Hero Simulator in Type-Moon, Chapter 31

Chapter 54: Everyone Has Underestimated Lu Bu

[You flee Luoyang with the Deposed Emperor, a torrential downpour from the heavens above while pursuers cling close behind.]

[You sense arrows flying from behind—these are clearly not Yuan Shao's men, but Dong Zhuo's troops. The Deposed Emperor's death might be the better choice.]

[Even without turning your head, you can discern the targets of those arrows. You swing your spear like an impenetrable shield, blocking every arrow from getting through.]

[Talent "Protection of the Arrow-Avoiding" awakened: Defense against projectiles—any long-range attack can be evaded. Moreover, even in situations where the target cannot be observed by the eye, most projectiles can still be handled.]

[With the "Protection of the Arrow-Avoiding," the pressure of the arrow rain lessens considerably, but another crisis looms.]

Crisis.

That's right, a dangerous sensation had indeed been lingering in Fujimaru Kyoya's heart, but the dense volley of arrows earlier had kept him from focusing. Now, he finally found it... the source of the crisis.

Above.

Fujimaru Kyoya looked up. A figure riding a crimson steed attacked from above. In this era, there were only two kinds of horses.

One was Red Hare, and the other was everything else.

And at this moment, the man rode the fastest of them all—Red Hare.

"Get down here."

A ferocious strike landed on Fujimaru Kyoya's head. There was no choice but to take it head-on. After a thunderous crash, the mount beneath Fujimaru Kyoya dropped dead on the spot, and the Silver Spear in his hand was bent crooked by the Sky-Piercing Halberd.

"Wenyuan, protect the Deposed Emperor."

Lu Bu directly used his Sky-Piercing Halberd to hook the Deposed Emperor and toss him like trash to Zhang Liao. Those arrows earlier were nothing but a diversion. Lu Bu had always been the absolute trump card, worthy of being called the "killer move."

"No problem."

Zhang Liao looked at the opponent before him, with whom he had yet to settle the score. Though he longed to decide the victor, since Fengxian had stepped in, this man had no future left.

"Lu Bu?"

The man wielding the Sky-Piercing Halberd and riding the famed steed Red Hare—who else could be so peerlessly brave but Lu Bu?

"That's right, I am Lu Bu."

This sentence was naturally not spoken by Lu Bu. His face instantly turned green. Without even thinking, he knew it was that beast beneath him starting its mischief again.

"Beast, say another word and I'll stuff a carrot into your anus."

"Caw~"

As soon as Lu Bu's threat left his mouth, Red Hare let out a series of strange cries. It loved eating carrots, sure, but it did not love having carrots enter its body through the anus.

It quieted down.

"State your name. My halberd does not kill nameless ghosts."

"Oh? Then if I don't tell you my name, I won't die?"

Fujimaru Kyoya looked at the bent Silver Spear in his hands. Straining his arms, he actually pulled the spear straight again.

A straight man would not use a crooked spear.

"Pity. Your name could have been passed down through the ages as my ornament."

Lu Bu clamped his legs around Red Hare and charged. With the momentum of Red Hare's charge, a casual strike from Lu Bu sent Fujimaru Kyoya flying.

Between having a mount and not having one stood a high wall.

This time, Fujimaru Kyoya understood that truth deeply.

"Repeating the same trick? I'm no Yan Liang or Wen Chou."

Sun Ce watched Fujimaru Kyoya flying toward him and naturally sensed the arrival of danger. But as he said, he was no Yan Liang or Wen Chou.

"Clang~"

Weapons clashed. Sun Ce deflected all of Fujimaru Kyoya's attacks and pushed him away to prevent him from stealing his mount like before.

"And who are you?"

Lu Bu looked at Sun Ce. This was an enemy not to be underestimated. Though he did not believe he would lose to anyone in single combat, only a fool would fight one-on-one on this battlefield.

"Just a nobody. Why would the world-renowned Lu Fengxian bother with me? Our goals are the same, so why not cooperate?"

Another formidable foe.

Sun Ce caught his breath. If not for Zhou Yu's endless warnings, he would have charged straight into battle with Lu Bu right then.

"Lu Bu and Sun Ce? You really think highly of me."

Fujimaru Kyoya got up from the ground. Without a mount, facing these two men, the pressure was immense. As for the horse-deliverers Yan Liang and Wen Chou, they were currently pinned down by Zhang Liao, with no chance to deliver a mount.

[You begin to hate the rain. The rainwater drains your body heat and brings two reapers with it.]

[Without a mount, at an absolute disadvantage in mobility, you fight alone against the God of War and the Little Overlord. You feel the terror of death and the beauty of battle.]

Beauty?

If it were any other time, Fujimaru Kyoya would have thought himself mad. No matter who he existed as, he had never felt any beauty in battle. But... this time was different.

Blades cut into his body, taking his blood and warmth. Should he be afraid?

"Clang~"

A powerful counterstrike provided the answer.

When would he ever again have the chance to cross blades with a famed general from history? He didn't know, and Fujimaru Kyoya didn't know either, which was why he seized every moment of the clash.

"Come."

His long spear came crashing down. Lu Bu blocked it, but Red Hare's advance was halted by the impact. Just as Fujimaru Kyoya prepared to press the attack, another spear thrust toward him.

The spear pierced through Fujimaru Kyoya's body, yet Sun Ce couldn't feel pleased—he sensed immense resistance.

"Get down."

Fujimaru Kyoya swung his spear in a backhand strike, knocking Sun Ce off his mount and forcing him into ground combat. But an even fiercer killing intent was approaching.

[You feel death drawing near.]

Tch... is this it?

[You understand that taking on two alone was too reckless.]

True enough, but who told me to step forward? I never make promises lightly, but once I do, I see them through.

