254 BCE
BATTLE OF RIEN
Whilst the two young stars of their respective Kingdoms circled each other with ill intentions, three veterans were currently in a two-way deadlock. Seeing that the sixth day of battle was going to be different to the previous four, Wei Fire Dragon Gokei wanted to take full control of the battlefield; he'd managed to pull Sei Chou away from the battle by distracting him with Earl Shi.
His next target was one of the two veteran Generals that followed the Great Heaven Sei Chou, Gyou'un. Gokei lured Gyou'un in with a trap, making the fearsome General charge too deep into his formation before he cut off his exit route. Even though Gokei couldn't fully understand the instinctive mind of Gyou'un, he recognised that the man still had some inclination to tactics and used that to his full advantage.
Seeing his fellow General trapped, Chou Garyuu decided to take action, leading a charge, breaching a weak point of the encirclement and helping him break out. However, it seemed this was a moment that Gokei was manufacturing because as soon as Chou Garyuu and Gyou'un were free from that encirclement, the armies of Ma Ki and Kan Ei rushed at the troops left behind by Gyou'un and Chou Garyuu.
As Gokei watched this from his command centre, he slowly brought his hands up before turning his palms and clapping loudly, with absolute focus on his army movements. Gokei commented a single word, "Annihilate." The troops of Ma Ki and Kan Ei spurred forwards with vigour and the desire to right all the wrongs of the battle north of Rien City.
With a sickening thump, their army smashed into the troops of Chou Garyuu and Gyou'un, but the results of the collision were not what Gokei had expected at all. He could see it all from his vantage point, and Gokei concluded instantly: "Another talented commander has joined that army." Everything he could see pointed to that conclusion.
As Gokei knew, only a talented commander who had the respect of the soldiers would be able to put up such a stern defensive formation in the circumstances that he'd found himself in. The troops of Chou Garyuu and Gyou'un quickly utilised the shifting sands formation without the need for their two Generals, because the person to issue and ensure both armies were seamlessly in formation was none other than Chou Sou.
The young strategist took command and immediately showcased his talents, completely halting the momentum that was building up for the Gokei army.
Chou Garyuu POV
He knew for more than a moment he'd been caught with his reserve troops left to fend for themselves. Chou Garyuu knew it would happen should he and his best troops lead a charge to get Gyou'un, but not having Gyou'un trapped was a must; for Sei Chou to win this battle, both he and Gyou'un had to go show and go beyond their current abilities.
Once he'd dived into the trap set by Gokei, he rallied with Gyou'un and his troops. Both he and Gyou'un had pierced out of the weakest point of the encirclement; side by side, the two of them cut, killed and butchered anything that stood in their way. Only to see that the cunning Gokei had sent two different sets of troops charging at their lightly guarded headquarters.
The sight only infuriated Chou Garyuu, causing his blood to boil; he knew the same was happening to the man beside him even without a word or a glance being shared. The two of them stepped it up in just how much effort they were using to cut down the Wei troops that came their way; to the eyes and mind of Chou Garyuu, it seemed Gokei wanted to swarm them with numbers and block their return.
And he was doing a damn good job at it; everything spurt and injection of momentum from their side was met with more resistance from the Wei side, soldiers threw themselves on his glaive in the hope that it would slow Chou Garyuu down even by just half a minute. Gokei's plan worked; there was no way they could get there in time. Chou Garyuu could feel his stomach churn and the mere thought of disappointing his men and Lord.
That was until he heard an unpleasant sound, similar to the sound of a fist being smashed hard against a wall but many, many times louder. As he cut down a Wei soldier mercilessly, Chou Garyuu managed to glance at the HQ and what he saw stunned him.
"Th-the youngster is using your shifting sands, My Lord?" It was not Chou Garyuu who spoke, but one of the Jo brothers, and it was not only the Jo brothers but also Den Pou who was shocked by this development because, from what Chou Garyuu could see, Chou Sou had managed to blend the formation perfectly with the Gyou'un troops.
Chou Garyuu smirked proudly that his student was showing another level to his ability. "Gyou'un, it seems we are being out shone in this battle by a youngster no less, I believe it is time we show why us veterans are still valued and high ranking commanders in our Great Heaven's army?"
"Indeed," Gyou'un replied to him and the two of them in tandem unleashed everything they had on the Wei army.
CHOU GARYUU POV END
As Gyou'un, Chou Garyuu and Chou Sou took another step forward, so did their Lord and leader, Sei Chou.
SEI CHOU POV
A wide area had been created as Earl Shi and I circled each other; he wasn't glaring at me, and I wasn't glaring at him. My troops were cheering for me, while he was more subdued, almost like they begrudgingly had followed him here. I trusted Gyou'un, Chou Garyuu and Chou Sou enough to leave Gokei to them; even if the veteran strategist was the commander-in-chief, in my mind the person across from me was the bigger prize.
The task was simple: defeat Earl Shi and the Wei army would crumble; their martial might would buckle under our pressure and momentum to the point that even with all of Gokei's intelligence it wouldn't be enough. They'd be forced to retreat; it would be fighting one, but still they would retreat.
Looking at my opponent, I could see the resolve of making this battle between us the very final one, to unleash everything and create a legend that would stand the test of time. As the legend spreads far and wide.
Earl Shi was still calm as ever, his eyes narrowed, and his spear held relaxed at his side, a false move, of course, something to get me to lower my guard and relax. I was doing the same, though; my glaive was held in a relaxed grip, but with enough tightness that should I want to, I could unleash my full power in a moment's notice.
