As for this masked Saber, Barghest assumed the mask was there to keep others from recognizing his face and, from that, deducing his True Name.
After all, having one's True Name exposed on the battlefield could reveal weaknesses, and that could be fatal.
Artoria and Gray, who had just arrived to reinforce her, were thinking along the same lines.
But when Saber raised a hand to the mask and announced he would release his Noble Phantasm, all three of them froze for a moment, only then realizing what the mask had to do with it.
"I cast off this mask here and now, to reveal proof of my identity as Lanling Wang! This cursed visage is my Noble Phantasm!"
With that, Saber removed the mask, revealing a soft, delicate beauty utterly at odds with his fierce fighting style. Though unmistakably male, his features gave an immediate impression closer to that of a woman.
"Careful!" Artoria warned Gray and Barghest. "Reinforce your minds with Mana, or you'll be in trouble!"
Lanling Wang Gao Changgong. A prince of the Northern Qi royal house during China's Northern and Southern Dynasties era, he had earned brilliant military accomplishments, only to draw Emperor Gao Wei's suspicion and be given poisoned wine to die.
Whether through valor or beauty, his short life still left a dazzling mark on history.
Artoria, familiar with Lanling Wang's story, understood the masked Saber's Noble Phantasm the moment he declared his name.
A fearless warrior who fought behind a mask, a Lanling Wang renowned for both voice and beauty.
"Gallant is the Masked One, Prince Ling Has Both Voice - Prince Lanling in Battle."
A song composed by soldiers to praise Lanling Wang's valor in battle. After his death, it lived on as an anecdote and was eventually sublimated into his Noble Phantasm.
Needless to say, Artoria herself was no ordinary opponent. Barghest, too, was a fairy close to a Sub-Bell.
As for Gray, raised from childhood as a gravekeeper, she possessed considerable training when it came to spiritual matters.
Those of the dead also fell within her domain. When Lord El-Melloi II once traveled to Blackmore Village, it was precisely to hire Gray as his bodyguard for the Fifth Holy Grail War.
If the three of them hadn't already possessed exceptional resistance to mental interference, then the very first second of meeting Lanling Wang's true face would have seen them overwhelmed by this unusual Noble Phantasm, unable to continue fighting.
They would have been reduced to helpless prey, stranded deep within the enemy formation.
This was not like Diarmuid Ua Duibhne's tear marks, which carried an alluring charm. Instead, anyone who witnessed that face and endured the Noble Phantasm would be struck by fear and shock, their concentration shattered, leaving them unable to fight properly.
"As expected, relying on the Noble Phantasm alone isn't enough to deprive you of your combat effectiveness," Lanling Wang said. He showed no discouragement at their lack of reaction. He stowed the mask away, gripped his sword in both hands, and prepared to charge again. "But you should have noticed by now that this Noble Phantasm isn't aimed only at you."
Just as he said, Artoria had already realized it. The reason the soldiers and Magical Beasts had been able to hold Barghest in place was because Lanling Wang was an exceptional commander.
In life, Lanling Wang had led from the front in countless battles, and commanding armies was his greatest strength.
Even though these were unfamiliar Olympus soldiers, they were easier to discipline and control than ordinary troops, carrying out orders precisely and without question.
And now, with his Noble Phantasm released, Lanling Wang had not shaken the resolve of the Olympus soldiers around him.
If anything, their fighting spirit and momentum had surged even higher.
"This is exactly why we support our comrades…" Artoria leveled her Holy Lance at Lanling Wang.
"Lanling Wang, whose name has been passed down for valor and martial prowess, we will never hand you victory in this war!"
"That resolve is one we share as well. We cannot afford to lose!"
Lanling Wang let out a roar and charged across the deck, taking the lead as he drove the Olympus soldiers and Magical Beasts forward, once again launching an encirclement against Artoria and the others.
He not only had to prevent them from breaking through, but also had to find a way to defeat these three enemies. Only then could the fleet concentrate its forces to strike the Chaldean warship—Storm Border.
Yet soldiers fighting in packs were no match for warriors capable of facing a thousand alone.
Setting aside Artoria and Barghest, even the hooded girl who was clearly human stood out to Lanling Wang as an exceptional fighter.
The encirclement continued to tighten, but Lanling Wang couldn't devote himself fully to the assault.
That was because the Chaldean warship and Drake's vessel had already pushed deep into the enemy formation at sea and fought their way to this area.
Their artillery fire looked indiscriminate, yet each volley landed with terrifying precision, racking up solid results again and again. Even the warships linked together beneath Lanling Wang's feet struggled to maintain their balance under the repeated bombardment.
Each loss of balance came at exactly the moment the encirclement battle should have pressed its advantage.
Olympus soldiers and Magical Beasts were not endless. Lanling Wang could clearly see his forces dwindling, but at this point, all he could rely on was his own valor and their remaining numerical edge.
His trusty sword began to show nicks and scars from repeated clashes with the three opponents' weapons.
Unlike most Sabers, his blade was not a Noble Phantasm passed down through legend. It held up well enough against Barghest's greatsword forged by the Earth Clan, but against the weapons wielded by Gray and Artoria, it was already inferior in sheer quality.
Charge after charge, clash after clash, scars piled up across his handsome yet unyielding face.
Lanling Wang paid them no mind. The fiercer the battle grew, the more intense he became, as though on the verge of turning into a Berserker. And yet, his swordsmanship never lost its structure, reflecting the calm and resolve that still governed his heart.
When the last Olympus soldier fell and reinforcements had yet to arrive, only Lanling Wang remained, sword in hand, standing tall before the three opponents, who were themselves covered in blood.
Artoria shook the blood from her lance and steadied her breathing, preparing to coordinate with Gray and Barghest to finish Lanling Wang without fail.
Releasing a Noble Phantasm's True Name took too long. That brief window would be enough for him to escape, at the cost of nothing more than a few additional warships destroyed.
"Saber!"
Yu Mei-ren's voice rang out from the side. Two blades flew toward the trio, only to be knocked aside.
Catching the swords as they returned to her hands, Yu Mei-ren, clad in black, landed beside Lanling Wang.
"To let you see me in such a sorry state… my deepest apologies," Lanling Wang said to Yu Mei-ren.
"No matter. This was never an opponent you could resolve simply by commanding Olympus soldiers," Yu Mei-ren replied. "Compared to one against three, three against three is far more reliable."
As she spoke, Xiang Yu leapt across the warships as if stepping on invisible stairs, landing toward the Chaldean trio.
The ferocious, overwhelming presence he exuded stunned them. Barghest, the largest among them, sprang forward and collided head-on with Xiang Yu. After several fierce exchanges, both landed back beside their respective companions.
Looking at the Servant who was half-human, half-horse, and resembled a mechanical construct, Artoria sensed the battle would continue to drag on. She began to consider calling for reinforcements from StormBorder.
But at that moment, another change shattered the deadlock.
From deep within Hecate Island, a pillar of light shot straight into the sky.