A Simultaneous Outbreak of War is the 854th chapter of the Kingdom manga, written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara.
Synopsis[]
Mou Ten stares at the battlefield in front of him, trying to read his opponents. He decides that there is no air of ferocity about them, but they had a high morale, not a "hard" army but rather a "soft" one, perhaps similar to the Gaku Ka Army, easy to fight and yet difficult at the same time, a hard opponent to read. He receives reports from messengers that the Ai Sen Army making up his right wing, the Riku Sen Army making up his left wing, and his center were all ready, and decides to strike out and gauge the enemy's strength, calling for his first wave to begin its charge. As he sends the order, he concludes from his favorable position, able to reach Kantan by pushing east, and fortune in not facing Shi Ba Shou, that the Gaku Ka would be Qin's main thrust of the war. Zhao generals Ba Fuu Ji and Kotsu Min Haku facing Mou Ten also send their armies forward, and the battle between them on the Fuugen plains begins.
Battles begin all along the battlefronts. On the Ryuukei Plains, battle begins with Ou Hon sending the Gyoku Hou Army's center army and Kan Jou Army, making up his right wing, push forward steadily, after receiving reports that the A Ka Kin Army making up his left wing were in position. Zhao general Duke Rei Ju sends his left wing out in response to meet the Gyoku Hou, planning to lure their center in and hunt them down. On the Benrou plains, Roku O Mi sends his army out, not bothering to give orders to the center and the Ryuu Koku Unit, knowing they would move when he moves. Zhao general Gan Shuu calls for an equal number to be sent out in response. On the Rekiba plains, Kan Saro, making up Shi Ba Shou's right wing, moves out with his men, inciting a similar reaction from Ou Sen's Second General, An Kai, making up the vanguard of Ou Sen's left wing. From behind An Kai, also on Ou Sen's left wing, Ou Sen's Fourth General Sou'ou watches him. On the other side of the Rekiba plains, Zhao general Don Sari gives a cryptic speech to his men, as Ou Sen's Third General, Shin Shou, moves Ou Sen's right wing out. In the center, Ou Sen's First and Third Generals, Na Raku and Ri Ju receive orders from Ou Sen to begin. Shi Ba Shou begins as well. At the Gokusa Plains, battle begins between the Kyou Kai Army and the Ki Sui Army, led by Ki Sui and Ba Tei. At the Bunan Plains, battle begins between Yo Tan Wa and the Shun Sui Ju and Ba Nan Ji armies.
At Kanyou, a flurry of messengers report that their forces had all begun battle. Ei Sei asks Shou Hei Kun if there was an army that served as the main thrust, and Shou Hei Kun responds that there was not, and that any army could become the main thrust or a supporting force. He mentions that in addition to Great Generals Ou Sen and Yo Tan Wa, the remaining commanders were all close in skill to the remaining seats of the Six Greats, and that even without headquarters directing a detailed strategy, each of them were capable of grasping their role within the flow of battle and carry it out, expecting that Ri Boku would be unable to pin-point a single front to focus his defenses on, a difficult kind of war for him.
The heads of Yan, Wei, and Chu react to the news of battle beginning. Go Hou Mei notes that the armies of Hango and Gian in the north could be mobilized to close the gap, and that the Qin army seemed to be superior in quality, even though there were concerns about supplementing their forces with former Han soldiers. Ka Rin concurs, saying that Qin had the better quality armies, but does not predict who will win, pointing out that a path might open for the Chu Army to march north and destroy both, and that a drawn-out battle would benefit Chu. Bam Yu considers having their armies head north, but Ka Rin tells him not to be hasty, and reminds the court that Zhao had Ri Boku, who could turn over a slight difference in military strength easily.
At Bunan Plains, Danto leads the Feego Tribe through ranks of Zhao soldiers, but unbeknownst to him, a Zhao member of the Ten Bows of China steps forward.
Characters[]
Qin[]
- Gaku Ka Army
- Mou Ten
- Ai Sen Army
- Ai Sen (Mentioned)
- Riku Sen Army
- Riku Sen (Mentioned)
- Gyoku Hou Army
- Ou Hon
- Kan Jou Army
- Kan Jou (Mentioned)
- Roku O Mi Army
- Roku O Mi
- Ryuu Koku Army
- Ryuu Koku (Mentioned)
Zhao[]
- Rei Ju Kou Army
- Gan Shuu Army
- Shi Ba Shou Army
- Shi Ba Shou
- Kan Saro Army
- Don Sari Army