Section 9 - 3 Node Super Recollection Quest (1/3)

Man, this thing's seriously tough! Our attacks aren't even phasing him!

How strange. This strength. Is not. Due to. Hardware differences...

...Aha, now I see what's going on. He's reading our moves before we make them.

The hell? Not even my old man's Intuition is this much of a pain in the ass!

I'm sure. This is no ordinary skill of reading one's opponents; it's closer to precognition.

I calculate that your destruction is inevitable. Resign yourselves, barbarians.

Bullshit. If you could really see the future...

...you'd know there's no way in hell that we'd ever give up without a fight!

Indeed. That is why I predict you will soon face further hardships...

Whoa! What now!?

Allow me to assist you, Lord Xiang Yu.

Prince of Lan Ling... Akuta!? You're here too!?

This time, Mash and Fujimaru, I WILL kill you both!

Oh? Here we thought you would be sulking, yet it seems you have come to serve us once again, Akuta Hinako.

Now that you understand the threat Chaldea poses, Your Imperial Majesty, I am happy to follow your wishes.

Ah, now we see. You are determined not to let Xiang Yu fight alone. How inconsiderate of us.

Very well, have at it. But be warned, there is little time left.

Do not bother killing them. All you need do is hobble them.

...Yes, good point. Understood.

Aw shit. These guys workin' together again is the last thing we needed!

And we can't afford to take our time with them, or we'll never catch up to the Shadow Border!

Hurry! Get as far away as you can while Kuaiji Zero keeps the enemy busy!

Yes, ma'am!

(I must say, it's humiliating to find our hands so firmly tied.)

(Well, what can we do? Advanced as it might be, the Shadow Border's still basically a car with a buncha tires. We can't stop them from towing it.)

(I suppose we should be content with the fact that Nezha was able to escape.)

(It's fortunate for us that they are apparently completely ignorant of the Spirit Origin graph's importance.)

...Whatever you might be up to, don't bother. Try anything funny, and I'll cut you down where you stand.

And here I thought you were a proud warrior. I'm disappointed to see you resorting to underhanded deception and skullduggery.

Hmph, say what you want, Confucian. Your words are no more than wind to me.

Now that I know you're Confucians, I also know better than to trust anything that comes out of your mouths.

Uh...we're not Confucians.

I don't know what you call it in your world, but here, anyone who tries to "enlighten" our people is a Confucian.

Oh, come on...

What good could there possibly be in giving people knowledge?

Making them read books that only confuse, deceive, and delude, causing them to lose sight of what they're meant to be... You do the devil's own work!

You rebels should be ashamed of yourselves. Spouting ideals you don't really believe, agitating people merely to further your own ambitions... I can't stand people like you!

We don't actually have any ambitions like that, though? We just shared some things we knew while we were making conversation.

Then you did it on a lark? That's even worse!

You have no idea what will happen to the people you've tainted with your Confucianism!

...What was that?

Enough. It is time. All of you, leave at once.

But, we still have yet to kill the Chaldeans.

We will not punish you for your incompetence in failing to kill them. You need merely wait for your next opportunity. Now go, or you will be caught up in it.

Let's go, Prince of Lan Ling. You too, Lord Xiang Yu.

Very well.

...As you wish.

Fou, fooou?

Wh-what the hell? Why'd they all run off like that?

...I don't like this. The oppressor is up to something.

Reviewing communications. "There is little time left." I wonder...

There's only one reason for the emperor to order retreat now: Qin Shi Huang is about to unleash an indiscriminate attack. I bet it'll wipe out the entire area.

Very good. Since you have figured out this much, we shall tell you what is about to happen.

We have just released a payload from our Great Wall and altered its trajectory.

It will strike your location in approximately three minutes.

Are you freakin' nuts, you overgrown tin can!? You'd really kill your own people just to get to us!?

Do not think so much of yourselves. You have it quite backward.

We only ordered our soldiers to cripple you in order that you might also be caught in the blast radius as an added bonus of sorts.

Th-then, you did this explicitly to destroy this village...?

It is what must be done to rid our land of Confucianism. Now that enlightenment has begun to spread among the people here, we are left with no choice but to nip it in the bud.

Accursed tyrant! Have you so little regard for the lives of your own citizens!?

Silence! This land is our flesh! Its people are our blood! You could never understand the pain such an action causes us!

But, now that it has been infected with Confucianism, we have no choice but to carve out this piece of our flesh before the poison spreads.

...

So this is...Qin Shi Huang...

Flee if you wish. But it is too late for the people of this village.

Once you have turned tail and fled, be our guest to turn back and witness the destruction your Confucianism has wrought.

Dammit, this bastard's crazier than I thought. I never expected murdering the empire's own citizens to be more important than killing us!

There it is now... It's so massive... When it hits, I don't think anything will be left of this area...

What is that?

Aah, an evil star! Most Glorious and Majestic Heavenly Emperor must be furious!

So the rumors about stars falling on villages that reject the emperor's blessings were true!?

This can't be happening! Why would Heavenly Emperor be so furious!?

Was it wrong of us to recite poems? Was it wrong for us to try to go to the capital?

No, none of you did anything wrong. You followed your dreams in search of freedom, as anyone would.

