The Forgotten Legend is the 21st chapter of the "The Legend of Lü Bu" manga series.
Summary[]
The Emperor Commodus declares the beginning of the Titanomachy Tournament
In the heart of the Roman Empire, in the grand city of Rome, Commodus—the 17th emperor—steps into the arena. The spectators erupt into cheers, a roaring tribute to the glory of Rome. With a single gesture, Commodus commands silence, and the vast crowd falls obediently still. As the hush settles over the arena, Commodus begins to speak, his voice carrying to every corner. He challenges the citizens, asking if their blood doesn’t boil, if they don’t crave the thrill of battle—soul clashing against soul, body against body. Then, in his own name, he formally declares the start of the Titanomachy Tournament. Commodus urges the warriors to go wild and promises to grant the victor any wish they desire.
In the world's most powerful nation at the time—the ancient Roman Empire—the citizens grew restless, no longer satisfied with ordinary entertainment. They demanded greater violence and bloodshed to sate their desires. To meet this appetite, the empire introduced grand spectacles, where men known as gladiators fought brutal, often deadly battles for the crowd's thrill and amusement.
In the aristocrats' bleachers, three masked men lounge comfortably, eating, talking, and sipping wine. Behind them, Narcissus—the aristocrat in downfall—kneels, his head bowed in prayer. He whispers a plea to Mars, the god of war, asking for divine protection over "that boy."
Three days earlier, two children are seen sprinting through the streets, carrying a halberd between them. They exchange nervous glances, wondering if they’ll really get away with it. They had just stolen the weapon from someone who, according to Lucius, one of the kids, had "really scary eyes." Yuria, the other child, tries to calm him down, reminding Lucius that they had no other choice, without a proper weapon, Narcissus would surely be killed in the tournament.
In the search of his stolen harlberd, Lü Bu breaks the wall of Narcissus' house
Some time later, in a completely dilapidated house, Narcissus holds the halberd in his hands, his expression stern as he questions the two children before him. He asks them what that meant. The kids look down, avoiding his eyes, offering no answer. Narcissus presses them further, asking if the weapon was stolen. Panicking, the children blurt out that he’s mistaken, the halberd was merely borrowed. Narcissus, sensing the truth, turns to Yuria and calmly asks her to be honest. At this, Yuria breaks down, shouting defensively that the Titanomachy is only three days away, and without a proper weapon, Narcissus would be killed. As she speaks, the other children in the house gather around Narcissus, clinging to him, tearfully pleading that they don’t want him to die. Just then, a loud crash resounds as the wall behind them crumbles to pieces, and a figure steps through the debris. The children scream in terror, clutching each other, as the stranger, calm and utterly unfazed by the destruction he caused, states that the halberd belongs to him and asks them to return it.
Yuria and Lucius, recognizing the stranger as the man they stole the halberd from, scream, "He’s here!" Narcissus quickly steps in front of the children, shielding them from the imposing figure—Lü Bu. Narcissus asks Lü Bu to wait, explaining that the children took the weapon only to help him and that he alone is responsible for their actions. Lü Bu, his arms crossed and expression unreadable, asks why they did it. Narcissus explains that the following day marks the beginning of a tournament to determine the empire’s strongest gladiator—a tournament he’s been ordered to join as punishment. Before he can continue, Yuria and Lucius shout that it’s all Emperor Commodus’s fault, calling the punishment unfair since Narcissus did nothing wrong. Lü Bu, standing with his arms crossed, asks Narcissus to explain further.
Narcissus begins to explain how his father dared to offer advice to Emperor Commodus. Since Commodus’s rise to power, the citizens of the empire had fallen into misery, neglected by an emperor obsessed solely with gladiator fights. Narcissus’ father, fulfilling his duty as an aristocrat, made a direct appeal to Commodus, pleading with him to follow the honorable policies of his father, for the welfare of Rome. Commodus, pretending to listen, had summoned Narcissus’s father, Lucio, closer. As Lucio offered his gratitude, Commodus suddenly drew his sword and, without warning, struck him down, cleaving his head in half. Commodus lifted Lucio’s severed head and sneered, calling him an “impertinent bastard” for voicing his opinion, marking him as a traitor. Narcissus’s voice trembles, his face flushed with anger. He explains to Lü Bu that his father was executed as a traitor, his family stripped of their rank, and all their possessions confiscated.
