Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King's Personal Knight [429] (Patreon)

"Lord Xiang Yu!"

Not only did Alaric and Da Vinci notice the capsule launched from Xianyang, but Hinako, who had been lingering near the wheat fields, also witnessed the object streaking across the sky.

The unmistakably familiar surge of magical energy instantly revealed the newcomer's identity—it was the one she had longed for.

Whoosh—

At that moment, an arrow of light also shot forth at several times the speed of sound, colliding head-on with the capsule under Hinako's watchful gaze, resulting in a tremendous explosion that shook the heavens!

Boom!

The erupting arc of light resembled a solar flare, sending out a sweeping tidal wave. Even the sound was compressed to its limit, turning into a piercing blast that assaulted Hinako's eardrums.

Almost simultaneously, the shockwave arrived, whipping up a golden storm. The wheat fields, standing as tall as a person or higher, were flattened in waves, affecting an area with a diameter of several hundred meters!

Just a single arrow, and already on par with a Noble Phantasm!

Yet for the one who fired it, this was nothing more than a casual shot—it wasn't even serious!

"Careful, Master."

Standing protectively in front of Hinako, Prince Lanling warned in a low voice.

No reply.

Though Lanling was shielding her, Hinako's eyes were fixed on the object that had streaked across the sky, not on the Servant she herself had summoned.

Even after taking a direct hit from the arrow of light, the capsule was only mostly damaged, not instantly vaporized.

And the being inside was even less affected.

Boom.

Under Alaric's gaze, the wreckage of the capsule crashed into the wheat field, shattering completely.

With that, the Conqueror was resurrected.

From the rising dust, what emerged was no ordinary creature, but an Aberration.

Three meters tall, centaur-like in form—horse below, human above, with four arms, each wielding a magical sword.

The burly frame reminded Alaric of the great Greek hero Heracles, a body with the nature of a demigod, surpassing human limits!

Though both were centaurs, the wildness and power this being exuded was incomparable to Chiron.

'What the hell is this thing?'

Alaric didn't recognize the monster before him, making it clear it never appeared in Proper Human History—it was a creation of this Lostbelt.

"Target confirmed—"

The nameless monster thundered in a voice like rolling thunder. The rising magical energy made Alaric raise an eyebrow.

"What's with this reaction?"

Da Vinci, poking her head out of the off-road vehicle, frowned. "It's not a Servant. Judging from the magical signature, it's closer to an automaton, but the output is on a whole different level! That's a giant magical beast that could rival the likes of a dragon!"

"Automaton?"

Alaric was intrigued. "Are you sure, Lady Da Vinci? Not a living being, but a machine?"

"I'm doubting my own eyes right now~! If that's a machine, those specs are beyond belief."

Da Vinci grimaced. She didn't want to admit it, but it was the truth.

"Machines, unlike living beings, can adjust their output based on their movements. No one would gun the throttle all the way the moment they roll a car out of the garage, right?"

She added, "That data about matching a dragon's output can't be trusted completely; that thing was just warming up— We've run into plenty of enemies with massive magical energy before, but one of this size and output? That's unprecedented! You could call it god-tier!"

ROAR!

Warming up finished, the nameless aberration unleashed a sky-shaking bellow, bursting with magical energy like an emerald green sun standing in the wheat field.

Instantly, Alaric sprang into action, giving the opponent no chance to move. If it destroyed the off-road vehicle or harmed Da Vinci, it would be a disastrous loss.

Alaric vanished from the vehicle in a flash, becoming a streak of light as he kicked toward the aberration!

Only thirty meters separated them. With Alaric's supersonic acceleration, few could dodge an attack that fast.

But the opponent was faster, as if it had already predicted Alaric's move!

Dodging aside before Alaric struck, the hulking creature was astonishingly agile—every part of its body could exert 120% of its power!

Buzz—!

All four arms, each holding a magical sword, swung simultaneously, sealing off every direction with a terrifying attack reminiscent of Swallow Reversal!

Swallow Reversal, a technique that uses multidimensional refraction to produce three blades in the same space for an unavoidable strike—But this aberration had four genuine swords slashing at once!

Buzz!

The first wave of attacks missed. Instantly, Alaric materialized two magical swords, dual-wielding them to unleash his own version of Swallow Reversal!

"Secret Sword—Swallow's Return!"

The sword, swung in a flash, was inescapable. Not even the Conqueror could dodge it!

Clang!

