General Kou POV:
As the army of General Kou made its way to Rokan, they could hear fighting as they drew nearer, and the chaos. He saw something that made cold sweat run down his back.
Looking forward, he could see a youth, leading from the front against the Wei army as he cut a bloody path through their siege lines. A jewelled band held his hair in place, as blood covered his armour, and General Kou was sure by the way the youth was cutting through the Qin army... None of it is his.
The image of Great Heaven Ren Pa, the Legend, overlapped with the youths, and General Kou did not know whether to smile joyously or cry that someone so young was leading charges in the name of Zhao.
Still, General Kou of Zhao was a veteran who could change gears quickly, "BEGIN! PAY THE WEI BACK TENFOLD FOR YESTERDAY! PAY THEM BACK FOR CHOU HEI!" It was all his soldiers needed to hear, as they rushed out to sweep the Qin soldiers who had yet to spot them.
Even as he gave his command, Shou Haku Kou could not help but look at the youth once more... and the more he looked at him, the more and more did the youngster remind General Kou of the legends that forged an era. There was something that shrouded him, and it was powerful.
"This boy has the sam-" The rumbling of what could only be cavalry drowned out his words, and for a moment, General Kou worried that Sima Geng had managed to catch him in a trap.
Yet, as he looked, he could see Zhao flags and not only that, the flags of the youngster called Gaku Shi's subordinates barrelling towards the Zhao flanks and cleaving their way through.
He even has two more monsters under his command... Heavens!
"I'm sure I will hear a lot more about the House of Yue."
SIMA GENG POV
This was supposed to be an easy taking, just another battleground for him to showcase his immense skill. Another war for him to outsmart everyone and be lauded as the victor, while Zhao's blood nourished the earth.
'So why? WHY?!!! HAS MY ARMY BEEN ENCIRCLED?!!!'
That damned Gaku Shi brat who crawled from those uncivilised backwater mountains has thrown everything into chaos. The Zhao General Kou would've been trounced, for he could never be my opponent.Not even if the sky fell. But this DAMNED BASTARD!
Great General Sima Geng of Qin had now been backed into a perilous corner from all sides. Zhao soldiers were attacking and cutting through his army, 'and I am sure both Mi Bei and Haku Jou are dead.' He knew there was no way those two would have allowed an army to bypass them; it was the sole reason Sima Geng had sent them out.
Sima Geng looked around the encirclement he found himself in was growing tighter and tighter by the second. His army and the men of Wei were going to die... But if it meant he did not die, then everything was all worth it.
He could build an army again; he had the resources to do so. And it would be an army much better than the one he had right now. Yes, that was the path I could use. This army had served its purpose, and in the coming years of this chaotic world, he would build a new, fresh army.
I cannot die here. I am the Grandson of Shiba Saku, the next Shiba to stand tall and take a seat amongst the Qin Six Great Generals. I must also inform the royal court of this brat and have him killed immediately!
He was a man who had battled alongside Ou Kotsu, Ou Ki and Haku Ki. Studied under Ko Shou, his talent alone was too much for him to fail. There was no way a brat would be my downfall.
"Ga Ryuu, go forward and KILL that bastard! I want the head of Yue Si brought to me this instant!" He ordered one of the commanders in his personal retinue to sally out and crush the damned pest.
As Ga Ryuu went forward with 5,000 men, Sima Geng watched intently for the moment that the damnable Zhao scum had his head cleaved from his shoulders. Though as he kept watching, Sima Geng also discreetly crept from the Strategist tower that he had occupied.
As he did, Sima Geng sent one look over to the front, as all he saw were the golden eyes of the brat focused on him. 'WHAT?!' Sima Geng was brought a horse and immediately mounted the steed, his eyes looking to the flanks of his army.
Both flanks were being chewed through, and any resistance they tried putting up to slow the waves could not withstand the pressure and buckled almost immediately. This gained more momentum for the Zhao.
They will both die once the brat's head leaves his shoulders. Sima Geng resolved himself, even as he shamelessly started to put on the armour of his retinue so he would blend in better.
*BANG!!!*
*CLASH!!!*
"OUUUOOOO!!!" Sima Geng could hear the shouting coming down from the front and turned his head to only look in horror. As Gaku Shi had pierced Ga Ryuu with half a dozen holes and held the man aloft as if he weighed not a thing.
