The Battlefield Reverses

Red Hare unleashed a desperate attack! Its powerful hooves kicked off the glacier, leaping with terrifying force that shattered the ice. The floating ice beneath it sank dramatically into the river, using the river's momentum to propel the horse forward like a blazing cannonball, aiming straight for Leonidas's back!

Because he was locked in a stalemate with Lu Bu, Leonidas had no way to disengage!

No, that wasn't quite right. He was trying to disengage, but Lu Bu's strong wrist was firmly gripping his shoulder, while his right hand pressed down on the halberd, using its crescent edge to lock Leonidas's spear!

Though Lu Bu's strength was only ranked B when separated from Red Hare, he had the advantage of a downward momentum and the element of surprise. He caught Leonidas completely off guard, managing to stall his movements for a crucial moment.

It wouldn't take long. At Red Hare's speed, a two-second opening was all that was needed.

"Damn it!"

Leonidas knew the danger. An attack from that magnificent horse from behind... The thought sent a jolt like lightning through his back.

Absolutely not!

Leonidas grit his teeth. Disregarding the shifting, sliding ice beneath his feet, he roared. The muscles in his powerful arms, exposed outside his armor, bulged and formed a solid outline. He threw Lu Bu with all his might into the air, simultaneously stomping down hard. The ice beneath him shifted drastically, causing Leonidas to feel as if he were in a turbulent sea. Unsteady, he could only barely leap up, holding his spear vertically in front of him to forcibly intercept Red Hare's charge.

But it was too late. Red Hare had already crashed into him.

It was a pain that felt as if his body had lost all sensation.

It wasn't sharp, nor was it burning. The first feeling was numbness, a dull paralysis, as if his body had gone numb.

His ears were filled with a void; he could hear nothing. Not the sound of the wind, not the sound of the clash, not the sound of flesh meeting flesh. It was truly a case of "great sounds are unheard." The deafening roar caused by the heavy attack had, for a moment, stolen his hearing!

Retracting his strength and sent flying backward, Leonidas could only feel the fierce wind raging against his back, the pain of his body heat being rapidly stripped away. The wind howled in his ears, but it couldn't properly reach his brain. His hair whipped around, blurring his vision as strands of his own dark brown hair constantly flooded his sight.

It was cold.

Extremely cold.

Leonidas thought to himself.

How long had it been? Perhaps a minute, maybe just thirty seconds, or perhaps five minutes.

He had lost all sense of time.

Red Hare's speed was incredible, covering nearly 300 meters in a single breath. At such speeds, combined with Red Hare's mass and magical energy, the attack generated was as potent as a Noble Phantasm's True Name Release. Shaken by the immense kinetic energy, Leonidas felt as if his body wasn't his own, passively being sent flying.

Only then did he feel a burning pain spread through his body, as if he had a fever.

On the other side, taking advantage of the moment Red Hare sent Leonidas flying, Lu Bu reached out in mid-air and grabbed Red Hare's reins, quickly mounting the horse again. Red Hare snorted in mid-air, and visibly, a surge of immense magical energy erupted from Lu Bu's previously weakened body.

To give an example, it was like going from a cup of water to a waterfall once Lu Bu mounted.

This was Lu Bu Fengxian's Noble Phantasm.

[Among Men, Lu Bu; Among Horses, Red Hare].

This was a Chinese idiom.

As he descended into the world as a Rider, his Noble Phantasm was naturally Red Hare, his mount.

However, Red Hare was not a mythical beast or a ferocious creature. Even with its True Name released, it couldn't attack enemies in one go. Forget about anti-army or anti-city capabilities; it was difficult even against individuals.

Yet, this Noble Phantasm was by no means useless.

Its ability, just as its name suggested: [Among Men, Lu Bu; Among Horses, Red Hare].

It wasn't Red Hare itself or Lu Bu who became the Noble Phantasm.

What became the Noble Phantasm was the perfect synergy between man and horse.

Lu Bu, who appeared in the Chinese continent, possessed the most widespread fame. Under the subtle influence of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, almost everyone acknowledged that Lu Bu and Red Hare were a match made in heaven.

Therefore... this Noble Phantasm was a rare [Self-Enhancement Noble Phantasm]. As long as Lu Bu was mounted on Red Hare, all his abilities would receive a powerful boost. It was even superior to the [Mad Enhancement] skill of the Berserker class.

In fact, Lu Bu's personal stats were not outstanding. His Strength was only B, Endurance was only A, and Agility was a mere B. After all, Tohsaka Mina's mastery of magic was limited, the summoning circle was hastily set up with a random Catalyst, and she had accidentally missed the most active period of the Leyline. These factors could affect a Servant's stat values.

However, in the Chinese continent, with a powerful [Fame Bonus], Lu Bu became an excellent Servant with Strength A, Endurance A+, and Agility A. And when Lu Bu mounted Red Hare, the impression of all Chinese people on him would transform into the strongest correction. The bond between man and horse would become the strongest corrective effect. Before everyone's eyes, he was a Strength, Endurance, and Agility A+++ Servant, a peak-level ultimate cavalryman.

Rather than saying Red Hare was the Noble Phantasm, it was more accurate to say that the Noble Phantasm was the [Understanding] of everyone living in the Chinese continent towards Lu Bu and Red Hare. This unified perception allowed the Servant, who was greatly restricted by his Master, to gallop once more under the name of the Flying General.

