Il Cielo dei Tre Regni
by Lunar Wave
Disclaimer: This story borrows the setting and characters of the Koihime†Musou series and borrows multiple elements from Katekyo Hitman Reborn. I own neither series as they both belong to their respective owners. Also, considering Koihime†Musou could be considered a fanfic of the Three Kingdoms, I'd like to say I don't own anything related to the stories of the Three Kingdoms.
-()-
Kahoku Falls
-()-
The news of Kahoku's fall spread rather quickly.
Naturally, the Sousou Army, who was currently competing with the Ryuubi Army to the occupation of Kahoku, was annoyed by this turn of events.
"Cheaters!" Jun'iku unrepentantly accused them.
"It's fine, Keifa." Sousou placated the girl.
"But Karin-sama! They cheated! They didn't bring their main army to the city yet, and they went behind enemy lines to occupy Kahoku!"
"Karin-sama!" Kakouton moved forward, "Bunshuu is making a retreat again! I will pursue!"
"Don't, Shunran."
"Eh?"
"Let Bunshuu go." Karin smirked. "Keifa, while you are right, that the Ryuubi Army cheated," in the loosest definition of the word, as they didn't explicitly say this was an unfair move. In fact, Sousou would call it a brilliant move, if it wasn't to her disadvantage. However… that's all it is. "Remember, that the rules say that the one who occupies Kahoku wins. While the Ryuubi Army is currently occupying Kahoku, if Bunshuu were to say… retake it back?"
"I see!" Keifa grinned, "The one who successfully occupies Kahoku at the end of the war is the true winner! As expected of Karin-sama!"
"Umm… what?" Kakouton interjected, "I don't get it…"
"Think of the battle against Choubaku, Shunran." Karin replied. "It didn't matter that Choubaku took Kyoshou; all that mattered is that we got Kyoshou back."
"I see!" Kakouton nodded, as if that explained everything.
"You don't, you idiot." Jun'iku scoffed, "Just relay the orders to the soldiers. We'll be slowing down our pace to recuperate from our losses."
Karin laughed as she watched Kakouton and Jun'iku bicker about who would relay her command.
She inwardly smirked: 'Ryuubi. While you may have gotten around us with that trick, taking a city and holding a city are two very different beasts.'
-()-
"Turn back! We need to take Kahoku back!"
Enshou's declaration was met with roars from the soldiers around her.
However, an immediate about-turn in war is absolutely impossible. It takes time for info to be sent from the back to the front, and in the chaos of war, command orders can sometimes easily be lost or distorted. Organizing a strategic retreat when facing an enemy army is, frankly, a nightmare.
Enshou did not care for the specifics, however. She needed her army towards Kahoku immediately.
Her reasoning, this time, is surprisingly sound. Taking a city from behind enemy lines… is not something most people can just do. To take a city, you need to be able to bring soldiers to the city. When behind the enemy lines, bringing said soldiers to the city is an uphill struggle. At the very least, the number of people involved must be small. You can only sneak in so many soldiers before logistics becomes a nightmare. A large army cannot enter enemy lines for long. So the Ryuubi Army soldiers currently occupying Kahoku cannot be any greater than a small army. Not to mention the fact that they'd still need to suppress the inner defenses of Kahoku. Although Enshou did bring her most elite guards with her to the frontlines, she did not leave Kahoku undefended. The regular city garrison was still there. Whatever forces they have that could suppress the guardsmen and the townspeople, are too occupied to defend themselves from outside threats.
At most, the defenders left will be a handful. Not enough to defend a siege from Enshou's troops. If Enshou were to turn back, she could likely take Kahoku back quicker than it was taken.
It doesn't matter if you conquer a city if you can't hold onto it.
Of course, if a reasoning is sound, then others with capable minds will be able to come to the same conclusion. Especially an army with both Shokatsuryou Koumei and Houtou Shigen as its brains.
"Reiha-sama!"
"What, Toshi?" Enshou asked.
"The Ryuubi Army is pursuing! We can't pull our forces back quick enough!"
The Ryuubi Army was not going to let Kahoku slip from their hands. If they could delay Enshou from turning back, or at least occupy a vast majority of her soldiers from turning back, that could only help their cause of holding Kahoku.
"… Fine! Toshi! Command the frontline to delay the Ryuubi Army! I'll regroup with Iishe to take…"
"Reiha-sama! Iishe is busy with Sousou! If you take her from the frontlines there…" Then there will be no one to delay Sousou. Then it would be Sousou that would be pursuing them.
"Where's Kayuu!?"
"She's Ryuubi's prisoner of war!" Ganryou grimaced.
"First Machi now Kayuu!? That commoner girl sure likes to taunt me so!" Enshou growled, "Then I suppose I have no choice! I'll lead the army back to Kahoku!"
Ganryou privately thought: 'We wouldn't be in this situation if you stayed there in the first place!' Outwardly she said, "Understood!"
"I'll leave things to you, Toshi!" Enshou began preparations to leave the frontlines. Just as quickly as she arrived.
-()-
"The backline of Enshou's forces is retreating!"
"No. They're going to try and take back Kahoku. Keep the pressure." Hinari shook her head. "Force the Enshou Army to realize how dire the situation is."
"How?" Touka asked.
