Warriors Tremble

The two warriors faced each other again, silently watching one another. Lu Bu's wounds had already healed under Tohsaka Mina's healing magecraft. Only Leonidas's thigh still dripped blood, blooming into crimson lotuses upon the ice and spreading a thick, dark-red domain beneath his feet.

"A Lancer using a short sword... Heh heh. You've really opened my eyes."

Lu Bu glanced at the spear embedded upside down in the ice behind him. As a Lancer, Leonidas had abandoned his spear and used a sword-and-shield combination to give Rider a taste of his own medicine.

The long halberd in Lu Bu's hands spun, whirling rapidly between both hands like a speeding silver butterfly, tracing terrifying, lethal arcs around him. As his emotions surged, the halberd spun faster and faster, its silver trails forming a protective barrier around him.

This really... sets my blood boiling!

Lu Bu felt nothing but delight.

Being summoned into this world by some little girl who knew nothing and possessed only second-rate magical energy had been utterly boring, but...

Now it has meaning!

To cross time and space and clash with a hero like this! I see. Even I, Lu Fengxian, hailed in China as Dynasty Warriors, am not invincible across the world? If I am the strongest cavalryman, then this man! He is undoubtedly the strongest infantryman! Heh heh, truly...

Within his heart, fervent battle intent mixed with the poison called magical energy, instantly transforming into a powerful, lethal impact that tore through the Servant called Lu Fengxian along his veins.

He would annihilate this Lancer!

There only needed to be one bearer of the title of strongest. The word "strongest" meant being one of a kind.

Lu Bu urged his warhorse onward, and crimson lightning charged once more. His beast-headed armor rasped softly, while his crimson brocade cloak snapped in the wind.

"Among men, Lu Bu; among horses, Red Hare." This was an old saying passed down in China. Anyone with even a slight understanding of Chinese would know what it meant: Lu Bu and Red Hare were perfectly suited to each other.

Like a beautiful face paired with lovely hair, or a magnificent blade paired with an elegant scabbard, they complemented and enhanced one another.

That was the secret of Lu Bu's Noble Phantasm.

It was not a weapon that required its True Name to be released. As a cavalryman, Lu Fengxian's Noble Phantasm was naturally his warhorse.

A warhorse connected to his heart and soul.

As mentioned before, fame.

Lu Bu was perhaps the most famous Heroic Spirit in China.

Red Hare was universally acknowledged as the warhorse most compatible with Lu Bu.

Racing across the land of China, Rider Lu Bu, Lu Fengxian, possessed combat parameters far surpassing those of other Servants.

The constantly active Noble Phantasm, Red Hare. Its True Name was "Among Men, Lu Bu; Among Horses, Red Hare." There was no need to release its True Name, because this Noble Phantasm had been functioning from the moment Lu Bu manifested as a Servant.

As long as Lu Bu remained mounted upon Red Hare, all of Rider Lu Fengxian's parameters received considerable enhancement. That was the origin of Lu Bu's three A+++ attributes.

Magical energy converted from the faith of two billion people across China formed the bond that sustained this unruly Heroic Spirit and his outstanding warhorse. A compatible warhorse required no communication, no reins. A movement, a glance, even the slightest thought from Lu Bu would be understood by Red Hare and faithfully carried out!

This was Rider Lu Bu's most powerful Noble Phantasm: the coordination of man and horse as one, along with the combat experience known as the Flying General.

Crimson lightning raced over the vast ice field. Lu Bu gripped the Fangtian Halberd in both hands. All arrogance had vanished from him now as he carefully adjusted the halberd's position and raised it high over his head.

But Leonidas moved as well. The golden Great Shield rose over his shoulder, its rounded surface protecting all of his hardened muscles behind it. Upon the inverted V-shaped mark symbolizing Sparta, three scars left by the Fangtian Halberd stood out in shocking clarity.

A furious roar came from behind the shield. Bracing it before him, Leonidas charged headlong into Lu Bu's assault! The silver edge of his short sword rested silently against one side of the shield, subtly radiating menace.

He wants to knock me off my horse?

Lu Bu instantly saw through his intent and could not help finding it amusing.

Indeed, with Leonidas's current strength and the Great Shield, he might well be able to halt Lu Bu's charge. The shorter the charging distance, the weaker its force. They had already been close, and Leonidas was charging toward him, shortening the acceleration distance even further. Once Lu Bu lost the momentum of his charge, cavalry would be no different from infantry. At that point, the nimble short sword would instead hold an advantage over the long spear...

But—mounted combat and foot combat were different. Especially in a battle between Heroic Spirits, the difference was enormous.

Then let me show you! The true essence of mounted combat!

Having made up his mind, Lu Bu charged directly at Leonidas. The already short distance between them vanished in an instant! Upon the silent ice, even heartbeats seemed to stop. Only the sound of footsteps striking the ice with enough force to shatter everything echoed through the night sky.

