Chapter 5. Deal (3)
Outside Luoyang, behind the ruins of a once-lively temple where banquets never ceased, nothing remained now but crumbling walls and dust-laden winds whistling coldly through the gaps.
In the center of the desolate clearing stood three men, like shadows behind a table. Liu Bei kept his eyes closed, maintaining his serenity, but the aura of his two younger brothers standing guard beside him was anything but calm.
Guan Yu stood motionless, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade thrust into the ground. Only the fierce glint leaking from beneath his closed eyelids proved he was awake.
Beside him, Minju slung his Zhangba Snake Spear casually over his shoulder, glaring at the horizon. The pounding of his heart against his ribs rang clearly in his ears.
Soon... he'll be here.
The protagonist from modern records, countless games and novels: the master of 'Man Among Men, Lu Bu' and 'Horse Among Horses, Red Hare.' Facing that calamitous existence, Minju swallowed dryly.
Thud thud thud—!
The earth began to scream. Far on the horizon, a red dust storm rose, compressing space itself as it approached. It felt like ten thousand cavalry charging, yet the hoofbeats that actually rang out belonged to just four horses.
Leading them was a giant astride a blazing Red Hare. With the sun at his back, his approach created the illusion of a massive mountain on the move.
Gao Shun and Zhang Liao following behind exuded extraordinary presences of their own, but compared to the man at the front, they were mere faint afterimages.
Red Hare reared up with a mighty neigh. Neighhh!
With a piercing cry, Lu Bu dismounted, his red battle cloak billowing. Minju narrowed his eyes.
Monumental didn't even begin to describe him. Sharp killing intent flowed over muscles woven like iron chains. Each sway of the purple coronet on his head seemed to tear the air. The Fangtian Halberd's razor edge gleamed viciously in the noonday sun.
Lu Bu swept his gaze over Liu Bei, a crooked sneer curling his lips.
"I came all this way on Diaochan's word... but what a sight you are. You're that self-proclaimed descendant of the Han imperial house, Liu Xuan'de?"
Liu Bei slowly opened his eyes. Even amid the storm-like pressure, his gaze remained as still as a clear lake.
"I am Liu Bei. It's a pleasure to meet you here, General Fengxian."
"Hmph! Spare me the pleasantries. How could a tiger crawl under a pup like you? I killed that old fox Dong Zhuo to go my own way, and now you expect me to serve the likes of you?"
Lu Bu's arrogant roar shook the clearing. Before the murderous voice could even settle—
Whoosh—!
A sharp flash cleaved the air. Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade traced a razor arc as it ripped free from the earth.
"Fengxian! Watch your mouth in front of my eldest brother!"
His thunderous shout rippled outward like waves from where they stood. Guan Yu's beard fluttered in the wind as his divine might erupted.
Only then did Lu Bu's eyes flash with genuine interest.
"Oh ho, so the pup has a decently barking dog. Fine, let's see what you've got!"
Boom!
Lu Bu slammed his Fangtian Halberd into the ground, unleashing a massive explosion that spiderwebbed cracks across the earth. The shockwave forced even Zhang Liao to wheel his horse back for distance.
As Gao Shun reached for his weapon, Lu Bu raised a hand to stop him.
"Stand down. I'll handle these myself."
"...Understood, General."
"It's been ages since my blood boiled like this!"
With those words, Guan Yu kicked off the ground and charged. Minju swallowed a bitter smile inwardly.
Guan Yu's getting more heated than me, the actual Zhang Fei.
But in this moment, he couldn't help but understand. Their revered eldest brother had been insulted right in front of them. If anything, Zhang Fei's unnatural calm and cold precision was the real surprise.
The massive Green Dragon Crescent Blade fell from above like it could split a mountain, a vertical descent of pure destruction. It wasn't a mere swing. Every muscle in Guan Yu's body converged in a single, lethal strike.
Clang—!
A eardrum-shattering clash of metal shattered the temple ruins' silence. Lu Bu angled his halberd's shaft to meet the blow head-on.
Sparks flew at the point of impact, and dirt exploded outward in a circle from their feet.
