mythology—note that this is not a reference to the human concept of planetary consciousness. In the Nasuverse, while the primordial nature goddess representing the earth is Tiamat, the Mother of All Things from Sumerian mythology, Gaia, as one of the first gods of one of the world's most famous pantheons, is undoubtedly a manifestation of natural consciousness, an embodiment of nature. Anything associated with her would naturally exhibit the power of nature.

And then there's Arcueid. With the decline of Mystery and the retreat of the gods from the world, she has become the new embodiment of nature, the daughter of planetary consciousness.

Even though one is a god and the other is not, one possesses divinity and the other does not, Arcueid and the Earth Goddess share the same origin. Whether it's the blood of a True Ancestor or the Golden Apple, both are manifestations of natural power. When the two meet and blend, it's only natural that some miraculous transformation occurs.

The direction of this transformation isn't hard to guess. Most deities related to the earth have domains associated with life, and as a True Ancestor, Arcueid also possesses powerful vitality. The world's power is heavy and soothing, while the blood of a True Ancestor is domineering and fierce. When these forces neutralize each other, the result is Shinji's current miraculous state—he's not a Dead Apostle but possesses the regenerative abilities of one.

After a few minutes, he could already move like a normal person, and his pale complexion had improved considerably.

The secrets behind this are far too complex, and if outsiders were to find out, it would undoubtedly cause a stir. Because of this concern, he covered Arcueid's mouth and quietly instructed:

"This time, we were fortunate, but don't do that again in the future. Every time you divide your power, you lose a bit of control over your bloodlust. You don't want to end up sleeping 23 hours a day, right?"

"I get it. I'll only share my power with you; I won't do it for anyone else." Arcueid puffed her cheeks.

"Besides, I did heal your wounds, and you're still scolding me, Shinji, you big dummy!"

"Yes, yes, I was wrong. I'm the dummy."

Roa had to go through a lot of trouble back in the day to extract some power from Arcueid. Now, not only had the princess given Shinji her blood and power, but she had also given him her first kiss. What else could Shinji say?

"I'm sorry, Waver, for making you waste so much effort."

"It's okay. Getting to watch a comedy with you and the Princess of the True Ancestors is more than worth it," Waver said with a smile, waving his hand.

"How did your mission go?"

"It failed, but the outcome was good."

Was it over?

Arcueid's bloodlust had been released, and Shinji also gained a considerable benefit.

"You mentioned earlier that you blew up half of the Crimson Core. What happened next?"

As Waver spoke, he gave Shinji a look, which Shinji understood and replied to.

"After that, I got carried away and caused a massive explosion, leading to what you saw—unexpectedly, I ended up being blown near the Mystic Eye Collection Train, and even more surprisingly, the train was in a stationary state."

The matter of the hunt for Forest of Einnashe was highly confidential, and it wasn't supposed to be discussed so openly. But since Shinji had already blurted out a lot when he was confused earlier, he decided to just lay everything out. This could dispel many speculations and hidden dangers.

"The train stopped because it detected an anomaly in the ley lines and needed to inspect it to prevent any accidents. If I'm not mistaken, the anomaly in the ley lines was caused by your battle with Forest of Einnashe."

Most large-scale Mysteries are closely tied to ley lines. The same goes for Forest of Einnashe, and the Mystic Eye Collection Train is no exception.

No matter how Forest of Einnashe moves, it will never leave the confines of the ley lines. The Mystic Eye Collection Train similarly relies on ley lines for movement, with the ley lines functioning as the train tracks.

The current route of the train started from the outskirts of London, circling the UK. The location where Forest of Einnashe appeared was in Northern Ireland, not far from the UK's border.

Due to Shinji and Merem's fierce assault, the Forest of Einnashe was severely damaged, and its survival instinct drove it to plunder ley lines and life forces. The largest ley line nearby was occupied by the Mystic Eye Collection Train, which also had many passengers on board. Forest of Einnashe instinctively moved toward the train, and the train detected the abnormality caused by the battle.

Their encounter could be seen as both a coincidence and an inevitability.

"What happened to Forest of Einnashe?"

Waver asked again. Not only was he curious, but everyone on and off the train wanted to know since Forest of Einnashe was one of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors—no one wanted to encounter such a terrifying enemy.

Shinji shook his head: "He might be dead, he might not be. I was blown away in the end, so I'm not sure—Arcueid, do you know?"

"Yes. Forest of Einnashe, or rather the Crimson Core, and the surrounding area were blown to pieces by you, but Forest of Einnashe itself remains."

"Then there's no problem. Without the core, the remaining ones are just small fry. It's only a matter of time before Merem and the others wipe them out."

Shinji's answer made Waver sigh in relief.

"Merem… is that the Daemon Summoner Merem Solomon?"

"Yes, along with other members of the Burial Agency."

"Then there is no problem."

The hearts of the others also eased. The Burial Agency is well-known in the Western world of Mysteries, and with them involved, the remnants of Forest of Einnashe posed no threat.

Everyone had seen how Shinji looked before—completely battered, with barely any unscathed part of his body. Hiding the Crimson Fruit was out of the question; perhaps that legendary fruit, along with the core, had been blown to pieces as well.

Of course, it might also be in the hands of the Burial Agency or the True Ancestor, but either way, those are some of the most formidable forces in the world. It's better to assume the fruit was destroyed to avoid any trouble.

"Waver, how are things on your end?"

With Shinji's matters mostly resolved, it was time to focus on Waver. Shinji originally planned to assist Waver after dealing with Forest of Einnashe, and that's why he had purchased the satellite positioning device earlier—to make finding people easier.

Waver frowned at the mention of the issue.

"I have some leads, but it's not resolved yet."

"Mind having an extra hand?"

"Not at all I'd prefer it if you helped."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get on board!"

With that, Shinji and Waver headed towards the train door.

At that moment, a gaunt man in a black uniform appeared on the stairs, blocking their way.

"Conductor Rodin, what's the meaning of this?"

Waver asked.

Rodin was the man's name, and conductor was his title—a position similar to that of a deputy train conductor.

The gaunt man bowed politely and slightly inclined his body.

"My apologies, Mr. Velvet. You may board, but your friend cannot. He does not have an invitation, and your companion quota is already full."

"Oh?"

Shinji narrowed his eyes.