253 BCE
BATTLE OF BAYOU
3RD PERSON POV
Faru Faru Faru Faru
Tou cut through three Zhao soldiers that charged towards him, a distance away he could see his Lord fighting fiercely with Zhao's Sei Chou, and though he wished to get closer, and try to tip the scales of momentum in Qin's favour. Someone had come and halted his progress, putting an end to the plan.
The former Wei Fire Dragon, Shi Ei. He'd appeared from the side, catching Tou slightly unprepared to welcome him. For a split second, the two shared a glance before Shi Ei's eyes narrowed, unleashing a vicious attack. Immediately, Tou was put under pressure by the reach of Shi Ei's spear.
"Hmm, it seems I'll have to apologise to my Lord," Tou said some paces away from Shi Ei, his eyes narrowing at the Zhao General. He knew he could not take this fight lightly; Shi Ei was powerful. And as for Shi Ei, he tightened his grip around his spear, staring at Tou with a blank expression.
'This man is a worthy opponent.' Shi Ei felt it in the strength and precision of Tou's block; he also couldn't take this duel lightly. A circle started to form, as the two Generals sized up the other, trying to get the measure of one another.
Unlike the first time, there would be no surprise attacks… Tou moved first, his sword cutting so quickly it made its own distinct sound.
Faru
His sword cut upwards towards Shi Ei with unstoppable momentum; the impact of Tou's weight rocked the spearman's back. 'He's even stronger.' Acknowledging Shi Ei feeling his bones creak under the strength, the sword glanced off the spear, and Shi Ei followed the momentum, moving with grace and speed, quickly changing his grip before slamming the butt of his spear towards Tou's face.
Moving his head to the side and dodging, the Qin General also moved his sword up using the flat of his blade to guide the shaft of the spear away from him. He thrust his sword towards the face of Shi Ei, who deflected the sword away from him and jumped back with his horse to get some space.
With only a few paces between the two of them, they stared at one another. Both men were the right-hand generals, with enough skill, experience and charisma to become Generals favoured by the heavens themselves.
"Heavens, what an opening?!"
"General Tou is actually being matched?!"
"How is that possible?!"
The Qin soldiers watching couldn't believe what they were seeing; they'd never seen General Tou be equalled by anyone, and yet right now that was the case.
As for the Zhao troops…
"How can he match General Shi Ei?!"
"Shi Ei is recognised by our Lord, so how can this be?!"
"Impossible…"
Much like the Qin, the Zhao soldiers also couldn't believe that Tou was able to stand on equal footing with Shi Ei; they'd seen their Lord Sei Chou fighting with Shi Ei multiple times and knew just how powerful he was. It caused them to glance more and more at Tou…
*CLANG* *CRASH* *BANG* CLANG* *CLANG*
Two warriors clashed repeatedly, each attack drawing out more speed and strength than the last. Those who managed to spectate the duel could only look on with wide eyes, as they all started to come to the same conclusion.
'Both of these Generals are favoured by the heavens!'
SEI CHOU POV
I never truly put it into perspective that one day I would be fighting people I saw on Manga panels when I first transmigrated to this world, but now seeing the glaive of Ouki coming closer, my body reacted on instinct and matched his welcoming strike with one of my own.
The sound of my glaive colliding screeched terribly into the midday sky; I felt my horse stamp furiously into the ground to stabilise his footing as the power of Ouki threatened to send me careening backwards. Through sheer grit, determination and skill, my steed and I managed to stay upright, though we were knocked a fair few paces backwards.
I had to use the butt of my glaive to halt my skidding, shaking my head. I looked up to see Ouki posing as he looked at me. One of his fists was on his hip, while the other clenched the glaive that he pointed in my direction. "Kokoko, as Rin Shou Jo's student, I expected more." Said the monstrous bird with the smuggest look ever. It was clear goading by Ouki.
"As someone who fought my foster father many times, your strength was well within my calculations," I replied easily with a calm smile, as if Ouki's strike had been nothing but water off a duck's back.
"Dear me," Ouki shook his head in an exaggerated manner, "It seems I've been underestimated." He said with faux sadness. When he looked up at me again, I could feel even the hairs on my body stand up and take alert. "It seems I have to show you why my reputation is so widely known," Ouki replied with a toothy grin that was anything but amused.