The four magical swords coming from all directions were blocked—every single one!

But the battle was far from over—

Boom!

'What power!'

Alaric, intending to enter a contest of strength, suddenly felt an overwhelming force crash into him. Cracks spread instantly across his conjured magical swords, unable to withstand even a moment!

Though he blocked the attack, Alaric was still airborne and couldn't brace himself. The monstrous force sent him flying hundreds of meters!

He became a blur of light, streaking across the wheat field, the stalks bowing in his wake, golden waves rolling.

Clip-clop.

The aberration paid no attention to the off-road vehicle or the still-seated Da Vinci. It immediately broke the sound barrier with its four legs, creating shockwaves that soared skyward, white vapor trailing its body like a flowing skirt.

The centaur's hooves gave it speed beyond any human, galloping wild and free, leaving all in its dust.

Its roar was like that of a primordial beast—the hunt had begun.

Somersaulting in midair, using the void as a foothold to shed his momentum, Alaric looked up at the oncoming aberration, eyes flashing.

This thing was powerful, but strength alone didn't guarantee victory—

What was that?

Alaric stared hard at the creature. Using Niten Ichi-ryu and Swallow Reversal hadn't been his first choice; it was a decision based on intuition and experience.

He'd considered dodging or confronting the four swords head-on, but Alaric sensed that whatever he did, the opponent would have an answer.

Was this prediction?

But the possibilities were too many—even the options Alaric thought of numbered in the hundreds, all chosen in an instant. For the enemy to have a solution for every one, it couldn't just be intuition—it was more like calculation.

After all, it was a machine. Even if it was created in the Qin Dynasty, computational power is universally applicable.

If it had immense processing capacity, real-time combat calculations would be normal.

Alaric's brief thoughts flew by as the aberration's overwhelming magical pressure bore down—it surpassed even the level of dragons.

Just moving caused cataclysmic destruction, the raging shockwaves tearing through the golden wheat fields like a passing storm.

The earth rumbled as if the world itself were being shaken!

Just as the aberration had finished warming up, Alaric felt his own warm-up was ending as well.

Crackle, crackle.

Black magical energy surged, radiating from Alaric as it spread outward.

Circulating, accelerating.

Layer upon layer, the magic built up inside Alaric, infusing every muscle fiber, elevating his already peerless physique.

In the blink of an eye, thunder erupted.

Alaric shot forward like an arrow loosed from the string, becoming a streak of light in a world where time seemed to stand still.

The sky froze, and the golden wheat fields were as if paused.

Even the centaur-like aberration seemed slow in Alaric's eyes—

When it came to speed, Alaric had never lagged behind!

The white trailing behind was proof of breaking the sound barrier.

Both sprinting toward each other, the two almost immediately clashed again. Alaric, sword in hand, struck with a speed that surpassed even Xiang Yu's.

His strength was enough to split mountains and seas!

Crack!

It wasn't a reaction, but a pre-calculated move—the aberration crossed all four arms before it in defense, abandoning offense.

The brilliant sword light looked as if it would slice the sky itself!

Even a single sword strike required all four arms to block!

Buzz!

The shockwave from the sword clash stretched for hundreds of meters, and with a thunderous crash, a rift opened up behind, stretching for hundreds of meters!

Witnessing this, Da Vinci exclaimed, "What a monster—"

Calculation is just the processing of information. Parsing the current situation and providing answers is already a great feat. Looking further ahead, predicting the future is the mark of a master.

That's what prediction is—like seeing dozens or even hundreds of moves ahead in Go.

Combat is ever-changing. Even with future sight, unless you can determine the exact future, predicting it is only seeing one possibility.

But this aberration was different. Its terrifying calculation power could fully analyze short-term fate—what was unknown to others was not unknown to it.

As a machine, it needed no technique, only to attack the calculated optimal spot—perhaps this could be called a divine skill.

Against such an enemy, only overwhelming force could prevail!

Xiang Yu rampaged across the fields, the knight's sword splitting mountains, wheat fields, and even the sky itself.

In just a few seconds, Da Vinci saw the golden fields disappear—pleasant countryside became a thing of the past.

After centuries, an inhuman battle had come to this land once more.

Endless canyons crisscrossed in all directions, even mountains on the horizon were split apart.

Such was the hero in life.

Unlike Servants restricted by their Class Cards, the full-powered Conqueror, with his immense computational capacity, surpassed most Heroic Spirits.

