Kingdom (キングダム)

YÈ

Yanxie is our main target.

Main target?

Yes. That's the army Li Mu will surely be joining to attack us.

Wang Jian will certainly be bolstering his own firepower against Yanxie.

From this point forward,

this will be a battle of might versus might.

THE BATTLE BEGINS

ZHAO

A message!

A message from Li Mu:

The Qin army has pushed the refugees into Yè and is using starvation tactics.

Either Yanxie's army or Laoyang's must liberate Yè!

Just as I thought.

So we're done waiting,

and our first task is to destroy the mountainfolk army before us, correct?

At last we can begin!

Um, n-no.

Li Mu says to proceed with caution, not haste!

These may be the same troops who liberated Zui

in the coalition army battle five years ago,

QIN

but apart from their overwhelming offensive capabilities,

there's still much that's mysterious about them.

Stand by for Shun Shuishu to arrive and take the commander's place!

What? A new commander?!

Shun Shuishu... that orphan of the north?

A-And what's more...

You may need to draw out the main-force units holed up inside Laoyang.

The main-force units in Laoyang?!

But we have 90 thousand versus the enemy's 50 thousand.

Does Li Mu still expect a challenging fight against that throng of barbarians?

I hear Zui was liberated in the blink of an eye.

Therefore, we were never able to properly gauge

exactly how powerful their forces are.

And Shun Shuishu?

Sir! Heading this way, with a thousand elite troops!

He should arrive in the next half-day!

Have the full army switch to an attack formation.

Be ready to begin once the commanding general arrives.

Yes, sir!

QIN

Message for you!

An army of 10 thousand led by General Bi is headed this way!

General Wang Jian suspects the enemy's numbers will grow further,

but asks that you hold them in place nonetheless!

You are to buy time--days--until Yè runs out of food and is conquered.

Got it.

Ma'am!

All right:

Let's do this!

It's such a wonder to me.

To think you lot and we Figo, who've long fought tooth and nail,

would ever be doing battle side by side...

Don't you agree, Ba Jio?

If the queen hadn't been the woman she is,

we would have fought you till both sides were wiped out.

Right, Kapro?

Every tribe's chief says the same thing.

Ba Jio, do you know why our chiefs-- ego incarnate, to a man--

now meekly follow Duanhe's every command in battle?

Get this: It's because her might is on a whole other level.

She's a monster. Try to bed her through brute force

and you'll be slashed to ribbons for your trouble.

So all the chiefs do their very best, hoping to accomplish more than the others

and dreaming that Duanhe will fall in love with them instead.

See, every last one of those brawny lads is cute in a way!

King of the Figo.

Hmm?

The Ing tribe is on the move.

Ah, it's starting, Kapro. Off you go.

Enjoy the pursuits of us foolish humans from far above.

Is it just me, or is the enemy getting closer?

Huh?

They are! They're getting closer to us!

Archers! Ready!

Th-They made the first move!

They're coming from the left and the right!

ZHAO

Weren't they staying on the defense to keep us from going to Yè?!

Don't make a fuss.

Fascinating... Now let's see what these mountain troops are made of.

The Ing and Ung tribes have begun their danai.

Mmm.

Y-Yang Duanhe, ma'am? What's all this, so suddenly?

The danai.

D... "Danai"?

A danai, in flatlander language...

is just a secondary attack.

Y-You call that "just" a secondary attack?!

We'll rattle their cage a little, then launch the manai.

Ma'am?

In other words,

the main attack.

They're here!

They've arrived!

Damn you, Qin army,

for hiding such a nonstandard trick up your sleeve...

G-General!

Bring the rear army to the front!

ZHAO

Hurry!

Sir!

FEI

Meanwhile,

Xin and his troops were also approaching the critical battleground.

Is something wrong, Xin?

Yeah... the air's changed.

About 75 li north of Yè and 50 li west of Handan

HANDAN

ZHUHAI PLAIN

lay the Zhuhai Plain.

Was its name, "vermilion sea," a nod to past wars

that stained it red with blood,

or was it a portent of a battle yet to come?

This is where Li Mu's and Wang Jian's armies would clash.

Both generals stood there now, alongside their scouts,

memorizing the terrain and putting together strategies.

The battle between the two had already begun.

At the same time, in Yè...

They're... struggling out there...

The liberation army can't get anywhere near us.

Keep pushing onward!

We have to save Yè, no matter what!

Hey hey hey!

Just die already!

Li Yu's cavalry really is well suited to these plains.

After being sidelined in Heiyong given its deep forests, they're going all-out now.

This will be a cinch.

Hey, boss!

Message from Lei Tu on the opposite side!

They're currently crushing three thousand foes,

but more units of two thousand are coming from the interior.

LEI TU

HEI YING

LI YU

He wants you to point Hei Ying's thousand-man cavalry at one of 'em!

You heard him, Mo Lun.

So much for that cinch.

Things are gonna be heating up here faster than we thought.

You're heading out to Lei Tu?

Yep. Sounds like he's having more fun.

Bossman! Urgent report!

Two thousand new enemy troops from the front left,

all on horses and heading right this way!

Could we have drawn a shorter straw?

Beats me. You're in charge here, Mo Lun.

QIN

Wh-What's goin' on with this setup?

Are you sure we should be there, Diao?

H-Hold on a second!

A-And this means

the Le Hua Force will...

Got it.

Meng Tian!

ZHAO

You're serious about this?

But--

that would mean...

Li Mu, sir...

Now, then...

Everyone...

Take your positions!

120K

ZHAO CENTRAL ARMY

ZHAO R. FLANK (30K)

ZHAO L. FLANK (30K)

On the Zhuhai Plain, Li Mu's Zhao army of 200 thousand

faced Wang Jian's Qin army of 88 thousand.

In the Zhao central army

were Li Mu, one of Zhao's Three Greats;

Jin Mao,

Kaine,

Yao Yun,

and Fu Di leading 60 thousand troops.

QIN L. FLANK

QIN R. FLANK

QIN CENTRAL ARMY

88K

In the opposing Qin central army

were commanding general Wang Jian,

his army's second commander Ma Kuang,

and the Fei Xin Force, totaling 58 thousand troops.

120K

ZHAO CENTRAL ARMY

ZHAO R. FLANK (30K)

ZHAO L. FLANK (30K)

Zhao's left flank

had Zhao Elong,

Mǎ Nanci,

and Yue Ying leading 30 thousand troops.

QIN L. FLANK

QIN CENTRAL ARMY

88K

QIN R. FLANK

The opposing Qin right flank

had Wang Jian's first commander Ya Guang

and the Yu Feng Force's 25 thousand troops.

120K

ZHAO CENTRAL ARMY