Even under the sharpened killing intent that Ouki aimed at me, I couldn't help but smile, feeling my blood rise knowing that this will be a challenge. And going by the welcoming strike of Ouki, perhaps it would be more difficult than when I face Oukotsu.
I didn't even need to give my horse any signal; it was already galloping forwards by the end of more words. My smile didn't recede as I raced towards Ouki, my hands tightly gripping my glaive. I reared my arms back and put everything into my attack. "Have you not heard what people have started to call me?!" I asked him, my horse stamped into the ground at the same time Ouki's had done so.
He had mirrored my actions and charged me, it was like the first attack all over again. A crate opened up where our horses marked their territory; our glaives impacted one another as if it were an immovable object meeting an unstoppable force.
*CLANG!!!* BOOM!!!* The air was crisp and clear, followed by a deafening shockwave that was forced up and outwards; unlike the previous time, it was me who pushed Ouki back, sending him and his horse skidding backwards the same number of paces he had done to me.
And as he had also done to me, I struck my own victory pose while he righted himself and shook away blearyness in his head. With my glaive on my shoulder and a fist on my hip, I smugly pranced like a peacock. "You know the name." I didn't even need to hear Ouki say it; the look in my eyes told me that his mind said my title.
'God of War!'
Ouki smirked as his horse trotted before stopping some places before me. "That title is only reserved for my king," Ouki replied. It was a title given to King Shou of Qin before me, but it was given in a much different manner than for me. For King Shou, he was regarded as a War God because he relentlessly waged war, almost as if he couldn't do anything else but wage war. It was given in slight mockery at the start, but the Qin King had turned that mockery into something to be feared, fully overturning the mockery.
Then there was me; my title was known amongst the masses and not the nobility. The masses of Zhao had given me the title, and soon enough it started to branch out slowly. Though it was not known to everyone in the central plains just yet, I was sure that after this battle there would be more who are talking about me using that title than before. It was also given to me out of reverence for the victories I collected in my military career.
I shrugged my shoulders at Ouki's comment, "It looks to me that the War God has retired his title." I said, trying to get under Ouki's skin but it didn't work, as the monstrous bird was well seasoned in rage baiting. "The Zhao masses have been crying out for a second Great Heaven for so long… it only makes sense they overmeasured you." Ouki replied before he made the universal 'Come at me' sign, "Now let me cut you down to size."
Charing Ouki a second, I guffawed with glaive at the ready, "Let's see you try!" I replied. The sound was deafening as me and Ouki clashed, and clashed and clashed. My ears started to drown out the sound of glaives colliding, the soldiers had created a big space for the two of us to duel but it didn't stop them from being collateral as me and Ouki continued to go at each other with more strength and power. The attacks sent each of us flying backwards into the troops before we gathered ourselves and charged back into another series of clashes.
Ouki had more experience than me, but I didn't allow that phase for me one bit. I matched every single attack he threw at me; each blow caused a shockwave to be sent out as the earth below cracked under the pressure. Little and medium-sized cuts appeared on both of us, none were life-threatening or even to the point that they would leave big scars.
Even as we continued to duel, both of us glanced at our men to get a general read on what was going on, me and Ouki shared the thought that it would be a small break in concentration of the enemy that would turn the tide. It was why I had given Shi Ei the task of encircling Ouki once had decided to leave his Headquarters. I knew I would be able to draw him out, and with a two pronged attack we could kill the monstrous bird or at least clip his wings.
However, it seems Tou had met Shi Ei on the path, and the two were immersed in their own duel. 'It seems we will have a stalemate this first day.' I couldn't help but think after I stopped my skidding horse from being pushed back further. Ouki was stronger than Oukotsu when I faced him. He was also very skilled and quick to dismiss any tricks I tried; it was almost like I was fighting myself.
"Intresting…" I said out loud as I charged him again. There was this strange feeling that a person gets when they meet another strong person who is also skilled and experienced in combat; it's a feeling that I wouldn't be able to describe if I had never lived this second life.
Joy and happiness sensed that there was someone else like you, but also the feeling of competitiveness that you wanted to surpass this person and reign supreme. It causes you to share a smile with the opponent you want to see maimed and dead.
…How mad? Yet I wouldn't change it for anything else.
CHAPTER DONE