A casual swing of his sword rivaled Noble Phantasms; the wind pressure alone could tear Servants apart.

His surging magical energy shook the atmosphere like thunder.

The machine's performance, gradually unsealed, was displayed to the fullest—yet it was useless.

Xiang Yu's valor was unmatched, but to him, Alaric was an insurmountable mountain—like an ephemera gazing at the blue sky.

Even among the shining stars of human history, his existence was dazzling.

Absolute power, forged by countless adventures, was the being that stood before them.

Rumble…

Pitch-black sword light mercilessly tore the earth, sinking mountains with it!

And that wasn't even a full Noble Phantasm release—just a burst of magical energy!

Barely dodging the sword's shockwave, the Conqueror realized the gap in power, speed, and firepower—Alaric held the advantage. What he relied on was only his predictive calculation.

With such a divine skill, Xiang Yu could maintain a stalemate even under pressure, even seeking a chance for victory.

"So that's it. I understand your level—"

Xiang Yu, never stopping, kept up with Alaric using speed many times the speed of sound. Their battle lasted over ten minutes, ravaging dozens of kilometers, destroying all wheat fields and land outside Xianyang.

Such losses hadn't been seen since the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

Moreover, Xiang Yu used the data from the battle to successfully model Alaric's abilities, increasing his vigilance.

The opponent still had energy to spare; this was only the end of warm-ups.

Neither side used their ultimate firepower or trump cards.

"What should I call you?"

Alaric, matching the Conqueror's speed, mused, unafraid he wouldn't be heard. Even if their voices couldn't keep up, there were other ways to communicate.

"I have no name—His Majesty merely calls me 'Kuaiji Model Zero'."

Xiang Yu, always calculating, paused briefly before adding, "Perhaps you may call me 'Xiang Yu'."

Though it wasn't truly his own name—just one imposed by another—he did not reject it. His calculations suggested negotiations would go better with this name.

Alaric stopped in his tracks, stunned, staring in disbelief at the Conqueror who had also halted.

They had returned to the original battlefield, the off-road vehicle with Da Vinci not far away—but that wasn't on Alaric's mind.

There was no need for deceit—so this was the truth.

No way. It was one thing for Qin Shi Huang to achieve mechanical ascension, but how did Xiang Yu become a centaur-mech?

Qin Shi Huang became an immortal mechanical being through immortal Daoist technology, but now the Conqueror Xiang Yu was also a machine, and a centaur-beast at that?

Alaric couldn't make sense of it.

Is this normal?

Did this even make sense?

"How can you be Xiang Yu?"

Alaric couldn't help but ask, "Qin Shi Huang calls you 'Kuaiji Model Zero', right? Who gave you the name Xiang Yu?"

This self-proclaimed Xiang Yu was launched from Xianyang, so he could be considered Qin Shi Huang's property. He'd said Qin Shi Huang called him Kuaiji Model Zero, so who gave him the title "Xiang Yu"?

No answer.

Still calculating the future, Xiang Yu fell silent, while Alaric sensed another Servant approaching—a familiar magical energy that revealed their identity.

Prince Lanling?

Under Alaric's gaze, Prince Lanling, who had once lost to him, appeared at Xiang Yu's side, urgently saying, "Lord Xiang Yu, why did you charge ahead alone?!"

Having experienced Alaric's strength firsthand, Lanling knew he wasn't someone a lone warrior could defeat.

Even for Xiang Yu, tactics were essential.

As Lanling had expected, Xiang Yu's solo attack resulted in a one-sided defeat—calculations or not, Alaric's overwhelming power crushed all attacks, impacting the battle significantly.

"Even if everything else can be set aside, measurement must come first. That is my only specialty."

Xiang Yu replied to Lanling's question, "From this battle, I have acquired enough data. Now, we may begin our war council."

With enough data, Xiang Yu didn't intend to continue the fight, and Alaric felt the same.

Unlike Xiang Yu, who had a task, Alaric sought an audience with the emperor in Xianyang—continuing the battle would only force him to destroy Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu, aware of this, said blandly, "Come, let's go to the camp. Next, I will calculate our army's complete victory."

Even facing such adversity, Xiang Yu remained confident in victory.

"As you command, let me lead the way."

Unhurried, Lanling led Xiang Yu toward Hinako's location.

Watching them leave, Alaric frowned. The idea of Xiang Yu as a centaur-mech was still hard to swallow.

