The Main Force is the 850th chapter of the Kingdom manga, written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara.
Summary[]
In the abandoned wedding hall, Ri Boku and Kaine pay their respects to the record tablet before turning to face each other and kiss.
Back at Bu'an, Ba Nan Ji spots Kaine and calls out to her, asking if she had just returned. He looks closer at her and smirks before bursting into laughter upon seeing her flushed red with embarrassment. Seeing her obvious and bad attempt at hiding the fact that something had happened, he directly asks her what her face was trying to hide, then speaks in a serious tone and tells her that it was all a dream. She snaps out of her thoughts upon hearing Ba Nan Ji's words, and begins to wail after Ba Nan Ji repeats that it was a dream.
Their comrades, having surrounded them by that point, laugh in amusement at the scene, and Ba Fuu Ji tells his father to stop teasing her. Ba Fuu Ji tells Kaine that he had heard what happened from Ri Boku, who had also acted strangely upon his return shortly before. He confirms again to Kaine that it was not a dream, and their comrades congratulate her and scatter petals in the air.
Kaine tears up again and thanks everyone between sobs. A short distance away, Fu Tei angrily listens to the celebrations and loudly expresses his disapproval, not having been told anything, but is largely ignored. Kotsu Min Haku ribs Kaine for being able to find a suitor despite being a tomboy, then turns to Ri Boku and asks him why he chose Kaine of all people, personally preferring to marry about ten beauties from Kantan. A short distance away, Ri Boku quietly tells Kotsu Min Haku that that was enough without turning away from the celebrating crowd.
Kaine turns to Ba Fuu Ji and asks him what she should do, telling him that she feels she could die happy at that moment. Ba Fuu Ji reminds her that she had yet to obtain anything, and solemnly speaks of how back in Ganmon, they all, and Kaine in particular, had everything repeatedly stolen from them by the mountain tribes, and how Ri Boku had come into their land of darkness to save them. Kaine thinks of how she had originally fought to chase Ri Boku away, then had to bury her fallen companions, and finally chose to turn to Ri Boku in support.
Ba Fuu Ji reminds her that she had been the first to follow Ri Boku, and had been fighting ever since, supporting him by his side more than anyone else. He tells her that after the next battle is over, the two of them would make their way to Ganmon, where a grand celebration would be held for her and Ri Boku's wedding, and when their hardships would finally be rewarded. Ba Fuu Ji tells her that everyone there adored her, and that they would win the battle, and then Kaine would finally seize her own happiness.
At the Yellow River, the 170,000 troops led north from Shintei by the Hi Shin Unit boarded ships to cross it, since there are no bridges spanning the Yellow River. In the distance, En and Ri Shin spot another fleet of friendly forces, which Shin identifies as the Gyoku Hou Army after seeing a flag. After the Gyoku Hou notices the Hi Shin Unit, they start getting rowdy, and their boats begin charging forward. Shin takes this as a challenge and immediately commands his men to row as fast as possible, and the two units cause a great traffic jam on the Yellow River after running into each other, one that would have been prevented with simple coordination between the two armies.
Mou Ten waits at the port with the Gaku Ka Army, and watches the two fleets, helmed by the two childish generals, competing to be the first to occupy the port with a cold, disappointed gaze. Shin and Ou Hon's ships crash into the port simultaneously, and the two begin bickering, quibbling so much about who had arrived first and who would be the first to disembark that they fail to notice Mou Ten. Mou Ten announces his presence by reminding the two that the ships were borrowed and that they should expect to be scolded later.
The two fleets eventually begin disembarking in a simultaneous and orderly manner, and the three generals speak while waiting for the troops to disembark. Shin asks Mou Ten if the Gaku Ka had also just crossed the Yellow River but is surprised to hear that they had been on that side of the Yellow River to begin with, and had come from the main army just to see them.
He reminds them that the upcoming battle was going to be a large-scale, all-out offensive from a wide area, and explains that he thought this was his only chance to see them, pointing out that once the battle started, they might not be seeing each other until the very end. He asks Ou Hon if he was happy to see him and gets a shoulder, and Shin jumps in to tell him to ignore him. Mou Ten thanks him and laughs, then tells the two that he didn't just want to see them, he also wanted to see what their units looked like now.
Mou Ten gazes upon the two armies, the Gyoku Hou which had acted as a shield for Qin's soldiers attacking Shintei, and defending against a Wei army more than twice their size led by Go Hou Mei, and the Hi Shin Unit, who were the reason for the victories in the two plains battles that led directly to the fall of Shintei.
He also thinks of how the Gyoku Hou had grown stronger than the two of them thought. Ou Hon comments on the unpleasantness of being judged by Mou Ten acting highly, but Mou Ten smirks and brushes off his comment, before bringing up that they each commanded massive armies, and his belief that it must be one of them that slays Ri Boku and leads the war to victory. Ou Hon silently listens to Mou Ten's words, but Shin confidently declares that he would be the one to do so, earning him a disparaging comment from Ou Hon.
Mou Ten reminds Ou Hon that they are all main forces now, and that their entire formation would collapse if even one of them were lost. He tells them that he would pray for both their fortunes in war, and tells them not to die no matter what, and not to complain regardless of who slays Ri Boku. Shin reminds them that, as Ei Sei had said, the next time the three of them would meet might be in Kantan. The two of them bump fists, but Ou Hon simply stands there and refuses to do so, even after being reminded to.
Characters[]
Zhao[]
Qin[]
- Yoko Yoko Army (Mentioned)
- Roku O Mi Army (Mentioned)
- Ei Sei (Mentioned)
Wei[]
- Go Hou Mei (Mentioned)