A Second First Day is the 536th chapter of the Kingdom manga, written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara.
Summary
While he is reluctant to take on the position, Mou Ten accepts the temporary promotion to a General with Shin loudly expressing his surprised that is blocked out by the Ma Kou Army’s officers cheering and is told by Ou Sen’s messenger if there are any instructions for him and the messenger conveys Ou Sen’s instruction for Shin to return to the middle battlefield.
Moving on to the next day’s morning as the second day begins, the Qin right wing and the Zhao left wing prepares for combat. Due their actions on the first day, the Gyoku Hou Unit is assigned to the right side of the horizontal formation and notice the strange formation that the Zhao’s have deployed as Ba Nan Ji and his army seems to be positioned deep within the formation. As the Zhao attacks start, a soldier noticed that some of Gaku'Ei's forces are not moving at the command of the attack. Their attacks seem to have soften quite a lot compared to the first day. The mysterious third army behind Ba Nan Ji seems to have no movement as well.
Flashbacking to the previous night of the first day, the Zhao generals discuss their plans for the second day as they prepare to make one of Qin commanders disappear on the second day. If they can also kill one of them on the Qin right wing on the second day, it will turn the tide of the battle. Chou Ga Ryuu plans to change their attack plans on the second as the Qin is already used to their way of all-out attack. While it is the second day of war, Chou Ga Ryuu thinks that it is only the first day for them. At the end of the meeting, they have decided which of the Qin officers to go for after the meeting.
Back to the second day, and an army from the back of the Zhao side seems to be moving towards the right side of the Qin army. A Kou plans to surround Ba Nan Ji by flanking from the back and send reinforcement to the right. Just as the Zhao army was reaching the right wing of A Kou’s army, Chou Ga Ryuu commands his cavalry to make a sharp left turn. A Kou noticed that and realized that the Zhao are aiming for Ou Hon and while analyzing the situation, Ba Nan Ji himself and his army show them as they head towards A Kou’s main army. With this unexpected development, A Kou orders his lieutenant to send 8,000 men to rescue Ou Hon while he deals with Ba Nan Ji himself.
Meanwhile, Gaku Ei is trying to break through the Qin’s defense lines. Kan Jou is surprised by the strength of the 10,000 men from Chou Ga Ryuu and wants Ou Hon to escape or the entire Gyoku Hou Unit will be destroyed.
Meanwhile, Chou Ga Ryuu orders his men to take Ou Hon’s head as the Zhao soldiers are better than the Qin soldiers in terms of quantity and quality. During the seemingly hopeless situation, Ou Hon suddenly remembers a conversation he had with Mou Ten in which Mou Ten asks him that if he recently sometimes feels a powerful sense on the battlefield and realizes that that is the “view that only a great general is able to see”. With an expression of strange calm, Ou Hon then orders Kan Jou to summon Ban You back and prepared for a counterattack.
Characters
Qin
Shukai Plains
- Ou Sen Army
- Ou Sen
- A Kou
- Ma Kou (Mentioned)
- Ma Kou Army Commanders