How did the Conqueror become a machine? Is old Chinese secretly a sci-fi setting?

"Hey Lady Da Vinci, is it possible that some countries or mythologies are actually made up of robots or something?"

Back in the off-road vehicle, Alaric couldn't help but ask, "Shouldn't the world of the occult be full of mysterious stuff? Doesn't this sci-fi style feel a bit out of place?"

As he spoke, Alaric tried to gesture his idea of mystery to Da Vinci.

"Hmm?"

Having recorded Alaric's fight with Xiang Yu from the vehicle, Da Vinci gave him an amused look. "Curious after seeing Xiang Yu, huh? Well, it's an interesting topic."

"But, Sir Alaric, what do you think mystery is?"

"The unknown."

Alaric thought for a moment. "Anything people can't understand, shrouded in fog, is mystery."

"Exactly. What humans can't comprehend is mysterious—essentially, magical."

Da Vinci snapped her fingers. "In the Age of Gods, when the gods still walked the earth, even something as simple as fire-making could be considered magic."

"So, machinery in the Age of Gods was no different from magic. As long as it's not understood, it's magic."

"So, if a Cybertronian landed on Earth and became a god, that'd be normal?"

Leaning back in his seat, Alaric nodded thoughtfully. "Immortal Daoist technology and such—guess it's all normal, then?"

"Of course. There's a lot more in the world of mystery you don't know."

Da Vinci smiled at the road ahead, her expression suddenly becoming serious. "Our car can't fly, you know."

"Huh?"

Alaric instinctively looked up, following Da Vinci's gaze. What he saw was a devastated landscape.

His battle with Xiang Yu had been cataclysmic, laying waste to the area. Without restoration, it would be years before it could be farmed again.

Moreover, the sword-slashed canyons stretched in all directions, nearly turning an entire square kilometer into a crater.

As a result, the off-road vehicle could no longer proceed.

"Hold on. Let me handle this."

Alaric half-climbed out the window, raising his palm as it glowed pure white. His voice rang out: "World, restore yourself."

Buzz—

Not for destruction, but for creation.

Brilliant light spread toward the horizon as Da Vinci watched. Golden waves surged forth—the wheat fields destroyed moments ago were restored.

The canyons closed, the wheat sprang up anew, swaying gently, golden waves rippling, a pleasant fragrance filling the air.

This wasn't a reversal of time, but a pseudo-reality made manifest.

"That must've cost at least ten million QP, right?"

Da Vinci immediately started the car, resuming the journey to Xianyang. She smiled, "That's no minor spell. Even a Noble Phantasm isn't much more. You used the light band's magical energy, right?"

As the crown's creator, Da Vinci naturally knew the function of the coronet atop Alaric's head.

It was a terminal connected to the heavenly light band, providing effective control and sustained magical supply.

"Nope, I didn't use the Yaga or anything. Just my own magic. It'll recover quickly."

Alaric withdrew his hand. "After all, I'm going to meet Qin Shi Huang. It wouldn't do to leave his land in ruins."

"Even though he keeps sending people to attack us, we still have to go meet the emperor—"

Da Vinci steered with one hand, bored. "What's your plan this time, Sir Alaric?"

Da Vinci could easily tell that Qin Shi Huang's attacks were just tests.

Hinako's own weakness, yet she was dispatched, followed by Xiang Yu—

Honestly, Da Vinci was surprised that Xiang Yu was Xiang Yu, but thinking about it, it was understandable.

After all, Qin Shi Huang, who achieved a technological revolution and immortality in life, could easily keep the Conqueror Xiang Yu under his command.

"Not just that. Qin Shi Huang didn't call him Xiang Yu or Xiang Ji, but 'Kuaiji Model Zero'. That's not a human name, is it?"

Alaric stroked his chin. "The chance of another naming him is low, unless—"

"Unless he wasn't human from the start."

Da Vinci picked up the thread. "I noticed Xiang Yu has incredibly high computational ability—he could predict your actions, right?"

"Indeed. Almost to the point of precognition."

Alaric replied, "There's no hiding anything from him."

If not for being stronger, it would've been a tough battle.

"If he was a machine from the start, 'Kuaiji Model Zero' makes sense. But who gave him the name Xiang Yu?"

Da Vinci mused, "It could only be Hinako, right? You said she's Yu Meiren?"

Da Vinci had long known Alaric's uncanny ability for facial recognition—if he recognized someone, he was never wrong.