In the dim night, the clouds gradually thickened, and a light mist enveloped the Ryudo Temple on the outskirts of the city. The barrier that was invisible to the naked eye was emitting huge magical fluctuations.

In front of the mountain gate of Ryudo Temple, a blue-haired man holding a samurai sword was confronting six people below.

The slightly cool night wind blew over the stone steps, blowing up the fallen leaves on the ground.

When it came into contact with the sharp samurai sword, the fallen leaf was quietly split in half...

As the leaves fell to the ground, Saber clenched the sword in her hand and said calmly: "May I ask, which Servant are you?"

"I am an Assassin..."

A chuckle came from above. The blue-haired man held a samurai sword and said with a smile: "Of course, you can also call me Sasaki Kojiro."

“…”

Saber was slightly stunned when she heard this. She had not expected that she would learn the other person’s real name through simple questioning.

Shirou Emiya and Rin Toosaka behind him were even more stunned, because they knew very well what this name meant.

The legendary swordsman Sasaki Kojiro, an ancient swordsman whose true identity is unknown, is described as a rival, or even an nemesis, of the famous two-sword swordsman Miyamoto Musashi.

He can wield a five-foot-long sword called "Monokansho" with ease, which is one of the synonyms of Neon swordsmanship.

As a legendary figure widely circulated among the Japanese people, Kojiro Sasaki is as famous in Fuyuki City as foreign heroes like King Arthur. Coupled with the popularity of the original body, his ability values ​​have been greatly enhanced.

"Strength C, Endurance E, Magic E, Luck A, Agility... A+!"

Toosaka Rin's eyes glowed blue as she said in astonishment, "You must be kidding me, this guy's agility is even better than Lancer's!"

Sasaki Kojiro ignored Rin's prying and chuckled as he said, "Your Excellency seems surprised... No, as far as I know, no matter what era it is, it is a matter of course to give your name before a battle!"

That's true, but it's the Holy Grail War now!

Hiding your real name and information is the most important thing, right?

The corner of Saber's mouth twitched slightly. She glanced at the silent Red A and Lu Bu, who showed a hint of interest on his face. She gritted her teeth and looked at Sasaki Kojiro above and said:

"Your Excellency is right. Since you have taken the initiative to give me your name, I should return it as a knight's courtesy. After that, please get out of the way and don't hinder our progress."

Saber said in a serious tone: "My name is——"

"It's okay." Sasaki Kojiro interrupted her with a chuckle, and gently placed his right hand on the hilt of the knife. "Since it's difficult, forget it. If you want to know the enemy, this knife is enough!"

Before he finished speaking, the long sword made a slight sound and flew out of its sheath.

The swordsman on the stone steps drew his samurai sword, threw away the purple bamboo-patterned scabbard in his hand, and then turned the tip of the sword and pointed it at the silver-armored blonde girl below.

"So, my opponent today is definitely you, right?"

“…”

Saber glanced at Lu Bu, who was standing next to her with his arms crossed. Seeing that he did not react, she nodded and said, "That's right. I will be your opponent today!"

"very good."

Sasaki Kojiro chuckled and his figure suddenly disappeared like a gust of wind.

The next moment, the sharp long knife and the invisible sword collided with each other, and hot sparks burst out.

Saber gritted her teeth and suddenly burst out with a force far greater than her opponent's, trying to block the samurai sword in front of her.

Noticing Saber's ordinary sword response, a hint of disappointment flashed in Sasaki Kojiro's eyes.

He had thought that as a heroic spirit who descended as a swordsman, the girl in front of him would have the same superb sword skills as him, but who knew that she actually used the crudest battlefield sword moves.

Although it is very versatile, in this close combat between warriors...

"That's totally the level of a third-rate swordsman, right?"

Kojiro Sasaki was extremely disappointed.

After all, I shouldn't have any hope for Western sword skills...

As he sighed, the samurai sword in the swordsman's hand suddenly shook strangely, and the blade was deflected before the opponent's power fully exploded. The sharp tip of the blade drew a flowing arc and flashed from the side of the sword, causing the invisible sword to completely hit the air.

"……What?!"

Saber's pupils shrank, and her strong fighting consciousness made her retract her strength in time, lifting the invisible sword upwards before it hit the ground.

“clang——”

The swords collided, and the samurai sword that was slashing towards the girl's neck was bounced away by the powerful force.

Sasaki Kojiro's expression did not change at all. He turned his hands holding the hilt of the knife slightly, and unexpectedly turned the blade around. Taking advantage of the opponent's blocking force, he slashed again with even greater speed.

“Clang! Clang! Clang!”

In an instant, the crisp sound of swords colliding echoed violently on the stone steps.

Shirou Emiya stared blankly at the two people fighting fiercely above him, then came to his senses and muttered to himself in shock: "It...it's actually the legendary swordsman, Sasaki Kojiro!!"

“…”

Toosaka Rin and Tong Shen looked speechlessly at this guy whose reaction was delayed.

Hong A took a step forward and said calmly: "Okay, let Saber take care of this. We..."

