Chapter 189: Lord Guan!

Hearing the words in Guan Yu's tone, which were calm yet hid a hint of warning, Saber could not help but frown.

As a Heroic Spirit summoned through a proper ritual, she received various common sense and memories upon appearing in the present world, including legends and past deeds of various Heroic Spirits.

Guan Yu's loyalty and righteousness are unmatched, and his might shakes China.

Saber could not possibly be unaware of his deeds.

Thinking of Guan Yu's temperament in the legends, Saber felt a bit of a headache.

Compared to Zhao Yun's non-contentious nature, this fellow is famous for his arrogance; if she truly chose to interfere, it would not be as simple as being locked onto by killing intent as before...

'Shirou's talent as a Master is insufficient; under the circumstances of a temporary alliance, it is not suitable to make enemies with allies.'

While thinking this in her heart, Saber's expression turned serious as she said, "Then I leave it to you!"

Guan Yu's face softened slightly; he nodded slightly and said, "Good!"

Saber looked deeply at him, then turned and leaped away, rushing to the battlefield on the other side.

Guan Yu held the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, his left hand lightly stroking his long beard, his pair of phoenix eyes glancing at the Rider opposite him who stood as if facing a great enemy, and said:

"Guan does not behead nameless ghosts beneath my blade."

"Who are you from where? State your name!"

Hearing this, the Rider was stunned for a moment, then her cherry lips curved into a smile as she laughed lightly: "A Heroic Spirit's name is related to their abilities. General, your might shakes the world, so naturally there is no need to hide your head and tail, but I am but a weak woman; how can I simply state my title and reveal my information?"

"... A cowardly rat."

Guan Yu shook his head, then held the blade in his right hand and took a step forward.

At the moment he took his first step, an incomparably vast momentum surged from his body, recklessly intimidating the Rider in front who held chains and a short sword.

The second step, the vast momentum slightly retracted, but became even more solid.

The third step, the solid momentum suddenly burst forth, locking onto the Rider far ahead.

The Green Dragon Crescent Blade in Guan Yu's hands was also covered with a barely perceptible green light, as if some power was condensing upon it, storing itself without releasing, waiting for its time.

Perceiving this, the Rider's heart sank, realizing this should be a method of gathering momentum.

If he were truly allowed to finish the remaining steps and strike with one blade, it would surely shake heaven and earth, beheading generals and defeating enemies!

"I cannot let him continue gathering momentum!"

The Rider's heart sounded a loud alarm; immediately without hesitation, she threw the chain in her hand, wrapping it around the treetops above, then pulled hard, using the recoil force to leap high into the air.

At the same time, the chain looping around the treetops suddenly bent under the control of exquisite force, and the short sword at the end shot out, attacking Guan Yu from an extremely tricky angle.

"Whoosh—"

The sharp short sword cut through the air, coming head-on with a piercing whistle.

Guan Yu's eyebrows furrowed slightly; his phoenix eyes glanced upward, and his right hand instantly twisted and turned the blade.

"Buzz!"

The blade handle wrapped with the Green Dragon emitted a trembling hum, precisely blocking the short sword attacking through the air.

The already unstable short sword was instantly knocked flying by the blade handle, becoming a streak of light, and pinned itself into the tree trunk not far away.

"The force is not bad."

Guan Yu spoke slowly, taking another step forward.

The Rider remained silent, continuing to swing the chain in her hand, leaping back and forth in the dense forest outside the residence.

At the same time, during her leaps, she constantly looked back, throwing the chain and short sword, launching attacks from various tricky angles.

For a time, purple afterimages were everywhere on the surrounding tree canopies.

The chain and short sword also seemed to have transformed into thousands, attacking Guan Yu's vital points from all directions.

"Clang clang clatter!"

The sound of metal striking metal rang out densely.

Guan Yu continuously waved the Green Dragon Blade, resisting the storm-like assault.

Having his momentum-gathering process constantly interrupted, Guan Yu's phoenix eyes held anger, and he felt quite displeased in his heart.

Clearly descended into the world in the Rider class, why does this fighting style look like an Assassin?

Finally, the Second Master could not bear the annoyance; suddenly he pushed off with his foot, shattering the ground, and his whole body soared into the air like a dragon, striking a blade at the purple figure flashing past in front.

"Boom!"

In an instant, brilliant blade light bloomed out of nowhere, like a bolt of white silk detaching from the blade edge, sweeping over the forest ahead.

In just a moment, the dense tree canopies within a hundred meters ahead were severed by that green blade light, falling to the ground one by one at an angle, raising dust into the sky.

Leaves and tree trunks were also crushed by the green blade light, turning into flying wood chips that rained down.

As for the Rider opposite, at the moment the Second Master leaped, she used all her strength to throw the chain, pinning the short sword at the chain's end into another tree not far away, using the reaction force to soar into the air, narrowly avoiding this blade strike.

"Thud!"

A muffled sound rang out; the Rider shooting forward shattered the tree trunk and leaped up again.

While hovering in the air, she turned to look back, seeing that a large area of forest behind her had been destroyed by the blade light, and a huge blade mark over a hundred meters long remained on the ground.

"..."

Seeing this scene, a bead of cold sweat involuntarily seeped from the Rider's Bai Xi forehead.

Clearly, she was no match for Guan Yu in a direct clash; she must rely on her high mobility to maneuver!

Just as she thought this, that majestic figure suddenly appeared in her vision, the Green Dragon Blade in his hand raised high, his pair of phoenix eyes looking straight at her with anger and killing intent.

"Rat!"

"Where do you think you're running!"

