An Intervening Challenger

Boom!

In the forest near the artificial river, the red-clad girl Tohsaka Mina flinched at the deafeningly loud sound that was overwhelming in every sense of the word. Her gem-like eyes quickly darted towards the river, her retinas refocusing on the ice castle. She saw a massive hole suddenly blown open in its smooth, silver outer wall!

Beside her, a tall man in magnificent armor, riding a powerful horse, couldn't help but let out a scoff at her adorable reaction, his ornate armor shifting with the movement.

"Hmph!"

Tohsaka Mina frowned in displeasure. Due to her lineage, even her eyebrows were golden. Her purplish eyes were filled with unhappiness, which only made the tall male Servant even more pleased.

"Rider! I've seen that Servant's abilities. Strength A, Agility B+, Endurance EX, Magic E-, Luck D, Noble Phantasm EX... Can we win?"

The girl decided not to stoop to his level. At a time like this, she had to act like a mature adult, otherwise, her participation in the Holy Grail War would be meaningless.

Moreover, Lancer's stats were indeed terrifying. Tohsaka Mina wasn't sure if her Servant could win.

It was true that Tohsaka Mina was participating in the Holy Grail War for the first time, but even she, a newcomer, understood that these stats were not easily obtained.

The Servant's own strength, the Master's strength, abundant magic, fame, and so on... these stats clearly spoke of it all.

However, even so, in terms of ability stats, her Rider was still superior... but...

Only the Noble Phantasm...

EX rank meant "unknowable" or "incomparable." Generally, Noble Phantasms that reached EX rank were, without exception, powerful weapons that ordinary people could not contend with. In this regard, her Servant was at a crushing disadvantage...

"Heh... What nonsense are you spouting..."

The proud male Servant exhaled through his nose with a puff of self-satisfaction, the corners of his lips turned up.

"I am—the peerless warrior of the Three Kingdoms, Lu Fengxian! No matter the opponent, I will crush them for you to see! Strategy aside, in a one-on-one fight..."

Rider Lu Fengxian said, tapping his thumb on the beast-faced chest armor over his heart. At the same time, his strong right hand, hidden beneath his crimson battle robe, grasped his "spear." The weapon, with crescent-shaped blades on both sides, would be familiar to anyone with a slight understanding of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

The Fangtian Halberd.

There was only one famous general in the world who could wield the Fangtian Halberd, and that was him alone.

At this moment, he held the heavy iron halberd in one hand, moving it with incredible speed. A whirlwind seemed to suddenly stir in the forest, leaves rustling, plants crying out in distress. Tohsaka Mina felt her golden hair being tossed about by the turbulent wind, flying wildly. She quickly covered her head with both hands, shouting repeatedly that it was enough!

"...In a one-on-one fight, I have never lost."

Immediately after, without waiting for Tohsaka Mina to say more, Lu Bu pulled the reins, and the Crimson Steed beneath him galloped away, leaving only a laugh, whether it was a scoff or a hearty one, to spread through the air. This action startled her again, and Mina quickly cast a spell to keep bystanders away from him!

Meanwhile, inside the castle, the offensive and defensive battle between Assassin and Lancer continued.

No, or rather, Assassin was being unilaterally crushed.

Lancer's attacks grew increasingly fierce. Assassin knew his power and could only shift from "assassinating the Master" to "seeking an escape." Holding his ninjatō, Assassin skillfully utilized his agile movements, his black night-robbing clothes shifting rapidly back and forth, maximizing the conventional "hit-and-run" tactic, absolutely refusing to engage in prolonged combat with Leonidas.

No matter how strong Leonidas was, the disadvantage of having a spear paired with a large shield meant he could never reverse the situation.

That was his response to swift attacks.

The great shield was excellent for defense, the spear for offense, and both had considerable volume, leaving little room for maneuverability and making them poor at dealing with rapid changes. After all, these were originally weapons for formations. In a one-on-one duel, the oversized shield and the overly long spear would become disadvantages, directly placing Leonidas in an unfavorable position.

However, it was only unfavorable.

Assassin's speed allowed him to attack before Lancer could react, but it couldn't overcome him. With EX-rank Endurance, this muscle-bound monster could probably still cling to life even after taking a Noble Phantasm-level blow, right?

If he couldn't deliver a finishing blow, his attacks would only increase Leonidas's combat power. Once his Agility reached A, he would have no chance of survival.

Therefore, Assassin was in a very awkward position.

He could neither kill Leonidas with a single blow nor accumulate damage to wear him down... He couldn't defeat him in a fight, nor could he kill him...

(As expected, a rough start.)

Assassin suddenly felt that his A-rank Luck was a joke. His first assassination attempt failed because the opponent summoned a Servant. His second assassination attempt encountered such a monster... Where was the luck in this?

However, in a sense, it was also fortunate. Because just as Assassin couldn't kill Leonidas, Leonidas couldn't deal him a fatal blow either. Therefore, he had essentially learned Leonidas's abilities in advance... This would be very beneficial for formulating tactics in the future.

Thus, he decided to disengage and cut his losses. He would relay all this information to his Master, and she would make the judgment. In this regard... his Master was an extremely lawless person, which could also be considered fortunate. She could drive Assassin without guilt, unscrupulously using all sorts of dirty tactics to win, which was truly good news for Assassin.

Unrestrained.

With his mind made up, he leaped forward, his dark figure like a pool of flowing oil. Twisting his body, he threw a punch towards Leonidas's face. However, Leonidas simply lowered his head slightly, the metal helmet of his forehead guard dipping down to block Assassin's blow. Then, he spun his spear, about to thrust it forward...