Now!

Lu Bu was only inches from Leonidas's Great Shield, almost about to collide with it! The galloping warhorse and the rushing human chariot were about to crash together!

No!

There was no collision!

Just as they were about to meet head-on, Red Hare suddenly vanished!

Had it entered Spirit Form?

No. Re-materializing after entering Spirit Form would leave an opening. Besides, Lu Bu's pride would never allow him to do such a thing.

Then did Red Hare possess some kind of invisibility ability?!

How could that be possible! It was a horse, not a magical beast or a dragonkin. How could it possess such a savage ability?

Then... there was only one answer.

This was the difference between infantry and cavalry that Lu Bu had spoken of.

Red Hare jumped!

Warhorses were tall.

Some could even reach two meters in height, and as a distinguished horse among horses, Red Hare stood shoulder to shoulder with Leonidas.

Such a massive creature, with those long and powerful limbs, naturally possessed remarkable jumping ability.

And in midair, the rider on its back could move freely!

Because the rider had not jumped. He was merely riding the warhorse!

Yes! The greatest difference between cavalry and infantry was that a cavalryman never fought alone! Beneath him was his most trusted partner, his warhorse! They were both man and horse as one, and man and horse apart!

In midair, his crimson brocade cloak billowed. The beast-headed armor twisted sharply as Lu Bu leaned his body far backward, sending the Fangtian Halberd stabbing behind him—toward Leonidas's back!

Cavalry Counter-Attack!

The move most commonly used by Chinese cavalry generals! Originally, it had been a feint used to pretend to flee before suddenly turning back to ambush an enemy general in pursuit. But Lu Bu truly deserved to be called the greatest warrior of the Three Kingdoms. He had forcibly transformed this ambush technique, the Cavalry Counter-Attack, into a killing move that bypassed an enemy's shield and struck from behind!

The three cold points of the halberd danced into three gleaming silver trails in midair, thrusting fiercely toward Leonidas's back!!

"Excellent!"

Suddenly, a thunderous cry of approval rang out.

There were only two Servants on the battlefield. Lu Bu was wholly focused on attacking, so he naturally had no mind to shout something like that. Therefore, the identity of the speaker was obvious.

It was Leonidas!

Lu Bu's halberd was not aimed at Leonidas's back! It was aimed at Leonidas's chest!!

Yes! Behind the Great Shield, Leonidas had braced the shield against his shoulder and charged forward sideways!

That posture was almost as though...

As though he had known all along that his enemy would attack from behind!

That enormous shield had not been meant solely for defense! The Spartans, who regarded the Great Shield as their symbol, had long since integrated shield combat techniques into their blood: throwing, defense... and... using it as cover!

Without that Great Shield, Lu Bu might have noticed the irregularity in Leonidas's stance and become suspicious.

But there were no what-ifs. The Great Shield blocked Lu Bu's view, preventing him from judging the posture of the man behind it.

Thus... the lethal Cavalry Counter-Attack was broken!

Leonidas released his Great Shield, freeing his left hand! Facing the halberd flying toward him, Leonidas kicked the inner lower section of the shield with his left foot. With a bang, the Great Shield was driven through by his bold strength. Its golden edge, like an axe blade, pierced into the ice armor under the immense force, with nearly half the shield buried within it!

Next, he raised his right foot, as though he were about to treat the Great Shield in front of him as an enemy and kick it away!

Boom!

The Great Shield became a foothold as Leonidas delivered a savage kick! The tremendous force traveled through the shield and rapidly into the ice armor, dispersing the impact—the Great Shield swiftly canceled Leonidas's forward momentum!

From exerting too much force, blood gushed from the wound on his torn thigh. Yet Leonidas felt no fear at all. Beneath his helmet, the young man's wide mouth split into a ferocious grin.

Having stopped his movement, he extended his right hand without hesitation and, with lightning speed, grabbed the Fangtian Halberd!

"What!"

Disarming him of his halberd?!

Seeing Leonidas's stance, that was the only thought Lu Bu could have!

The Fangtian Halberd was a long halberd designed for cavalry combat, its shaft nearly three meters long—perfect for mounted fighting.

But he had never imagined that one day, the weapon he used to slaughter enemies would become the fatal path guiding an enemy's attack toward him! Every spear and halberd had one weakness: apart from the blade, the rest was merely a long shaft, with little offensive power. The shaft grasped by Leonidas had become a passage connecting the two of them!

One hand gripped the halberd, while the other held the short sword. The Spartan warrior used the Great Shield for leverage and leaped with the momentum. In midair, beneath that golden helmet, the resolute face said, "Come! Let us fight to our hearts' content!"

Lu Bu froze, trembling with excitement from the depths of his bones. This was the thrill only peerless warriors felt when facing an opponent of equal standing.

"Ah!! Then I'll grant your wish!!"

Rider Servant Card Updated