Furthermore, although both enhanced personal combat power, [Among Men, Lu Bu; Among Horses, Red Hare] and [Mad Enhancement] were still different. The biggest difference was that [Mad Enhancement] strengthened combat power by exploiting reason. At [Mad Enhancement EX], one was basically incapable of thought.

But...

Lu Bu was different.

Not only were all his abilities boosted, but he also retained his rationality. The ultimate cavalryman who galloped across the Chinese continent and left his heroic legends in the chaotic late Han dynasty still preserved his incredibly refined equestrian skills.

Terrifyingly so.

This was precisely why, despite Lu Bu's immense power, he could be countered by Leonidas, even thrown by him, when dismounted. This was also why Lu Bu would absolutely never dismount Red Hare.

The powerful corrective effect of man and horse unity only existed in the mounted state. Once Lu Bu dismounted, stripped of the Noble Phantasm's correction, he was simply unable to fight Leonidas, who grew stronger as he took more damage.

However, after the fierce four-pronged attack, Lu Bu remounted his beloved horse, and with all his abilities corrected, Lu Bu felt magic surging through every vein, a tangible, almost solidified, potent magical energy.

(Don't blame me, warrior. For both of us, fighting at full strength is the most exhilarating, isn't it?)

(Therefore... with this exhilaration of battle, die! Die on the battlefield you love!)

Lu Bu chuckled, suddenly feeling as if his mood was boiling along with the surge of magic.

How long had it been since he felt this way?

Lu Bu couldn't remember. As his fame grew, fewer enemies could match him, and fewer enemies were willing to face him head-on. Even when they did, it was always a group attacking him all at once...

(This is... I don't know what this Holy Grail is, but... being able to ride onto the battlefield again – this is awesome!)

He urged his warhorse on, not missing a single opportunity. The Flying General, one with man and horse, charged towards Leonidas in mid-air.

For such an outstanding warrior, it would be incredibly rude to hold back. A full-power battle, slaughter, domination, crushing, trampling... this was the only fitting way to pay tribute to a valiant warrior.

A lone red cape flew backward, a solitary red figure gave chase in fury, and the gleaming halberd tore through the night sky, leaving behind a chilling streak of light.

He was catching up!

As Red Hare rapidly leaped up and down, Lu Bu, who was constantly jumping across the glaciers, rejoiced. Following the momentum of his charge, he thrust his halberd forward as far as he could. Unfortunately, Red Hare's impact force was too great. Before he could be hit, Leonidas leaped forward again, and was sent flying by the collision. Driven by the immense power, his speed momentarily surpassed even Red Hare's! Lu Bu took over ten seconds to catch up!

Suddenly, the knocked-back Leonidas raised his head!

Beneath the wildly fluttering red cape were a pair of resolute eyes that refused to yield! It was a peculiar expression, a fusion of anger and reason.

The corners of his mouth curled up.

It was a smile.

A fearless smile, clean and pure.

(This guy! Don't tell me!)

Lu Bu knew from that look that the strong man hadn't given up on the fight!

He, he was definitely looking for a chance to turn the tables!

He, what was he planning to do!!

Could it be! He was going to play another trick right under my nose?!

Considering his previous actions, Lu Bu wouldn't dare underestimate the wisdom of this strong man.

He definitely had something up his sleeve!

As if on cue, Leonidas turned in mid-air. His red cape swirled with a crisp ripping sound as it whipped through the air. He powerfully kicked off a floating ice block within reach below him!

Thump! One end of the ice block bore the force, and naturally, according to common physics knowledge, the opposite diagonal end lifted high!

Before Lu Bu, a wall of pure white ice rapidly rose, blocking Lu Bu's attack path!

It was a shield!

The Spartan, skilled in shield techniques, had transformed the ice block he landed on into a massive wall shield!

Even after being sent flying in a panic, Leonidas's fighting spirit hadn't clouded his mind. While flying backward, he was still observing the surrounding terrain!

With his full-power kick, the ice shield spun out. Accompanied by the crashing sound of the river being broken through, the ice shield, now accompanied by countless splashes of water, protected Leonidas's body!

Simultaneously, it blocked Lu Bu's line of sight!

Lu Bu knew all too well the fatal consequences of having one's vision obscured! He had used this very method to ambush Leonidas once before!

If he charged forward recklessly, the most likely outcome would be a spear thrust from Leonidas as he broke through the ice!

Tsk!

Lu Bu clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. How tenacious... Honestly, this was the first time Lu Bu had encountered such a tenacious enemy.

However...

"There are plenty of ways to break through!!!"

Lu Bu roared with laughter. Without needing any communication, their extreme tacit understanding allowed Red Hare to instantly grasp Lu Bu's intent. His powerful hooves stepped onto the upward-facing side of the ice wall!

If he prepared to raise an ice wall... then, all he needed to do was exert force along the direction of movement, and he could make the ice block flip over 360 degrees!

In that case, it wouldn't be Lu Bu whose vision was blocked, but Leonidas who would be crushed into the river by the ice block!

"The tide of battle has turned, Lancer!!"

Splash!

His response was only the sound of the ice block falling heavily into the water, and the crimson spreading gradually within it.