Fujimaru Kyoya awaited death's arrival, but a whistling wind swept past—something was hurtling toward Lu Bu.

"Boom~"

Whatever it was sent Lu Bu and his horse reeling back. Then it landed before Fujimaru Kyoya—a blade... the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade.

"That man's sorcery is truly formidable. Divine Speed of a Thousand Miles only took this much time to arrive."

A burly man with a ruddy complexion strode up to the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, pulled it from the ground, and hoisted Fujimaru Kyoya onto his horse.

"One after another, none of you put Lu Bu in your eyes. Are you all looking down on this War God?"

Lu Bu glared at this sudden interloper. For the first time, he understood how Zhang Liao had felt that day.

Why were the strong of this era popping up like they cost nothing?

"War God? Guan Yu couldn't care less."

This downpour was Zhuge Liang's doing, and in this rain, as long as Guan Yu wanted to leave, no one could stop him.

"What about the people?"

Fujimaru Kyoya asked, clutching his wound.

"This rain has extinguished the great fire in Luoyang. Third Brother has it covered without fail. Big Brother specifically sent me to fetch you, because only I can bring you back alive."

Guan Yu's gaze swept over the thousand-strong army with contempt. A bunch of nobodies—they couldn't block his path.

Even in such an unfavorable situation, Guan Yu wasn't foolish enough to fight head-on, but leaving wasn't hard either.

Chapter 55: Zhuge Liang and Minister Wang

[You escaped the battle under Guan Yu's protection. After all, this was the rain Zhuge Liang had prayed for; in this downpour, even Lu Bu couldn't stop Guan Yu.]

[With the Deposed Emperor gone, Lu Bu and Yuan Shao had no reason left to kill you, and Sun Ce alone could do nothing.]

[After a period of recuperation, you gradually began to recover.]

"So what's happening now?"

Fujimaru Kyoya drank his medicinal broth. In his current state, he could only rely on this Crouching Dragon, who knew the world's affairs without leaving his home.

"Zhou Yu has obtained the Jade Seal. Whether he uses it himself or trades it, it's a sure profit. Xun Yu chose Cao Cao, amassed a great fortune for him, and then invited Guo Jia."

Even Zhuge Liang found the alliance of Xun Yu and Guo Jia a headache.

"What about the others?"

The whereabouts of Xun Yu, Guo Jia, and Zhou Yu weren't surprising, but what had Pang Tong and Jia Xu been up to all this time?

"Pang Tong is still observing; he seems close to Zhou Yu. Jia Xu is harder to read—he appears to be biding his time, waiting for the right price."

Jia Wenhe's schemes were venomous, but his conduct was extremely slippery; he never entered a game lightly, but once he did, he would seal the deal.

"Alright, one last thing."

"What?"

"Why did they call me Zhao Yun?"

When Fujimaru Kyoya heard Guan Yu call him "Zhao Yun," he was like Joe Biden clenching his fist—he couldn't hold it together.

Good grief, I'm Zhao Yun? What's the real Yun Mei supposed to do then?

"Didn't you tell me not to reveal your real name?"

Zhuge Liang was also cracking up. Did this Zhao Yun have some taboo? If so, could he blame Zhuge Liang for not being told in advance?

"Right now, Hua Xiong and Lu Bu are holding Hulao Pass. The Allied Warlords can't do a thing. Dong Zhuo has reached Chang'an and declared himself Chancellor, slaughtering heads left and right within the city. The hundred officials are furious but dare not speak out."

Though Dong Zhuo was only killing ministers for now, if he treated them like this, there was no hope he would treat the people any better.

"You've seen Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's strength. With them around, Lu Bu can't hold Hulao Pass forever. The problem comes after."

Fujimaru Kyoya handed this headache over to Zhuge Liang. The so-called allied forces were not of one mind—once the fruit of victory was within reach, internal strife would be imminent.

Yuan Shao's losses were severe, Cao Cao's forces had swelled, the Sun Clan was secretly hiding the Jade Seal, and Yuan Shu refused to remain subordinate... This situation was far too dangerous.

"I can't do anything."

Zhuge Liang still answered so flippantly, as if he wasn't ready to emerge from seclusion. He had always resisted stepping into the world.

"What are you afraid of?"

Fujimaru Kyoya sensed it—the man before him seemed to fear something. Not a specific person or event, yet the dread was still there.

"I'm afraid that everything I do will be meaningless."

Zhuge Liang didn't actually think he was much more capable than Zhou Yu or Guo Jia. He simply possessed a pair of Clairvoyant eyes that could deduce the shape of the future.

Originally, he believed he could use those eyes to usher in an era of eternal peace. But what he saw was still a hell on earth.

"I've calculated countless times. I really have calculated countless times. But I just can't work out a perfect answer. I can't deduce an ideal future."

Clairvoyance gave Zhuge Liang a vision lofty enough, but it also imposed demands far too high.

In every future he saw, no matter how the realm ultimately settled, the Sima Clan Usurpation always occurred.

But the Sima Clan's claim to power was illegitimate. After a round of power struggles, the dynasty would quickly splinter, neighboring tribes would invade, and the Divine Land would be split north and south, leaving the people destitute.

Zhuge Liang had calculated countless times. He had added countless variables. Yet none of these things could be changed.

"Have you heard of Humanity's Foundation?"

"What's that?"

Fujimaru Kyoya was a student who never paid attention in class, let alone to strange terms like Humanity's Foundation.

"The Way of Heaven is Constant. It does not exist because of Yao, nor perish because of Jie. This heavenly mandate was already set long ago. Why should I bother with futile efforts?"

When Zhuge Liang saw that every future he deduced led to the same outcome, he understood what was meant by fate.