From Shin trying to think of instictual based tactics, to him jumping head first into enemy traps without any "bad feelings". Hara has butchered my bow, and I weep. He's no different from Moubu at Bayou now.
Mouten and Yokoyoko are gonna appear behind the Zhao, and attack Riboku's army. As time goes by, Shin is going to trick Riboku like how the duke did when he hid his flags and moved around the army, making it seem like he's dead.
Riboku will be like "finally, now then on to those". And then Shin appears, although he will be down to 100 men, just like in Bayou. But this time, he's stronger.
Either they will duel, or Riboku will put someone else instead in front of Shin as a sacrifice(hopefully Bumtei), retreating to the Capital, and before he can attempt to take those soldiers outside to the lines of defense and defend against the Qin, the court will be like "wait you got defeted by such a small force, or you're working with them? " or they will think that that was the whole Qin army, it's beaten and Riboku is no longer necesary. I'm not sure how, though, but he will be executed.
In the end, we will see how Riboku has two weaknesses, Shin and The King. Shin was the cause of Riboku's death.
I'm puffing on hopeium for more instinctual Shin more moments during this battle, arc and after, I'm huffing on hopeium the Ten dies and the HiShin will be transformed into an army of an instictual general with tactical lieutenants, or Ten survives and the tactics they come up with integrate strategy and instict more, making the Hishin army an army that bears the legacy of Ouki - a hybrid general, the legacy of which is a hybrid army.
Now, before you come for me, it's just a theory, Hara could go any way, and we don't know for sure how everything will pan out.
She's supposed to rein shin in, man. If she dies here, Mou ki is going to be Shin's new strategist.
Hara has honestly slandered and butchered my goat. OUHON GETS MORE LOVE FROM HARA THAN SHIN, THE ACTUAL PROTAGONIST.
He's supposed to have instincts, to be the instinctual general of Qin. The future duke hyou, with his insights refined by a strategist. But no, it's been hundreds of chapters since we've seen him direct fights with his insticts.
Is he just a Moubu? He fell into a trap that we as readers saw was an obvious trap, but my goat, with all his points in instincts and strength, couldn't feel it?
I don't want to believe this is the end, but it's heartbreaking to see how Hara is massacring my boy. This whole arc I've been waiting for him to do something. First it was the sniper, ad I was like "oh, he don't know what's coming for him, shin is going to one tap him", but no the bow bros get the kill and then proceed to just fade away. Then he broke through, even before that, looking at the line up he was against, all that fodder should be dead by now, but no, they get to aura farm and glaize mr duplicator over there with no new tricks.
He breaks through, cool. I think to myself; "oh, he's gonna be on some instictual shi, establish a fortified main camp in the woods that's difficult for ribumku to find, create maurauding units, and flank Kisui and help out rokuomi(rip)", I even went as far as to think that he'd trap Riboku (if not Riboku then at least his vassals )by making Kyoukai seem week, massing a deadly assult on choukotsu using yokoyoko, and somehow trap his enemy using Kyoukai and karyo ten as the trap, while dissappearing from the front to avoid the enemy targetting him, and using yokoyoko as the shield, I thought he'd be on some "I leave this spot to you, yokoyoko" type shi, but no.
He gets tunnel vision, the smart person becomes as smart as a bean, they all get tunnel vision and attack a castle with an unconfirmed number of defenders.
Crazy. This is (for me) currently the worst arc ever. "The talents of an instinctual commander are growing in you, boy", and this is what we get? All those defeats, and neither one of these generals has learned anything. Ouki and Duke Hyou, Hyou, Bi Tou, Sei Kyou and Shun didn't die for this.
REF, DO SOMETHING, THEY'RE BUTCHERING MY BOY.
Who would have been a general sooner, him or Shin?
Imo, he may have been general material, but he didn't seem to be great general material.
I have a theory that Tou originally was probably from some form of hermit/ independent/ wasteland village, especially with that extra chapter of his with his master/ father.
In some Rinko fashion, Ouki probably adopted him.
With Akou, we all know, he was a general from another doomed state Ousen helped bring down. Ousen shared his dream with Akou, Akou believed in him and his cause and joined him.
