The Hero King, Reincarnate to Master the Art of War ~And Thus, I Became The Strongest Knight Disciple (♀) in The World~-Novel

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「Got you…!」

Naturally, Leone put the vision in her head into action. However, the flaming horse leaped to the side. Its movement was faster than Leone’s sword.

「——!」

Furthermore, the horse kicked the ground as soon as it landed and dashed toward Leone! It leaped over Leone’s sideways cleave exactly when she swung the sword.

Solely due to the horse’s mobility, Leone’s and Weinsel’s positions completely reversed. None of her wide-area attacks with her extended blade struck true. While Weinsel, on horseback, was dashing to her and fully ready for delivering his attacks.

「SORYAAaah!」

The dual lances were coming at her with a series of thrusts. Leone was just recovering from her missed attack and had no time to open up a distance. She didn’t have the agility to see through and dodge all those thrusts either.

Leone once again activated her Gift. She extended the width of her sword several magnitudes and put it between herself and Weinsel’s thrust, making her Artifact effectively a shield.

「Kgh…! Uuughh!」

The thrusts of the lance landed repeatedly on the blade, and Leone was pushed backward but managed to survive the onslaught.

「You’re good for a woman! Quite a handful!」

Weinsel had a smile on his face. In Leone’s eyes, he seemed quite refreshed even. Which meant he still had the upper hand. However, she wouldn’t break. She wouldn’t be defeated. She believed in Liselotte, who was fighting with her. That was why she could respond to Weinsel just as complacently.

「I don’t think gender has anything to do with it! The strongest person I know is just a girl, after all!」

Spoke Leone, crossing her sword with Weinsel’s lance.

「If she really exists, then I’d like to meet her!」

「I’d suggest you not to! You’ll lose your confidence!」

Leone, for her part, was curious to see just how this bundle of confidence that Weinsel was would react in the face of Inglis, but… One thing Leone could say for the good of Weinsel. She would not recommend him to meet her.

「That won’t happen! No one will follow a man who doesn’t believe in himself!」

Weinsel’s spear handling was fast and strong. Leone used the sword-shield to keep up with the speed of his thrusts, but her counterattacks were reduced because of that and she was gradually pushed back.

But, as long as she could pull this through…

「DAAAaaaahhh!」

Liselotte swooped in behind Weinsel from the air. With the momentum of her high-speed flight, she thrust out her halberd.

Both of Weinsel’s lances were assailing Leone. His back was empty. Liselotte jumped in from a total blind spot! And yet, her thrust stopped midway with a hard metallic sound.

「……?!」

It was a metal shield. What had been part of the flaming horse’s armor had removed itself from its own place and levitated on its own. The shield was still floating in the air, blocking Liselotte’s thrust without any aid.

「A shield Artifact…?!」

It probably possessed a Gift that made it automatically move to protect its user. Weinsel must have purposefully created an opening on his back to lure Liselotte in.

「—Finally joining in the fray, I see!」

And his comment made it all the clearer. A flaming horse, two jousting lances, and a shield that automatically protected Weinsel— they were all High-Grade Artifacts. He might even have more.

Just how many Artifacts could he handle at the same time? This was the strength of a Special Grade Rune bearer who could manipulate all kinds of Artifacts! Leone had to admit that he was superior to her.

「Leone! Please stay away!」

Liselotte then released a furious snowstorm from the tip of her halberd from that distance.

But that, too, was blocked by Weinsel’s moving shield. It was dispersing the wind and the ice. At the same time, Leone saw the tail of the flaming horse lengthening and moving to Liselotte’s blind spot, trying to lash her feet.

「Liselotte! Your feet! The horse’s tail, it’s—!」

But Leone’s warning seemed to fall on deaf ears to Liselotte.

「Liselotte! Can you hear me…?!」

She called out again, and she still didn’t seem to hear her.

「It’s a bit noisy, isn’t it?」

Weinsel’s voice was heard. Then Leone realized.

The snowstorm Liselotte produced was at fault. Weinsel was sandwiched between Leone and Liselotte, and Liselotte was releasing the snowstorm from the other side. The sound she made drowned out Leone’s voice, making it unable to reach her.

「——! Th-, that’s right!」

A sudden flash of inspiration. The breakthrough in this battle against Weinsel! However, even if she knew that, it didn’t mean she could save Liselotte immediately.

The tail of the flaming horse entangled Liselotte’s leg, pulled her down, and violently slammed her to the floor.

「—?!」

Leone rushed toward to help her. As though to discourage her right off the start, the horse twisted and swung its tail wildly, throwing Liselotte towards Leone.

「AAAaaahhhh?!」

「LISELOTTE!! EEEeeeii!」

As Liselotte’s body was blown away, Leone firmly caught it. Her own body ached from the powerful impact, but that was nothing.

「Are you okay?!」

「Leone! I’m sorry…!」

「It’s okay, this makes it even!」

As they conversed, Weinsel had moved on to his next move.

「Haah!」

He thrust the tip of his lightning-covered lance onto the ground. The lightning gushing from the lance instantly spread out in a circle. Naturally, Leone and Liselotte who had their feet on the ground were exposed to it.

「「AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!」」

Strong numbness and pain ran throughout their bodies. They tried to get away, but their bodies were convulsing and they couldn’t move well. Weinsel next thrust out his fire-clad lance. From it, orbs of flame spread in a circular pattern were produced.

「「KYAAAHHH!!!」」

The heat of the flames and the blast sent their bodies bouncing away magnificently.

「Kgh… We still— have a way!」

「What is it? Leone!」

Both Leone and Liselotte managed to raise themselves up with the support of their respective weapons. Either due to the lightning or the heat, their heads felt fuzzy. But they weren’t defeated, not yet!

At that moment, Weinsel and his horse suddenly seemed to have grown larger. But they weren’t actually getting larger. They were rapidly approaching!

The charge of the flaming horse further sent Leone and Liselotte flying. The impact was so great that Leone let go of the black greatsword Artifact from her hand. It rolled with a clattering sound, though fortunately it fell right in front of her.

「……! The subspace is tearing apart! I need to—!」

Crawling and reaching out, Leone managed to grasp the hilt of her greatsword. She somehow managed to keep the subspace Gift from tearing, but…

「Li-, LISELOTTE! Are you okay?!」

As she staggered to her feet, she called out to Liselotte who was lying on the ground next to her. And yet, no reply came. She lost consciousness from the impact.

「Liselotte, Liselotte! Wake up!」

As Leone desperately called out, a silver tip was pointed right in front of her eyes. It was Weinsel’s lance.