...I see. Now I understand. So this is why I was summoned to this land.

It was all so that I could strike back against this great oppression!

Spartacus?

Fujimaru, you have yet to become an oppressor.

Now is the time for you to demonstrate your authority.

？！

Use a Command Spell on me.

Use it and say only one word: "Jump."

Now I get it. Crying Warmonger...

What'd you just say?

We'd normally have no way to defend against or destroy something as utterly destructive as a meteor strike.

But Spartacus's Noble Phantasm changes to match what he's up against. The more powerful the attack, the stronger his resulting counterattack will be.

If he can do that in the air, before the meteor has a chance to strike...he might just be able to destroy it before it hits the ground...

Whoa! Wait a damn minute! Are you suggesting he fly up there and let that thing HIT him!?

Not to worry. Such tremendous adversity is perfect for showing off the strength of my rebellion.

You can't! That will completely annihilate your Spirit Origin!

Hahaha! We won't know until I've tried!

Regardless, there's no time to debate the matter. We don't have long before that wicked star arrives.

...Senpai!

？！

？！

Hraaaaaahhh!!!

I feel it! I can feel the power of our bond flowing within me!

He really jumped!?

Fooou!?

That's no ordinary leap. He's being propelled by a truly massive eruption of magical energy!

Now is the time for my legs to rebel against gravity!

Humans! Open your eyes, and turn your gaze upwards! This leap is the very pinnacle of liberation! It is the irrational act that will triumph over this adversity! The wings of freedom!

If this star means to oppress the sky itself, then I too shall become a stara rebellious morning star that lights the world below!

Graaaaaahhh!

He really did take it head on!? No!

Dammit, why'd he crash right into it!? He could've deflected it or somethin' so he wouldn't get so hurt...

No... He was prepared for this.

For his Noble Phantasm to be at its most powerful...he would need to be at his most gravely injured...

Hahahahaha! Wonderful! This pain is honor! This pain is life! I can feel my love about to explode!

Warcry Overload!!!

Th-th-this can't be right! Where did these people get a surface-to-air weapon...!?

No, they have no such weapon. This must be the work of one of their Heroic Spirits.

Remember this sight well, Han Xin. This is the true face of our army's new enemy.

Aaah!

Incredible... The entire mass is completely evaporating!

He really did it... But where is he now?

There! I can see him falling back down!

Tch, that big dumbass!

...Oh, hello, rebellious knight... Did you catch me in those twiggy arms of yours?

Cut the crap! All the people you stirred up like a jackass were watching you, you know!

Can't just smash face-first into the ground, lunkhead. You're supposed to at least land on your feet!

Hell, you shouldn't be fallin' at all. You're supposed to land properly, no matter what!

That's...that's just what you gotta do, all right?

These wounds are...

...Yes. I'm afraid Spartacus's Spirit Origin isn't going to last much longer...

Haha, your words cut deep, Knight of Camelot. I should expect as much from the manliest man of the Knights of the Round Table.

Who're you calling a man!? Ain't freakin' fair, saying shit like that at a time like this!

You're all beat to hell... Nowhere left for me to even punch you!

Go ahead. I'm sure your punch... would feel most pleasant...

Are you gonna die, Spartacus?

Hahaha, of course not. Spartacus will never truly die.

Not as long as you keep the light of rebellion alive within your heart...

That is all I ask...my friends...

(Sniff)...

Spartacus... I can't believe he did all that to save us...

...I'm not gonna cry. I mustn't.

Spartacus...he never stopped smiling, no matter how much he hurt.

...

Kid...

I'm gonna get strong enough that I can smile through anything too...so I can be somebody else's Spartacus one day.

So as long as I, and whoever comes after me, keep smiling...Spartacus will always live on...

Now I get it. So this is his real rebellion...

...? Something is. Wrong with. The Spirit. Origin graph. It's hot. Very hot.

What? Don't tell me it's broken!?

No, it's not that... It's reacting to the leyline.

What!? But, I thought that didn't work in this Lostbelt...

...That's it. There's prayer here now. Hope has finally blossomed in these people's hearts, connecting this world to the Throne of Heroes.

Yes. This land. Is no. Longer cut. Off from. The Throne of Heroes.

Heroic Spirits have heard the wishes of people lacking their own voice, and are about to pay them a visit...

Hmm, this air smells familiar...and I think I recognize those far-off mountains as well.

It would seem we've been invited to our homeland...although, something seems off...

I don't see a single sign of war anywhere, nor do I see anyone resembling a Master.

I suppose this means we've gone Rogue, so to speak.

Pity. I was kind of looking forward to that whole spiel you get to do when you first meet your Master.

...Well now, where do I even begin. Why do you look like that?

What do you mean? How else would Lu Bu Fengxian look!

...What?

What other Heroic Spirit could possibly be fit to be summoned alongside the great Chen Gong than Lu Bu, the Flying General?

But...you're obviously Red Hare.

Lu Bu is a man among men, and Red Hare a horse among horses! Everyone knows we were inseparable during our adventures!

I'm what they call an Innocent Monster.

Oh look, a carrot.

Neiiigh! A yummy carrot!? Where!?

Hmm, I knew it. You ARE Red Hare.

Nonsense. I'm Lu Bu.