Hinari replied. "… On some level, I wish we had Chihou back. Would make things easier…"
"Beggars can't be choosers. Let's make use of the situation at the west." Shuri shrugged, before snapping her own orders, "Relay this to the generals: use any means necessary to force the Enshou Army to lay down arms. If possible, I want one of them to intercept the retreating Enshou Army."
"… All else fails…" Hinari frowned…
"All Soldiers! CHARGE!"[1]
-()-
On the battlefield, if soldiers were to just begin leaving, that has a crippling effect on the morale of any soldiers remaining. And, although Enshou declared that the army she was bringing back is for the retaking of Kahoku, to the rank-and-file, they look like they're simply retreating. Leaving. Leaving them to die.
And so morale on Enshou's side plummets. And any explanation given to a demoralized army could only sound like excuses.
On the other hand, seeing your enemy army's decimation, no soldier wouldn't get hyped up. They have even less context for the actions of their opponents. But with the power of their generals, even though the Enshou Army received reinforcements, they immediately left. And as if it was definitive proof, they received an all-out assault command. The Ryuubi Army generally only gave those commands when victory is assured. The Ryuubi Army Commanders, usually rather cautious in war, even implementing a retreating strategy during the last battle against Enshou, are going all in.
Morale could only soar for the Ryuubi Army. And any sign of weakness from the Enshou Army could only boost them further.
Naturally, the Ryuubi Army Generals did not let them down as they immediately did what they did best and led the army by example. As the Ryuubi Army crashed into the enemy line, at the frontlines of the offensive against Enshou's disheartened army. Chouhi's Platoon immediately arranged themselves to spear through the Enshou Army's faltering defense as they tried to recoup the sudden decrease of soldiers borne from Enshou having taken some soldiers to head back to Kahoku. Chouhi's aim is clear. The Commanding camp. And just behind Chouhi's spearhead is the main army, led by Kan'u, widening the wedge of weakness the Enshou Army's formation had allowed in their ranks.
Ganryou could only grimace as she grabbed her hammer and moved forward. She needed to buy Enshou some time to pick up speed and get some distance. The Enshou Army is relying on the stocks at Kahoku to feed their army. With their supply cut off, the priority is to retake Kahoku back.
She knew this, she knew this…
"Ganryou! Come fight me!"
So came the declaration of the minute fierce general of the Ryuubi Army. Ganryou found herself face-to-face with a little girl in a tiger jacket.
"… Chouhi."
"Let's go, Ganryou!" Chouhi grinned striking down at "Rinrin's been itching for a good fight!"
Ganryou was not an idiot. Despite being bigger than Chouhi, she knew that she was hopelessly outclassed in this fight. Still…
If Chouhi is here, then she's not chasing Enshou.
"… Got it." Ganryou nodded. The moment she did, she barely had time to raise her hammer to block the speeding Viper Spear striking down at her.
Ganryou was sent backwards by that first strike, spinning in place before rushing forward to strike with her hammer.
"Whoa!" Chouhi dodged the attack.
So Chouhi had no confidence in taking her hits head-on… That… might be good. Ganryou dodged the next strikes, as Chouhi tried to capitalize on her being unable to bring up her hammer quickly.
Speed is starting to seem to be the biggest sticking point of this fight as she is constantly left on the backfoot with all these strikes that Chouhi is making.
"You're not bad!" Chouhi remarked.
"Thanks!" Ganryou grunted with her hammer once more ready to block the incoming strike.
There's also a range issue, now that she noted it. Chouhi had the longer weapon. She could easily dance just out of range and still deal lethal damage to her. Or rather, it's what Chouhi would prefer, seeing as, although the Viper Spear did have a rather large blade, it's still at the end of a long pole. If Ganryou could remain close enough to Chouhi, the damage the general could do would be less severe…
Then again, she's just trading cuts and stabs with blunt force trauma.
The issue, however, is in trying to do so effectively. Her large hammer is a cumbersome weapon to wield, and although she is proficient in its use, its not doing her many favors.
Really, her only advantage in this fight is that she actually is wearing armor, and thus could take the blows.
But, eventually, her own endurance fails her as her grip on her hammer becomes loose enough to be dislodged by a particularly strong blow. Exhausted, Ganryou falls onto her knees as Chouhi, for once in this fight, stands tall over her.
"Rinrin's Victory!"
"… Yes." Ganryou nodded. Only now did she notice that she was no longer surrounded by Enshou Army soldiers. Instead, around her were Ryuubi Army soldiers, prepared for her to escape. Behind her, she could see the other Enshou Army Commanders (whose names are currently slipping from Ganryou's mind due to exhaustion), all beaten. She could see Kan'u supervising the proceedings. Kan'u turned to them.
"Good work, Rinrin."
"It was easy~" Chouhi laughed. That stung. Ganryou would admit. Being said that she was an easy fight. Even though she did her best. For Chouhi to not seem to have sweated in the slightest…
Kan'u looked at her, for a bit, then turned to her men." … Men, bind her." Kan'u snapped the order, and Ganryou found herself dragged to a position where she can be bound. She made no effort to resist. She has no weapon. She could try to grab a sword, but she'll probably just be killed before she could use it. So she patiently allowed her hands bound behind her back.
