The second day of the Battle of Choyou dawned beneath skies still stained by the smoke of the previous day's carnage. Across the vast plains, countless battles erupted simultaneously as Qin and Wei fought desperately for every inch of ground.
Unlike the Gyoku Hou Army, whose advance had been halted by Wei's elite center forces, the Hi Shin Unit had carved a bloody path through the battlefield.
On the very first day, Shin had personally led the Hi Shin Unit through the enemy's frontline, shattering Wei's defensive line with overwhelming force.
Now, on the second day, they pressed their advantage even further.
"Forward!"
"Don't give them time to regroup!"
The Hi Shin Unit surged ahead once again.
The first wave of Wei's reserve army rushed in to contain Shin's advance, but they found themselves completely overwhelmed. Veteran infantry broke apart shield walls while the Hi Shin cavalry crashed through the enemy formations like a torrent.
Shin himself cut down one Wei commander after another, throwing the reserve force into complete disorder.
"We've broken the reserve!"
"The enemy is retreating!"
Cheers erupted throughout the Hi Shin Unit.
Then…
A deep rumbling shook the battlefield.
"What is that...?"
From the western flank, enormous clouds of dust rose into the sky.
Moments later, dozens of heavily armored Wei war chariots burst from the haze.
"The Wei war chariots!"
"They're charging Kyoukai's left wing!"
The massive vehicles smashed into Qin's formation with terrifying force. Iron wheels crushed infantry beneath them while crossbowmen mounted atop the chariots unleashed relentless volleys of bolts.
"Kyoukai's unit is being overwhelmed!"
Shin's eyes narrowed.
"Center cavalry!"
"With me!"
Without hesitation, Shin led the Hi Shin cavalry away from the center to reinforce Kyoukai's wing.
The very moment the cavalry departed...
The center was left exposed.
Far across the battlefield, another banner slowly advanced.
A black dragon emblazoned upon crimson cloth.
The banner of one of Wei's legendary Fire Dragons.
At its head rode a warrior whose expression remained completely emotionless.
Earl Shi.
He quietly raised his spear.
"The opening..."
"...has appeared."
The Wei Fire Dragon Army charged.
Thousands of elite cavalry thundered across the battlefield, smashing into the weakened center of the Hi Shin Unit before Qin could react.
"Our center is breaking!"
"Our cavalry is gone!"
Earl Shi rode at the front of the assault, cutting down every soldier who attempted to halt his advance.
The center began collapsing under the overwhelming pressure.
Behind the center line, a group of mounted officers rode relentlessly through the battlefield.
At its heart was Karyo Ten.
Unlike the strategists of most armies who remained safely inside a stationary headquarters, the Hi Shin Unit's headquarters moved with the battle itself. Riding atop her horse with her bow slung across her back, Karyo Ten constantly repositioned her mobile command post wherever the fighting became fiercest.
Messengers galloped toward her from every direction.
"Strategist!"
"The center is being forced back!"
Another rider arrived.
"The right wing has repelled the cavalry but suffered heavy losses!"
A third messenger rushed over.
"Earl Shi has broken through another formation!"
Ten's sharp eyes swept across the battlefield.
Her gaze lingered on Earl Shi's advancing army before shifting toward the distant movements of the Wei reserves.
"...I see."
"He's not trying to destroy the center."
"He's creating panic."
Without hesitation she pointed ahead.
"Messenger!"
"Tell Suugen to withdraw thirty paces!"
"Form three staggered spear walls!"
"Yes!"
The rider immediately galloped away.
Another report arrived almost instantly.
"The enemy cavalry is attempting to swing around our right flank!"
"Signal Denyuu."
"Intercept them, but do not pursue."
"Understood!"
Blue signal flags were immediately raised.
Mounted couriers raced toward the battlefield.
Without slowing her horse, Karyo Ten reached behind her saddle and drew an arrow.
Standing slightly upon the stirrups, she fixed her eyes upon a Wei thousand-man commander shouting orders near Earl Shi's vanguard.
She released.
TWANG!
The arrow tore across the battlefield.
The Wei commander collapsed from his horse with an arrow through his throat.
"The commander has fallen!"
"The Wei Army is slowing down!"
Ten had already drawn another arrow.
"Keep moving!"
Her mobile headquarters continued riding just behind the center as guards surrounded her against enemy cavalry.
Another messenger arrived.
"The right formation is beginning to collapse!"
"Rotate En's reserve into the gap."
"Tell Hairou to advance twenty paces."
"And have Kanto reinforce their rear."
"Immediately!"
Fresh Qin reserves began moving before the Wei breakthrough could widen.
The collapsing line stabilized almost instantly.
Far ahead...
Earl Shi sensed danger.
He leaned sideways.
TWANG!
An arrow grazed past his head.
Another followed immediately.
He calmly deflected it with his spear.
Before he could continue…
A Wei officer beside him suddenly fell with an arrow buried through his neck.
"The strategist!"
"She's commanding while shooting!"
Another officer fell.
Then another.
Every time Earl Shi attempted to reorganize his assault, another commander was struck down.
At the very same time...
The Qin formations continuously adapted.
