A Strike Piercing the Cold Night

Thump!

The river let out a huge splash as it was struck by ice.

With a rapid flip at its core, the ice block that Leonidas had been using as a shield instead transformed into a press that drove him into the cold river water!

"Heh..."

Lu Bu couldn't help but chuckle. He urged Red Hare forward, the weight of man and horse pressing down on the ice block, preventing Leonidas from surfacing.

Indeed, Servants don't need "gas exchange"; breathing is merely a "habit." This means Servants don't drown or suffocate.

However, the frigid river water would rapidly strip away a Servant's body temperature, and maintaining one's physical form is a crucial "materialization" condition. This means...

"In the icy river water, a guy like you will consume more mana than usual!!"

This was Lu Bu's thought.

Judging purely by his stats, Leonidas wasn't just strong as a Servant itself; his Master must have an incredibly abundant supply of mana to possess such terrifying statistics.

On this point, Lu Bu, whose Strength and Agility were both B, could only sigh with regret.

It was only natural. Abner was the head of the Winifred Family, possessing a Magic Crest developed over eleven generations. It would be strange if he wasn't superior to Tohsaka Mina's child's play Magic Circuits! To use Tsukahara Meiji's peculiar analogy, a manga drawn over eleven generations would naturally have more content than the manga Tohsaka Mina had drawn over the past decade!

However, no matter how powerful a Magus was, commanding a Servant consumed a considerable amount of mana. The more intense the battle, the greater the mana expenditure for the Master. Especially with Leonidas's ability to grow stronger when injured, Lu Bu was certain that the Magus hadn't provided support sooner because they lacked mana, with all their power being channeled to supply their own Servant.

Speaking of which, Lu Bu's pride swelled again. His Noble Phantasm, "Among Men, Lu Bu; Among Horses, Red Hare," was a "Faith-based" Noble Phantasm. It didn't require the Master to supply power, functioning somewhat like a Mana Reactor. Therefore, Tohsaka Mina had effectively summoned an exceptionally excellent Servant who, despite a B-rank consumption, possessed A+++ rank combat power.

The downside was the lack of a Noble Phantasm true name release for a finishing blow. If such a thing were added, the Holy Grail War would be over before it began. Fast, fierce, and possessing a powerful trump card like a nuclear bomb – how could anyone fight that?

But this wasn't a major problem. Lu Bu and Red Hare, whether facing off against a Servant head-on or targeting the Master for a decisive blow, were formidable.

If Leonidas weren't so excellent in defensive tactics, the outcome might have been decided long ago. Anyone else might have been instantly killed by Lu Bu's demon god-like speed on the first strike, leaving no room for the subsequent stalemate.

Therefore, Lu Bu absolutely did not want Leonidas to surface. Draining mana to maintain body temperature by continuously being submerged in icy water, ultimately exhausting the Master, was Lu Bu's strategy.

Furthermore, water is a substance with significant resistance. Anyone who has swum knows that when you swing your fist in water, most of the force is absorbed by the current, dissipating much of the power. Thus, he wasn't worried about Leonidas launching a counterattack from the water. Even with A+++ rank arm strength, it would be difficult to deliver a powerful blow in the water.

Seeing the water surface gradually spreading with a blood-red hue, Lu Bu rejoiced, yet felt a faint sense of regret.

After all, it was truly rare to encounter an enemy of Leonidas's caliber.

His resilience, and his masterful swordsmanship...

If they could have joined forces, the combination of the strongest infantry and the strongest cavalry would undoubtedly be invincible.

What a shame...

Although he ultimately lost to Lu Bu, it wasn't because he was too weak...

"Because I, Lu Fengxian, am invincible under heaven!"

The crimson cavalry proudly puffed out his chest, his bold declaration echoing through the night sky with hearty laughter.

Thud!

An unexpected event occurred!

Before Lu Bu could react, Red Hare had already leaped to the left to dodge! Often, animals' senses are more acute than humans'. For instance, before an earthquake, animals are always the first to sense it. It was Red Hare's keen, beast-like perception that saved Lu Bu!

Because, as he was laughing wildly, a cold iron spear had forcefully pierced through the ice block and was thrusting towards Red Hare's unprotected belly!

If Red Hare died, Lu Bu's Holy Grail War would be over.

Without the Noble Phantasm's enhancement, Tohsaka Mina's weak mana would be insufficient for Lu Bu to deal with powerful enemies. Especially... Leonidas. B-rank Strength allowed him to confront Assassins head-on, so what was the point of fighting?