Then she heard: "Rinrin, do not step on another warrior's honor by claiming them to be an easy fight when they're not. Do you truly believe Ganryou to be an easy opponent?"
"Hmm… Rinrin thinks it's because her weapon is worse than Rinrin's. Big hammer against Viper Spear. If Rinrin's weapon was shorter, her hammer would've been more annoying to fight."
"… That's unfortunate." Kan'u nodded. "Still, how would you evaluate General Ganryou as a warrior?"
"… She's strong!" Chouhi replied after some thought.
"Alright. Men! Take her away. Put her in a cell away from Kayuu."
The soldiers did as they were told, and Ganryou complied easily. The pathing would soon walk her past Kan'u. She looked at the general and, with a small bow, "… Thank you." Ganryou hoarsely said, her exhaustion finally rearing its ugly head.
"… I will denounce your commander for her foolish decisions, I will spout vitriol for her denouncements of my lord, lady, and Emperor, and I will scorn you who followed her for not tempering her idiocy. However, I will not deny you, any of you, your achievements in this there is no need for us to do so. You, Ganryou, had single-handedly slowed our advance the past few days. And while I admit that you are not among the strongest of generals, you are still a cut above the rest. Rest assured, when we defeat Enshou, your achievements will not be ignored by history."
"… I notice that Chouun is not here."
"You already know where she is."
"… I noticed too late." Ganryou winced. "… I should've sent soldiers to reinforce Reiha-sama…"
"… This is your loss, Ganryou. Your lord will soon follow you." Kan'u said with such conviction that it felt like a foregone conclusion. Logically, nothing is for certain at this moment. If Enshou could take Kahoku and hold its walls from outsiders, then it's very likely that Enshou could hold a protracted war.
However, for a loser like herself, if she pointed it out, it would just sound like the whining of a beaten dog. Instead, she asked, "… How is Machi?"
"She is fine. She's currently under house arrest, but we have her working as an archivist for the most part."
"… Good for her." Ganryou nodded. It's unlikely that she, Bunshuu, or Enshou would get the same treatment. Maachi surrendered. They didn't. "… We really stood no chance, did we?"
"… If Sousou did not help us, you probably did have a chance."
"That's entirely on Enshou-sama though… if she didn't antagonize Sousou…"
"… You will be brought in front of the Emperor for your trial. At the very least, it's doubtful that you'll ever hold a weapon again."
"I see… and if I offer my services to your army for Reiha-sama's life?"
"… Is that your desire?"
"Anything, to save Reiha-sama."
"… Your loyalty, above all, is clear. I will relay your desire to Touka-sama."
"Thank you."
And with that, Ganryou was captured.
The Ryuubi Army is now unimpeded on its path to Kahoku. Now they needed to catch up.
-()-
"Iishe!" Enshou smiled haughtily upon seeing the friendly face on her way to Kahoku.
Kahoku was just in sight.
"Reiha-sama!" Bunshuu greeted, "I heard Kahoku had fallen, so I decided to come here to take it back!"
"Excellent! Let's do this!"
Enshou turned to her soldiers, "Men! Let us throw these barbarians out of our city! All soldiers, CHARGE!"
Her soldiers all roared out in affirmation and began their march forward. Kahoku is just a march away.
-()-
"… As expected, Sousou is leaving the hard work to us, while she dawdles."
"Yeah well, we caught up pretty quick, didn't we? Let's just make use of this and just take down Enshou."
"Now, Rairai… I'm sure Ren has a plan to keep Enshou out. Let's keep things cool."
"Understood, Sei~"
"Report from the main army! Ganryou has been captured; it is our victory!"
"So they'll catch up soon. Yeah, capitalizing on Enshou's retreat was the right play." Sei laughed. "Then Ren, it's your turn."
-()-
"… Why do I feel like I'm being forgotten again?" Pairen muttered, as she organized her cavalry outside the walls of Kahoku. "I'm right here!"
"Quit complaining." Nenene scoffed, "I'm going back, so just do your job, okay?"
"Are you forgetting I lost to Enshou last time as well?"
"If you lose, then I guess that means you're just a loser."
"… I still outrank you, you know?"
"I'm Ren-sama's strategist!"
"Meaning you're the advisor of a Guardian. I'm the Cavalry General of our army. My rank officially is equal to Ren. Since Ren definitely outranks you, so I also outrank you."
"But what about Shuri? Hinari?"
"Shuri's a Guardian, like Ren. And Hinari's our Military Strategist. She's pretty much our equal." Pairen shrugged, "The only ones you could technically outrank are Yue and Ei… But they're also Kazuto-sama's direct servants."
"Wait, I thought they were the Emperor's?"
"That would actually make them higher ranked than you, you know?" Pairen chuckled, "Direct servant of the Emperor… but no. They're Kazuto-sama's. Remember that Paitan-sama was incognito when we first met them. While they mostly served Paitan-sama, it was more convincing if they were Kazuto-sama or Touka's servants."
"And why are they not Touka-sama's?"
"Because Yue chose Kazuto-sama, and Ei wouldn't want to be split from Yue?"
"… Fair. Don't know why Yue would choose… Whatever."
Pairen laughed a bit, as Nenene sulked. She then spotted a small dust cloud in the distance.
