The plains of Kakumin, situated at the foot of the Kokuyou Hills, were alive with activity.
For three days, the 50,000-man Kanki Army had occupied the region, transforming the once tranquil plains into a den of wolves.
Unlike the encampments of orthodox Qin armies, there was little order to be found.
Men sat around roaring campfires drinking themselves into stupors.
Others gambled away their hard-earned spoils, laughing as coins and jewelry changed hands.
The sounds of arguments, drunken songs, and occasional fistfights echoed throughout the camp.
Women moved freely between the tents, some tending to the wounded while others served as prostitutes, a common sight among Kanki's followers.
No military inspections.
No synchronized drills.
No formations being rehearsed.
At first glance, one would mistake the camp for a gathering of thousands of criminals rather than one of Qin's Great Armies.
Yet beneath the disorder...
Every single one of them had survived battlefields soaked in blood.
Every single one had earned his place by killing.
Every single one feared only one man.
General Kanki.
Upon a small hill overlooking the encampment stood Kanki himself.
His gaze remained fixed upon the northern horizon.
Beside him stood his trusted officers.
Raido, Ringyoku, Koku'Ou, Marron, Naki, Zenou and the commanders of every clan under his banner.
None spoke.
They had all received word.
Today...
The army assigned to conduct the joint invasion of Kokuyou would finally arrive.
A sudden vibration ran through the earth.
...Boom.
Another followed.
BOOM.
The tremors steadily intensified.
Every cup of wine upon the tables began to ripple.
Loose pebbles danced upon the ground.
The laughter throughout the camp gradually faded.
Bandits emerged from every tent.
Some climbed onto wagons.
Others stood atop watchtowers.
All stared toward the northern horizon.
Then...
A soldier shouted.
"AN ARMY!!"
Thousands of heads turned simultaneously.
Far in the distance...
A massive cloud of dust slowly rose into the heavens.
Within that cloud appeared countless black banners.
As they drew closer...
Crimson edges became visible upon every flag.
At the center flew an enormous standard bearing the unmistakable emblem of the House of Hyou.
Rows upon rows of armored soldiers stretched beyond the horizon.
Their formation seemed endless.
One rank.
Then another.
Then another.
Ten thousand...
Twenty thousand...
Fifty thousand...
Still they came.
The ground shook violently beneath the synchronized footsteps of one hundred thousand elite soldiers.
Unlike Kanki's men, not a single soldier spoke.
The only sounds were disciplined footsteps, the rattling of armor and the rhythmic beating of enormous war drums.
BOOOOOM!!
BOOOOOM!!
The deep thunder of Qin's drums rolled across the plains like the roar of heaven itself.
Even the horses of Kanki's camp became restless.
Several bandits instinctively gripped their weapons.
"...What the hell..."
"So that's the Hyou Army..."
A silence unlike any before descended over Kanki's camp.
For perhaps the first time...
The infamous bandits felt genuine pressure.
Standing upon the hill, Kanki merely watched with narrowed eyes.
His lips slowly curled upward.
"Heh..."
"So..."
"The heavyweight has finally arrived."
Raido clicked his tongue.
"They've got some damn impressive entrance."
Ringyoku folded his arms.
"I heard they numbered more than fifty thousand during the Coalition War."
Marron swallowed nervously.
"Looks like those reports were already outdated."
"That is definitely One hundred thousand strong..."
Zenou remained silent.
His beast-like instincts sensed something unusual.
Every man within that marching army possessed killing intent.
Not reckless bloodlust.
Not madness.
But the quiet confidence of veterans who had survived countless wars.
As the army approached Kakumin...
The soldiers moved with flawless precision.
Thousands separated into construction divisions.
Others secured supply routes.
Engineers immediately surveyed the terrain.
Within moments, an enormous military camp began taking shape beside Kanki's.
Watching the scene from horseback, Ri Yue calmly surveyed Kanki's camp.
She let out a quiet sigh.
"As expected..."
Hyou Ren looked toward her.
"What is it?"
Ri Yue smiled faintly.
"Kanki's army truly lives up to its reputation."
Her eyes wandered across the neighboring encampment.
"There are gambling circles..."
"Drunken soldiers..."
"Prostitutes openly moving throughout the camp."
"Some are even sleeping while others continue drinking."
Several officers behind her nodded.
Compared to the Hyou Army...
The difference could not have been greater.
Within Hyou Ren's camp...
Every soldier already knew his assigned duty.
Weapons were neatly stacked.
Supply wagons stood in perfect order.
Guard rotations had already been established.
Scouts had departed.
Archers occupied elevated positions.
Even the horses had designated enclosures.
No shouting.
No confusion.
Only discipline.
Ri Yue continued.
"Their discipline is far beneath ours."
"But..."
She crossed her arms.
"That is precisely why they are terrifying."
Several nearby officers looked toward her.
"Kanki's army does not fight according to military doctrine."
"They possess no attachment to honor."
"No concern for reputation."
"They employ ambushes."
"Psychological warfare."
"Night raids."
"Deception."
"Terror."
"They'll poison wells if necessary."
"They'll burn villages."
"They'll massacre surrendered soldiers."
"They'll even sacrifice parts of their own formation if it secures victory."
Her gaze sharpened.
"They are completely unpredictable."
"The greatest weakness of every orthodox army is that they think logically."
