"Are we back?" Adam asked in astonishment.
Sasaki Kojiro surveyed their surroundings, "it seems so—but time is still stopped here."
"What should we do next? We don't even know where Lu Bu and Jeanne are."
Sasaki Kojiro sheathed his two katanas, "yes, we can't track either of them. It seems they were also brought to another world just like us."
Adam lowered his head slightly. He was very worried about Jeanne d'Arc and Lu Bu.
"Once again, I want to thank you," Adam bowed his head. "If not for your help, I might have already been ganged up on and killed by the two of them."
Sasaki Kojiro sat down, opened a bottle of water, and drank from it, "Actually, it wasn't you they were after."
"What?"
"They are the Olosof, which consists of 7 members."
"Tell me more."
Adam sat down next to Sasaki Kojiro.
"Empedocles and Leonidas are among the members of that alliance."
"Does that woman belong to it too?"
"Woman?"
"A woman with a very gloomy face and a terrifying smile. If I'm not mistaken, her name is Mona..."
"Ah! So she came here too? She's a bit more troublesome than the Skull and the gorilla we faced earlier."
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SKULL!!!"
A shrill scream startled Adam and Sasaki Kojiro. They both stood up from their seats and prepared to attack.
"LISTEN HERE! I'LL GET BACK AT YOU!!!"
"That voice..." Adam muttered.
"He's still alive!?"
Sasaki Kojiro shook his head, "Maybe—but it's quite impossible for him to still be alive after receiving an attack like that."
"HEY!! WHERE DO YOU TWO THINK YOU'RE LOOKING, YOU IDIOTS!!! LOOK UP HERE!!! I'M TALKING TO YOU!!"
The screaming voice became clearer. Sasaki Kojiro and Adam reflexively looked up. Up there was Empedocles, still alive, but only his head was floating in the air.
"That's..."
Adam and Sasaki Kojiro stared in disbelief, and at the same time, they both started thinking the same thing, "Who?"
"TCHH, YOU'RE LUCKY TODAY!!! I'VE REACHED MY LIMIT. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I'VE LOST YET! I'M JUST OUT OF ENERGY!!!"
"Is that the creature we just fought?" Adam asked, pointing upwards—towards Empedocles.
"It seems so, but...just a head?"
Empedocles' head tilted down slightly—approaching Adam and Sasaki Kojiro, who were confused.
"The fight isn't over yet, your two friends are still trapped in another world, you should find a way to save them. Ah! Or maybe they've already been defeated by my two colleagues—"
Quickly, Adam caught Empedocles' head, which was spinning around him, and gripped it tightly.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch. Damn! What are you doing! Don't just grab my head like that, you bastard!!!"
'This skull is so chatty...'
Sasaki Kojiro moved closer and stared sharply at Empedocles, "So...where are the two of them?" he asked, slightly threatening Empedocles.
Empedocles turned his face away, "who knows, that's none of my business."
Sasaki Kojiro smirked slightly and pointed one of his katanas towards Empedocles.
"Hee...you don't want to tell me, huh..."
"Ah! Damn it! KEEP THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!!! Listen here! If you two do anything funny, he won't forgive you!"
"He?" Adam asked, confused.
"That's right...It would be a bit troublesome if he were to interfere in this situation," Sasaki Kojiro replied, sheathing his katana again.
"Who?"
"The leader of the Olosof Alliance, Democritus."
"Is he very strong?"
"In short, he can control atoms as he pleases. Whether it's creating, destroying, or composing, he can do anything."
"Atoms? So he can create his own world, control all the elements, and also..."
Adam began to gulp, imagining how immense Democritus' power was.
"not just composing, but...ah, it's a bit difficult for me to explain in detail but, it's possible that he could destroy this world with a single flick of his finger."
Hearing that, Adam began to imagine the moment this world would really be destroyed with just a snap of a finger.
"Hahaha!!! Now you're both scared," Empedocles mocked.
Adam was a little annoyed, so he gripped Empedocles' head a little harder.
"Ouch, ouch!!! That hurts, you bastard!!!"
"So...where are the two of them, take us there!"
"Who knows? I don't have any access to their location."
'So stubborn, even though he's cornered like this,' "what should we do? This stupid skull won't give us information about them!"
"That's right...it's a bit troublesome for us, but we can use it to our advantage."
"What do you mean?"
"Information..."
"Ah! Right, tell me why were you targeting us?"
"You will be a nuisance to us, that's all."
"Don't lie!!!" Adam gripped him even tighter, causing Empedocles to writhe in pain again.
"Ouch!!! I understand, so don't crush my head, you bastard!"
Empedocles cleared his throat and continued, "There is one alliance that is more dangerous than us."
Sasaki Kojiro and Adam were slightly surprised. Empedocles continued, "An alliance consisting of leaders who once ruled this world. They are the King Alliance. They are the true kings."
"The kings?"
"Before attacking them, we must eliminate all existing disturbances. And that includes you—Adam!"
"Me?"
"You have managed to defeat two Servants in a short period of time, and at the same time, you formed your own alliance, of course, that is very troublesome for us!"
