Summoner in One Piece

The summit of Kyuu Gen's hill, now drenched in blood and echoing with the shouts of Qin soldiers, was a testament to the brutal cost of war, but it was undeniably Qin's. The cheers of Alex's triumphant forces, though hoarse and weary, swelled as the battered Qin flag was unfurled against the smoke-filled sky. Below them, the remaining Wei forces on the hill, stripped of their commanders Kou Ri Gen and Kyuu Gen, had utterly broken. Their cohesion shattered, they scattered like dust in the wind, cut down by the relentless advance of Alex's Imperial Sentinels and Shou brothers' Trained Soldiers. Alex's personal standard, bearing the emblem of the Blaze Family—炎, a striking crimson symbol of their ambition, was also raised proudly beside the Qin flag.

Kaelen, his poleaxe still dripping, surveyed the carnage with grim satisfaction. "The hill is taken, Alex. Kyuu Gen's personal guard has been annihilated, and the immediate threat here is gone." He gestured towards the fleeing remnants of Wei. "What are your orders for holding it, Count?"

Alex, his gaze sweeping over the conquered ground and then to the vast Dakan Plains below, made a swift strategic decision. The hill was secured, yes, but the real battle, the one that would determine the fate of the entire campaign, was unfolding elsewhere. "Erza, Kaelen," Alex commanded, his voice firm, "we prepare to descend. Kaelen, leave a small, disciplined detachment of Imperial Sentinels to hold this hill and maintain our signal posts. Ensure they are well-supplied and can report any major enemy movements." He assigned a contingent of 100 Imperial Sentinels to hold the summit, led by a capable captain.

"Akane," Alex turned to her, his command sharp. "Take a contingent of the Xuanjia Heavy Cavalry. Fan out, scout the immediate area around the hill. Assess the full extent of Wei's casualties and gauge their current morale. Pursue any fleeing remnants that pose a threat, but do not overextend. Bring back every scrap of information." He selected 50 of the Xuanjia Heavy Cavalry for this crucial task, knowing their speed and Akane's stealth would ensure efficient intelligence gathering and swift, targeted strikes. Akane nodded, already moving to gather her chosen cavalrymen.

Even as these orders were being disseminated, a new, massive rumble began to echo from the south-east. It wasn't the sound of chariots, but of thousands of marching men. From his vantage point, Alex could see a vast army on the move, seemingly shifting from a distant hill. His enhanced perception, subtly aided by his unique abilities, detected an ominous shift in Wei's grand strategy. "Go Kei must have moved them," he murmured, realizing the scale of the trap they could be falling into. Shou Kaku, whose unit was now ascending the hill in the wake of Alex's conquest, was being notified that the Wei flags were falling around the plains, a sign of their disarray.

As Alex prepared his forces to descend, a dramatic development unfolded. Below the hill, Heki and Shou Kaku's units, still struggling against dense Wei formations, suddenly paused. A collective gasp rippled through the Qin ranks as a towering figure, riding a magnificent black warhorse, appeared on a distant ridge. It was General Ou Ki, the "Monstrous Bird of Qin," his iconic glaive glinting in the sun, followed by a vast, disciplined army.

Ou Ki's aide, Tou, immediately voiced a concern. "General, participating in a battle without permission is a crime!"

"I am not joining the battle, Tou," Ou Ki's booming voice carried across the plains, an unsettling calm in its tone. "I simply wish to be on that hill." His eyes, like a predator's, swept over the battlefield, then fixed on the captured summit. "I will, however, slay everyone in my way." With that, Ou Ki spurred his horse, leading his army down a steep slope towards the hill Alex's forces now occupied.

Heki, seeing Ou Ki's decisive movement, knew this was an unprecedented opportunity. "Follow him!" he roared to his men, pushing them to join Ou Ki's descent. Shou Kaku's unit, seeing the opening created by Ou Ki's terrifying advance, merged with Heki's forces, surging towards the hill. Ou Ki's army carved through the Wei soldiers with terrifying ease, their discipline and power overwhelming. Heki, witnessing Ou Ki's raw strength, felt a chill of recognition; this was the same monstrous power he had witnessed when defending King Ei Sei, disguised as Hyou.