The Second Master shouted loudly, and the Green Dragon Crescent Blade in his hand slashed out diagonally again.

"Boom!"

Another loud crash rang out; the green blade light cut through the dust, sweeping the trees and tree canopies ahead clean.

Unfortunately, Rider herself possessed extremely high mobility, and the area around the Matou residence happened to be a dense, gloomy forest where even daytime light was quite dim.

Taking advantage of the dim light and the thick trees, she fully exploited her advantage, swinging through the dense forest like Spider-Man, constantly dodging the blade-light coming from behind.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

For a time, continuous rumbling sounds echoed through the dense forest.

Until a certain moment, the frantically fleeing Rider suddenly twisted mid-air, ripped off the purple eye-mask on her face, and revealed those dreamy, brilliant eyes like amethysts.

Staring at Medusa's calm, amethyst eyes, the airborne Guan Yu froze for an instant.

The next instant, a terrifying crushing pressure was born from nothing, like an invisible mountain weighing down on his back, freezing Guan Yu's entire body and sending him crashing toward the ground with a look of utter astonishment.

Without a doubt, this was the petrification magic eye Cybele that Medusa possessed!

Just as in legend, any existence caught by her magic eye would be unconditionally petrified so long as their Magic Resistance was below rank C.

Those with Magic Resistance at rank B required a resistance check to determine whether they would be petrified.

As for Heroic Spirits with Magic Resistance at rank A, although they could not be petrified, they would suffer an effect similar to "crushing pressure."

Manifested in stats, this meant all abilities dropped by one rank.

In terms of rank, the petrification magic eye reached as high as A+—a powerful ability that could not be reproduced by magecraft.

Its only drawback was probably that it could not distinguish friend from foe and could not be turned off!

Precisely for this reason, she used her Eye-Mask Noble Phantasm, Self-Seal: Dark Dark Temple, to seal her Mystic Eyes.

Only now, having lured Guan Yu to this place and confirmed she would not accidentally harm her Master, did she dare to lift the seal.

Unfortunately, Guan Yu's Magic Resistance seemed extremely high—he had not been petrified by her magic eyes after all.

Still, the crushing-pressure effect that could suppress the opponent's movement was already enough!

Watching Guan Yu falling below, a cold glint flashed in Medusa's eyes, and without the slightest hesitation she hurled her chains and short swords.

This time, having confirmed Guan Yu could barely move, she abandoned feints and pushed the speed of her chains and short swords to the absolute limit.

Just then, the look of astonishment on Guan Yu's face suddenly vanished.

That crimson face became utterly expressionless, his phoenix eyes slightly half-closed, as if he had become a different person, and an aura of majestic, awe-inspiring dignity radiated from his entire body.

The next second, Guan Yu, who should have been under the crushing pressure, moved at a speed far greater than before.

The Green Dragon Crescent Blade slashed upward through the air, precisely cleaving into the chains.

But this time, the chains and short swords were moving too fast and had lost the ability to abruptly change direction as before.

Thus, Guan Yu twisted his right hand, spun the blade, and tightly wound the chains around the blade's body!

Got you!

"Boom!"

Guan Yu's form crashed to the ground with a thunderous impact, the Green Dragon Blade in his hand sinking deep into the earth, firmly anchoring the chains there.

"What?!"

Medusa's purple pupils contracted sharply as she stared down at Guan Yu in disbelief.

He had clearly been under the crushing pressure of the petrification magic eye just moments ago—why was he suddenly unaffected now?

Just then, Guan Yu raised his head, his phoenix eyes half-closed, and gazed at her with a look that was both majestic and indifferent.

Looking at that figure whose divine might seemed like a prison, an inexplicable awe welled up in Medusa's heart, as if she had encountered her natural nemesis, and an impulse to flee for her life arose within her.

... Wait, nemesis?

In a flash of lightning, Medusa's heart suddenly understood.

Unlike Zhao Yun before him, Guan Yu was far more than just a famous general of the Three Kingdoms!

【Noble Phantasm · Guan Sheng Di Jun】

【Great Emperor Who Subdues Demons of the Three Realms, Heavenly Lord Whose Divine Might Resounds Afar—Guan Yu in life awed all of China; in death he was canonized as a saint and enshrined as a god.】

【When this skill is activated, Guan Yu enters the Guan Sheng Di Jun state: no evil can invade, demons flee, all abilities increase by one rank, Divinity rises to A+, and he gains immunity to and suppression against fantasy species such as demons and monsters...】

How convenient!

As a famous monster of legend, Medusa is a Servant possessing the monster attribute—precisely countered by Guan Sheng Di Jun!

Guan Yu released the Green Dragon Blade, gripped the chains with both arms, let out a great roar, and violently wrenched Medusa from the sky down toward the ground.

Strangely, before being pulled to the ground by the chains, she had clearly had a chance to let go.

But for some reason she did not do so; instead, borrowing the terrifying force transmitted through the chains, she dove downward, transforming into a streak of purple light that plummeted toward the earth at tremendous speed.

During her descent, Medusa gazed at the Guan Sheng Di Jun below, whose divine might seemed like a prison, and—as if having made some decision—suddenly extended two slender, jade-like arms in midair.

"Riding Heroism—Bridle of Chivalry!"

Accompanying a pleasant, ringing cry, Medusa loudly called out the name of her Noble Phantasm.

In an instant, crimson light bloomed, and a gorgeous scarlet magic circle instantly unfurled before her.

A bridle radiating golden light flew forth from it, slipping like a spirit serpent into Medusa's hand of its own accord.

(End of Chapter)