The body of Ga Ryuu lay limp on the spear, as blood trickled down from the hole in his chest. Then the eyes of Gaku Shi were on him, and Sima Geng hurried and hurried like never before.
"Retreat. Send word to both Yang Zhu and Sou Yu. We're retreating." Sima Geng spoke so fast to the messengers before the two of them ran off to fulfil his orders.
The smirk that Gaku Shi looked at Sima Geng with had nearly frozen his blood, and all he wanted to do was escape this death trap and regroup with his men to fight once more.
The rest of his personal army and some more troops gathered around him, and they chose a single point through which they would break through and started to charge down at the weak spot in the Zhao encirclement.
Shou Sen did not look back as they started to break through, nor did he look back once they had managed to break out of the encirclement.
They had managed to get at least 30,000 to slip out of the encirclement from different points, and Sima Geng, a Great General of Qin, reasoned. That would be enough to build a great army once more.
He had sent further orders for the 30,000 to be broken off into smaller units and to scatter. Their only goal was to make it back to Qin lands.
The rest who had not managed to get through were now left at the mercy of the Zhao soldiers for not being fast enough. But Sima Geng couldn't care less about them. They were too slow. So, they will pay for it.
He was defeated but not broken... No, Sima Geng was far from broken. He would take Gaku Shi more seriously next time they meet on the battlefield.
Defeat was a bitter taste, but one I must endure for it would make me stronger. It would make Qin stronger. The Great General once again reasoned and pulled resolve any which way he could.
Even as he heard the screams of Wei soldiers dying behind him. Though the hands holding the reins of his horse tightened even as the sound grew fainter.
"GREAT GENERAL SIMA GENG IS DEAD!!! SURRENDER NOW!!!"
"GREAT GENERAL SIMA GENG IS DEAD!!!"
"SURRENDER NOW!!!"
GREAT GENERAL SIMA GENG IS DEAD!!!"
"SURRENDER NOW!!!"
Even as he heard the proclamation of his death, he did not look back and continued to ride off with his detachment. A unit of 3,000 he had ordered for them to all be of the same number, as it would continue to confuse the enemy if they tried finding him.
He had lost. 'But when you have lost, there is also an opportunity to recover and fight back once more to pay them back.' Sima Geng repeated the words in his heart. They were the words of his grandfather, and now he was remembering them.
'I WILL RISE ONCE AGAIN AND NEXT TIME I WILL TAKE THE HEAD OF THAT BRAT GAKU SHI NO MATTER THE COST! '
He could feel it, see it, touch it, the phoenix rising from the ashes to scorch the lands of Zhao, and it would be him! He would see to it that the damned Gaku Shi be maimed and tortured for 40 days and nights whilst eliminating all generations of his family!
One, a last look over his shoulder to remember the visage of the one whom he wished to tear to pieces. The one who made him taste the bitterness of defeat. As he turned, he could no longer see the damned brat. 'HAH! He probably died! Sima Geng joyfully hoped in the deepest part of his mind.'
But as his head turned to the side and looked at the hill, he saw a lone person sitting on a warhorse watching his army. 'NO, he's watching me.' "How did h-" Sima Geng of the Great General of Qin, understood who the person was and turned around sharply whilst harrying his horse.
"ARROW LORD SIMA!!!"
Wh- he could not even finish his thought as he felt something violent and forceful strike him in his back, throwing him from his horse. The cold, damp earth smashed into his face as he fell. Which one of these fools had knocked m- I can't speak. Sima Geng could feel his body growing cold and numb, and then came the PAIN.
He tried to scream once more, but something vicious red only flowed out of his mouth as he did, blood coughed up from his mouth as he tried anything to scream.
His body rapidly began to grow tired, everything felt heavy, his arms, legs, head and even his eyelids. All he could do was look up at his men with tears in their eyes, as they cried over him.
'NO, IT CAN NOT BE!' Sima Geng, a rising Great General of Qin, a man touted to bring in the new era for Qin, a Great General who had both fame and clout in both hands, tried to defy the heavens and stand, but his body would not go against heaven's will.
QIN NEEDS ME! How he wished to scream out, but no words came out; there were only coughs and chokes.
The dark encroached ever faster as his body felt stiffer, weaker and more exhausted than ever before.
Final POV OF SIMA GENG
Records of the Grand Historian:
In the Year 258 BCE, Yue Si would announce himself to the Warring States period by slaying Sima Geng of Qin. The battle will conclude at Rokan. (MC is 14)
CHAPTER DONE