Chapter 889: "The Abandoned Land" storyline

Translated from the Arabic raw https://3asq.online/manga/kingdom-2/889/

1. The story opens in the present with a serious conversation between an adult Kaine and Karyo Ten. Karyo Ten asks, "It was a place of pitch darkness until Riboku came?". Kaine, looking solemn, replies by asking if Ten knows of the Kyodo (the Japanese pronunciation for the Xiongnu). Ten explains she knows a little, assuming they are similar to the mountain tribes in Yotanwa's army. Kaine's expression is grave as she corrects her, explaining that the Kyodo live on a vast northern plateau rather than in the mountains, and that their brutality and tyranny are "absolutely incomparable" to other mountain tribes. Kaine describes them as an immeasurable horde of horsemen who relentlessly attack and rob the northern lands. She notes with lingering bitterness that the Royal Court dumped the impossible task of fighting them onto the northern lands due to their own wars with other kingdoms, leaving the northerners utterly incapable of defending themselves alone. Karyo Ten listens with a look of confused realization, muttering, "Huh? In other words..." as she grasps the grim situation.

2. A sweeping shot reveals a vast, desolate landscape. The narrative text establishes the setting as Ganmon, located in the far north of Zhao on the border with the Kyodo. Kaine's narration begins, describing it as an abandoned land forsaken by everyone, adding, "And there I was born and raised".

3. A flashback thrusts the reader into a frantic military response from Kaine's youth. Zhao soldiers are sweating and panicking as they see smoke rising in the distance, realizing they did not arrive in time. Commander Bakuji orders them to take up combat formations anyway and tells a worried-looking young Kaine to stay in the back. The soldiers encounter a horrific sight at a ruined village, but a scout suddenly rushes up to Bakuji, reporting that another group of Kyodo has appeared behind Mount Toba. Bakuji's face twists in sheer horror as he realizes the enemy might have bypassed the mountain, exclaiming, "What!? Kaine's village!" because her home sits right at the foot of Mount Toba.

4. A terrified young Kaine abandons the formation, furiously spurring her horse forward while screaming, "Father! Mother! Kaya!". Her face is drenched in sweat and etched with desperation as she urges her horse to "Hurry! Hurry!". Behind her, the Zhao soldiers are stunned by the sheer speed of the Kyodo cavalry, and Bakuji quickly orders a soldier named Suhatu to request support from the neighboring Siyun village while the rest of the men scramble to chase after Kaine.

5. At Koto village, the Kyodo invaders notice the approaching Zhao reinforcements. The Kyodo leader clicks his tongue in annoyance and orders his men to stop everything and withdraw, noting they should have brought the rest of their group. Kaine arrives just as they are pulling back, screaming "I'm coming!" as she spots her father fighting for his life against the raiders.

6. The scene erupts into absolute tragedy. A Kyodo soldier yells "Shut up!" as he brutally slashes Kaine's father down with his sword. Kaine's mother is thrown onto an enemy horse, crying out in terror while the Kyodo raider laughs ("Hehe") and rides away. Little Kaya tumbles to the ground, crying out for her sister. Kaine watches this unfold with eyes wide in absolute horror, screaming out for her mother and sister.

7. In the grim aftermath, Kaine sits on the ground cradling Kaya's severed head. Initially, Kaine is trapped in a state of deep denial; she forces an eerie, broken smile and stammers, "It's... a dream! Don't be afraid, Kaya! It's... just a dream...". However, reality quickly sets in. Her face contorts into an expression of devastating grief, and she bursts into violent sobs, hugging her sister's head to her chest as she screams, "Forgive me! I couldn't make it in time! Forgive me! Aaaaaah!".

8. Years later, a slightly older, hardened Kaine is shown charging into battle with a fierce, wrathful expression. Her narration explains that a large force was formed to fight the Kyodo, and she joined them, dedicating herself to relentlessly honing her skills so she could reach the enemy faster than anyone else and "kill the largest number of them". Although she succeeded at killing many, she notes that the enemy's attacks only increased day by day until Ganmon became a perpetual battlefield.

9. At a military fort, the exhausted Zhao soldiers gossip cynically about their new commander, noting that the previous general died within ten days. They assume the new arrival, Riboku, is just another punished official who will either die quickly or run away. Kaine looks stoic and tells the men she doesn't care, though she is annoyed that gathering everyone at the fort weakens their surveillance, advising the men to avoid showing disrespect. Bananji looks deeply bored and dismissive, mocking the name Riboku as "a fitting name for a sheep herder".

10. Riboku makes his grand entrance, cheerfully waving and smiling as he introduces himself, "Oh, hello hello! People of Ganmon! I am your general, and my name is Riboku". The soldiers' faces instantly twist into shock, disgust, and anger at his soft, unmanly appearance, questioning how he could possibly be a fighter. Riboku calmly observes that the men have experienced faces harboring anger and hatred, and that they have been greatly exhausted by the Kyodo. Bananji grins maliciously, noting that Riboku is made of "soft clay" but will soon mold to their harshness if he lives long enough. Riboku maintains his gentle smile and casually states, "For the north is not that difficult," leaving the soldiers completely baffled and insulted.

11. Infuriated by his dismissive attitude, Kaine steps out of the formation. Her eyes are sharp with anger as she glares at the new general. The surrounding soldiers whisper nervously, recognizing her as Kaine from Koto village, the girl the Kyodo call the "Blood Wolf," who lost her family right before her eyes. Kaine clicks her tongue and demands to know if Riboku really just said the battlefield isn't a difficult place, to which Riboku simply replies, "Yes".

12. Riboku confidently adds, "Rather, it is easy," causing Kaine to explode in fury ("What the..!"). Riboku curiously asks why a woman is fighting with a sword, prompting Kaine to aggressively yell that she has killed more Kyodo than any man present and asking if he has a problem with that. Riboku calmly replies that he just found it unusual. Bananji, looking intrigued, steps in and asks Riboku to stop dragging it out and reveal his plan to face the enemy. Riboku smiles and says the secret is in just two words.

13. Riboku's gentle demeanor vanishes, replaced by a look of absolute seriousness as he raises his hand and commands: "Avoid fighting them". He explicitly orders that when the Kyodo attack, the army will absolutely not go out to fight; instead, they will move all livestock and possessions inside the fort. Kaine's eyes widen in sheer shock, unable to process the idea of hiding from the enemy.

14. The courtyard erupts in outrage as soldiers refuse to accept such "nonsense". Kaine draws her sword, glaring furiously up at Riboku. Riboku calmly closes his eyes and states, "You will accept. Because they are my orders". When Kaine demands to know what happens to anyone who disobeys, Riboku coldly replies, "He will be executed". Driven completely over the edge, Kaine's face contorts into pure, unrestrained rage as she screams, "Don't mess with me, you bastard!" while the other soldiers try to hold her back.