The battlefield had changed.
What had once been a flawless cage had become a battlefield of desperation.
The Zhao army, moments ago pressing relentlessly upon Qin from every direction, now found itself fighting to preserve its own formations.
Smoke rose from every flank.
Messenger riders galloped frantically between units.
War drums that had once sounded in perfect harmony now beat with uneven rhythm.
Yet amid the chaos...
One man remained unmoved.
High upon a ridge overlooking the battlefield, Riboku quietly watched the entire conflict unfold.
His robes fluttered gently in the wind.
Below him, the crimson banners of Hyou Ren surged deeper into the Zhao rear, while Moubu's army smashed through the center like a raging beast.
Kaine rode beside him.
"Riboku-sama..."
"The rear line has completely collapsed."
"Should we commit the reserve army?"
Another officer hurried over.
"Our left wing is requesting reinforcements!"
"The center can no longer maintain the encirclement!"
"The Qin are breaking free!"
Silence.
Riboku's gaze remained fixed upon the battlefield.
"...No."
Every officer looked at him.
"No?"
Riboku slowly closed his eyes.
"The purpose of this battle..."
"...has already been fulfilled."
His eyes opened once more.
General Ouki was retreating.
Mortally wounded.
There would be no returning to this battlefield.
"Our objective was never the annihilation of Qin."
"It was the death of one man."
A long silence followed.
Then Riboku calmly gave the order.
"Signal every army."
"...Begin an organized withdrawal."
The officers stared in disbelief.
"But Riboku-sama!"
"We still outnumber them!"
"If we continue pressing…"
Riboku interrupted without raising his voice.
"If we continue..."
"...we will lose tens of thousands more soldiers."
He turned his gaze toward the distant figure leading the charge through Zhao's rear.
"Hyou Ren."
"His arrival has changed the flow of this battle."
"And General Moubu..."
A faint smile appeared.
"...is stronger than I anticipated."
He looked toward the horizon where Ouki's banner slowly retreated.
"My victory has already been secured."
"There is no need to pay for it with unnecessary lives."
The signal flags were raised.
One after another...
Golden banners waved across the battlefield.
The horns sounded.
BWOOOOOOOOO
Every Zhao commander immediately understood.
It was the order to disengage.
The retreat had begun.
"What?!"
"They're pulling back!"
"They're retreating!"
The cries spread across the Qin ranks.
For a moment...
No one believed it.
Then Tou looked toward the distant Zhao formations.
"They're withdrawing in perfect order..."
Even while retreating, Zhao's formations remained disciplined.
There was no panic.
No disorder.
Every unit covered the withdrawal of another.
Like a river flowing backward.
Hyou Ren watched the orderly withdrawal from atop his horse.
Unlike the cheering Qin soldiers around him...
His expression remained calm.
"...Strange."
Lu Shen rode beside him.
"General?"
"A defeated army does not retreat like this."
"They're too composed."
His eyes followed the movement of the Zhao banners.
Every withdrawal had already been planned.
Every route protected.
Every commander knew exactly where to move.
No confusion.
No hesitation.
Hyou Ren quietly murmured,
"...He expected this possibility."
Lu Shen's eyes widened.
"You mean..."
"The unknown Zhao General."
"...never intended to gamble everything on one outcome."
For the first time...
Hyou Ren felt a chill.
Not fear.
Respect.
A wounded Zhao messenger was dragged before Hyou Ren.
The man struggled to breathe.
Blood covered his armor.
Hyou Ren dismounted.
He crouched before the soldier.
"What is your name?"
The Zhao soldier blinked.
"...You..."
"...aren't going to kill me?"
"If I wanted you dead..."
"You would already be."
Silence.
"My...name is Jaku."
Hyou Ren nodded.
"I have one question."
The Zhao soldier lowered his head.
"...Ask."
"The man directing this battlefield."
"Who is he?"
The soldier hesitated.
Then...
A look of pride crossed his face.
"Our protector..."
"The greatest strategist Zhao has ever produced..."
"One of the Three Great Heavens..."
"...Ri Boku."
The surrounding Qin officers exchanged confused glances.
"Three Great Heavens?"
"I've never heard that name."
"Neither have I."
Hyou Ren remained silent.
"...Ri Boku."
He repeated the name slowly.
Almost committing it to memory.
"Where is he?"
The Zhao soldier looked toward the distant hills.
"...Already leaving."
Hyou Ren stood.
"...I see."
He did not ask another question.
Instead...
He released the prisoner.
The Qin officers looked surprised.
"General?"
Hyou Ren mounted his horse once more.
"A soldier who fights for his country deserves dignity."
"Let him return home."
The Zhao messenger stared in disbelief before bowing deeply.
"...Thank you..."
Not far away….
Ri Yue lowered her sword.
The moment she saw the Zhao retreat begin, her eyes sharpened.
"They're escaping."
Mo Yun grinned.
"Not if we have anything to say about it."
Bao Jun laughed loudly.
"Hahaha!"
"I've been waiting all day to chase these bastards!"
Tian Hao pointed his glaive forward.
"Lady Ri Yue!"
She nodded.
"Signal the cavalry."
"The Zhao must pay for every step they take."
War horns echoed across the battlefield.
The cavalry surged forward.
Thousands of horses thundered after the retreating Zhao army.
Arrows darkened the sky.
One Zhao officer shouted,
"The Qin cavalry!"
"Maintain formation!"
"Protect the rear!"
A fierce running battle erupted.
Again and again, Ri Yue's horse archers swept across Zhao's flanks, loosing volley after volley before wheeling away beyond spear range.
Each time Zhao attempted to retaliate...
Mo Yun's cavalry crashed into the exposed flank.
Bao Jun followed like a hammer, scattering entire companies with brutal force.
Behind them, Tian Hao methodically secured every gain, ensuring no Zhao counterattack could isolate the pursuing Qin.
The chase continued for miles.
Across rivers.
Across broken fields.
Past abandoned siege camps.
Until finally...
The mountains separating Qin and Zhao rose before them.
The frontier.
The Zhao rear guard crossed first.
Fresh Zhao banners appeared upon the ridges.
Waiting.
Prepared.
Ri Yue slowly raised her hand.
"Stop."
The cavalry reluctantly slowed.
Bao Jun frowned.
"Milady?"
"We can still catch them!"
Ri Yue looked toward the mountain passes.
"No."
"The battlefield ends here."
Mo Yun narrowed his eyes.
"...An ambush."
She nodded.
"If we cross that border..."
"We become the ones trapped."
For several moments, the two armies simply stared at one another across the frontier.
On a distant ridge...
A lone figure in white robes sat quietly upon his horse.
Ri Boku.
The next time they met...
There would be no retreat.
Only victory or death.
Riboku turned his horse.
The Zhao banners disappeared beyond the mountains.
The war...
...was over.
Behind them, far from the border...
The cheers of victory had faded.
Only silence remained.
At the center of a slowly moving column rode General Ouki.
Still seated upright upon his beloved horse.
Still holding himself like the Great General who had shaken the entire era.
But the blood that dripped steadily from beneath his armor painted a different truth.
Shin gripped the reins with trembling hands.
Every few moments, he glanced over his shoulder.
"...General..."
Ouki's breathing had grown shallow.
Yet a familiar smile remained on his lips.
"Kokokoko..."
"It seems..."
"...this old body has finally reached its limit."
Behind them, Tou lowered his eyes.
No one answered.
No one could.
The long road back to Qin had begun.
And every man riding beside Ouki knew...
They were escorting not only their Great General
But the end of an era.