Yo Tan Wa strode forward, her presence commanding, leading the small troop towards the formidable guard gathered at the Crimson Turtle Gate. As they approached, the Qin guards, armed and wary, raised their spears. "Halt! Lay down your weapons! You are to relinquish them before proceeding!" their captain bellowed, his voice echoing in the stone archway.
Shin, feeling the tension mount, glanced at Ka Ryo Ten, who had indeed sneaked in with them. "Stay close," he muttered, "and keep your head down."
But their commands were destined to be disobeyed. With a chilling, almost silent speed, Ei Sei drew his sword. The blade flashed, a silver arc in the dim light beneath the gate. The Qin guard captain, still mid-sentence, gasped, a crimson spray painting the stone behind him as he fell, his life abruptly cut short.
Ei Sei's act was the signal. This war for the throne, a battle for the very soul of Qin, had begun with the clean, brutal cut of a sword by the young king himself. The fact that Ei Sei, disguised amongst the mountain people, had dealt the first blow remained unknown to the Qin defenders.
Within the palace, a frantic messenger relayed the news to Ketsu Shi. "Chancellor! The mountain people! They're attacking the gate! They've killed the guards!"
Ketsu Shi's face contorted in an utter rage. "What?! The savages dare?! Counterattack! Crush them!" He signaled to his loyalist forces, already positioned nearby, to engage the 'traitors.'
Outside, Erza charged forward, a whirlwind of blades and fluid motion. Behind her, Alex moved with an almost ethereal grace, his newly attained Page rank manifesting in every devastating sweep and thrust of his spear. Alongside him, Kaelen, his raw power unleashed, became a living battering ram, his massive fists sending Qin soldiers flying. Akane, a blur of silent efficiency, weaved through the chaos, her short blades finding vital points with chilling precision. They moved as a coordinated unit, their attacks honed by the training, their raw strength and martial prowess standing out starkly amidst the chaos. Each strike was precise, each movement lethal, making even veteran Qin soldiers falter under their relentless assault. They fought with a seamless unity that few plains armies could ever hope to replicate.
The main force of the mountain people, a roaring tide, crashed against the Crimson Turtle Gate, attempting to bring its mighty structure down. Others, agile and fearless, began to scale the towering walls, seeking to open the gate from the inside. Amidst the swirling melee, Shin moved like a burgeoning storm. He spotted a Qin soldier, his spear raised. With a surge of adrenaline, Shin ducked under the thrust, his own sword a swift extension of his arm. It connected, a sickening thud, and the soldier crumpled. This was it. His first kill without any outside help. A grim satisfaction settled in his gut.
Ketsu Shi's foresight to heavily fortify the Crimson Turtle Gate and station numerous militia proved to be a good call. Despite the ferocity of the mountain people's assault and the coordinated efforts of Shou Bun Kun's soldiers, none of them managed to reach the top of the walls. The defenses held, a brutal, unyielding barrier.
However, as the mountain people seemed to falter, stuck below the impregnable defenses, Tsunade suddenly moved. With a powerful leap, she launched herself at the wall, her incredible strength allowing her to find purchase where others failed. Her bare hands gripped cracks in the stone, her powerful legs propelling her upwards with astonishing speed. She seemed to defy gravity, a blur of motion against the rough stone.
"What?!" Ketsu Shi bellowed, his eyes widening in shock. The Qin militia atop the wall gasped, their faces slack with disbelief. No one thought a human could scale that unscalable height.
Tsunade reached the top, pulling herself over with effortless grace. The guards stationed at the gate, still reeling from the shock of her ascent, barely had time to react. Tsunade's fists were blurs of devastating power. She moved like a force of nature, each strike shattering armor and bones. One guard crumpled instantly, another flew back, hitting the inner wall with a sickening crunch. She disarmed a third with a swift, brutal movement, then used his own spear to sweep through a group, sending them tumbling from the parapet. In moments, the section of the wall around the gate was cleared, her raw power having utterly overwhelmed the defenders. She then turned her attention to the heavy mechanism of the gate, forcing it open with a triumphant roar.
A wave of fear washed over Ketsu Shi as he witnessed Tsunade's impossible feat. "She's... she's a monster!" he stammered, his composure shattering. "Retreat! Retreat!" He immediately turned his chariot, urging his driver away from the now opening gate.
Ei Sei, seeing the Minister of the Left fleeing, his eyes sharp with opportunistic precision, pointed. "Aim for Ketsu Shi's chariot! Do not let him escape!"
Within the palace, Sei Kyou, still confident that there was nothing to worry about, looked on, perplexed, as his loyal servant Ran Kai suddenly became uneasy. "Your Majesty, something is wrong!" Ran Kai stammered.
Outside, in a desperate bid for escape, Ketsu Shi ruthlessly dropped his own chariot driver, pushing the screaming man into the path of the pursuing mountain people. The mountain warriors, momentarily distracted, were mere meters from capturing him when Yo Tan Wa, her eyes fixed on the fleeing chancellor, unexpectedly raised her hand. "Halt!" she commanded, her voice ringing out. Her troops, poised to strike, reluctantly pulled back, allowing Ketsu Shi to widen the distance.
Before Ketsu Shi could disappear into the labyrinthine palace, Shi Shi's forces arrived, pouring in from a side street. Shi Shi, having anticipated a potential double-cross, had brought a unit of his own men, just in case things went sideways. He immediately ordered his army to attack the exposed mountain people who had just entered the gate.
Shi Shi, his eyes scanning the chaos, quickly deduced the truth. His gaze settled on Ei Sei, who stood defiantly among the mountain warriors. "Ei Sei! You audacious young king! You are here!" he bellowed, his voice carrying above the din of battle.
Ei Sei, without hesitation, removed his mask, revealing his true face to Shi Shi. He stood tall, the rightful king, challenging the usurper.
Far away, at Kankoku Pass, General Ou Ki, who had somehow received news of the audacious move, leaned back, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Very courageous, Ei Sei," he mused, a glint of predatory admiration in his eyes. The game was truly afoot.