"Raaah!"
Lu Bu bulged his arm muscles, shoving Guan Yu's blade upward. In that split second when even the peerless Guan Yu staggered back, Minju slithered in low like a serpent.
No, I can't lose Guan Yu here!
Minju thrust the tip of his Zhangba Snake Spear toward Lu Bu's flank. The instinctive senses from Zhang Fei's body coursed through him again, electrifying his limbs. He could see the air's flow, the enemy's gaps rendered in three dimensions.
Shwick!
The spearhead sliced the air with lethal sharpness. Lu Bu's eyes widened. Instead of retreating, he pivoted half a turn on his axis, smacking the spear blade with his halberd's butt while using the spin to deflect Guan Yu's follow-up.
"Hahaha! That's the stuff! Come at me both together!"
Lu Bu bellowed with mad glee, switching to the offensive.
"......"
"......"
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei exchanged a glance. No more one-sided exchanges. The three weapons tangled in a frenzy, shredding the space around them.
Guan Yu's strikes were honest and heavy. Unblockable destructive power, like massive waves crashing down.
Minju's were wild and unpredictable. Feinting straight on, then stabbing from blind spots. Combined with Zhang Fei's beastly strength and Minju's modern combat instincts, the trajectories were utterly erratic.
Gao Shun, watching, narrowed his eyes.
"The general isn't being pushed... but those two aren't ordinary."
Zhang Liao couldn't hide his shock, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
"That red-bearded giant carries a mountain in every blow, and the black-bearded one fights like a starving panther. To think monsters like these were hiding under Liu Bei...!"
The battle intensified. Lu Bu swung his Fangtian Halberd wide, forcing Guan Yu and Minju back simultaneously. Guan Yu planted his feet, but the ground cratered two feet deep beneath him. Minju rolled aside to shed the impact, then sprang up.
"Yide!"
"Got it, brother!"
Minju knew exactly what he meant through Zhang Fei's instincts. He roared and charged again, using his body as a shield to pin Lu Bu's gaze low. A chain of low, sweeping snake spear strikes.
As Lu Bu instinctively lowered his halberd to block, a massive shadow loomed from the sky. Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade descended once more, sun at its back.
Boom!
For the first time, Lu Bu's feet slid back half a step. Zhang Liao's eyes widened in shock, Gao Shun's brow furrowed deeply. The war god of the realm had been pushed in a contest of raw power.
But Lu Bu's face showed no fear—only ecstatic joy.
"Excellent, truly excellent! I've never felt excitement like this in my life!"
He abruptly shifted his aura completely. Up until now, it had been brute force overwhelming. Now, it was a blur of speed too fast for the eyes to track.
Lu Bu surged at Minju. The monstrous vibrations traveling up the halberd's shaft made Minju's arm muscles scream.
"You mad bastard, what, got a hydraulic press in that strength?!"
"You're no slouch either, you swarthy brute!"
Lu Bu grinned, flashing white teeth. In that instant's gap, Guan Yu's blade grazed Lu Bu's waist. The hem of his red cloak tore free into the air.
Silence fell.
The clearing echoed only with ragged breaths, the stench of sweat, and the acrid smell of heated steel.
Lu Bu's eyes changed. The playful spark vanished, replaced by cold, heavy shadows of death. What had been playful sport now unleashed the true 'war god's' killing intent.
Whoosh—!
The Fangtian Halberd shot out like an illusion. Guan Yu blocked instinctively, but the unmatched shock hurled his arms back. Lu Bu used the recoil to feint a kick at Minju's chest, then slipped into the gap between the two in a flash.
"What—!"
Minju gasped in horror. Lu Bu wasn't aiming for Guan Yu or him. From the start, his target had been...
The unmoving Liu Bei standing behind them.
Damn... what a blunder!
Minju belatedly raised his spear and pursued, but even on foot, Lu Bu's speed outpaced Kang Minju's superhuman specs in Zhang Fei's body.
"Brother, danger—!"
Minju's cry flew toward Liu Bei. A desperate, do-or-die crisis.