In a vast, lush green forest in China, in a small clearing, it was clear that something unusual was happening.
Standing in the clearing, away from several dead bodies, two people could be seen facing each other.
On one side was a young man in his late teens, his hair a dark brown-black, his eyes a shade of golden.
In front of him was a small child, about twelve or thirteen years old, with dark hair and blue eyes, looking at the older one.
They were Alex, the Hakuryuukou, and Cao Cao, respectively.
Alex, for his part, stared in shock, realizing who stood before him.
[The one standing before the Strongest Hakuryuukou in history was none other than Cao Cao, the descendant of the Hero of Chaos from the Three Kingdoms Era, the wielder of the "True Longinus," the Supreme Longinus, and the future leader of the Hero Faction,] Albion narrated the scene.
"Hey, Albion, you idiot, you're breaking the fourth wall, you moron," said Regulus seriously.
[My bad,] said Albion timidly.
"You can continue, narrator," said Regulus.
Thank you, now where was I…
The one standing before Alexandre, the most powerful Hakuryuukou, was none other than Cao Cao, the wielder of the [True Longinus] and future leader of the Hero Faction.
Many thoughts raced through Alex's mind at that moment.
But the main one was how terrible his luck was.
Seriously, why was he in a remote region of China and ended up meeting Cao Cao of all people?
It was sheer bad luck to be in a country with over a billion people and run into exactly the person he didn't want to meet.
It wasn't as if Alex hated Cao Cao or anything like that. In fact, he admired Cao Cao's ambition.
His desire to prove how powerful humanity could be. However, Cao Cao had become arrogant along the way, losing himself. He believed that just because he possessed the Holy Spear, he was some chosen one, which wasn't true.
But Alex hadn't expected to encounter the boy. From what Alex remembered of the canon, Cao Cao was born in a remote village in a mountain in China, in a traditional farming family.
One day, after getting lost in the mountains while playing with his friends, he encountered a monster he had heard about in stories. Facing death, he summoned the [True Longinus] for the first time and killed the monster. A few days later, he would meet Sun Wukong, who would reveal his ancestor Cao Cao to him. After being sold by his parents to strange men, he ran away from home but was pursued by men wielding weapons, human traffickers, and wild animals.
After years of fleeing, he left China for another country, learned to use the [True Longinus], and discovered it was a Longinus and one of the Holy Relics. Returning home, he learned of his parents' death due to a large debt and set out to form the Hero Faction, meeting Indra through Sun Wukong at some point.
But it seemed that in this world, everything had changed. Cao Cao hadn't encountered the monster.
This didn't surprise Alex too much. The Hakuryuukou had been in this region of China for weeks searching for the Grimoire of Azi Dahaka, and during that time, he had exterminated numerous monsters in the area.
And it seemed one of those was the monster that attacked Cao Cao, which is why he hadn't awakened his Sacred Gear, and thus hadn't met Sun Wukong. He only found out his parents had sold him, and the demons seemed to have been drawn by the power unleashed by Alex and Nuwa during their battle.
And now, here was Cao Cao standing before him.
"I see," said Alex, sighing and looking at Cao Cao. "My name is Alexandre. You can call me Alex."
"Okay, Alex," said Cao Cao with a faint smile.
Looking at the restless boy, Alex sighed.
"I know you have questions. Ask whatever you want," said the Hakuryuukou calmly.
"What did you mean when you said the supernatural exists?" asked Cao Cao nervously.
Alex looked at Cao Cao calmly, knowing this must be quite shocking for the boy.
"Exactly that. Beings like Angels, Fallen Angels, Demons, Dragons, Gods, and other creatures exist. All mythologies and beings are real, but they live hidden from the normal world. But they are undeniably real, as you've witnessed," said Alex calmly.
Alex watched as Cao Cao fell silent, clearly trying to process everything that was happening.
"And why are they after me?" asked Cao Cao, fearful.
He still couldn't believe what Alexandre was saying, but after witnessing what he saw, he was forced to accept reality.
Yet, Cao Cao didn't understand why these beings were after him.
Alex sighed as he began a new explanation.
"A long time ago, the God of the Bible created the Sacred Gears, powerful artifacts with great abilities that he granted to humanity to defend themselves against the supernatural world. However, many supernatural beings take advantage of this and manipulate these people for their own interests. And you have one," Alex explained calmly.
Cao Cao only listened as tears formed in his eyes.
"But why do I have this? I didn't ask for it," said Cao Cao desperately.
He didn't want to be hunted and used for something he didn't even want.
"You don't get that choice. Sacred Gears work like a lottery; you were just the lucky—or unlucky—one to have one," said Alex calmly.
Cao Cao's teary eyes turned to Alex.
"Is it possible for me to have a normal life?" asked the boy.
