Kingdom (キングダム)

THE QIN ARMY LINEUP

QIN

FEI

Pretty huge army this time around.

Yeah--our biggest since the coalition forces.

HQ really means business.

And that's what's got me wondering:

Who the heck is going to be our commanding general?

I know.

Have you heard anything, Lieutenant Yuan?

No--I've been curious myself.

I asked Xin, but he wouldn't tell me.

He said they had to keep it under wraps till today.

If they're so wary of leaks that they won't even release the general's name...

this battle's going to be a big one.

LE

YU

Our entire army will be attacking western Zhao!

So that's the army high commander...

Western Zhao--I figured as much.

This battle will lead into an all-out, head-on war with our longtime foe, Zhao.

The enemy is just as fierce.

They're likely to strike back with desperation.

But do not back down.

Be victorious--and raise the Qin flag over Zhao land!

Got that?

Now to announce who will be in command!

Here we go: commanding general!

Who could it be...?

Take the stage!

G-General Huan Yi...

Oh, no... We're serving under that guy again?

HUAN

--A big army calls for a big general! It's the bossman's turn!

-Bossman!

I-I mean, Huan Yi is the general who conquered Heiyong.

Makes sense that he'd be put in charge of a western invasion next.

And another general in command:

Huh?

Another one?

Take the stage!

General Yang Duanhe!

BI

Wha--buh--urk!

Bi, sir!

Bi's fallen off his mount!

That's the mountain folk's, uh... queen!

Does that mean...

Yes! The mountain folk have arrived!

Who the hell are they?

Sure look like enemies to me.

Ba Jio, Tajifu!

I'm real glad we can fight together again.

You've grown so much, Xin.

Yeah.

X-Xin...

Hel-low.

Tajifu! You can speak flatlander!

Goob eev-nink.

Well, it ain't perfect, but it's pretty great!

Our captain... he's amazing!

Now hang on! What's this "second general" business?

Ain't the bossman the commanding general?

Huan Yi and Yang Duanhe are generals of their own armies,

not commanding generals of the full forces.

That's someone else entirely.

This will be a large-scale battle calling for three armies.

So then... the third general...

In charge of the third army...

That's the commanding general?

You got it.

Take the stage!

The commanding general is General Wang Jian!

WANG

G-General Wang Jian--

commanding general?!

X-Xin... Does this mean...

Uh-huh. We're gonna have an allied army

led by Wang Jian, Huan Yi, and Yang Duanhe

for this war against Zhao.

Long live Qin!

Yikes, bro. We have to march through this place before we go to war?

C-Calm down, Dan.

Hey! March properly!

Your arms and legs are in sync, Gan Dou.

We're so distinguished now.

Yep. Used to be we'd meander to the front from some nearby field.

Diao! Long time, no see!

Bi!

You're looking well.

You, too. They recalled you from down south, eh?

Yeah. This army's a massive one, all right.

About 200 thousand strong, I heard.

I didn't expect it to be an allied army, either.

I understand there were a few during the age of the Six Great Generals,

but this is the first one lately.

And that's not all.

There's a strange sense of urgency among the higher-ups, Lord Changwen included.

This western Zhao campaign is going to be bigger than we think, Diao.

I see. So they really didn't tell anyone but us four and the three generals

about the Yè offensive, to protect against leaks.

General Wang Jian!

It's commanding general Wang Jian!

What's your take, Diao?

Do you think we'll do all right under Wang Jian as commanding general?

Honestly, I don't entirely trust him.

There's what he did in Shanyang,

and there's also something about his eyes that makes even allies uneasy.

Even Lord Changping--

even the army high commander has reservations about Wang Jian's humanity.

What?! Then why make him commanding general?

Wang Jian has a hidden strength that more than makes up for that unease.

He was recognized by General Hu Shang?!

"General Hu Shang"?

The only tactician to become one of the Six Greats.

The Six Great Generals had full freedom on the battlefield,

but it was Hu Shang who actually came up with their strategies--

and essentially controlled the other five, some say.

Wha--wow...

General Hu Shang was my tactics teacher.

He once told me this:

"Wang Jian is a great talent who could join the Six Greats on his strategic genius alone."

If his skills were already being recognized that long ago,

then today he must be...

Depending on how the battle goes,

you may have to discard the Yè strategy you've been given.

Discard something we worked so hard on?!

It's not that he lacks confidence in the plan.

He's simply ordering us to put flexibility first.

That's just how unpredictable this Yè campaign could be.

I'll leave the decision-making to you.

I know.

We're counting on you, General Wang Jian.

High Commander...

I'd like to ask you for one thing before we deploy.

We're so popular!

Is that Xin? What's he doing over there?

Hey, sorry to call you out here like this,

Zheng.

I'll say.

Your--

Your Highness!

The hell are you--get up! You're blocking the procession!

Forget the formalities and keep moving!

Who made you king?

Strange--you're more relaxed than I'd expected.

Well, I figured we'd be seein' our share of big do-or-die wars sooner or later.

Still, it's always pretty hectic once we get started!

But listen, Zheng... did you bring it?

I did.

Don't worry: here it comes.

Uh... Xin?

I-Is that--is it really--

I'll unwrap it. Hold it tightly, now!

Got it?

Yeah.

Xin!

Yeah:

General Wang Yi's poleaxe.

You guys...

At long last, Xin taken up the general's poleaxe...!

Makes sense. Regular ones don't stand up to his strength anymore!

What's it like, Xin--holding Wang Yi's poleaxe in your hands?

Well...

Honestly, I was gettin' so much thrown at me back then

that I didn't really get this poleaxe.

But now... holdin' it again...

It really is insanely heavy--and crazy hot.

Go through hell along with your men... Xin.

Yeah. I get it now, General.

Think you can wield it, Xin?

If I dive in too quickly, I'll be the one gettin' swung around.

I'll have to get used to it as I go.

All right. Gotta get goin', Zheng.

Xin.

I await word of your victories, as always.

You bet!

This beauty here'll be sendin' Li Mu's head rollin', Zheng!

All right! Fei Xin Force, move out!

In the 11th year of the future Shi Huangdi's reign,

the allied armies of Wang Jian, Huan Yi, and Yang Duanhe

set out for Zhao.

WUBAI, ZHAO'S WESTERN FRONT

Urgent report!

A large army has left Xianyang in Qin!

Its generals are Huan Yi,

Wang Jian, and the king of western Qin's mountain folk, Yang Duanhe!

They're thought to be heading for Heiyong!

Western mountain folk...

That's the lot who saved Zui!

How many?

Between 100... and 200 thousand.

Two hundred--that's more than three times their Heiyong numbers!

Qin's army high commander, Lord Changping

must have realized a drawn-out war on Zhao's west would be their undoing

and is betting it all on this first battle.

Clever man.

This is no time to be praising our foe.

Huan Yi, Wang Jian, this mountain king--

this allied army is run by a bunch of scoundrels!