The desperate struggle against fate

Despite their losses, Ousen's remaining forces had regrouped into an orderly, disciplined force. The morale had been bolstered not by rousing speeches but by Ousen's unyielding presence.

His calm, calculating demeanor had a way of steadying even the most shaken soldier.

Ahead of them lay KouRyu's camp, nestled within a natural basin surrounded by steep hills.

It was a position that appeared vulnerable but was, in fact, a carefully crafted trap. Ousen knew this. He knew KouRyu had anticipated his advance. And yet, he pressed forward.

Denrimi rode beside him, his expression wary. "My lord, the men fear another flood—or worse. KouRyu's unpredictability is a weapon in itself."

Ousen didn't look away from the horizon. "Fear is natural. But so is survival. They will fight when the time comes."

From his vantage point atop a hill, KouRyu surveyed the approaching Ren forces. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting long shadows across the battlefield.

"There he comes," KouRyu said, a faint smile curling his lips.

Han Xin stood beside him, arms crossed. "Ousen is not a man who walks blindly into traps. He knows what we've prepared for him."

"That's what makes this battle so intriguing," KouRyu replied. "He knows it's a trap, yet he has no choice but to spring it. The question is, how will he attempt to turn it against us?"

KouRyu's camp was a masterpiece of defensive strategy. Barricades, pits, and hidden caltrops lined the approaches, while his main force was concealed within the hills.

This design at first glance might look mighty but full of loopholes. But there was a key detail missing, the soldiers who hadn't taken up their positions. If they were to be in position, Ousen might have reconsidered his decision to attack.

Small contingents of soldiers manned the camp's outer defenses, baiting Ousen to commit his forces.

"Deploy the signal units," KouRyu ordered. "Let them think they're pushing us back."

As the Ren forces approached the camp, Ousen divided his army into three units. The first, led by Akou, launched a frontal assault on the camp. The second, commanded by Denrimi, moved to flank the enemy on the eastern side.

The third unit, under Ouhon's leadership, held back, poised to react to any unexpected developments.

The battle began with Akou's troops charging the camp's defenses. The defenders, as instructed, offered just enough resistance to appear genuine before retreating deeper into the camp.

This encouraged Akou's men to press forward, their confidence growing with each step.

Meanwhile, Denrimi's forces encountered fierce resistance on the eastern flank. KouRyu had stationed a smaller, highly mobile unit there to harass and delay any flanking maneuvers under Han Xin.

Ouhon watched from the rear, his grip tightening on his spear. "It's too easy," he muttered. "KouRyu is toying with us."

As Akou's forces pushed deeper into the camp, the hills erupted with activity. Thousands of soldiers poured out from hidden positions, encircling the Ren forces. At the same time, concealed archers unleashed a devastating volley, raining death upon Akou's men.

The signal reached KouRyu's central command. "Execute the encirclement," KouRyu ordered, his voice calm.

The ground beneath the Ren forces' feet began to betray them. Pitfalls, hidden trenches, and collapsing barricades disrupted their formations, sowing chaos among the ranks.

From the hills, Zhang Liao's cavalry descended like a thunderstorm, cutting off Akou's retreat. The cut a bloody path among the soldiers of Ren to appear behind them .

Denrimi's forces, still engaged on the eastern flank, were unable to come to Akou's aid. The Ren army was fragmented, their cohesion shattered. Each unit of KouRyu's army acted as if they were water and flowed through the formation. The settled in key points, turning the formation into 8 different gates.

No matter which gate they tried to break through, the Ousen army met only defeat as the surrounding soldiers cut down their numbers.

Ousen clenched his fists and muttered, " I was so focused on KouRyu that I forgot there was another scary man beside him who also came here.

So, this is the famous unbreakable formation, The eight gate golden lock - developed by KouRyu's genius strategist Zhuge Liang. It truly is formidable."

Despite the chaos, Ousen remained unflinching. He raised a hand, signaling Ouhon's unit to move.

"Ride west," Ousen ordered.

"West?" Ouhon asked, his brow furrowing. "But the battle is—"

"West," Ousen repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Reluctantly, Ouhon obeyed, leading his cavalry toward the western hills. As they crested the ridge, they found themselves behind KouRyu's main force.

"Their supply lines," Ouhon realized. "He's gonna try cutting them off."

KouRyu's scouts reported Ouhon's maneuver almost immediately. KouRyu frowned. "So, that's his game. He's forcing us to pull back."

He turned to MouTen. "Leave the camp to the infantry. Take your cavalry and intercept Ouhon. We cannot allow Ousen to disrupt our supply chain." He then added, " Don't let your emotions guide you. Stay calm and use your head.

MouTen nodded and rode off, his cavalry trailing behind him like a shadow. He is in a somber mood as he is about to face a friend in battle.