"Not going to make the first move? I thought you were the first spear in all of China, or do I frighten you so much that you're nervous and scared?" I asked Earl Shi.
Earl Shi moved his horse forward slightly after we'd come to a stop. "Your provocation needs work if you believe those little words would make me charge recklessly; is it not you who defeated Oukotsu of Qin? Surely it is on you to make the first move?" He replied with a smirk.
"Oh, so you heard about that; they always exaggerate these things in the retelling. I'm sure after this battle the retelling of this will exceed our expectations."
"I'm sure they will."
In a flash, I charged at Earl Shi, swinging my glaive without mercy. Enough time had passed, and I could sense an opportunity coming. I had taken such a long time circling him, talking to him and barely acting in the days after the first day of battle; I was trying to kill two birds with one stone.
The sound was deafening as our weapons locked and I clashed with Earl Shi; the sound of screeching and screaming metal met my ears as we both tried to overpower each other. Due to my weapon advantage, I overpowered Earl Shi. Whilst doing so, I stored the information that he'd gotten much stronger since the last time we'd fought in the back of my mind for later.
Earl Shi was pushed back a few paces, but he shook it off quickly like it was nothing and charged at me with a deadly spear thrust. Using all my skill with my glaive, I deflected the blow and watched from the corner of my eye as it just passed my skin. Before using the flat of my glaive to smack Earl Shi on the shoulder, the impact caused him and his horse to jolt to the side.
I grinned at him as he looked at me; my troops were cheering all around, unlike Earl Shi's own troops, who only quietly looked on, as I continued to win in the initial exchanges.
"Why do you fight for a Kingdom that doesn't want you?" I asked between our clashes, but received no answer from the man who seemed to get faster and faster. We went back and forth without restraint; the earth below us started to be churned and carved up as our horses stamped furiously.
"Why fight for an army that doesn't like or respect you?" I questioned the man, but his face remained that of stone as if he was on autopilot and unaffected by my obvious provocation.
"Why fight for your father who doesn't love you?" The question I knew struck somewhere but not home because suddenly Earl Shi was fighting with a vigour that was not seen previously, and now I was on the defensive, fending off continuous spear thrusts from all angles. His eyes were arrowed even more than previously, as he went through all of his moves. Parts of my armour were being chipped and broken away, as Earl Shi continued to attack me, but I held my ground firmly and, even with the speed of his spear, I was matching it, and suddenly I'd take the momentum of the battle once more.
Using the momentum, I pressured Earl Shi with continuous strokes of my glaive; some he managed to deflect, but there were others he had no choice but to feel their brute force. I knew if I was an outsider looking at this fight, I would be marvelling at the spectacle being caused by Earl Shi and me, but I couldn't let my mind drift too far from this duel because the next question would unleash the full martial might of Earl Shi on me.
"Why fight for a man who would sell your sister to the wife killer?!" A vein appeared on the forehead of the first spear of China; his once narrowed eyes were wide, but not with shock; they stared at me with a blazing fury.
"Where did you hear that?" Earl Shi asked. I smirked at the man, knowing my provocation had struck home this time.
"I see, you don't know," I replied.
"Where did you hear that?!" Earl Shi repeated, but I didn't reply with words; instead, a swing of glaive with full power. The swing nearly sent him flying, and it took him some time to catch his bearings.
However, when he did, Earl Shi came back at me with his most vicious attacks and showed just why he is the number 1 spear in all of China.
SEI CHOU POV END
254 BCE
STATE OF WEI: DAIRYOUU
EARL SHI RESIDENCE
While Zhao and Wei face each other fiercely at the Battle of Rien. The residence of Earl Shi welcomed several merchants and gift givers, as they ramped up preparations for a very special event.
"I am happy you liked our gift, Lady Shikika." A dark-haired woman said to Lady Shikika, sister of Earl Shi. The woman wore a similar silk dress to Lady Shikika but in different colours and with flower patterns.
"Very much so, Lady Yuu. I must say the designs are very pleasing to the eyes." Shikika replied with a light smile; she'd seen the merchants entering the capital of Wei and had been shocked when one of them had personally asked her for a meeting, not her clan father. And for the person to be a woman like her, Shikika was almost shocked to numbness.
"That is good, but you see, Lady Shikika. I have a secret to tell you." Lady Yuu said with a smile, taking a piece of fruit and delicately consuming it.
"And what may that be?"
"I have heard some murmurs that you are to be wed. Is this true?"
"Yes, the clan head has ordered me to… to get married." Lady Shikika clenched her fist for a moment, forcing the words out. Just some time ago she would've been overjoyed to be married, but now…
"And you're not happy about this?" Lady Yuu asked with a curious tilt of her head.
"I am." The reply was clipped, sharp and completely false.
"I see. Have you never thought of starting somewhere else?" Lady Yuu asked.
"Thoughts of it, I can not say…" Of course Shikika had thought it over; she'd dreamed her and her brother were anywhere but where they were right now, and she could see their happy smiling faces. The dreams brought her both joy and grief.
"Well," Lady Yuu started as she leaned closer to Shikika, "Since the Shi clan can no longer want you. Why not leave?"
Shikika jerked her head back and stared at Lady Yuu, suddenly two men and three women, all dressed as servants, entered the room.
"Lady Shikika, my lover wants some more leverage over your brother. So," Lady Yuu pointed at Shikika, "We will be taking you with us."