Alex and Ei Sei stood beneath the colossal gates of Kanyou, the capital city of Qin. A messenger, his face impassive, approached them. "Your Majesty," he announced, "only fifty soldiers will be allowed to accompany their leader inside the city walls. Chancellor Ketsu Shi awaits your arrival."
Ei Sei's expression remained calm; he had anticipated as much. Beside him, Alex bristled. "Fifty men?!" he balked, his voice hushed but incredulous. "Fifty men against an army of 80,000? That's madness!"
Ei Sei turned to him, a reassuring firmness in his tone. "It is possible, Alex. Most of those troops will be stationed away from the capital, at a nearby post. Our objective isn't to fight their entire army, but to neutralize Sei Kyou and Ketsu Shi as swiftly as possible. A prolonged conflict within the city walls would hinder our attempt to capture the capital."
He turned to Shou Bun Kun. "Shou Bun Kun, I need your aid in this. Select ten of your men who know the layout of the castle intimately." He then addressed Ba Jio, the towering mountain warrior. "Ba Jio, I will need forty of the mountain people, your strongest." Alex and his core group, including Kaelen, Erza, Tsunade, and Akane, were crucial to the infiltration, but not all of Alex's summoned warriors could join the initial assault, as Ei Sei needed specific individuals who knew the capital's intricate layout.
As the chosen unit began to assemble, Shin eagerly volunteered himself. "I'm coming too!"
Shin turned to Ka Ryo Ten. "You stay behind," he instructed, his voice firm. "We're going into battle. You might die."
Ka Ryo Ten merely scoffed, crossing her arms. "We'll all die if we don't succeed, won't we? So what does it matter anyway?" A sly grin touched her lips. "Besides, I'm estranged from the mountain people. Accompanying you might get me some sweet rewards." She had, of course, already found a way to sneak along.
As the chosen infiltration unit formed up, a mountain warrior clapped Heki on the shoulder. "Don't worry, plains warrior! We'll stay close. Once we hear the fighting from within, we'll smash through the gates and join the battle!"
Heki shook his head, his face grim. "No, you cannot. Not yet. Lest you draw the immediate eyes of the main army stationed nearby." He scanned the eager faces of the waiting troops. "However, I ask that you capture any people who attempt to escape the city. We need to control the flow of information."
Shou Bun Kun and Alex finalized their preparations, ensuring every man understood his role. The small, elite troop of fifty, a seemingly suicidal force, was ready to attack the heart of Qin.
Ei Sei turned to Yo Tan Wa, a deep gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you for your aid, Yo Tan Wa."
She met his gaze, her fierce expression unchanged. "You should thank me after the battle is won, King Ei Sei." Together, they led their handpicked men inside the immense walls of Kanyou.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Ketsu Shi, seated regally in his chariot, rode to meet the arriving mountain people, with Shi Shi riding nervously beside him. Shi Shi, ever the cautious official, eyed the imposing mountain warriors with disdain. "Why would you even consider meeting with these savages, Chancellor?" he muttered.
Ketsu Shi merely smiled, a cold, calculating curve of his lips. "You underestimate them, Shi Shi. I have traded with the mountain tribes. I know of their advancements, their cunning, and their ferocity. Neither you, nor anyone, should take them lightly." Ketsu Shi saw this as a golden opportunity. He intended to exploit this meeting, to genuinely forge an alliance with the mountain people, leveraging their strength for his inevitable fight against Ryo Fui. He would use these "savages" to bolster his own power.
Walking through the bustling outer city of Kanyou, Shin felt a jab in his side. He turned to find Ka Ryo Ten, already blending into the shadows of the marching column, a smug look on her face. "You sneaky brat!" Shin whispered, annoyed. "I told you to stay behind! We're going to battle! You might die!"
"Like I said," Ka Ryo Ten retorted, her voice light, "we'll all die if we don't succeed. What does it matter? Besides," she added, shrugging, "I still feel a bit estranged from the mountain people. Sticking with you might just get me some sweet rewards."
The troop continued to move through the city, unimpeded, their entrance surprisingly smooth. Shin, growing confident, whispered, "See? We'll get to Ketsu Shi and Sei Kyou without even drawing a single blade!"
Ba Jio, walking silently beside them, his masked face turning towards Shin, simply said, "That will not happen." His voice was deep, resonating with ancient knowledge. "The way we are heading leads directly towards the Crimson Turtle Gate. And once we arrive, they will require us to disarm and leave our weapons to progress further into the inner palace."
Ei Sei, hearing this, declared, his voice firm and unwavering, "That is out of the question. That is where the battle will begin." The air crackled with unspoken tension.