"No," said Alex, shaking his head. "The moment you have a Sacred Gear, you become a target for all supernatural beings."
"What can I do then?" asked Cao Cao in a desperate tone.
Alex could only sigh. He knew how shocking this must be for Cao Cao, all the accumulated stress.
His family sold him as a slave, and right after, he found out he was being hunted by the entire world for something he didn't understand.
"I think your only option is to master that power to protect yourself. Unfortunately, there aren't many options," said Alex, sighing.
The moment you had a Sacred Gear in your soul, the chance of a normal life was almost nonexistent. The most likely outcome was being hunted to steal that Sacred Gear or being used.
Especially with Cao Cao's Sacred Gear, considered the Supreme Longinus.
"So how do I awaken it?" asked Cao Cao, looking at Alex.
"Sacred Gears are driven by strong desire; they respond to it. Though I believe it's complicated to awaken it based on that," said Alex, pondering.
Sacred Gears responded to strong desire, but that desire was usually manifested in a life-or-death situation.
"Okay, I want you to take the stance of the strongest person you know," said Alex calmly.
Cao Cao blinked, surprised, but nodded.
Alex watched as the boy stepped back, picked up a stick, and held it with both hands as if it were a sword.
Alex's eyes widened slightly as Cao Cao took the same stance Alex had when he killed the demons with Arondight.
"Remember, Cao Cao, Desire. Sacred Gears are driven by the power of desire. And it also determines their power. The stronger your desire, the stronger your Sacred Gear will respond to you," said Alex calmly.
Alex watched, waiting for a change in Cao Cao's aura, and soon it came.
A strong holy light shone from Cao Cao's hands, to Alexandre's own surprise.
"Seriously? He awakened his Longinus at that age and on the first try, just after learning it existed. He's a genius," thought Alex, intrigued.
Alexandre knew Cao Cao was talented. He had been recognized even by beings like Azazel, Sun Wukong, and Vali Lucifer as a genius and the most powerful user of the [True Longinus].
When the light faded, it revealed that in place of the stick was an ornate spear with a dark blue shaft, longer than normal spears. It had golden metal decorations shaped like arrowheads, spiraling in a double-helix pattern. The decorations ended at the top of the spear's shaft, which featured a white circle, completely empty, with a cross that filled it but not entirely. There was a small silver stub with four protrusions, two on the left and two on the right. The spear's tip was silver and, like the shaft, longer than other types of spears.
Actually, Alex had to correct himself—calling it a spear was an exaggeration. It was only slightly longer than Cao Cao's arm.
"In fact, it looks more like a magic wand than the Legendary Longinus Spear," thought Alex, amused.
[True, what's he going to do with that? Throw glitter at enemies?] said Albion, laughing.
"Shut up, Albion," grumbled Regulus.
[Don't be so grumpy, Regulus,] said Albion, chuckling.
"Grumpy, my ass. The last few times you opened that mouth, we were forced to fight a Goddess," said Regulus fiercely.
[Wow, talk about holding a grudge. Forgive and forget is a saying for a reason,] said Albion calmly.
"That was less than ten minutes ago," shouted Regulus.
[Is that your point?] asked Albion skeptically.
Regulus only sighed. Seriously, after years, why did he still try to change Albion? The white lizard would never change.
Cao Cao's eyes opened, and he focused on the spear in his hand. Holding the weapon, the boy felt complete like never before.
"T-This is…" stammered Cao Cao.
"Your Sacred Gear," replied Alex. "Even among Sacred Gears, there are thirteen crowned with the title of 'Longinus,' weapons capable of killing Gods if mastered."
"K-Kill Gods," stammered Cao Cao in pure astonishment.
"Yes, yours is one of them, considered the first and original of all Longinus, the strongest Sacred Gear in existence, the [True Longinus]," said Alex, explaining.
Cao Cao's eyes shone as he heard what Alex said.
"The [True Longinus]," said Cao Cao in reverence.
"Don't let it go to your head," said Alex, snapping Cao Cao out of his thoughts. "Sacred Gears are given randomly. Your having it is just luck, not because there's anything special about you for it."
Alex knew Cao Cao was very prideful, especially because he possessed the [True Longinus], which made him think he could defeat any enemy, and Alex didn't want that.
"Okay," said Cao Cao, nodding.
"Good, then I guess that's it," said Alex, waving. "Bye."
"Wait," shouted Cao Cao, seeing Alex turn to leave.
"What?" asked Alex, bored.
"You're not taking me with you?" asked Cao Cao quickly.
"Why should I?" asked Alex indifferently.
Cao Cao's eyes widened before he clenched his fists.
"Please, take me with you," shouted Cao Cao, bowing to Alex.
