Type-Moon, but the Servant is Tom

As the massive creature appeared before him, Bai Song's facial expression visibly shifted from calm to alarmed. Fortunately, Bai Song was wearing a black head covering that resembled something a terrorist might wear in Counter-Strike, so Fujimaru Ritsuka beside him didn't notice any unusual expression.

Roughly estimating, this peculiar creature, akin to an oddity, was at least 20 meters in length without considering its tail. Its width was around 10 meters, and if considering its shoulder height, it was just over 10 meters. Covered in robust muscles, it resembled Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson proportionally enlarged, with its lower half transformed into that of a lion's.

This build was akin to a four-story movable cottage. The most crucial aspect was that this "cottage" could reach speeds of over 350 miles per hour, resembling a flesh-and-blood tank.

"This is... the Sphinx, isn't it?" Fujimaru Ritsuka carefully observed the creature before him and identified the species.

Even without Fujimaru Ritsuka's words, Bai Song had a good idea of what kind of creature was blocking his way. Given the desert setting and the appearance of a creature with a human head and a dog's body, if he couldn't recognize it, his general knowledge might as well be nonexistent.

However, recognition was one thing; determining whether they could defeat it was another matter. Looking at the size of the Sphinx, Bai Song seriously doubted whether Tom's personality—bullied when weak and bullying when strong—could muster the courage to face it head-on.

Bai Song leaned forward and whispered softly to Tom and Jerry, "Be prepared to accelerate at any time."

"Buzz, buzz, buzz..." Upon hearing Bai Song's words, Tom immediately began to frantically wag his head up and down, looking both panicked and eager, his movement almost creating afterimages.

Not just Bai Song, even Fujimaru Ritsuka felt considerable pressure. There was no doubt that a Sphinx of this size would possess tremendous power, possibly even reaching Servant-level strength and beyond. The Servant he had summoned at the moment, Astolfo, was not skilled in combat and was more suited to be a supportive Servant. While Astolfo might excel at staying alive, fighting head-on was not really her forte.

If he wanted to rely solely on Astolfo to defeat the Sphinx, it would be a pipe dream.

As Fujimaru Ritsuka was about to suggest an alliance with Bai Song and bring up Schrödinger, the Sphinx that had been lying on the ground ahead finally showed some movement. The massive creature lifted its two front paws, supporting its body and looking down at the approaching Cat-Mouse-Dog War Vehicle and the Hippogriff beside it from a position of height.

However, its hindquarters remained seated on the ground. The Sphinx's posture now resembled that of a sitting cat, but the immense muscles made it anything but cute, defying any cat-like associations. Even Tom the cat wouldn't recognize any trace of a feline resemblance in this devilishly muscular monstrosity.

"If you wish to pass, you have two choices: answer my riddles or face combat," the Sphinx declared with an air of arrogance, towering over the two small figures before it.

"Choose wisely~."

……….

In the rear, Red Hare finally came to a stop after its peculiar rolling motion. Despite having rolled at such speed for quite a distance, it hadn't suffered any real harm—perhaps a bit dusty, at most. And while it was a bit dizzying, given Gudako had leveled him up to 120, his HP was even higher than that of a level 90 Jeanne d'Arc Alter Santa Lily by over 200 points. Thus, the minor damage didn't mean much to him.

The real "injured" party was his rider. As soon as Red Hare stopped rolling, Mashu staggered off the horse and began retching on the nearby ground, "yue~~~." A rainbow burst forth from Mashu's mouth. Thanks to Gudako's reckless behavior, Mashu was experiencing motion sickness for the first time in her life. But if she could help it, she didn't want to experience it again. Amidst her retching, she felt her brain was being mixed up. If Red Hare had rolled just a little faster, she might not have been able to handle it.

As for Gudako, being a self-proclaimed ordinary human, her dizziness was a bit more severe than Mashu's. She felt as though she'd drunk half a bottle of beer, her head swirling slightly.

"Mashu, are you okay?"

After wiping her mouth where the rainbow had emerged, Mashu shakily stood up, "I... I'm fine."

"Oh? If you're okay, then let's continue our mission!" Gudako's eyes lit up at the prospect, and she grabbed Mashu's arm, preparing to get back onto Red Hare.

Hearing Gudako mention continuing the journey, Mashu was immediately panicked. She really didn't want to experience that physiological and psychological stress again. So, she quickly exclaimed, "No, no, no! I have something, something very important!"

"Forget it, let's go." Ignoring Mashu's plea, Gudako paid no heed and yanked her onto Red Hare's back.

Once on the horse, Gudako slapped its flank and resolutely pointed ahead, "Red Hare, charge forward!"

"Understood, my lord!"

With that, Red Hare entered its high-speed state once more, fearlessly charging forward toward the racetrack's end.

"Charge, my noble steed!"

…………

"To answer a question or battle?" Upon hearing the Sphinx's question, Bai Song pondered for a moment. Given his level of expertise, attempting to answer the Sphinx's question might be a bit challenging.

After a brief contemplation, Bai Song bravely asked, "May I inquire, what happens if we answer the question incorrectly?"

"It's simple. I'll just have you for lunch right here!" The Sphinx maintained its proud pose, still keeping its head high, but its eyes shifted downward without moving its neck. Did it get a loan to buy that neck? It seemed unwilling to use it.

Although he inwardly mocked the situation, Bai Song quickly made up his mind after hearing the Sphinx's response. If answering incorrectly meant a battle, not answering meant a battle, and answering correctly meant passage, was there really a choice?

"My choice is... to answer the question!!!"