The center withdrew in perfect order.
Reserve infantry arrived exactly where they were needed.
The right flank suddenly counterattacked.
The left shifted inward before gaps could appear.
Earl Shi quietly observed the young woman riding among the Qin reserve troops.
Messengers constantly arrived beside her.
She issued commands without hesitation.
The instant each messenger departed...
Another arrow flew.
Command.
Shoot.
Command.
Shoot.
Every action flowed together with perfect rhythm.
For the first time...
Earl Shi's emotionless expression changed ever so slightly.
"So..."
"She commands the battlefield..."
"...while fighting within it."
Although none of her arrows struck Earl Shi directly, every shot forced him to slow his advance or divert his spear. The momentum of the Fire Dragon Army gradually began to fade.
Meanwhile...
Shin had nearly reached Kyoukai's position when he spotted Earl Shi's banner carving through the Hi Shin Unit's center.
His eyes widened.
"So that was your plan..."
"The chariots were only bait."
He immediately turned his horse.
"Everyone!"
"Turn around!"
"We're hitting Earl Shi from the rear!"
The Hi Shin cavalry wheeled around as one.
Instead of reinforcing Kyoukai...
They slammed directly into the rear of the Fire Dragon Army.
"RAAAAAAHHH!!"
Shin's glaive descended with tremendous force.
CLAAAAANG!!
Earl Shi instantly turned and raised his spear.
The violent clash echoed across the battlefield.
Without exchanging a word, the two commanders began an intense duel.
Blow after blow shook the earth beneath them.
Neither warrior gave ground.
Karyo Ten never ceased commanding.
"Suugen! Advance the spear wall!"
"En! Rotate the wounded!"
"Denyuu! Push their left flank!"
Every order was immediately carried away by mounted messengers.
Then…
TWANG!
Another arrow screamed toward Earl Shi.
He twisted aside.
Shin's glaive followed immediately.
CLANG!
Another arrow.
Another clash.
Earl Shi was forced to divide his concentration between Shin's overwhelming strength and Karyo Ten's relentless marksmanship.
Shin grinned fiercely.
"So you're one of Wei's Fire Dragons!"
Elsewhere...
Kyoukai calmly cut down another Wei chariot commander.
With Shin's brief intervention the Wei chariots had adjusted their position.
This has brought enough time for Kyoukai to reorganize her forces.
The remaining Wei war chariots were quickly being hunted down by her cavalry.
"The left wing has stabilized..."
Her eyes suddenly shifted toward the distant horizon.
Fresh Wei banners.
"...Reinforcements."
Her expression hardened.
"They aren't reinforcing Earl Shi."
"They're moving behind us..."
Realization struck immediately.
"The war chariots..."
"And Earl Shi..."
"They were only distractions."
"Their true objective..."
"...was to encircle the Hi Shin Unit."
She glanced toward Shin, who remained locked in combat with Earl Shi.
"I cannot help him."
"If I leave..."
"The encirclement will close."
Turning toward her officers, she calmly ordered,
"We intercept the reinforcements."
"We secure a path for the Hi Shin Unit to withdraw."
One officer hesitated.
"But Captain... Shin"
A faint smile appeared on Kyoukai's face.
"Karyo Ten is with him."
"That is enough."
Without another word, Kyoukai led her unit directly into the incoming Wei reinforcements.
Her sword danced like moonlight.
One Wei commander after another fell beneath her blade.
Every passing minute delayed the enemy encirclement.
Back at the center...
Earl Shi glanced toward the distant battlefield.
He saw Kyoukai's army smashing apart the Wei reinforcements before they could complete the encirclement.
He sidestepped another arrow from Karyo Ten.
Then blocked another devastating strike from Shin.
CLANG!!
His sharp eyes swept across the battlefield.
The Wei Army was steadily shrinking.
Every attempt to reorganize his formation ended with another officer falling to Karyo Ten's arrows.
At the same time, her mobile headquarters continued weaving behind the Qin lines, her commands reinforcing weak points, rotating exhausted units, and launching timely counterattacks that steadily robbed the Wei Fire Dragon Army of its momentum.
For the first time that day...
Earl Shi acknowledged the battlefield before him.
"So..."
"The maneuver has failed."
He raised his spear high.
Signal flags immediately rose behind him.
The Wei Army began withdrawing in perfect order.
"They're retreating!"
"The Wei are falling back!"
Shin lowered his glaive but made no attempt to pursue.
Night had already begun to descend over Choyou.
The horns of both armies echoed across the blood-soaked plains.
Thus ended the second day of the Battle of Choyou.
Wei's carefully orchestrated trap had failed through the combined efforts of Shin, Kyoukai, and Karyo Ten.
Shin had held back the might of Earl Shi, Kyoukai had shattered the encircling reinforcements, and Karyo Ten had commanded the Hi Shin Unit from the front while personally thinning the ranks of the Wei Army with her bow.
As darkness settled over the battlefield, the couples understood one undeniable truth.
Earl Shi has entered their battlefield.
The Fire Dragons of Wei had finally entered the war.
And the struggle for Choyou had only just begun.