Kingdom (キングダム)

Hou Mei, sir, let us take point!

We might run up against the enemy, sir!

The enemy's strategy does have a flaw.

Rei Ou, sir!

Ah, Hou Mei.

What is it, Hou Mei?

I must sincerely apologize.

The enemy's simultaneous triple-strike strategy

has cost us our main camp.

The battle for Choyou is not yet over.

Movement in Kanyou

Which is he?

Hou Mei, sir! Run!

What?!

You son of a--

Bastard!

Shin!

Captain!

We're on our way!

Let's go.

Y-Yes, sir!

Shin!

Shin?! Not Shin of the Hi Shin Force?

Not so fast.

What was that all about, Hou Mei?

Rei Ou's aides...

Hou Mei!

All for the nation of Gi.

What?!

Master tactician Rei Ou's might was stuck 14 years in the past.

But in one year, I will be on his level;

in one year from that , I will far outstrip him.

If the strong aren't allowed to survive,

Gi will never make it through the wars to come.

Your name?

Shuu Kou.

Guard your tongue, Shuu Kou.

I am the greatest military officer in all of Gi--

and, starting now, your master.

Give Ran Bi Haku the command to evacuate.

Rei Ou's biggest players, starting with Ran Bi Haku the berserker,

now all belong to me, Go Hou Mei!

"Gi"

Look! The Gi army is running away!

We won!

At the command of Go Hou Mei, having determined they could not rally,

each far-flung Gi army evacuated to Gi's interior--

"Chin"

which meant

victory for the Chin army.

Gai Mou!

Any orders to go after them?

Just got this order: "Don't."

Lord Hon...

Yes.

Shin!

Captain!

Hey.

"Hi"

Lieutenant!

Lieutenant En!

You fought so hard, gang.

Are you okay, Takup?

I'm fine.

We did it!

Fetch some water!

Water! We need water!

Got it!

Kyou--

Hey! Lieutenant!

Lieutenant Kyou Kai!

This victory allowed Chin to capture Gi's strategic base of Choyou.

What?!

You mistook Rei Ou for Go Hou Mei and killed him?

Seems like.

No--he did, all right.

Hell, taking just Earl Shi's head on top of our victory here

would have been enough of a prize.

A significant bonus at the end there.

That it was.

What's wrong? Rei Ou was a great-general-caliber get.

For someone who couldn't slay Gai Mou,

it's like Rei Ou's head was something I just stumbled across.

But hey, I'll take all the war glory I can get.

Even our lord and Kyou acknowledged Rei Ou's superiority over them--

and you ...

And all because of a mistaken identity?! What the hell?

Calm down, Roku O Mi.

Hey, where's Ou Hon, anyway?

He was invited, right?

His adjutant was just here to apologize.

Said his battle with Fire Dragon Earl Shi

left him in no condition to be up and about.

Huh.

Ou Hon.

So you took down a Fire Dragon of Gi, like Gai Mou.

Tch.

They've lost Choyou, Rei Ou, and Earl Shi.

Gi's got to be hurting.

Mmm.

So... now what do we do?

Use this place as a forward operating base for more invasions?

No, that's too impulsive.

The high commander gave orders before we deployed.

Our next task:

Set up a base here,

constructing a giant stronghold that makes use of the natural terrain.

What?!

Is--is he nuts? Why, that'll take...

A year, I'd say.

Gee, you think ?!

And no way is Gi going to just sit back and let us!

We're to "defend the base and build at any cost."

"All necessary labor will be provided."

The high commander's serious about kicking this off.

Yeah.

By making front-line Choyou here into a permanent base,

he's looking to weaken the nation of Gi but good.

Weaken... the nation...

The Seven Warring States.

It's been more than two centuries

since what was once over a hundred nations coalesced into seven.

The time is now coming for that equilibrium to be upset.

That means some nations will perish.

And we'll be the ones making that happen.

Whole nations...

Wipin' 'em out...

Line 'em up!

Two months after the Battle at Choyou,

the earthworks needed to turn it into a stronghold continued apace.

Here, too!

Amazing. Those walls get taller by the day.

Yeah.

From what I hear, Sanyou next door is growin', too.

All these settlers bein' sent out from the center--

the population's blown up to nearly double.

Some of them will wind up as laborers and defensive troops

stationed here in Choyou.

Once this place is built up, I hear they're gonna send folks here,

make it a city.

All this moving people around--

who wants their families living out here, on the front lines?

"Unyielding."

Unyielding?

What do you mean?

Sanyou and Choyou.

Gi

Chin

Choyou

Sanyou

A matchin' pair of solid military cities drivin' a big stake into Gi's heart.

Kan

We'll do our invadin' from here--

till it's done.

Sei...

The path to our goal of a united Middle Kingdom

is openin' up--little by little.

Urgent report!

The Gi army is attacking!

They've engaged Kyou Kai's unit outside!

Guess the enemy's not going to take all that lying down.

You got that right.

C'mon, Kyo Gai, Shou Sa!

Kantan, Royal Capital of Sho

Chin

Gi

Kan

Choyou

Sanyou

Sanyou and Choyou.

Shall we make a move?

What, us? The Sho army?

We can't afford to.

Chin

Gi

Kan

Choyou

Sanyou

Sanyou

The times are trying to move on to the next act--

the downfall of the Seven Warring States.

Downfall?

Chin

Gi

Kan

Gaps in strength and weakness stand out,

with the weaker nations falling into ruin.

And the nation looking to upend

the two centuries of balance among these seven...

Gi

Chin

Kan

Choyou

Sanyou

Gi

Chin

Kan

Choyou

Sanyou

Gi