KouRyu adjusted the collar of his armor, tilting his head as a sharp crack echoed. His lips curled into a feral grin as he turned to Zhang Liao.

"It's time for the climax," KouRyu said, his voice carrying an edge of exhilaration. "Are you ready, old friend ?"

Zhang Liao, ever composed, nodded. "The right and left, together as one. Let's crush them, my lord."

KouRyu raised his hand, signaling Zhuge Liang, stationed atop the ridge. "Give the orders."

Zhuge Liang waved his fan, his command sending couriers rushing to the cavalry squadrons. The elite forces roared to life, their disciplined formations breaking into precise columns as they prepared to charge.

"Follow me to victory !" KouRyu bellowed, his voice a thunderclap over the battlefield.

With that, the two generals surged forward, leading 10,000 of their finest cavalry each. The ground trembled beneath the weight of their advance, a storm of steel and fury bearing down on Ousen's army.

KouRyu's forces smashed into the Ousen army right flank, where Denrimi's troops braced for impact. The initial clash was deafening—steel against steel, the screams of men and horses mingling in a cacophony of chaos.

KouRyu was a tempest in the midst of his men, his blade carving a path through the enemy. Every stroke was precise, every movement fluid. His soldiers, emboldened by their leader's ferocity, fought like demons, their momentum unstoppable.

On the left, Zhang Liao's cavalry executed a devastating flanking maneuver, slamming into Akou's lines. Zhang Liao himself was an unstoppable force, his glaive cutting through men as though they were reeds. Akou's troops, though seasoned and well-trained, faltered under the relentless assault.

Despite Ousen's carefully laid formations and tactical countermeasures, the cavalry's adaptability and overwhelming force shredded through the defenses.

Meanwhile, on the western front, MouTen's cavalry intercepted Ouhon's forces amidst the broken remnants of the coalition's supply lines.

Ouhon, his spear gleaming with blood, faced MouTen across the battlefield.

"So, you've come to stop me ," Ouhon said, his tone sharp but laced with a hint of regret.

"What are you doing here, MouTen? You don't belong on this side."

MouTen hesitated, his sword steady but his eyes uncertain. "Ouhon, this war—it's madness. This isn't the time to destroy each other. We should return to Qin, together. We can still—"

"Grow up, MouTen!" Ouhon snapped, his voice like a whip. "This isn't some fantasy where we all hold hands and sing songs of unity. The world doesn't work like that."

MouTen's grip tightened. "And what about your duty to Qin, where you grew up ? Does it falter in front of your father?"

"My duty?" Ouhon scoffed, lowering his spear slightly. "My duty is to win. To survive. You think loyalty alone will save Qin? It won't. Only strength matters here. If you can't see that, you're no better than a child playing at war."

With a growl, MouTen surged forward, his sword meeting Ouhon's spear in a shower of sparks. Their duel was fierce, each strike a reflection of their conflicting ideals and shared history.

On the main battlefield, Ousen stood atop a ridge, his eyes scanning the chaos below. The relentless charges by KouRyu and Zhang Liao had fractured his lines beyond repair.

Despite the skill and discipline of his commanders, the Ousen army could not hold against such a coordinated assault. He kept watching as his army got shredded by just 20,000 cavalry.

Ousen's gaze hardened as he made his decision.

"Denrimi," he called, his voice calm but heavy. "Gather your most elite soldiers. Akou and Sou'ou will do the same."

Denrimi hesitated. "My lord, what are you—"

"Retreat," Ousen said firmly. "We've lost this battle." The words hung in the air, heavy with finality.

"But what of the rest of the army?" Denrimi asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"They will serve as obstacles," Ousen replied, his tone devoid of emotion. "We cannot allow KouRyu to pursue us. Their sacrifice will ensure our survival."

Denrimi's face darkened, but he nodded, knowing there was no room for argument.

As Ousen's elite forces began their retreat, KouRyu and Zhang Liao's cavalry continued their relentless assault, cutting through the remnants of the Ousen army like a scythe through wheat.

Soldiers screamed and fell, their lives bought only to delay the inevitable. The once-mighty Ren army now resembled a shattered mosaic, its fragments scattered across the battlefield.

KouRyu, still in the thick of the fighting, sensed the shift. His eyes narrowed as he watched the elite units retreating in disciplined formations.

"So, the cunning fox flees," he muttered. "But not without leaving his scraps behind."

He signaled to Zhang Liao, who nodded in understanding.

"Leave them to the foot soldiers," Zhang Liao said. "We hunt bigger prey."

The two generals redirected their forces, aiming to crush the retreating elites before they could escape.

Meanwhile, Mouten and Ouhon were forced into a stalemate. After hearing the retreat signal, Ouhon was shocked, which Mouten took advantage of and slashed him. Ouhon's aide took the blow for him and yelled at him to retreat.

