The alliance banquet in Kanyou had finally come to an end.
The grand halls of Qin's capital, which had been filled with the voices of officials, ministers, and generals, slowly returned to silence.
The great powers of the Warring States had temporarily joined hands.
Yet for those who lived by the sword...
Peace was only a brief pause before the next storm.
The soldiers knew this.
The generals knew this.
And among them...
Shin knew this as well.
He was born from the Hyou Family.
A family of nobility.
A family of generals.
A man who carried the name of one of Qin's great military families.
As Shin walked through the streets of Kanyou after the banquet, his mind continued to return to the words spoken by Hyou Ren and Ri Yue.
He contemplates the hidden meanings,
"A noble's duty is not only to gain achievements on the battlefield."
"The family line must continue."
"A legacy must be created."
Shin stopped walking.
"...A successor."
He scratched his head.
"So that's another duty."
For most people, such a realization would require careful thought.
For Shin...
It only took a few moments.
"If I become a General..."
"I need to have heirs."
He nodded.
"Then I should do it before that."
The conclusion was incredibly simple.
Almost too simple.
But to Shin...
It was obvious.
Inside the temporary residence of the Hi Shin Unit in Kanyou...
Karyo Ten was organizing reports while Kyou Kai sat nearby cleaning her sword.
The door suddenly opened.
"Oi."
Both girls looked up.
"Shin?"
He walked inside with a serious expression.
"I've decided."
Karyo Ten frowned.
"...Decided what?"
Shin looked at both of them.
"When I become a Five-Thousand-Man Commander..."
"I want both of you to marry me."
Silence.
...
The room completely froze.
Karyo Ten's eyes widened.
"...Eh?"
Then….
"EEEEEEEEHHHHHH?!"
Her face immediately turned bright red.
"W-W-W-WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"
Even Kyou Kai, who rarely showed surprise, stared at him.
"...Marriage?"
Shin nodded.
"When I become a General, I need heirs."
"As a man, that is my responsibility."
"So I thought I should do it before then."
Karyo Ten grabbed her head.
"THAT'S YOUR REASON?!"
"THAT'S HOW YOU PROPOSE?!"
Shin tilted his head.
"...Is there another way?"
Karyo Ten nearly collapsed.
"You can't just treat marriage like a military order!"
Shin looked confused.
"But it's important."
"That's why I came directly."
The complete sincerity behind his words only made it worse.
Kyou Kai remained silent.
Unlike Karyo Ten...
She understood Shin's meaning.
He wasn't joking.
He wasn't trying to make fun of her.
This was simply Shin being Shin.
Straightforward.
Honest.
Unable to hide what was in his heart.
But even so...
She lowered her eyes.
"...I cannot."
Shin looked at her.
"Why?"
"My sister."
"The Shiyuu."
Her hand tightened around her sword.
"I still have unfinished business."
"The current Shiyuu who killed her..."
"I must defeat her."
The room became quiet.
For years...
That hatred had been the only thing pushing Kyou Kai forward.
The memory of Shou.
Her final smile.
Her final sacrifice.
Everything had led her toward one path.
Revenge.
Shin looked at her quietly.
Then he spoke.
"The Shiyuu ritual..."
"...is war."
Kyou Kai looked up.
"You told me about it."
"Only one leaves."
She nodded.
Shin continued.
"Your sister died unfairly."
"I know."
"But war is not fair."
"It never has been."
His expression became serious.
"Soldiers die because of decisions they never made."
"Families are destroyed because someone stronger decided it."
"Battlefields don't care about fairness."
Kyou Kai remained silent.
Shin stepped closer.
"Your sister didn't lose because she was weak."
"She chose to save you."
"She drugged you because she wanted you to survive."
"She gave you a future."
His voice became firmer.
"So why are you trying to throw that away?"
Kyou Kai's eyes widened.
"..."
"If you die chasing revenge..."
"Then the life she protected..."
"Becomes meaningless."
The room fell silent.
For the first time...
Kyou Kai questioned the path she had followed.
Was revenge truly what Shou wanted?
Or was it simply what Kyou Kai wanted because she could not accept losing her?
Shin extended his hand.
"So..."
"Live."
Kyou Kai looked at him.
"Live for me."
Those words were simple.
But they carried more weight than anything else.
Slowly...
Kyou Kai lowered her gaze.
Then she smiled.
A small smile.
A genuine smile.
"...Alright."
"I'll live."
"...For you."
The burden she had carried for years...
Finally began to disappear.
Karyo Ten watched the scene silently.
Then she sighed.
"You two..."
"Really are impossible."
She looked at Shin.
"Fine."
"I accept too."
Shin nodded.
"Good."
Karyo Ten immediately pointed at him.
"But!"
"When you actually propose properly..."
"You better learn how normal people do it!"
Shin blinked.
"...This wasn't proper?"
Karyo Ten and Kyou Kai both stared at him.
"No."
"Not even close."
Shin scratched his head.
"I see."
He clearly did not understand.
Karyo Ten covered her face.
Two months passed.
Across Qin...
The sound of war drums returned.
Messengers rode across the kingdom.
Supply routes were established.
Weapons were forged.
Armies gathered.
The next campaign had begun.
Inside the headquarters of General Hyou Ren...
A messenger arrived carrying the royal order.
"My Lord."
"The preparations for the Wei campaign are complete."
Hyou Ren accepted the document.
His eyes scanned the contents.
"The target..."
"Wei Sanyou Region."
The commanders immediately gathered.
"The Qin invasion force shall number..."
"Three hundred and twenty-five thousand soldiers."
Silence filled the room.
"Great General Mou Gou shall command the main army."
"Two hundred and fifty thousand soldiers."
Hyou Ren folded the document.
"And the remaining force..."
"is our Seventy-five thousand."
His commanders looked toward him.
Hyou Ren smiled.
"So Qin has decided."
"The next battlefield..."
"Will be Wei Region of Sanyou."
He stood from his seat.
His cloak flowed behind him.
"Prepare the army."
"The Hyou Army marches."
Far beyond Qin's borders...
The next great battle of the Warring States...
Was about to begin.