As Ou Ki's imposing figure neared the base of the hill, Shin, exhausted but exhilarated, suddenly found himself face to face with the legendary general. He was paralyzed, a mix of awe and fear washing over him. "Is he an enemy or an ally?" Shin muttered, his mind reeling.

"Are you leaving already?" Ou Ki's voice, deep and resonant, seemed to emanate from directly behind Shin. Shin whirled around, his sword instinctively raising. "General Ou Ki!" he stammered, recognizing the distinctive helmet. "Is Shou Hei Kun... your comrade?"

Ou Ki's lips quirked into a faint, amused smile. "My lover," he replied, his eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint. Shin's jaw dropped. Then Ou Ki chuckled. "A joke, boy. My, my, Shou Hei Kun praised you greatly, but I find myself... disappointed."

Shin's exhaustion vanished, replaced by a surge of anger. "You think I'm weak?!"

"Indeed," Ou Ki replied, his gaze unwavering. "Do you dare challenge me, boy?"

Shin, fueled by youthful bravado and his recent triumphs, held his ground. "Something that big can't hit me! I'm fast!"

Ou Ki laughed again, a deep, booming sound that echoed across the bloody hill. "You've been on death's door for quite some time now, little general." Faster than Shin could react, Ou Ki's massive glaive was at his neck, its cold edge a stark reminder of his own fragility. Shin leaped back, preparing to attack, but Heki, having reached the summit, quickly intervened. "General Ou Ki, please forgive his rudeness!"

Heki, seeing the immense strategic power now gathered on the hill, made a bold plea. "General, can you take control of our forces? Lead us to victory!"

"I did not come as reinforcements, Heki," Ou Ki stated, his eyes sweeping over the vast Dakan Plains. "I simply wished to be on this hill. And victory, my boy, is far from certain. You underestimate Go Kei." Ou Ki pointed to a distant shift in Wei's formation, a complex, nine-fold spear wall rapidly being erected. "He is extremely cautious, yet acts boldly when it is time to take action. He is extremely knowledgeable, with the greatest military wisdom in all of Wei. He is capable of leading any vanguard. Go Kei is, without a doubt, a very dangerous threat to all neighboring states."

Ou Ki then turned back to Shin. "There are two types of generals, boy. Those who act on instinct, and those who rely on strategy. Which do you believe will win this fight?"

Heki, exasperated, interjected, "Forget this, Shin! We have to concentrate on slaying the Wei general! General, please stop with these jokes!"

"This is no joke, Heki," Ou Ki calmly countered. "This is an eternal theme among generals. The struggle between the two principles."

From another hill, General Haku Ki Sai's HQ noticed the fall of Kyuu Gen's hill and, to his surprise, Go Kei's unusual Spear Wall Formation. Then, he saw a Qin cavalry unit—Duke Hyou's main force—charging directly towards Go Kei's army. Heki, receiving the report, counted their numbers at 5,000. Shin's eyes widened. "Duke Hyou!" he exclaimed, eager to witness the legendary instinctual general in action. Other Wei generals were also descending their hills, rushing to Go Kei's aid.

Ou Ki's gaze followed the trajectory of Duke Hyou's charge. "Unless Duke Hyou is the very center, he wouldn't be satisfied. In this long era of warfare, the size of armies has continuously increased year after year all the way till now where we war with hundreds of thousands of men. However, as the armies have grown larger, the talents of its generals have also become more and more crucial as to whether one is victorious or is defeated. Ultimately, war belongs to its generals."

The stage was set. The clash of titans was about to begin. Seeing Ou Ki now on the hill, and with his own forces prepared, Alex wasted no more time. He knew where the true heart of the battle lay.