Ouhon clenched his teeth and ordered the withdrawal. Mouten pursued him half heartedly , which allowed them to retreat. As they retreated, Mouten muttered softly, " This is the last time, Ouhon. Next time, I won't show any mercy."

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, the remnants of the Qin army finally broke contact. Ousen's elite forces had managed to retreat into the hills, their losses grievous but their core army of 80,000 intact.

Back on the battlefield, KouRyu stood amidst the wreckage, his armor splattered with blood. He turned to Zhang Liao, a grim smile on his face.

"They'll be back," KouRyu said. "But next time, there won't be anywhere left for them to run."

Zhang Liao nodded. "And what of the situation in Qin?"

KouRyu's eyes gleamed. "If the coalition doesn't destroy it first, we will be cutting off the retreat of the coalition forces. I have planned for years for this. This will decide the future of this country ."

Ousen sat atop his horse at the rear of the retreating column, his armor dusted with the residue of battle. The setting sun cast long shadows across the rugged hills, painting the horizon in hues of crimson and gold.

To the untrained eye, he seemed as composed as ever—his face an unreadable mask, his posture unbowed. But beneath that stoic exterior, his mind churned with relentless calculation.

"A retreat is not a defeat," he thought, trying to convince himself , though the weight of the words did little to dull the bitter taste of the day's events.

KouRyu's unrelenting assault, Zhang Liao's devastating flanks, and the precision of their strategies had outpaced even Ousen's meticulous preparations.

Every step of the battle had been a lesson in humility—an acknowledgment that even the most seasoned tactician could be outmatched by raw brilliance and overwhelming force.

"KouRyu is no ordinary foe, I knew that much " he mused, his gaze sweeping over the tired, bloodied soldiers who trudged onward. "His understanding of the battlefield surpasses most. He doesn't just plan for moves; he plans for the emotions behind them, the instincts of his enemies."

The decision to retreat had not come easily. It never did. Ousen prided himself on his ability to see victory where others saw only failure, to endure where others faltered. But today, the battlefield had offered no such openings—only a cold, unyielding truth.

"If I had pressed further, if I had committed all my forces from the start …" His mind played through the possibilities, searching for alternatives, for the decisive maneuver he might have missed. The image of KouRyu's cavalry, surging like a tidal wave, obliterated those thoughts. "No. This was the only result. I didn't know his true depth and gambled, and I lost "

For the first time in years, Ousen felt something unfamiliar creeping into the edges of his mind: doubt. It was a fleeting sensation, but its presence was undeniable.

"Have I grown complacent?" he wondered. "Have years of success dulled my edge?"

He quickly crushed the thought, his resolve hardening. Doubt was a luxury he could not afford. Not here. Not now.

Instead, he turned his thoughts to what lay ahead. The coalition had already begun its assault on Qin's borders. If KouRyu attacked them with his formidable forces, the repercussions would be catastrophic.

Ousen could only hope that Ren's fortifications and the unyielding spirit of his people would hold long enough for him to recover and counterattack.

"But even hope," he reminded himself, "is no strategy."

Ousen's mind shifted gears, analyzing the remnants of his army. They were battered, their morale fragile, but they were not broken.

Most of the core army remained intact—his elite troops numbering 80,000, his most trusted commanders. Men like Denrimi, Akou, and Sou'ou, though shaken, were still capable leaders. Although Makou's loss will be hard to recover.

"We have the pieces," he thought. "Now we must rebuild the board."

He began to consider their next steps. KouRyu's forces, though victorious, would need time to consolidate. That gave Ousen a narrow window to regroup, to rearm, to plan.

"KouRyu may be unstoppable on the battlefield, but no man is invincible. He has weaknesses. I need only find them."

Ousen's gaze drifted to the horizon, where the faint outlines of Qin's mountains stood as silent sentinels.

"The coalition cannot last forever. Their unity is fragile, held together by convenience and shared hatred. But they are the center of attention now. If I can exploit that… If I can outlast them…"

As they entered the cover of the hills, Ousen glanced over his shoulder. In the distance, faint plumes of smoke marked the battlefield they had left behind.

Thousands of men—soldiers who had placed their trust in him—had been left to die. Their sacrifice gnawed at the edges of his thoughts, but he forced himself to push it aside.

"A general must carry the weight of every decision," he reminded himself. "But he must never let it show."

He straightened in his saddle, his expression hardening into the mask his men knew so well. His presence alone was enough to steady the ranks, to remind them that they followed a leader who never wavered, even in the face of defeat.

But deep within, Ousen allowed himself one fleeting thought, a rare acknowledgment of the humanity beneath the strategist:

"One day, KouRyu. One day, I will repay this humiliation. And when I do, it will be absolute."

With that, he turned his gaze forward, to the uncertain path ahead, and resumed his march into the shadows.e