Lü Bu tells Narcissus he's willing to participate in the Titanomachy Tournament representing the Rufinus Famiy
In a flasbhack. Commodus sits on his throne, a smirk playing at his lips as Narcissus kneels before him, head bowed. With an air of feigned generosity, Commodus begins to speak, saying that he is prepared to offer Narcissus an “opportunity.” His tone drips with mockery as he explains that, should Narcissus enter the Titanomachy Tournament, he would regain his family’s lost possessions. Narcissus hesitantly interrupts, explaining that he has no money to hire a gladiator to fight on his behalf. Commodus’s smirk widens, suggesting that Narcissus should fight for himself. “You're the son of the guy who gave me his opinion, you should be strong, isn't that right?"
Yuria speaks up loudly, explaining that Commodus knew Narcissus’s sword was barely usable and went so far as to forbid any blacksmith from selling him a new weapon. Narcissus, having calmed down, turns to Lü Bu and hands back the halberd. With a newfound determination and a faint smile, he states that as a man of the Rufinus family, he will still enter the tournament—and fight with dignity. Lü Bu, asks if there would be truly strong warriors in this tournament. Narcissus, taken aback, says yes and explains that the tournament has drawn the fiercest gladiators from across the Roman Empire. Lü Bu’s eyes light up, a wide smile crossing his face. He asks if, in that case, he can fight in Narcissus’s place, saying that he only came to Rome to fight against powerful opponents.
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The participants of the Titanomachy Tournament
On the day of the event, thousands of spectators pack the Colosseum. In the center of the arena, the narrators—the Coro siblings—stand proudly, announcing to all that the long-standing question of who was the strongest gladiator would finally be answered.
High above, on one of the spectator balconies, Emperor Commodus lounges, sipping wine and laughing hysterically, his excitement for the bloodshed evident. Just below, in the aristocrats’ section, the masked nobles whisper among themselves, their discussions darting between their disdain for Commodus and excitement about the tournament. Their conversation briefly halts as their gazes turn to Narcissus, who sits alone in a corner, menacing glances surrounding him. Kneeling, he offers a silent prayer to Mars, begging the god of war for his divine protection over Lü Bu.
The Coro siblings then announce the grand entrance of the gladiators. One by one, the eight competitors march into the arena: Gryps, Amen, Lucca, Tanaos, Evrones, Cesc, Octavius and finally Lü Bu, with their introductions stirring wild applause. Finally, the tournament bracket is revealed. Narcissus, overcome with despair, falls to his knees. Lü Bu has been matched against Octavius in the very first round—the man widely regarded as the strongest gladiator of all. The other gladiators leave the arena, leaving only Lü Bu and Octavius behind. From his balcony, Commodus observed the scene with smug satisfaction. He spoke to himself, gloating over his manipulation of the bracket. He had purposefully placed Lü Bu against Octavius, confident that this match would eliminate Narcissus.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Commodus
- Narcissus Rufinus
- Lü Bu
- Lucius
- Yuria
- Lucio Rufinus (Flashback)
- Coro Siblings
- Gryps (No lines)
- Amen (No lines)
- Lucca (No lines)
- Tanaos (No lines)
- Evrones (No lines)
- Cesc (No lines)
- Octavius (No lines)
[]
| Legends (Chronologicaly) | |
|---|---|
| Childhood (166 AD) | 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 |
| Titanomachy ( ??? AD) | 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 |
| Race Against Red Hare (189 AD) | 16 |
| Working for the Demon King (189 AD) | 3 |
| Battle of Hulao Pass (191 AD) | 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 |
| Confronting the Demon King (192 AD) | 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 |
| Piercing The Halberd (196 AD) | 2 |
| Execution (199 AD) | Epilogue |
| Uncategorized | 1 |
| Chapters & Volumes | |
|---|---|
| Volume 1 | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 |
| Volume 2 | 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • B1 • B2 |
| Volume 3 | 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 |
| Volume 4 | 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 |
| Volume 5 | 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 |
| Volume 6 | 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 |
| Volume 7 | 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • Epilogue |