His ecstatic joy instantly turned to shock, awestruck by the strike that pierced the ice. The thick ice layer shattered, revealing Leonidas's ferocious and provocative expression. His eyebrows were raised high, his eyes wide, water droplets clinging to his scattered, tan curly hair, and... a crazed smile on his lips.

He... was smiling!

Lu Bu's anger flared – You bastard! Were you plotting against me!

But... how is that possible!

Even A+++ strength would be mostly absorbed in the water, delivering at most B+ power, so why was he...

Ah!

Glancing inadvertently at the shattering ice armor, Lu Bu understood!

Why Leonidas had used the ice block as a shield!

Why he had used it to obstruct his vision...

This guy! He had anticipated from the beginning that I would step on it!

He wasn't waiting for me to break the ice!

He was waiting for me to push it into the water!

Because the structure of this ice block was peculiar. The center of the ice block, which was over sixty centimeters thick, was hollow!

The cross-section was concave! Leonidas must have hidden himself inside!

Yes...

Lu Bu had been mistaken from the very beginning.

This wasn't a one-on-one battle.

Just as Lu Bu is one with Red Hare, with Servant Lu Fengxian and Servant Red Hare as a single unit, Leonidas is not fighting alone!

It's Abner.

His Master, his friend, his partner is cooperating with him!

You must understand, even if the weather in Northern China is cold, it's impossible for ice sixty centimeters thick to form in spring! We knew from the start, this was Abner's support.

Whether it was the ice field at the beginning, Leonidas shattering the ice, the flow of the water, or even how Leonidas was able to find such suitable ice later on, it was all Abner's Support!! This Magus, skilled in Precision Manipulation, has been secretly creating terrain advantageous to Leonidas through precise control of every water flow!

True support isn't just about fighting with magic; changing the terrain to allow one's Servant to exert their strongest combat power is also a form of support!

Furthermore, Lu Bu's concern that the cold river water would increase the Servant's mana consumption is also not an issue.

Abner had already devised a countermeasure.

This is very simple common knowledge, and common knowledge that the vast majority of Magus do not know.

That is, when water turns into ice, it releases heat.

To freeze, water needs to release its excess heat.

With a river of this scale freezing, a terrifying amount of heat would naturally be released.

The specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity of water are higher than that of air, and nearly three-quarters of the released heat is absorbed by the water. It's no exaggeration to say that although the river water's temperature wasn't high, it was definitely not cold enough to strip body heat!

This is common sense in physics.

At the same time, it's also a piece of obscure knowledge that most Magus, who despise science, never discover in their lives.

However, in special circumstances, this niche knowledge proved useful.

Therefore, even if Leonidas fell into the water, his body temperature wouldn't be stripped. Thus, he hid in the ice cave, soaking in warm water, waiting for the moment Lu Bu would be overjoyed and let his guard down!

Suddenly ambushed, Lu Bu felt a jolt run through his body, breaking out in a cold sweat. If Red Hare hadn't reacted quickly, he would have lost his greatest trump card!

Even so, Leonidas's spear still slashed across Red Hare's flank! It was a magnificent strike from below, its fierce power not only shattering the ice but seeming to pierce a hole through the sky itself!

"You bastard!"

Seeing his beloved horse let out a pained whinny, Lu Bu's anger flared. For a warrior, a fine horse and a weapon are their very lives!

Harming his Red Hare was like directly cutting into Lu Bu himself!

Red Hare dodged with all its might, not only avoiding a fatal blow but also... providing Lu Bu with the optimal attack position. The understanding of his partner's intentions reached Lu Bu's heart, undoubtedly pouring a ladle of boiling oil into Lu Bu's enraged mind.

Lu Bu suppressed his fury, shifted his grip on the Fangtian Halberd, grabbed it with both hands, and pointed the tip directly at Leonidas's chest! Like playing billiards, the halberd thrust out like a raging dragon piercing the clouds, its ferocious attack piercing Leonidas's heart in a single blow!

The powerful force directly pierced the warrior's chest, and the immense strength sent Leonidas flying back again!

(I won!)

Lu Bu thought to himself.

Servants also have weaknesses. For example, the heart. For a Servant, the heart is the center of their mana. In other words, it's a vital point. Once directly hit, it's certain...

"What!"

With Lu Bu's cry of astonishment, Leonidas, whose heart had been pierced, turned in mid-air and landed steadily on a block of ice, holding his spear, his mana almost condensing into flame-like, amorphous fluctuations!

He was still alive even after his heart was pierced!?

Could it be?!

"Battle Continuation?!"