Kingdom (キングダム)

MA KUANG ARMY 2ND WAVE

Dammit! Even more of 'em!

THE WEIGHT OF RESOLVE

What's going on?

Here they come!

Oh, no--our formation's a wreck!

Ma Kuang, sir. The second wave has entered successfully.

Mmm.

Ji Hui's army made a name for themselves in Heiyong,

but they certainly don't seem to be a match for us.

Because the feint worked.

You mean by the Le Hua Force?

Yes.

Frankly, I never expected they'd make such fools of the storied Ji Hui army.

Here I thought you were all talk, but you definitely delivered...

Meng family heir.

I hereby accept my role as decoy until the left-flank main army arrives.

You understand, don't you, that this role is crucial?

The Ma Kuang army is the mightiest attack force of all Wang Jian's units,

and the way in which we end up clashing with the Zhao right flank

all depends on your actions.

Although even if you fail,

it's not as though the left flank will see defeat.

Wang Jian, sir, perhaps you'd share a decoy strategy with this pup,

who seems too proud of his high birth.

That won't be necessary.

What?

Don't worry. The Le Hua Force will, by its own methods,

pave the way for the Ma Kuang army's wave attack.

How did you know we plan to launch a wave attack?

We'll make sure the stage is impeccably set.

You'll have to handle it from there, General Ma Kuang.

Take too long and we'll be stealing the show.

He's got more than high birth going for him.

Let's go!

QIN

There's so many of them!

Just how big an army did they bring, anyway?!

Having endured a surprise attack from an unseen enemy,

Ji Hui's army believed there were far more troops than there were,

and their morale took a huge hit.

What's more, the waves continued: a third, then a fourth.

The battle playing out here was all but decided.

However...

Send Lü Ju's thousand-man cavalry out from the left--immediately!

Ignore the free-for-all out there

and rush the front left of the third wave on its way!

Don't call back the 10 thousand headed right until they've aided Mǎ Cheng!

Once they merge, Mǎ Cheng will take command

and rush the right end of the enemy's third wave!

J-Ji Hui, sir...

Regrouping at this stage...

It's a given!

Then move the main forces to the rear!

We must fall back and redraw the battle lines!

No! Retreat and the enemy's waves will only follow us!

Push the rear army to the front, raising the Liyǎn battle cry

for as long as your voices hold out!

Yes, sir!

And tell the entire unit that the enemy's numbers are few!

Few?!

You've been completely taken in by Wang Jian's scheme!

They created the illusion of a huge army bearing down on us,

but it's just four waves of five thousand!

There are only 20 thousand of them-- and we have 30 thousand!

Even with the initial five thousand, they're only 25 thousand total?

We have five thousand on them!

They lose on numbers, so Wang Jian had to hide that gap with clever tricks!

If we can push back on this latest wave...

our numbers and our skilled Liyǎn troops can win this!

Now we rally, men of Liyǎn!

LI

Rush that message to Lü Ju!

In this moment, Ji Hui said just one thing that ran counter to reality:

His army had already lost thousands,

making their number now equal to or even less than Wang Jian's....

...which he knew all too well, of course.

However, what really made Ji Hui feel threatened was to his right:

Meng Tian of the Le Hua Force.

Dammit!

We missed Mǎ Cheng!

And it was such a good opportunity, too!

Looks like Ma Kuang's army is attacking Ji Hui's main forces!

What shall we do, Meng Tian, sir?

If Mǎ Cheng's moving forward, Ji Hui's main forces are still going strong

MǍ CHENG

JI HUI

MENG TIAN

and have probably gone to stop the wave attacks from behind.

Apparently Ji Hui's army is standing up to Ma Kuang's attacks.

In other words...

they're right where General Wang Jian expected them to be.

JI HUI MAIN CAMP

The initial right-hand roving forces might use a pincer attack?

But... weren't they just a decoy?

Right now we must put all we have into stopping this wave attack.

MA KUANG

LÜ JU

MǍ CHENG

JI HUI ARMY

LE HUA FORCE

With us thus occupied, that five-thousand man roving unit

can deal a decisive blow either from the side or from behind.

They are our greatest threat.

The battle situation all depends on what they do next--

and their commander is no ordinary man.

Shouldn't we send troops to take them out, sir? Even if that means...

We can't! If we give up those resources, the wave will swallow us!

This turn of events can't be a coincidence.

ZHAO R. FLANK

QIN L. FLANK

As hard as it is to believe, Wang Jian starting with a left flank of five thousand

means he was plotting out this very situation even before the battle began!

What an eye for strategy!

So this is Qin commanding general Wang Jian?

QIN CENTRAL ARMY MAIN CAMP

Ma Kuang's army is attacking, but the enemy is prepared to resist!

That's Ma Kuang for you.

And the enemy's no slouch.

So you did see it, eh,

Meng Tian?

Take too long and we'll be stealing the show.

Wait.

If you excel in your role on the left,

you may join my staff as an aide, Meng Tian.

That's not funny.

Listen, boy...

If you'd let me join, isn't there someone you should be taking on first,

General Wang Jian?

Ben, sir. Zhao's left flank is finally in sight.

ZHAO LEFT FLANK

30,000 TROOPS

QIN

Right, first things first: Who among us will deal the first blow?

I'll do it.

Wait, spearman. Rather selfish, no?

I hardly know any of you.

How could I entrust first blood to a relative stranger?

I would think his large frame and title as Li Mu's adjutant

is enough for you to perceive that Mǎ Nanci is a man apart.

And just what manner of random nobody are you?

"Random nobody"? That's harsh, Yue Ying.

That's Zhao Elong, aide to Lin Xiangru, formerly of Zhao's Three Greats.

He and Yao Yun in the central army are the unsung heroes

who've kept order in the capital region for many years.

Lin Xiangru's aide?

To put it more simply:

He stands alongside contemporaries Jie Zifang and Lun Hu of the Big Four,

advisors to Lian Po of the Three Greats.

QIN RIGHT FLANK

YA GUANG ARMY (20K)

YU FENG FORCE (5K)

What's the big idea?

Ya Guang's army is fanning out, but we've received no orders at all!

Han Chang! Are you sure word will come from General Ya Guang?

That's what I hear. And don't shout.

Then why hasn't it come yet?! The enemy is in sight!

I don't know!

And quit shouting!

General Ya Guang!

Wang Jian army first commander Ya Guang...

I've come to give you your strategy, young lord.

Strategy?

"Young lord"? Here we go...

As the initial clash has been assigned to the Ya Guang army,

the Yu Feng Force will not join our ranks, but separate from the free-for-all

and be the roving one-hit-kill squad it's always been.

I shall send word if an opportunity presents itself.

Until then, stand by.

Who came up with this strategy?

Wang Jian and I.

It's terrible.

I'm redoing it.

Whoa.

It is not terrible.

Why not let the Yu Feng Force join the fight?

To be frank, we can currently tackle 10 thousand foes on equal footing.

You should add Yu Feng to supplement Qin's lower numbers and level the playing field.

YA KUANG ARMY (20K)

YU FENG FORCE (4K)

Embed us into the left edge of your ranks.

We'll get things moving from there.

That won't do, young lord.