Full chapter :
https://imgur.io/a/tghGX2Q
Translation by Saemoon
Chapter Title: The Final Gamble
1
Enkan: Hurry up! We need to arrive as soon as possible! If your horses run out of energy, then just run yourselves! Hika is right in front of us!
Messenger: Enkan-sama, we have an urgent report!
2
Zhao Soldiers: Has Hika already fallen?
Messenger: Apologies, that was mistaken!
Enkan: Mistaken?!
Messenger: The woods in front of Hika are burning!
3
Messenger: Hika is safe! The banners atop the wall still say Zhao! There are no signs of them being attacked!
Enkan: What?!
Zhao Soldiers: Why are the woods burning? At any rate, our families are safe.
Enkan: But wait… then where is Kanki…
4
Zhao Soldiers: Hurry, Hika is already burning!
Narration: This battle started after Riboku read through Qin’s strategy to attack Northern Zhao. If the Qin armies attacking Zhao from the south were able to take the castle, then Zhao would have to relocate the capital to the north. To that end, the Qin armies tried to destroy this escape route and attack the north. But they were caught in Riboku’s trap and are now facing defeat.
5
Narration: However, even if they annihilate the Qin armies, if Kanki is able to massacre the people in the north, the ability to relocate the Zhao capital would be greatly damaged. This would halfway complete Qin’s original goal. Riboku, who could read into the situation better than anyone, knew that minimizing Kanki’s slaughter at Hika would have a large effect for Zhao in 3 years time. And so, now they were rushing to Hika.
Narration: And Kanki, fully read that Riboku would think that way. And so, Riboku was caught…
6
Narration: In Kanki’s schemes.
8
Riboku: Kanki!
Zhao Soldiers: Enemy attack! From the right! Form up to the right, don’t let them through!
9
Kanki Soldiers: Break through them!
Zhao Soldiers: No good, they’re pushing in!
10
Zhao Soldiers: Protect Riboku-sama! Riboku-sama, please get back! Everyone form a wall! Send messengers to the other armies!
Kanki Soldiers: There’s Riboku! Kill him!
Zhao Soldiers: Riboku-sama, please escape to the left! Wait.. other there is… There are soldiers coming from the left! They’re coming out from the woods on that side! We’re surrounded!
11
Zhao Soldiers: Just protect Riboku-sama! There are enemies coming from the rear, too!
Narration: Riboku stopped moving for a few seconds to grasp the situation, and he realized his foolishness. Because Gi’an castle fell in flash, they panicked thinking the same would happen to Hika. However, the Qin army must have been injured and tired after taking Gi’an and would have had difficulties in taking Hika. Moreover, Hika, where all of the civilians were evacuated to, is far better defended than Gi’an was, and there’s no way it would have fallen before the Riboku army could have arrived. Lastly, he was being controlled by the idea that Kanki had given up on surviving and was going to slaughter the civilians before he died. That was Riboku’s misunderstanding.
12
Narration: And because he misunderstood, he lost his composure and Kanki saw through him. Riboku realized that the he spread his army thin and lowered his defenses in order to pursue Kanki… In other words, he completely fell for Kanki’s standard method of attack.
Maron’s Soldiers: Maron! The boss and the others have started! Riboku is where the boss is! Let’s hurry up, too! Kill Riboku!
13
Qin Officers: A surprise attack from the woods?!
Shin: Would that surprise attack catch Riboku?
Kanki: Maybe.
Ten: As a strategy… I don’t know if it’s amazing… but if we can really pull off a surprise attack then I think we have to do it. If reinforcements aren’t coming, then we would just be waiting for death in this castle with nowhere to escape.
Mouten: If we could kill Riboku, then we could escape in the confusion following his death.
Maron: But if the surprise attacks fails, we will all die! The Riboku army will certainly panic and rush to Hika, and I believe they will spread out due to the wooded area. However, the units directly protecting Riboku will still be around. It will be a gamble on if we can fight through them to kill Riboku. If we fail, then it will be the same as us just exposing ourselves to them and escape will become impossible. It’s unclear about what will happen if we kill Riboku, but if we fail… All of us will die!
Kanki: Fuh
14
Riboku: This is their final struggle! Keep fighting until our nearby armies can make it here! Kanki has shown himself! If we cut our way out of here, then we can take Kanki’s head and this fight will be finished!
Zhao Soldiers: We are the proud personal guard of Riboku-sama! Do not falter to this surprise attack! It’s Kanki! Kanki is here!
15
Kanki: You ain’t cutting your way outta here, Riboku.
Zhao Soldiers: What is that?
16
Zenou: *Zenou noises*