"… Thanks, Nenene."
"Eh?"
"I'll do my best, so just make sure not to mess up in there."
"They're here, huh?" Nenene frowned. Nenene pulled out a spyglass. If Pairen recalled correctly, this is one of the tools Reborn gave instructions to make when Nenene complained too much about getting a strategy book for beginners. Naturally, all the strategists wanted one, even Ei. "… Enshou front-loaded her cavalry and armored soldiers. Only regular footsoldiers to the sides. Try to hit one of the flanks. Their right flank seems weaker. Less flags, so probably go left. But if you can afford it, hit the other side too, but don't chase two rabbits." He who chases two rabbits catches neither.
"Got it." Pairen nodded. Although Pairen joked about it, Nenene is still a strategist, and while likely less skilled than the formally educated Shuri and Hinari, the past year has been fruitful for her. Whenever they could, Shuri and Hinari dragged her away from Ren's side to participate in many strategist-only meetings in the past year, to try to drag her up into their tier. Sort of like how Pairen herself is forced to join Touka in her training sessions with Aisha.
"… think that's it." Nenene put down her spyglass, "Good luck." Nenene made a quick retreat back into the walls of Kahoku.
Pairen… no, Kousonsan Hakukei, the Commander of the White Horse Cavalry, raised her sword, the sword gifted to her by Ryuubi and Kazuto last year. She pointed at the enemy with a frown. "Men! Let's erase the shame of last year! Today, we will triumph against Enshou Honsho! Now raise your blades!"
"OOOOOOHHHH!"
Kousonsan pointed her blade forward, "All Soldiers! Charge!"
-()-
Problem with Kousonsan's Army: the soldiers have not been training as much, having been incarcerated for a good chunk of time. Without Kousonsan, no training. So for all intents and purposes, they're very rusty. The trip with Ren did oil up some of the issues, but overall, they're not as elite as they were the year before. And while Kousonsan had definitely improved in the year that passed, her improvements wouldn't translate to them getting any better.
Problem with Enshou's Army: they rushed to Kahoku. They're tired, and some are even starved due to the lack of supplies. With Ryofu occupying Kahoku, their supply chain had been cut off quite significantly. They also have Enshou for a commander, whose strategic prowess is questionable at best, and Bunshuu doesn't help in the slightest.
So when the two armies clashed, taking all this into account, they were actually fairly even. So really, this was more of a numbers game. And if there's one thing Enshou has had the entire war, it's numbers. In turn, Kousonsan had mobility. While Enshou had horsemen among her troops, she's still fielding mostly footsoldiers for this fight. However, mobility is hampered when the goal is to defend a non-mobile location.
So Kousonsan had to be strategic. And, deciding that following Nenene's words were better than coming up with her own, she veered her soldiers to the left. While she would've dearly loved to strike both flanks, she didn't have the numbers. So one flank to the side will have to do.
-()-
"Enshou-sama!"
"What!?" Enshou impatiently frowned.
"The Ryuubi Army is attacking the right flank!"
"Hoh?" Enshou frowned, "Then that means the soldiers inside are even lesser! Iishe, deal with the nuisance; I'll handle taking Kahoku back!"
"Got it, Reiha-sama!" Bunshuu hefted her sword, "Soldiers, with me!"
"I said to leave them to me, Iishe! Go lead the right flank!"
-()-
"That's our cue."
"Sei!"
"What is it, Rairai?"
"Since Enshou is splitting her forces, why don't you go help Pairen, while we lead the army to beat Enshou?"
"… Not a bad call, all considering." Sei frowned. Combat-wise, Bunshuu was the bigger threat. "… You two just want some glory, don't you?"
"How many chances are we gonna get to be the ones directly able to catch the enemy commander?" Denden retorted.
"… Fine. Go and give it a shot." Sei nodded, "if you can't catch her, at least distract her long enough for me to come along. There's two of you, don't let her get away."
"It'll be a story for all future Bi Clan Members to tell! The story of how Bijiku and Bihou captured the dreaded warlord Enshou!" Rairai grinned.
"All soldiers!" Chouun laughed, "CHARGE!"
-()-
So far so good. The enemy was quickly disoriented by that strike. Kousonsan just needed to keep the momentum. Her cavalry basically just carved off a portion of the enemy army with that strike. And it seems that the other parts of the army are abandoning this flank. An intelligent decision, all said. But Enshou will just encounter the problem of a big wall and the inability to enter it. They didn't seem to have brought siege ladders after all.
Unfortunately, she could hear a commotion to the side. She barely managed to move her horse out of the way as a big sword crashed down where she was. "Bunshuu." Her soldiers wasn't able to stop the girl with the giant sword from getting within their ranks. Fortunately the same can't be said for Bunshuu's soldiers. But it seems Bunshuu didn't even notice that.
"So it's you, Kousonsan!" Bunshuu smirked, "Been a while!"
"Yeah. You beat me last time, didn't you?' Kousonsan grunted, bringing her sword up. "But at least this confirms one thing for us. That Sousou can't be trusted to help anyone but herself." Kousonsan muttered the last part, internally cursing Sousou. If Sousou had done her job, Bunshuu wouldn't have been able to afford to rush to aid Enshou. Even if she managed to get away, then Sousou had ample time to chase her down, and should've been on their tail, and be right here on this battlefield.