"So that's why you attacked me at the mall?"
"That's right..."
"You endangered innocent people!!!"
"Ouch, ouch!!! What's dangerous about innocent people? This world was never real in the first place, you idiot!"
Adam was shocked, "What—!!"
Empedocles smiled cynically and stared sharply at Adam, "Listen here, this world is not a real world. The world you live in has been destroyed more than 100,000 times and has been recreated the same number of times—in other words, like an apocalypse or something like that."
"What do you mean! You're just bluffing!" Adam's grip tightened even more.
"Ouch!!! This is the fact, the world you live in was created for the Servants, you ordinary humans are the ones disturbing our position."
"Weren't you a common human once too..." Sasaki Kojiro interjected.
"Yes, but not anymore, HAHAHA!!! I never thought he could give us all a chance to live again, moreover, giving us power too and freeing us to do whatever we want."
"He? Who?"
Empedocles smiled and stared sharply at the two of them, "the creator of the universe—LOTUS!"
– –
CLANK!! CLANK!!
The sound of Leonidas' shield clashing against Lu Bu's spear still echoed loudly. Each of them was still enthusiastic and would fight to the bitter end.
"Good!!! This is what I expected from the strongest general of war like you!!!" Leonidas shouted.
Lu Bu retorted, "Haha!! Same goes for you. As I expected, this fight is really making my fighting spirit increase significantly!"
Lu Bu jumped high. His spear spun quickly like a deadly vortex. The ground beneath him was also pitted from Lu Bu's jump.
Leonidas raised his shield, holding his ground and preparing to receive the deadly attack that Lu Bu would unleash.
"Try to withstand this, King of Sparta!!!!"
"Come here, Lu Bu!!!!"
DUARR!!!!
A very powerful impact headed towards the spot where Leonidas stood. The impact caused the sky above them to swirl, and the wind blew around them, creating a storm. The ground Leonidas stood on crumbled to dust, but Leonidas still stood firm.
Their faces began to get closer to each other. Lu Bu and Leonidas' smiles indicated that this fight truly satisfied them.
Leonidas slammed his shield—deflecting Lu Bu's attack. As Lu Bu's spear moved slightly away from his shield, a sword hilt emerged from behind the shield. Leonidas pulled out the sword hilt and slashed Lu Bu's chest, shocking Lu Bu.
Lu Bu was thrown away from Leonidas. As he tried to stand, he began to stagger. He held his chest. Blood began to splatter, covering his body, but he only smiled.
"Good..." he said softly.
"THIS WOUND—THIS IS THE WOUND I WANTED!!!!" he shouted loudly.
Leonidas only replied to Lu Bu's shout with a wide smile. The center point of Leonidas' shield protruded slightly. Leonidas planted his sword into the ground and took something out from inside his shield—it was a Helmet, the Helmet he often used back in the day when he was about to go to battle.
"Feels a bit nostalgic..." he muttered.
Leonidas put on the Helmet. His helmet emitted a bright red light above it. Leonidas pulled his sword back and pointed it towards Lu Bu.
"This is my final stage, come show me what your evolution is, Lu Bu!!" Leonidas shouted threateningly.
Lu Bu replied with a faint smile. He began to stand upright, then raised his spear. His hands gripped the tip of the spear's handle and slightly pointed it backwards, "I don't need something like that to defeat you!" he said.
Hearing that, Leonidas was slightly annoyed—feeling underestimated. But he knew Lu Bu didn't mean it that way; he knew that Lu Bu had now lost his horse and had to wait for some time for his horse to reappear.
The cloud that was previously a swirling vortex now turned dark. Lightning raged relentlessly. The wind spun fiercely. The entire battlefield seemed to shrink, becoming only their arena.
Lu Bu held his spear tightly. A red aura began to fill every side of his body, and not only that, Lu Bu's eyes, which previously looked ordinary, now changed along with his emotions.
Leonidas closed his eyes and took a ready stance. He placed his shield directly in front of his chest and pointed his sword forward. The helmet he wore now began to cover his entire face.
Lu Bu lifted one of his legs and slammed it onto the ground. With full force, Lu Bu hurled his spear forward—towards Leonidas.
WUSH!!!!
Lu Bu's attack slightly surprised Leonidas. He did not expect Lu Bu to attack him from such a distance. Quickly, Leonidas blocked Lu Bu's long-range attack with his shield.
A very powerful attack struck Leonidas. His steps were slowly pushed back. His entire body was suddenly scratched by something invisible—Lu Bu's attack seemed to penetrate his shield. Leonidas stopped his retreat by stomping his feet firmly. His shield slowly began to crack, but the attack from Lu Bu gradually subsided.
Leonidas opened his shield slightly and was a bit surprised by what he had just seen. Lu Bu's attack towards him split the sky. When he began to look behind him, a towering hill was also split, creating a very deep crater. For a moment, he also began to realize that his shield would not be enough to withstand several more attacks.
"What an incredibly powerful attack..." he muttered.
"However, it seems such an attack also makes you feel pain, doesn't it?"