Before he finished speaking, the two people who were fighting fiercely on the stone steps separated instantly, one above and one below, facing each other.

Sasaki Kojiro held a samurai sword in his hand and looked at Saber calmly, while Saber held the invisible sword in her hand, her brows furrowed, and she seemed to have a headache.

“It’s wonderful. It’s really wonderful.”

Sasaki Kojiro chuckled and said, "I could have chopped off your head at least seven times just now, but you are still safe and sound. It seems that Western swordsmanship also has its merits..."

Saber frowned slightly and was about to respond when she heard a loud and heroic laugh from behind her.

"Not bad, not bad." Lu Bu strode out, looked at Sasaki Kojiro above and smiled, "I thought that such a small country with barbarians would not produce any great people, but I didn't expect that there would be someone who is so good at swordsmanship!"

"However, blindly pursuing skills is ultimately biased. You won't be able to go far in the future..."

As he spoke, Lu Bu glanced at Saber beside him and said with a faint smile: "Back off, girl. This guy is not the type for you. Let me tell him what the real magnificent sword skills are!"

“…”

Saber frowned tightly, a hint of anger emerging in her eyes.

Lu Bu's mouth curled up slightly, and he raised his right hand. The black and red air condensed into a pitch-black eight-sided Han sword in his palm. His whole body was filled with surging fighting spirit. He stood on the stone steps, looking down at the girl and said:

"...Or do you plan to come along?"

Seeing the atmosphere becoming tense, Emiya Shirou quickly shouted: "Saber, saving people is important!"

Saber fell silent, hesitated for a moment, and finally lowered the invisible sword in her hand.

Lu Bu glanced at Emiya Shirou with some dissatisfaction, and then turned his gaze to Sasaki Kojiro on the stone steps.

"Come on, let me see your strength!"

“…”

Kojiro Sasaki gripped the hilt of the knife with trembling fingers.

From the moment Lu Bu walked out, his eyes had been fixed on this tall and heroic young man. His deep blue eyes were filled with unspeakable excitement, admiration, enthusiasm, and an expectation so strong that it could not be dissolved.

As the legendary enemy of Miyamoto Musashi, Sasaki Kojiro was a figure from Japan's Warring States Period.

At this time, the Central Plains across the coast was in the late Ming Dynasty, and various versions of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" had become popular throughout the country and even spread along the shipping routes to the island countries across the sea.

However, due to the classical Chinese language, only the upper class aristocrats on the island at that time would include Romance of the Three Kingdoms in their reading list.

Although Sasaki Kojiro is known as a swordsman, he was actually a son of a wealthy noble family. Naturally, he had read the many versions of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" at that time.

Therefore, even for a legendary figure like him, Lu Bu is still a legendary existence!

At this moment, hearing Lu Bu's arrogant words and the contemptuous barbarian title just now, Sasaki Kojiro not only did not feel angry, but felt it was natural.

This includes both the bloodline suppression of the ancient Celestial Empire against its vassal states and his stereotyped impression of Lu Bu.

Since he is the unrivaled Lu Bu, he should have the arrogance to look down on all the heroes in the world!

Sasaki suppressed his inner trembling excitement and said slowly: "Since the general has invited me, how dare I refuse!"

Seeing that Lu Bu and Sasaki Kojiro were about to start a battle, Hong A turned his head and looked at everyone and said, "Let's go, I'll leave this to Rider..."

"Wait!" Lu Bu held the Eight-sided Han Sword in his hand, turned his back to the crowd, and said with a chuckle, "Please stay for a while, and give me a cup of tea, and see how I will take his head!"

Before he finished speaking, Lu Bu took a step forward and swung the eight-sided Han sword in his hand in the most moderate and peaceful manner.

Kojiro Sasaki smiled, gripped his katana tightly with both hands, and faced the Han sword that was swung by Lu Bu.

"General, be careful. I am not——"

Before he finished speaking, Sasaki Kojiro's pupils shrank. The vibrating power contained in his samurai sword was completely dissolved by the eight-sided Han sword in a more exquisite way, and then it followed the original trajectory and slashed forward without any hesitation.

“Puff——”

The eight-sided Han sword split the samurai sword's block and left a bloody mark on Sasaki Kojiro in the most upright way.

Kojiro Sasaki covered his arm and took two steps back. He suddenly raised his head and looked at Lu Bu with disbelief.

Lu Bu swung the Han sword in his hand lightly, leaving a streak of blood on the ground. He smiled faintly and said, "If it's a straight-forward battlefield killing move, maybe I can still fight with you for a few rounds..."

"But these ghostly tricks of yours are like chickens and dogs to me, and they are vulnerable to any attack!"

"Come on, kid, let me show you what the Central Plains' magnificent sword skills are!"

Sasaki Kojiro's expression changed, but he quickly regained his composure and stared at Lu Bu even more fanatically.

"...I'm grateful for your advice. If that's the case, I'll be more serious too - General, be careful!"

Sasaki Kojiro shouted loudly, changed his stance, raised the samurai sword above his head with both hands, and chopped it down at Lu Bu with the force of splitting Mount Hua.