Well, that's already something accounted for by them. This is pretty much in line with their profile for Sousou. It just meant their job is harder, but if they pull it off, Sousou wouldn't be able to argue about some self-perceived cheating. Kousonsan turned to Bunshuu, who was winding up for another attack. She brought out her sword to face the Enshou General. "Let us duel, Bunshuu!" She signaled to her second-in-command to lead the army to continue knocking down the enemy flanks.
"Get off the horse then!"
"You face the Commander of the White Horse Cavalry, and you expect me to dismount?" Kousonsan rolled her eyes, "You'll fight me at my best and you'll fight me at yours! Come!"
"Fine!" Bunshuu accepted her terms. "Men! We're dueling!", she yelled, not realizing that she didn't have any soldiers that managed to get as far into enemy ranks as she did. Bunshuu wasted no time and rushed forward with her sword. Kousonsan, knowing Bunshuu enough to know that she would do so, had her horse maneuver around the straightforward overhead slash. She then slashed, aiming for the opening in Bunshuu's stance, but Bunshuu merely dodged, hefting her sword back up with a flourish. "Not bad, Kousonsan."
Kousonsan grimaced. Bunshuu may not have soldiers reinforcing her, she's still superhuman in strength: that lump of iron she calls a sword proves it. Until she either tires out, no ordinary soldier will be able to capture the rampaging General of Enshou.
Despite all the things stacked up in Kousonsan's favor, this is not going to be easy.
-()-
"Open the gates! Let me in!" Enshou yelled at the gates of her own city.
"NO!" A childish voice yelled from the top.
… On second thought, it seemed as though the voice actually yelled NOW and a barrage of rocks fell from the top of the walls. Enshou barely scrambled under the shields of her footsoldiers.
"… Men, find me a battering ram!" Enshou yelled. "Someone order Iishe to hurry up!" Enshou growled. "We need to take back Kahoku immediately!"
"Enshou-sama!"
"What!?" Enshou growled. "What is it!?"
"We're being attacked from behind! The other Ryuubi Army has caught up!"
"Toshi!?" Enshou gasped. "How dare they!?" Enshou snarled, "Ryuubi, you shall pay for trampling over my dear friend!"
"MORE ARROWS INCOMING!"
"Moron! Those aren't arrows! Those are rocks!" A soldier retorted.
"Retreat! We need to retreat! Away from the walls!" A panicked soldier cried.
"But the Ryuubi Army is in the way!?"
"Enshou-sama! Do something!"
Enshou could scarcely believe how things were going. "… About face! Fight the Ryuubi Army! Give us room to breathe!" Enshou yelled. "Fight them!"
"Understood!"
The soldiers quickly began cobbling a formation for dealing with the attack from behind.
"… Aren't our numbers too small!?" Enshou frowned looking around her. "… Where'd everyone else go?"
"Deserters!" One soldier replied. "When they saw Kahoku completely captured, they decided to run off to who knows where!"
"But they came all this way to help me take back Kahoku!?"
"They thought Kahoku would just be under siege, not totally captured!"
"How…"
"Enshou-sama! We haven't eaten in days! Some of us thought we could get back into Kahoku quickly and get some food!"
"Drive off the Ryuubi Army immediately; I'll grab Bunshuu to mount an attack against the walls!"
"General Bunshuu is preoccupied!"
"Her opponent is just that Pairen-san, didn't you say!? She was hardly a threat when we fought her last year!"
"Then why isn't General Bunshuu here!?"
"Are you questioning me!? Make a path!"
"Roger…"
Enshou kicked her horse to make it move towards where Kousonsan's army is making hell for the parts of the army that she left behind.
-()-
"They're retreating." Chinkyuu Koudai reported to her commander.
Ryofu Housen, known to her friends as Ren, nodded in acknowledgment.
"… Going in."
"Probably best." Chinkyuu nodded, as she looked behind her. "This really wouldn't have lasted forever."
As interesting was the fantasy of them holding and suppressing Kahoku on their own, really, that's all it was: a fantasy. So how is this possible?
First of all, capture wasn't even the plan. And this plan is ad-hoc at best. Shuri, Hinari, Touka, and even Kazuto were completely in the dark about what Ren and Nenene were doing the past months since the last battle with Enshou. Ren simply exercised her right as Cloud Guardian to set out on her own and cause as much chaos as possible in Enshou Territory, hopefully dropping Enshou Army morale. They were cut off from food sources, so they raided military forts for some. Sometimes they foraged. The animal population around Kishuu is down from what it should've been (probably causing a shortage for hunters). Midway through their campaign (roughly a few days in), Chinkyuu got the brilliant idea to take back Yuushuu and amass a northern army for the Ryuubi Army. So, after sending word of their goal to Shuri, the Cloud Company went straight north. the group high-tailed it to Yuushuu where they spent time scouting the area. They needed to know how easy it would be to convince Yuushuu to abandon Enshou once Ren shows interest in taking back the north. It would be kind of difficult to do so if it turned out Enshou was a good ruler in the past year they've been gone from Yuushuu.