Lu Bu's spear fell from his grasp, causing his body to almost fall as well, but he managed to steady himself with his feet.
"Haha...this is nothing," Lu Bu said while enduring the pain.
"Don't hide it, I know. It's impossible for an attack that strong not to cause any side effects. Ah, or perhaps your hand—the one you used to hurl the spear—is now numb and can no longer move?"
Lu Bu swallowed. Sweat began to pour down his body—followed by blood slowly seeping out of his right hand, the one he used to hurl the spear earlier.
"Yes, that's right! The attack I launched earlier did cause my right hand to suffer a little. But that's not a problem—I can still use my other hand," he said, picking up his spear that had fallen to the ground.
'This guy—could it be!?'
Leonidas was slightly surprised. Lu Bu took his stance again and prepared to unleash the exact same attack he had done before.
Knowing this, Leonidas quickly lunged at Lu Bu and attacked him by slamming his shield into Lu Bu's chest. The attack from Leonidas' shield sent Lu Bu flying away from where he stood. If Leonidas started attacking like this, of course, he wouldn't be able to attack Leonidas with the same attack.
"I won't let you do that again!"
Lu Bu's body crashed into a boulder. He still didn't give up and tried to stand again. But just as he began to raise his spear, Leonidas was suddenly right in front of him. With full force, Leonidas spun his sword and unleashed a direct attack towards Lu Bu.
Lu Bu's eyes slowly began to roll back. Weak. Pain. He felt it all. However, that did not end the fight. Lu Bu held himself up from falling by using one of his legs, then delivered a hard headbutt towards Leonidas' head.
BAMMM!!!
The headbutt from Lu Bu shattered the helmet Leonidas was wearing into pieces. Now Leonidas' face was clearly visible before his eyes. Blood flowed profusely, covering Leonidas' face.
'This guy...even though I've slashed his body countless times, he's still standing. No, it's not just that. One of his hands is destroyed, yet he still has the full determination to launch that powerful attack again by sacrificing his other hand. This guy is truly fascinating!!!'
Leonidas began to be amazed by Lu Bu's unyielding determination. He knew that the end of this fight was near, but he was still trying to buy time so that his comrades could join in to help.
No time! Leonidas placed his shield directly in front of his chest and tried to push Lu Bu away from him. But just as he was about to attack Lu Bu with his shield, suddenly a hard kick landed right on the center of the shield.
Leonidas' shield shattered into pieces. The strong kick from Lu Bu caused Leonidas' shield to break. Lu Bu pushed his leg even harder, causing Leonidas' body to move away from him.
Brakkkk!!!
Leonidas was thrown back and crashed into a towering pile of rocks. The bones throughout his body began to break, and he couldn't even feel his breath anymore. They both reached their limits.
Lu Bu emerged from a cloud of black smoke that enveloped him. He stood upright—looking straight into Leonidas' eyes. Leonidas understood; he now began to follow Lu Bu's lead and stared sharply back at him.
Lu Bu raised his spear once more, a very powerful killing aura emerged, filling Lu Bu's entire body.
The same went for Leonidas. He pointed his sword to the side, then stomped one of his feet forward.
– –
Previously, neither Leonidas nor Lu Bu had ever felt anything like this. They had always fought on the front lines and always raised the flag of victory.
Long ago, the land of the Han Empire began to collapse. The citizens began to panic, and each of them committed suicide intentionally due to the defeat suffered by their country.
It was there that Lu Bu was born. His birth brought hope and a new light to the citizens of the Han Empire.
In his youth, Lu Bu always underwent rigorous training. He had no innate talent; all he possessed was an unyielding nature and a burning spirit.
Around the age of 20, Lu Bu fought his first battle, and he immediately won the battle in an instant—accompanied by his comrades.
It was then that his Father bestowed upon him a small gift. A very valiant horse appeared before him, and he named it "Hare" —the name was taken from a roadside promotional banner.
With Hare by his side, Lu Bu managed to rise to the top of the Han Empire, and he became a general leading the Han Empire.
Over the years, Lu Bu fought, but no longer for the people or the land—but to fulfill the divine voice that flowed within his veins. He began to dream of the throne of heaven, of an empire that bowed before him, of golden dragons flying above the capital.
The same thing happened to Leonidas. He always stood tall in front of his comrades. He never retreated or feared an army that far outnumbered his own troops.
With a shield strapped to both of his arms, Leonidas was certain that victory would gaze intently and shake hands with him.
That was the darkness within both of them that even now flowed fiercely from within their blood.
– –
Lu Bu stomped one of his feet onto the ground. The ground beneath him slowly crumbled and swallowed a quarter of his ankle. The swing of his spear began to be launched.
Leonidas darted forward with full force, charging towards Lu Bu. Leonidas prepared himself to attack Lu Bu using his sword, which began to shine golden.
Lu Bu's spear slowly began to descend. Leonidas slowly began to get closer. Time seemed to stop. Neither of them could feel anything around them. They could only focus on each other. They had been enveloped by an ever-surging ambition to fight.