Across the battlefield, the morale of the coalition army crumbled while Qin's soldiers erupted into deafening cheers.
Yet atop her command tower...
Karin remained composed.
She slowly folded her fan before letting out a quiet laugh.
"So... this is where everyone believes the battle has ended."
Her officers stared at her in confusion.
"My lady?"
Karin smiled.
"Not yet."
She looked toward the distant walls of Kankoku Pass.
"Did you really think I would entrust the fate of the coalition to a straightforward battlefield?"
She turned to Ka En.
"The reason I ordered the coalition to delay their full assault for ten days..."
"...was never because I wanted to observe Qin."
"It was to buy time."
Everyone looked at her in surprise.
"Ten days ago..."
"I secretly dispatched five thousand elite soldiers through an abandoned mountain pass known only to Chu."
A map was spread before her.
Her finger traced a narrow route weaving behind the mountains surrounding Kankoku Pass.
"While everyone has been watching this battlefield..."
"...my soldiers have been marching through this hidden route for 10 days."
"They should be arriving..."
"...today."
Her smile widened.
"Their mission is simple."
"Open the gates of Kankoku Pass from the inside."
Silence filled the command post.
"If the gates are opened..."
"The entire coalition army will flood into Qin."
"The entire battlefield of the coalition..."
"...was merely a feint."
At that very moment…
A signal flare shot into the sky.
Karin's confident smile froze.
"..."
"...Hmm?"
Another messenger sprinted toward her.
"My Lady Karin!!"
"The infiltration force..."
"...has been annihilated!!"
The entire headquarters went silent.
"...What?"
"The Qin general Ousen appeared with a detached force!"
"He intercepted our hidden army before they could reach the gate!"
"They were completely wiped out!"
For the first time since the coalition campaign began...
Karin's face twisted in disbelief.
"...Impossible."
She gritted her teeth.
"Ousen..."
"So you discovered my hidden path."
Her fan snapped shut.
"What the hell is the Yan army doing?!"
"They were supposed to keep Ousen occupied!"
"If Yan had done their damn job..."
"Ousen would never have reached that pass!"
She slammed her fan against the table.
"So..."
"The show is over."
She sighed heavily.
"...This is all Zhao's fault."
Her eyes turned toward the distant coalition headquarters.
"How did Qin Great General Hyou Ren manage to sneak all the way to our headquarters?"
"And after attacking..."
"They somehow entered the Chu battlefield as well."
State of Chu
Royal Capital — Chin
Inside the magnificent royal palace...
The King of Chu, Kouretsu, sat upon his throne.
The atmosphere in the court was suffocating.
"The reports continue to worsen."
He slowly closed his eyes.
"Following Rinbunkun..."
"Now we have lost Kanmei..."
"And even Shunshinkun."
He sighed.
"Ultimately..."
"The Chu army has proven itself to be the burden of this entire coalition."
A heavy silence followed.
"This..."
"...is nothing but a disgrace upon Chu."
The king rested his chin upon his hand.
"That said..."
"Does this mean..."
"...that it was foolish of me to be stingy when choosing my military contribution to the coalition?"
His gaze shifted toward a towering figure standing calmly within the court.
"What do you say..."
"Renpa?"
Standing proudly before the throne was the legendary former Three Great Heavens of Zhao.
After the Battle of Sanyou...
Renpa had accepted asylum within Chu.
Despite his age...
His overwhelming presence still dominated the room.
The Chu king continued.
"If I were to dispatch both Kou En..."
"...and you..."
"Would the two of you be able to reorganize the Chu army in time?"
Renpa remained silent for a long moment.
Finally...
He answered.
"...Impossible."
The ministers exchanged uneasy glances.
Renpa continued.
"Qin has not recalled the soldiers stationed throughout its cities and castles."
"They have left every regional army exactly where it belongs."
"They are reinforcing every fortress."
"Every road."
"Every mountain pass."
"Every weakness the coalition exploited during its invasion..."
"...has already been sealed."
He looked toward the western horizon.
"If Chu sends reinforcements now..."
"We would have to fight our way through Qin's defensive lines all over again."
"There is simply no time."
The king lowered his head.
"So..."
"The coalition has failed?"
Renpa slowly smiled.
"...No."
His eyes narrowed.
"It has not been decided yet."
The entire court looked at him.
"Because..."
"...Riboku has yet to make his move."
A heavy silence spread throughout the throne room.
King Kouretsu narrowed his eyes.
"You still place such confidence in the Zhao prime minister?"
Renpa crossed his arms.
"I do."
"The battle at Kankoku Pass may appear decided, but Riboku is not the sort of man to entrust the fate of a campaign to a single battlefield."
"He always prepares another road to victory."
The Chu ministers exchanged uncertain glances.
One minister stepped forward.
"But according to the latest reports, Riboku has remained at the coalition headquarters throughout the battle."
Renpa slowly shook his head.
"No."
"He has not."
The court fell silent.
Renpa continued.
"The fact that Riboku disappeared from the coalition headquarters on the tenth day..."
"...is known only to a handful of people within the coalition."
"Even among the coalition commanders, very few were informed."
"The majority of the officers still believe Riboku is directing the war from headquarters."
King Kouretsu raised an eyebrow.
"So even our own allies were kept in the dark?"
Renpa nodded.
"Precisely."
"The fewer who know of such a movement, the smaller the chance of information leaking."
He paused before continuing.
"As for Qin..."
Renpa's expression became serious.
"They know nothing."
"In their eyes..."
"Riboku remains at the coalition headquarters, commanding the invasion."
A faint smile appeared on Renpa's face.
"That misunderstanding is exactly what Riboku intended."
King Kouretsu leaned forward.
"So the Zhao prime minister abandoned the main battlefield..."
"...without informing even most of his allies?"
Renpa answered calmly.
"Yes."
"Because the battlefield at Kankoku Pass was never where he intended to decide this war."
"He entrusted the coalition's command to Shunshinkun while he quietly departed with a carefully selected force."
"The coalition's repeated assaults..."
"The duel between Moubu and Kanmei..."
"Karin's hidden infiltration..."
"All of it has served another purpose."
"They have occupied Qin's attention completely."
"No one has had the time to wonder where Riboku truly is."
The king slowly smiled.
"What a frightening man."
Renpa nodded in agreement.
"Indeed."
"While every eye in China has been fixed upon Kankoku Pass..."
"...Riboku has already begun moving elsewhere."
He looked toward the west, his eyes sharp as ever.
"When Qin finally realizes that Riboku is no longer at the coalition headquarters..."
"...it will already be too late."
Far away, beyond the battlefields of Kankoku Pass, a Zhao army advanced in absolute secrecy.
No banners were raised.
No drums were beaten.
Their destination remained unknown.
And throughout all of Qin...
Not a single soul was aware that the true mastermind of the coalition had vanished five days earlier.