So, with Yokoyoko, I feel that the Hi Shin and former Han troops will integrate, with that, Yokoyoko would become a sort of tertiary adjutant (after En and Sousui), but he would be strongest and most capable.
I really hope that comes to be, because that will be an upscale as becoming that type of awe/loyalty/inspiring great general.
He already has that air(Yokoyoko) and responsibility. The last time we saw him bringing up the rear while also pushing Kaine back and keeping up with the rest of the army, and he also saved En by jumping into the fray at a climactic moment.
;
Now, with the possibility of Shin directly facing either Gaku Shou or Riboku or both, Yokoyoko is going to play a pivotal part as Shin's vice, considering that the morale of the Han will be one of the major factors to consider; not only that, but his eye for strategy would also be a major advantage.
Not only that, but it seems to me that Shin got Yokoyoko's respect during Eitei, and that moved Yokoyoko to join up with Shin, especially as other armies from Han went to Ousen as well. Yokoyoko stayed with Shin. I mean, yeah, we don't get to see his expressions, and there's some ambiguity on that point,
But Yokoyoko heard Shin speak of unification, the fire of will and the fire of life, and then saw him back up his beliefs with actions.
Any honourable man would respect that, including Yokoyoko
We see him witness both the speech and the backing with actions, i.e., Shin killing Haku'o koku, and then she chooses to lead the Han army.
He chose Shin, that's clear, the reasons are unclear though
He could have chosen to go with the guy he knows best, whose beliefs, dreams, and intentions are clear. and the guy who is most similar to Rakua Kan.
Meaning he could have chosen to follow Shin, as Shin is not like other generals who would discriminate against him and the troops, especially after Nanyou.
Shin has proven himself a worthy leader to follow, and Yokoyoko has chosen to follow him, in the same way Rakua Shou will probably become Kyou kai's lieutenant
I'm surprised the soldiers don't have personal vendettas against the Hi Shin and Shin. Shin has the most kills(generals and commanders) than all other armies in Qin against Zhao right now.
From the very start with Bayou, the Hi Shin has killed the most generals of Zhao and has been central to the defeat of Zhao so many times; each time people would hear of a defeat, they would hear, "by the hand of (Ri) Shin". Shin should be public enemy number one (other than Kanki, of course) of Zhao.
In fact, the girl strategist is Riboku's army, facing the 3 armies, should be sweating buckets over facing Shin.
THE GUY KILLED HOUKEN, broke out of Riboku's cage, and then attempted to assassinate Riboku with Kanki. If the people of Zhao hate Kanki, they should hate Shin as well, and all these generals facing the Hi Shin should be sweating buckets because soo many prestigious generals have fallen to Shin.
Seeing that the Hi Shin have pushed through the second line. Ten could split the army into 2 to 3 Parts, Yokoyoko to Rokuomi, Shin to Kyou Kai, with possibly a reserve at a reinforced position, overseeing and guarding aagainstan attempt to flank the 2 flanking attempts.
In fact, Riboku could retreat with all armies in the area, which would include abandoning his castles. Or rather, rally all those troops around his castle for one large battle that will decide the fate of the Zhao. There is the possibility of an ambush if the Hi Shin pushes further in.
A lot of possibilities to look forward to at this point.
Most likely, we'll see Ouhon and his dad for a chapter or two.
To me, it seems like the war will lead to two battles: a battle for the north to put a lid on the Royal Family, led by Ousen, Rokuomi, Ouhon, and Heki, and a battle for the capital, led by Yotanwa, Mouten, Shin and Kyoukai.
The battle for the north. On the Qin side, they will have to put faith in the south.
The south, seeing how important the battle is for the whole campaign, will have to combine its strength; possibly, the strategy will depend on the 100 Eyes clan and Mouten, but as battles go, Shin's decisions and instincts will be the deciding factor, which is good considering how sharp they have become.
Regardless, at this point in the manga, Shin's decision is based on his instincts now, meaning a decision from Shin right now will decide how the war will go, therefore, the fate of Zhao.
A masterclass from one of the greatest generals under the heavens is coming