As it turned out, Yuushuu wasn't at all that happy with Enshou's rule the past year. Not to say she was a bad ruler but she was negligent. Aside from assigning a few people to replace the ousted Ryuubi and Kousonsan, she basically ignored Yuushuu when Reitei did not appear after the first few months of waiting. This means a spike in banditry. The nomadic tribes from the north were more than happy to exploit the weakened northern border. Kousonsan's White Horse Cavalry were the primary defense force against these bandit threats and Kousonsan had been effective when she dealt with them. Enshou's replacement was less effective. What's worse is that Enshou even started recruiting from Yuushuu's population for her own army; an army stationed in Kishuu, not Yuushuu. She didn't just oust the old ruler, she removed their defenses from the threats the old ruler dealt with.
So when Ren showed up, she had immediately set to work in getting the trust of the area, by ousting these new crops of bandits, in such a flashy way that the nomadic tribes cut losses and returned to their lands while the local bandits immediately migrated south to avoid the sheer death that came from crossing paths with Ryofu Housen.
When that was done, Ren then requested an army to aid them in defeating Enshou. Of course, the Yuushuu people weren't particularly able to supply any more soldiers; they still needed militia for their cities and towns. So some town officials privately elected to release Kousonsan's old loyal soldiers from their cells in lieu of payment. Ren didn't demand more. Ren even allowed them to write that Ren actually personally went and jailbroke the soldiers, to absolve the town officials of any crime.
Entering Ryuubi's old territory, however, that's where Ren got a better showing of support. Some soldiers who initially stayed behind decided to join up. After all, Kahoku was right south of them. It wasn't a distant journey, and they still owed Ryuubi and Kazuto a lot for ending the Yellow Turban Rebellion. They likely will return back to Yuushuu after this and not integrate into the Joshuu Army, but that's that.
So Ren gathered a bunch of cavalry commanders and soldiers from Kousonsan's old army, and footsoldiers and archers from Ryuubi's old army. She had enough soldiers to pose a decent threat against a small town. Not a big city like Kahoku however. They also secured some supplies from their old friend Chouseihei, so this army wasn't going to go hungry anytime soon. As long as the campaign was short of course.
All this happened as Shuri and Hinari were planning the invasion north. Ren's gathering of an army was noted, but they didn't put too much faith in its success and even if she did succeed, it would likely just be a skeleton force, serving more to harass the enemies.
Shuri and Hinari's initial plan was this: enter northern Seishuu and make it their staging ground for an invasion directly to Kahoku. Then directly attack Kahoku. Enshou's forces were currently occupied with Sousou in the east; it would take a while for Enshou to organize against them. However, they wouldn't want Enshou to focus her entire army on the Ryuubi Army; the sheer numbers Enshou could field would be far, far too much. If Sousou were not to act, Enshou would be able to do so; so they needed to… incentivize Sousou to move for an earnest full invasion so that Enshou's army would be split. It's simply a draw of the dice how much. That's why Kazuto coaxed Sousou into a race; this was part of the plan Shuri and Hinari had relayed to him.
Sousou would then begin her invasion, hopefully drawing the attention of Enshou away from the Seishuu border. Ryuubi would then do their own. This part didn't pan out as hoped, as Sousou had been vindictive enough to spread the information to the Enshou Army, resulting in their lead being quickly tapered off.
As seen, Ren's gathered army didn't factor in this initial plan. But Ren's success meant they gained an advantage that even Sousou had been unaware of. So they sent Pairen over to Yuushuu, and they were to siege Kahoku, to force some of the pressure from their side of the battlefield off; after all, where else will Enshou get reinforcements but the closest battlefront?
They didn't account for Enshou being brash enough to leave the confines of her main city to join the frontline, taking her personal guards. So when Ren arrived at Kahoku, there was only the city garrison. And they found themselves hopelessly outmatched by Ren. Ren wasn't even stopped by the closed doors; Ren just jumped the wall, attacked any soldiers in her way, and opened them.
They were able to enter the city very quickly. The city garrison immediately held a barricade of the major streets. However… they didn't push for a fight.
The city garrison weren't soldiers, or rather, if they wanted to fight a war, they'd have enlisted in the army, not the city garrison. So when actual soldiers arrived; they weren't exactly as willing to fight. They'll fight if Ren and the others were to try and force their way in, but no more than that. They still had a sense of duty to defend the residents of the city.
Ren… decided to not push. Instead, they parked themselves at the city gates. This effectively cut off supply lines from Kahoku. The soldiers even began some trading on the side. Money for food and stuff. Once the residents and soldiers realize they weren't going to push, they accepted them as if they were just a caravan of traders.
When the war between Ryuubi and Enshou began, Kahoku's economy stagnated. No traders were coming in, and traders are unwilling to come out. After all, there was literally a General ripping through the countryside. Ren's Army was the first in the last couple of months that they can trade for goods.
Fights sometimes broke out. If an unruly soldier was the cause, detained and sent to wall duty. If an unruly resident (city guard or civilian), Ren generally intimidated them. It's not perfect, but this was how Pairen had told her to handle things. They can't afford the city garrison to be too complacent.
Some of the braver city garrison soldiers decided to launch an attack against them; Ren's personal platoon of elite soldiers dispatched them. They weren't dead, but they will not be serving active duty for a while.