"I know I'll probably be a burden, but please take me with you, I beg you," said Cao Cao, pleading with all his heart.
Cao Cao knew he had just met Alex, but even so, the man before him had shown him more kindness than anyone else in his life.
Alex hadn't just saved his life; he also showed Cao Cao what the world was like, and the young boy knew he needed to get stronger to survive.
That's why he wanted to go with Alex—not only because he was the one who saved his life but also because Cao Cao wanted to understand the purpose of having his Holy Spear. He could grow stronger.
And besides, Cao Cao had nothing left to lose.
Alex looked at Cao Cao for a moment before sighing.
"Alright, just don't regret it later," said Alex with a faint smile.
"Yes!" shouted Cao Cao with a big smile.
And from that moment, they would form one of the greatest duos ever.
**One Year Later**
"Why are we here?"
"…"
".?"
"…"
"Are you listening to me, Alex? Why are we here?!"
"Be quiet, Cao Cao. I'm trying to get a better view of the surroundings for our reconnaissance mission."
The sources of the two voices traveled through a dense forest in an unknown location, taking care not to make unnecessary noise as they moved toward their destination.
"Listen to me, if we get caught, which I'm sure we will, I'm running out of here as fast as I can."
"Yeah, sure, that's what you're good at anyway."
A deeper trek into the forest revealed a somewhat thrilling sight to the eager eyes of the first and to the great dismay and dread of the second, illuminating their forms due to the shimmering glow of the stream they were perched above.
The light revealed a handsome young man with shiny black hair combed back in an elegant manner, bright golden eyes, and a somewhat lascivious smile plastered on his thin lips. The young man was dressed in a simple, tight black leather shirt that did little to hide his muscular physique, blood-red leather pants, and brown combat boots to complete the aggressive look.
Sitting beside the young teenager was a boy around thirteen or fourteen, a handsome youth with short black hair and blue eyes. He wore a combination of a Japanese school uniform (specifically, the gakuran worn by Japanese students in autumn) and ancient Chinese attire.
Cao Cao sighed, resigned to his friend, mentor, and surrogate older brother's perverted attitude, and only watched as Alex jumped onto the highest branch of a nearby tree for a closer, unobstructed view of the scene below.
One day, his perverted friend would get himself killed.
Of all the women he could've perved on, why the Valkyries? That's right; his friend decided he needed some research material along with some excitement. What better way to get that material and thrill than by spying on the dangerous but beautiful collectors of worthy souls for Asgard?
Even after a year traveling with Alexandre, Cao Cao still couldn't believe seeing his friend act so pervertedly.
Looking at Alex, the wielder of the Supreme Longinus could hear him muttering things like "Jiraiya-sensei was right, this is paradise" and "Maybe I should write my own Icha Icha," among other things Cao Cao didn't understand.
Alex laughed as he watched the marvelous scene below, eyes taking in every aspect of the scenery in the back of his mind and furiously scribbling ideas for his book.
Bathing in the cold water of the natural stream was a horde of beautiful Valkyries, enjoying the pleasant sensation of the water on their naked bodies, without a hint of discomfort or worry.
His golden eyes followed every unworthy drop of water from the chin, between the crevices of plump, swollen breasts, down to the taut warrior stomachs before reaching their destination. To drip from a tempting mound of feminine flesh, to a woman's most sacred treasure.
Some might say they were jealous of the water drops for being on all those celestial bodies, but he wasn't. Why? Because he would be INSIDE those celestial bodies… if they let him. These women were damn hard to conquer.
"Cao Cao, are you seeing this beauty?" Alex chuckled in a lascivious laugh, pointing to a tall, dark-skinned woman among the bathing ladies.
"…"
"Are you ignoring me?"
"…"
"Answer me when I'm talking to you, you lazy brat!" Alex turned indignantly, his eyes twitching wildly when he got no response.
He soon got his response, however. An angry, spear-tipped, mob-like response, because surrounding the tree he was perched on was an entire horde of half-naked women, dangerously sharp spears pointed directly at him and the most scorching glares he'd ever received… recently, at least.
The most disheartening part was that he couldn't find his friend, disciple, and surrogate younger brother anywhere.
"Traitor."
"You've invaded our realm for the last time, you filthy man," the same woman whose plump backside he was admiring minutes ago stated in a dangerous tone, stepping forward. "This time, we'll ensure you receive just punishment."
How in the nine bloody hells did he not sense their presence? Oh, right, he wanted a thrill, so he turned off all his powers before coming to spy on the beauties.
"Note to self: blame Albion," Alex thought quickly.
[Hey, this time it wasn't my fault,] shouted Albion to his partner.
"It was, too. Who suggested visiting Asgard, huh?" asked Regulus sarcastically.