"Kanki does not."
"And because of that..."
"He has repeatedly defeated enemies who should have overwhelmed him."
Hyou Ren nodded.
"Indeed."
"The battlefield is not won solely by strength."
"Sometimes..."
"The most dangerous blade is the one that moves beyond reason."
Hours passed.
By sunset...
The Hyou Army had transformed an empty field into a fortress.
Massive wooden barricades surrounded the camp.
Signal towers stood high above the plains.
Supply depots had been completed.
Patrols continuously circled the perimeter.
Watching from afar, even Kanki's officers found themselves impressed.
Raido scratched his head.
"...They're ridiculously organized."
Marron nodded.
"It's hard to believe they're the same army responsible for the massacre of Taigen."
Koku'Ou smirked.
"Looks can be deceiving."
"They're every bit as ruthless."
As dusk settled upon Kakumin...
Kanki finally rose.
"Let's go."
Without another word, he began walking toward the neighboring camp.
Behind him followed Raido, Ringyoku, Marron, Naki, Zenou, Koku'Ou and the remaining officers.
The moment they stepped beyond the entrance...
The atmosphere completely changed.
Silence.
Thousands of Hyou soldiers stood motionless.
Every spear remained upright.
Every sword perfectly maintained.
Every pair of eyes silently followed the newcomers.
No hostility.
No greetings.
Only observation.
It felt as though Kanki's officers had stepped into the lair of predators.
Raido frowned.
"...Damn."
"The pressure here is unreal."
Ringyoku quietly replied.
"They're staring as if we're already enemies."
Zenou instinctively tightened his grip upon his massive weapon.
Even he could sense it.
Every soldier here possessed the aura of someone who had crossed countless mountains of corpses.
Veterans of She Gan.
Veterans of Kan Plains.
Veterans of Sanyou.
Veterans of the Coalition War.
Veterans of Choyou.
Veterans of the Rebellion of Ai.
Countless battlefields had forged them into monsters.
Kanki simply chuckled.
"Heh..."
"Now this..."
"...is an army."
Soon, they arrived before the largest command tent.
The guards pulled back the entrance curtain.
Inside...
Duke Hyou Ren stood before an enormous campaign map.
At his right stood General Ri Yue.
Behind them waited Tian Hao, Bao Jun, Lu Shen, Mo Yun, and the senior officers of the Hyou Army.
The atmosphere inside the headquarters became impossibly heavy.
It was as though two storms had collided.
For several moments...
Neither side spoke.
The commanders simply measured one another.
Finally...
Hyou Ren broke the silence.
"Kanki."
"It has been some time."
Kanki grinned.
"It has."
"You've gotten even bigger since Sanyou."
Hyou Ren laughed.
"And you've become even more infamous."
His golden eyes met Kanki's.
"Every battlefield you leave behind becomes a nightmare."
"Mass executions."
"Pillaging."
"The destruction of entire settlements."
"Your name alone has become enough to make enemy cities surrender in terror."
He smiled.
"Good."
"It tells me one thing."
"You are not afraid to dirty your hands."
Kanki's grin widened.
"Coming from the Butcher of Taigen..."
"I'll take that as praise."
Several officers from both sides quietly laughed.
Ri Yue then stepped forward.
"Our army is hardly innocent."
"The massacre at Taigen will forever stain the name of Hyou."
She spoke without hesitation.
"No matter how history judges us..."
"It cannot be erased."
She slowly looked toward every commander inside the tent.
"But neither can the countless massacres committed by every other state."
Her eyes narrowed.
"This..."
"...is the era we were born into."
"There are no saints upon these battlefields."
"The victor writes history."
"The victor decides justice."
"The victor claims everything."
Her voice became colder.
"And the defeated..."
"Lose everything."
"Their lands."
"Their families."
"Their future."
"Their names."
She looked directly at Kanki.
"If we wish to avoid sharing their fate..."
"There is only one answer."
"We must never lose."
Silence consumed the headquarters.
Even Kanki's officers found no words to refute her.
Finally...
Kanki chuckled.
"...Well said."
For perhaps the first time...
There was unmistakable respect in his eyes.
Hyou Ren unfolded the campaign map of Kokuyou Hills.
"Now then."
"As for this campaign..."
"I have no intention of restricting your army."
The Kanki officers exchanged surprised glances.
"You know your soldiers better than anyone."
"Fight however you deem appropriate."
"My army shall observe the flow of battle and adapt accordingly."
He pointed toward the hills.
"If your methods create an opening..."
"We will exploit it."
"If our assault creates an opportunity..."
"I expect you to seize it without hesitation."
Kanki's smile widened.
"Likewise."
"I don't care how you fight either."
"So long as Zhao dies."
The two generals stared at one another.
No formal agreement.
No elaborate strategy.
No lengthy debate.
Only mutual understanding.
Both men were monsters born from different paths.
One commanded through discipline.
The other through chaos.
Yet both shared the same creed.
Victory justified everything.
Outside the headquarters, two great banners fluttered side by side beneath the crimson evening sky.
The black-crimson standard of House Hyou.
The black-purple banner of General Kanki.
Across the Kokuyou Hills, the Zhao armies remained unaware.
Two of Qin's most feared armies had united.
And together...
They would plunge Kokuyou into a bloodbath unlike anything the hills had ever witnessed.