Ryofu wasn't here to make friends; they were here to end what Enshou started. That's what they made clear by their actions.
Now Enshou had finally returned. It only took a few days, but those few days have been rather tense. Still, they had lots of food, lots of water, and plenty of rest.
"Will it be fine?" Ren asked Nenene.
"Eh?" Nenene blinked.
"Inside?"
"… We still have the Ryofu Company here. If Ren-dono goes alone, then you'll be able to get that Enshou's head faster than if you came out with us anyway." Nenene replied. "The Ryofu Company will keep the city garrison in check, the Yuushuu soldiers will help me throw rocks. We'll be fine! Just make sure to come back safely!"
"… Got it." And so, Ryofu Housen entered the battlefield by jumping off the wall.
"… Ren-dono should really stop doing that." Chinkyuu remarked. "That can't be good on Houtengageki."
"Chinkyuu-sama, the city garrison is launching another attack!"
Chinkyuu took to just looking at the guy incredulously. They already discussed this. Why does she need to micromanage something so basic?
The man awkwardly looked away. "Just reporting, of course. Thought you should know. We have the Ryofu Company dealing with them appropriately."
Chinkyuu nodded, "Then lead with that next time; only report if the Ryofu Company is having an issue dealing with those brats with big wallets and even bigger heads." At this point, there were no more soldiers of note in the city garrison that were gunning to break their blockade. Those who are truly capable know that they were outmatched and would rather serve as guards in case the Ryofu Army decided to start pillaging for whatever reason. The stubborn, capable ones already had their arms slashed and will not be holding a sword anytime soon, except with their teeth. At this point, the only ones who would actually try to break through them would be the lackeys of the En Clan, who wish to give some form of support to the En Clan Representative Enshou. That or noble children who have their heads in the clouds and think that they are so superior to the Ryofu Company that just their name and branding would make them think twice to cut them. Those survived mostly because they are cowards. But now that Enshou is at the doors, it's only natural that they'd try something. Bonus on bonus, if they succeed, they can get promoted by Enshou, who has a strong need for commander types in her army.
It'll still take a while for the Ryofu Company to drop the pricks, as normal soldiers would still naturally try to strike alongside the group, but eh; their loss. You don't become the soldiers of Ryofu by being weaklings. If they're actually having trouble… Chinkyuu turned her head back at the messenger, "… Is the Ryofu Company having trouble dealing with them?" She asked, just to be sure. She'd be mocked as a strategist if she actually failed to account for that due to overconfidence. She'd be mocked as a "beginner strategist" forever if she failed for completely avoidable reasons.
"… Umm… no ma'am."
"Then go back and come back only if they have trouble! I need to watch if Ren-dono needs support down there!" Chinkyuu huffed.
"Yes ma'am!" The soldier ran away.
Chinkyuu sighed and turned around, "… Someone start piling up rocks! If Enshou ever actually manages to get out of the mess that she built, she'll probably be either bringing a bunch of siege ladders or a battering ram… probably a battering ram." She said the last part half to herself. Still, her soldiers started doing as they were told.
-()-
"ENSHOU-SAMA! BEHIND US!"
Enshou blinked as she watched a large halberd swing around knocking down her soldiers that had turned away from the walls.
Enshou immediately grew some anxiety from the recesses of her pride-filled mind.
Ryofu Housen was here.
Enshou's relationship with Ryofu was not a long one. In fact, it would probably have started during the Anti-Toutaku Coalition. Enshou visited her (in her capacity as a participating lord) and asked the captive general to abandon Toutaku and pledge loyalty to herself. Ryofu merely ignored her until Enshou insulted Toutaku. Enshou quickly felt as though a thousand tigers had descended from the mountaintop. She looks as though she would rip up her bonds, break through the wooden bars of her prison and strangle her. Enshou made a quick retreat after that.
She would then learn that Ryofu joined the Ryuubi Army. Enshou growled when she learned that. The prestige of the leader of the coalition apparently attracted Ryofu. A prestige that should've been hers.
And then finally, the most prominent memory in Enshou's mind regarding Ryofu was when the general struck her on her way back to Kahoku after that disaster of a meeting with the Emperor. When she almost died. She got away only by Kayuu's arrival. By the Mandate of Heaven clearly being on her side; that it is her destiny to win this war.
Enshou rationalized with herself: Ryofu is no threat. She lost to Ryuubi. Ryuubi, a small-time lord masquerading as something bigger than she actually is. A worthless girl who rose up too far above the worthless masses and must be cut down by the elite of the elite. Ryofu… was no threat…
There were horror stories told by her soldiers of a lone general who descended upon them like a pack of wolves. Who followed them all the way from Seishuu, into Joshuu, then into Kishuu, stalking them like as though they were cattle who wandered into the wolves' den.
"The Violet Flames of hell is here!"
That's what they called the flames that wreath Houtengageki. The weapon of Ryofu. A prize that she herself made a bid for but was stonewalled by the little girl strategist in Ryuubi's employ. The unnatural purple flames made Ryofu even more fearsome in the eyes of her opponent. It's like watching hell come and try to take them down.