[Yes, I suggested visiting Asgard, not spying on the Valkyries,] shouted Albion.
Alex quickly began thinking of a plan to escape with minimal injuries.
"Ladies, can't we settle this like responsible adults and not resort to violence?" he placated nervously, jumping from the tree with a smile, dodging the spears trying to stab him from all sides. "Guess that's a no."
With a signal from the dark-skinned beauty, the Valkyries formed a semicircle behind him as the brunette woman took the lead, guiding an indifferent Alex to walk among the dangerous women.
On the bright side, the brunette woman was walking in front of him, giving him a hardening view of her swaying backside with every step. Oh yeah, they could capture him a million times if he got the same view every time.
It didn't take long for him to find himself escorted to the city of the feminine civilization, through the bustling but militaristic streets, around fortress-like houses, and all the way to the center, where a tall castle stood.
A few minutes walking to the castle, and he was before the leader of the Valkyries, Brunnhilda, a woman of passion, anger, and power.
The Valkyrie leader was a tall, blonde woman dressed in black and blue armor. A pair of piercing blue eyes stared at him, full lips stretched into an unpleasant scowl. The top of her armor was clearly struggling to contain the giant mounds of flesh she called breasts, obscenely protruding in front.
To Alex's eternal delight, the armor didn't extend to hide her most precious asset. The massive proportion of pasty butt flesh squeezed onto the throne was simply intoxicating. Those thick, feminine thighs and crossed legs could crush rocks with ease, and judging by her occupation, they probably had.
"Milady, we found him spying on us while we were bathing," the dark-skinned woman reported in a firm tone, bowing.
"I see," the blonde leader murmured thoughtfully, observing the brown-haired man. "You've infiltrated our realm for the last time. This time, I won't make the mistake of letting you live."
A drop of sweat rolled down Alex's head. "That's what you said last time."
The cheeky comment didn't achieve the desired effect. Though Brunnhilda remained as stoic as ever, she merely signaled for her warriors to surround the entire castle on all sides. "I was careless, I admit, only because I didn't expect a pathetic excuse of a man to have the skills needed to escape my warriors."
"Saying all that still doesn't change the fact that I spied on your sweet backside and still escaped," the brown-haired man retorted brazenly, feeling some spears prick his skin.
"You men are all the same," she began in a somewhat disgusted tone. "Always thinking with your dicks instead of your heads."
"Which head?"
A subtle eyebrow twitch was all the indication Alex needed to know he was irritating the woman. "Aside from serving the purpose of reproduction, I would've annihilated your entire filthy species."
"See, even you admitted we're good at rocking your world," Alex shot back smugly, earning another round of spear jabs. "Careful where you poke those things!"
"I did no such thing!" Brunnhilda roared in anger, rising from her throne and walking toward the man, rage and disgust overflowing from her eyes.
The Valkyries surrounding the Hakuryuukou wisely stepped away, leaving him at the mercy of the approaching leader. Alex simply looked in appreciation as the enraged woman stomped toward him like a raging bull, watching the sway of her plump breasts.
But before Alex could say anything, his eyes widened as a magical sensation passed through his body. The magical seal he had created to monitor someone had been destroyed.
"I see, so you've finally awakened your power, Tobio," thought Alex with a smile.
Unfortunately for Alex, Brunnhilda interpreted the mischievous smile as a sign of disrespect and grabbed him by the collar with a fierce snarl. "You think continuously invading my realm, spying on my warriors, and making such vulgar comments is funny?!"
"Normally, I hate doing this kind of thing since it goes against my code of honor," Alex began in a somewhat vague tone, catching the Valkyrie leader's attention, who blinked, not expecting that response. "But you leave me no choice."
In the next few seconds, the busty woman found herself firmly seated on the Hakuryuukou's lap, his hands digging into her soft, plump buttocks as a pair of thin lips practically sucked the life out of her through her lips.
Her entire body heated like a furnace, an unusual warmth igniting in her feminine core. A trickle of liquid dripped from her femininity down her thick thighs. Confusion, anger, hatred, curiosity, and a myriad of bizarre emotions raced through her muddled thoughts as the man manipulated her body in ways she didn't think possible.
"What is this?!"
The heat intensified, the unusual moisture in her femininity increased, and a strange knot formed in her stomach as she felt the man insert his tongue into her mouth and press a long, solid, throbbing rod-like appendage against her covered core.
It was over as quickly as it started. The Hakuryuukou vanished from her grasp, dispersing into tiny particles of blue and white dust before being scattered by the wind. A confused, fuming, and… aroused Brunnhilda remained seated on her throne as Alex escaped.
"See you later, baby. Maybe next time you'll let me ride that sweet ass of yours."
"Y-YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS, YOU DAMN BASTARD!"