BOOM!

An explosion suddenly erupted from Assassin's hand. The intense vibration instantly made Leonidas's helmet emit a sharp cry of pain, the violently shaking metal plate constantly scraping his scalp, forcing him to grit his teeth and endure.

Before the pain in his ears, the pain in his vision came first...

It was blurred.

A gray smoke screen instantly enveloped the entire ice castle.

(Smoke bomb?)

Leonidas's brow furrowed, and he grunted unhappily. He quickly leaped back, flashing to Abner's side. He shielded his Master's head with his left hand, while his right hand spun his spear, transforming it into a massive "spear-shield." Protected by the two shields, he heard a series of crisp metal clashes. It was Assassin's shuriken!

(That guy! Is he trying to escape?)

Leonidas had already guessed it. While not exactly honorable, the guy was indeed doing what an Assassin should do.

It would be asking too much to demand an Assassin to face him head-on in a duel, just as it would be to ask an archer to put down his bow and pick up a sword for a one-on-one fight.

In war, the best soldier is not the one who is "the best fighter," but the one who "fulfills their role." If one is a standard-bearer, they should absolutely not try to fight, but rather do everything possible to survive and boost morale.

The assassin's failed attempt to retreat was precisely what was expected of an assassin.

As Lancer's spear rapidly whipped up a gale, a smoky mist that seemed to solidify was blown away from the shattered outer wall. The black figure, bathed in moonlight, glared fiercely at Lancer with eyes full of indignation, as if wanting to engrave the burly man into his memory. Then, he dissolved into a puff of dust and vanished.

This was the ability of Presence Concealment. Leonidas guessed that the assassin was still nearby, but he could no longer track him.

Leonidas did not pursue. He silently planted his spear point-down into the ground and walked over to retrieve the short sword he had thrown.

"That should be enough, right?"

He spoke to the empty room, his robust voice blending with the sounds of dripping water in the dilapidated castle, creating a peculiar, tranquil atmosphere.

This was a bit strange.

Abner was supposed to be asleep and not conscious, so why did he...

No, before that, there was an even more important question. If he thought about it carefully, he should be able to find the issue.

The battle between Lancer and the assassin had made such a commotion that any normal person should have woken up by now. Why did Abner neither get up to support nor choose to flee?

Was Abner stupid?

A magus who could clearly devise a strategy to lure the enemy into a positional battle would never be an idiot. Therefore, the conclusion was obvious.

Because...

This was Abner's objective.

To make the Servants who came to ambush believe that Abner, who was staying in this ice castle, was a decoy, and that he himself had already escaped elsewhere.

In fact, Abner had prepared a second [Magic Workshop] for his refuge. Unlike this Disposable Workshop, that was his true, exclusive magic fortress, which even an assassin would likely not be able to infiltrate easily.

And this Disposable Workshop, to put it bluntly, was a [bomb]. If the opponent was foolish enough to believe Abner was living here, they would be defeated here.

If they encountered an opponent they couldn't defeat, they would detonate the castle, freezing all enemies within. Servants might escape, but their Masters certainly wouldn't be able to withstand such widespread cold damage.

If the opponent was smart, they would realize that "Abner" was not in this castle and would go in search of Abner's true Magic Workshop. Inside that workshop was Abner's real base, and once any Servant intruded, Abner and Lancer, working together, could easily deal with any Servant.

This was the strategy. It wasn't enough to just consider "What should I do?" One must also consider "What will the enemy do?" Abner's path of magic was as flexible as water, capable of evaporating, freezing, flowing through tiny crevices, or filling vast oceans.

Judging by the assassin's performance, he probably had his own [mission]. Abner could clearly sense that the assassin hadn't used his full strength, likely ordered not to reveal his true power, or perhaps his focus was on gathering information.

"This is good. Leonidas, good work."

"Good work? Well, it wasn't exactly... I just didn't enjoy the fight."

Leonidas grunted, his brow furrowed. As a warrior, he naturally craved a passionate battle, a head-on confrontation.

In that regard, the fight with the assassin was far from satisfying.

However, hearing his complaint, Abner actually smiled, in a good mood. He got up from the bed.

"You're okay now?"

"Yes. Thank you for your concern. I'm fine now. As long as the assassin knows that [I] am a [decoy]."

In response to Leonidas's concerned inquiry, Abner smiled and gave his answer. He channeled his magic, applying a healing spell to Leonidas. Visibly, the burly warrior's body rapidly healed, the bruising on his elbow gradually receding, returning to its normal tanned complexion.

Leonidas grunted softly, glaring at his elbow with a hint of distaste. He seemed about to say something but ultimately remained silent.

"Also, Leonidas, if you feel you didn't get your fill, don't worry. Because the next enemy has already arrived. A Servant of the Rider class. And from the looks of it, they're your type."

"Oh! Then that's great!"

The same type, Leonidas immediately understood what he meant.

It meant... a Servant who excelled at charging into battle, who enjoyed head-on, brute-force combat!

Seeing the fighting spirit reignite in Leonidas, Abner smiled gently, as if bidding farewell to a close friend he had known for many years. He took a deep breath and slowly activated his magic crest, a surging tide of mana pouring from his slender body and merging with the castle.

With the support of the workshop, even a Servant couldn't easily defeat Abner. Even if the assassin returned, he was confident he could hold his own. Prepared, Abner maintained a trusting smile and issued his command:

"Leonidas, please show me the spectacular combat prowess of the Spartans from the movies."

"Hmph, then you just watch, Abner."

The response was a confident smile.