The battlefield was silent.
At the center of the battlefield, two figures stood.
Great General Hyou Ren of Qin.
And his wife, Ri Yue.
The reunion between them was brief.
There was no celebration.
No relief.
Only the heavy reality that the war had not ended.
Ri Yue looked toward the distant horizon.
"The others are still moving."
Hyou Ren nodded.
"Yes. Han was only one part of this invasion."
A messenger suddenly arrived, kneeling before the two generals.
"Great General Hyou Ren! General Ri Yue!"
"The royal command has arrived!"
Hyou Ren took the message and quickly read it.
His expression remained unchanged.
"The order is for all Qin generals to immediately withdraw their forces to Qin central region and return to Kanyou."
Ri Yue's eyes narrowed.
"Withdraw towards the central region?"
Hyou Ren folded the letter.
"All armies are being recalled."
The messenger continued.
"His Majesty and the military command have summoned every Qin general to the capital. The situation has become a national emergency."
Hyou Ren looked at the battlefield behind him.
The land where countless soldiers had fought and died.
Then he looked toward the road leading back to Qin.
"So it has finally reached that stage."
Before they could continue, another messenger arrived from Kanyou.
"Great General Hyou Ren!"
"General Ri Yue!"
"The royal court has sent an urgent report!"
Hyou Ren accepted the message.
After reading it, his expression slightly changed.
Ri Yue noticed.
"What happened?"
Hyou Ren looked at the letter again.
"Qi has withdrawn from the coalition."
The surrounding officers froze.
"Qi?!"
"The state of Qi actually withdrew?"
Hyou Ren nodded.
"His Majesty succeeded in convincing Qi through diplomacy."
A soldier looked confused.
"But Qi was one of the nations that gathered to destroy Qin."
Hyou Ren looked toward the battlefield.
"Yes."
"Which means His Majesty managed to remove one of our enemies without sacrificing a single soldier."
Hyou Ren remained serious.
"But this does not mean we are safe."
He pointed toward the direction of the advancing coalition armies.
"Six nations becoming four does not change the reality."
"The remaining enemies still possess overwhelming numbers."
"However..."
He looked back at the Qin soldiers.
"This changes the situation."
"Qi's absence means their resources, soldiers, and supply routes will no longer support the coalition."
"Every advantage matters now."
The officers understood.
The war had changed.
Not because Qin had won.
But because Qin had survived long enough to create an opening.
Hyou Ren folded the message.
"Prepare to return."
"The capital has summoned all generals."
"Whatever happens next..."
"Will be decided in Kanyou."
Inside the royal palace, the atmosphere was suffocating.
The ministers stood in silence as another report arrived.
King Ei Sei sat upon his throne, his eyes fixed on the messenger.
"Report."
The messenger lowered his head.
"Your Majesty."
"The army of Ri Yue has successfully defeated the invading Han forces."
A wave of shock spread through the hall.
The messenger continued.
"Han's commander-in-chief, Sei Kai, was personally slain by General Ri Yue herself."
The room fell silent.
One of the members of the coalition had been defeated.
Ei Sei closed his eyes for a moment.
"Then Han has been removed from this war."
Shoheikun nodded.
"Yes."
"The coalition has lost one of its members."
"But the remaining four nations are still advancing."
Ei Sei looked toward the map.
Zhao.
Wei.
Chu.
Yan.
Four great powers.
All marching toward Qin.
The doors of the war chamber opened.
Inside stood every major military figure of Qin.
General Tou.
General Moubu.
Great General Mougou.
Vice General Kanki.
Vice General Ousen.
Great General Choutou.
Duke Hyou.
General Ri Yue.
Great General Hyou Ren.
Every single one of them had abandoned their positions on the frontlines and rushed back to Kanyou.
The atmosphere was unlike any previous military meeting.
There was no arrogance.
No confidence.
Only pressure.
Ryo Fui looked around the room.
"The air in here is truly heavy."
Nobody answered.
The weight of the situation was too obvious.
Suddenly, Hyou Ren spoke.
"Enough unnecessary talk."
Everyone turned toward him.
"Every person here has left their battlefield and abandoned their soldiers temporarily just to attend this meeting."
His eyes moved across the room.
"So stop wasting time."
"Get to the point."
A small smile appeared on Ryo Fui's face.
"As expected of Great General Hyou Ren."
"Straight to the heart of the matter."
Shoheikun stepped forward.
"The current situation is simple."
He placed the map of Qin on the table.
"Qin is currently facing a combined invasion force."
"Qi retreated before touching our borders"
"So the coalition army originally consisted of five nations."
He paused.
"Han has been defeated."
His eyes shifted toward Ri Yue.
"Because of General Ri Yue."
Ri Yue remained silent.
Shoheikun continued.
"However..."
"The remaining four nations have continued their advance."
"The total enemy force approaching Qin is..."
He stopped.
"500,000 soldiers."
The room became silent.
Then Shoheikun corrected himself.
"...Correction."
"450,000 soldiers."
Everyone looked toward Ri Yue.
She understood immediately.
"Because Han's army has already been destroyed."
Shoheikun nodded.
"Exactly."
He turned back toward the map.
"Even after losing Han, the coalition still possesses overwhelming numbers."
"This is a crisis that threatens the very existence of Qin."
Moubu clenched his fist.
"450,000..."
Kanki smiled faintly.
"So they really came prepared to erase us."
Ousen remained expressionless.
Tou quietly studied the map.
Hyou Ren stared at the enemy routes.
Shoheikun continued.
"Our current military resources cannot stop them."
A few generals frowned.
"Not at the current defensive positions."
"The various defense lines between the coalition army and Kanyou will be abandoned."
The room immediately became tense.
Duke Hyou looked up.
"Abandon?"
Shoheikun nodded.
"We cannot afford to lose more soldiers through meaningless battles."
"Every engagement we fight before Kankoku Pass only weakens us."
"The enemy has the advantage in numbers."
"We must preserve every soldier possible."
He pointed toward the cities across Qin.
"All soldiers stationed outside major cities will retreat."
"The coalition army will be allowed to advance."
A stunned silence filled the chamber.
"They will march through Qin territory uncontested..."
Shoheikun's voice remained firm.
"Yes."
"Until they reach the national gate."
"Kankoku Pass."
The name alone changed the atmosphere.
The greatest fortress of Qin.
The final barrier between destruction and survival.
Shoheikun looked at every general.
"Qin's survival will be decided there."
"The battle for Kankoku Pass will determine whether Qin continues to exist."
He rolled up the map.
"All generals."
"Immediately begin recalling your armies."
"Return every soldier you can to the national gate."
"The final battle is approaching."
The generals slowly stood.
Some carried confidence.
Some carried fear.
Some carried excitement.
But every single one understood the same thing.
This was no longer a war for territory.
This was a war for survival.
As Hyou Ren walked out of the chamber, Ri Yue followed beside him.
"The enemy believes they have already won."
Hyou Ren looked toward the sky above Kanyou.
"They are coming here expecting to destroy Qin."
His eyes sharpened.
"But they have forgotten something."
Ri Yue looked at him.
"What?"
Hyou Ren smiled faintly.
"Those who come for Qin..."
"Must be prepared to face the consequences."
Far away, the banners of the coalition continued their advance.
450,000 soldiers.
Four nations.
One target.
Qin.
And waiting for them...
Was Kankoku Pass.