"Delay her!" Enshou howled, as she immediately looked to where Bunshuu was. She needed to regroup. She wanted Bunshuu. She wanted Ganryou. She wanted Denhou. She wanted her trusted allies. As long as they're with her, Enshou Honsho is invincible. She made a sprint for it, ignoring that there were still Ryuubi Soldiers in the way. Bunshuu wouldn't have lost yet. There's no way…
"NEEEEIIIIGHHH!"
Her horse brayed, and she fell off. Her horse had been struck. By what? Enshou groaned as the horse ditched her, running in fear for its life. It likely wouldn't survive the end of this war. She grimaced as the dirt stuck to her once-pristine golden armor. Still, she looked to Bunshuu… still she…
"It's over."
A tonfa appeared in her vision, pointed at her throat. She felt something at her back as well.
"Bi Family Representative, Bihou Shihou." The girl introduced herself.
"Also a Bi Family Representative, but also Joshuu's Economic Advisor, Bijiku Shichuu." The voice said behind her. "En Honsho, you are under arrest for treason and inciting rebellion. Come quietly!"
"… Not yet!" Enshou growled. "I'm not done yet!"
"You asked for it!"
Enshou felt a blow to her head.
That was the last she remembered.
-()-
"Eeh, where are you going!? Don't run, Kousonsan!"
Kousonsan rolled her eyes a bit at that retort. Unfair it may be, Bunshuu is not someone to duel straightforwardly. Unless you're Kan'u. Or Chouhi. Or Chouun. Or Ryofu. Or any of the gods of war that seem to litter this era. But Kousonsan is not a god of war. She's just an average cavalry warlord. The only thing noteworthy about herself, and one she will not let anyone deny, is her skill in horse riding. Jousting, fighting on horseback, sure, there are others who are probably better. But riding? She's willing to march up to the Ba Family and challenge Bachou the Splendid in a one-on-one to prove that she can contest with the best of this era. She had her horse about-face once more before charging towards Bunshuu.
"Let's go!" Bunshuu roared, swinging her sword horizontally this time. Big mistake. Kousonsan pulled on her horse's reins.
Bunshuu could only blink as Kousonsan's horse rammed her sword into the ground with its hooves. "Wha-?"
Kousonsan immediately jumped off, her sword facing forward. She took a swing at the exposed Bunshuu.
Bunshuu might've been capable of swinging her behemoth of a sword with relative ease, she's still subject to some realities. Her swings are wide, and they have to be. The breaks between her attacks are necessarily long, and she couldn't make fine adjustments like someone with a thinner blade could. Compare that to Chouhi, who would've just tossed her horse itself to bring back her weapon. But that's simply the difference between the army-killing power of the war gods and the superhuman Bunshuu. While both outmatch Kousonsan in martial strength, only the latter is still within Kousonsan's ability to defeat.
So when Kousonsan jumped off her horse, Bunshuu was forced to let her weapon go, bringing her armored hands up to block the hit. Kousonsan immediately followed with a kick. Bunshuu, not expecting that, could only gasp in breath, as she is flung away from her weapon.
"Not fair!" Bunshuu roared. "Let me get my sword back!"
"Not fair!? You let go of your sword on your own!" Kousonsan retorted.
"But your big dumb horse was in the way!"
"Don't care!" Kousonsan swung her sword again.
"Men! A weapon!" Bunshuu called behind her, as she dodged the attack. Kousonsan continued her barrage of slashes, forgoing form just to get a decent hit in. Bunshuu impatiently repeated: "Men! A weapon!"
"… Here."
"Thank… you…" Bunshuu blinked as a red bident appeared before her.
"… Really Sei…?" Kousonsan… no, Pairen groaned in exasperation, "Now people are going to attribute my victory to you!"
"What?" Sei innocently smirked, before laughing.
"Where's Enshou?" Pairen sighed.
"Captured by Rairai and Denden. Cheeky things wanted to get their own glory, and, well, they got it. Capture of the enemy commander."
"… Fine. Whatever. Just make the announcement then." Pairen sighed. While Kousonsan is the first here and has the right to, Chouun is higher up the ladder.
Sei nodded, before turning to everyone, "Ganryou has fallen! Enshou has fallen! Bunshuu has fallen! This is the Imperial Army's Victory!"
"OOOOOOOHHHHHH!"
"Aww… man…" Bunshuu groaned, as she collapsed on the ground. "Guess this is it. The end of our era. Man, I wish I could see Toshi again~"
"… We're not going to kill you, Bunshuu. We're dragging you and Enshou to the Emperor." Pairen huffed.
"Seriously?" Bunshuu blinked, "… Right. That's good." Bunshuu grinned, "So what now? Will you let us live though?"
"… That depends on the Emperor."
"Heh. Okay, I'll take it… Good fight… Kousonsan."
"… For what it's worth, you were a difficult opponent, Bunshuu."
"Yeah, same to you, Kousonsan!" Bunshuu laughed.
And so, Enshou Honsho's army lost the war, as the core of its army, Ganryou, Bunshuu, and Enshou all were captured by the Ryuubi Army. In the meantime, her western commanderies are now all under Sousou's command, while Kahoku is now surrounded by enemies, with no way out.
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Chapter End
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Chapter Release Date: June 25, 2022
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Beta Reader: Seraphius
[1] Zengun, Totsugeki!