-Ouki-

Ouki Mitagi brought the Spear of Nayru hard against the Sword of Ghirahim, thus beginning their clash. With just that one swing, Ouki overpowered Harken. Harken, as well as his horse, was thrown to the side, and the horse barely managed to find its footing as it slid across the ground.

The Qin cheered.

"Your weight has grown light, Harken Dragmire," Ouki taunted.

Harken grunted and narrowed his eyes at the man, "We shall see. My blade is drawn. Now the curse will ensure one of us dies."

"I failed to die to that curse the last time you drew it. I fail to see how you think it will help this time."

Harken swung his sword. Ouki blocked it and retaliated with a thrust of his spear. Harken narrowly evaded the jab by turning in his seat, the blade cutting only his hair. Harken tried to bring his sword down again, but Ouki punched him in the elbow and thus locked up the arm. Ouki turned his spear around and smacked Harken's face with the grip. Unfazed, Harken grabbed the spear and thrust down his sword. Ouki pulled his spear from the man's grip and blocked the blow, but the force knocked him and his horse across the ground. He quickly drove his spear into the ground as they slid to stop their momentum and let his steed recover.

Every blow they dealt each other would have destroyed a lesser man. If anyone, even Moubu, had been at the receiving end of any of these, his weapon would have been shattered. If they even still lived, they would not have the strength to block again nor enough experience and skill to evade and retaliate. Their exchange started seconds ago, and already both the Qin and Zhao to watch it were gaping in shock. It was like they were watching a duel between titans. Any attempt to help would have been a waste of time.

Harken single-handedly killed twenty-thousand men and defeated the Royal Guard like they were children.

Ouki single-handedly fought a demon and reduced it to ash.

Ouki straightened himself on his perch. A small scratch bled from his cheek. Harken glared and said, "There is no need to hold back, Ouki. You should be much more capable than this."

-Link-

Link pushed his way through the infantry as best he could to reach the front lines. He could appreciate the idea for the wounded to be in the back, but he wasn't ready to just wait around. So, pushed he did. There was fighting to both of his sides, and he heard the sounds of heavy battle ahead as well.

Link finally made it to the front line and stopped, stunned.

No one was fighting. Not one raised a sword or spear. Qin and Zhao were frozen where they stood, just looking at each other. Or rather, they were looking at the generals. There may have been fighting to the left and right, but this area was an oasis of peace for the men. Everyone was lost in the spectacle of two men dueling. It was a spectacle that Link was drawn into too. As much as Link wanted to fight, he suddenly came to a different conclusion entirely.

This duel was more important than the entire battle going on around them. This was the center and fate of the war. Whether Ouki won or Harken, it would decide everything. No matter how many men died around them, no matter how many died to reach this moment, everything that mattered was this duel.

Harken and Ouki rained blows on each other faster than Link could keep up with. He knew Harken was fast, fast enough to keep up while Link used his Gift, but now that he wasn't using it, the speed Harken moved at was impossible to see... And Ouki matched it with his spear. Blow upon blow they brought upon each other. Every strike, aimed to kill and destroy, was deflected by another attack. Yet even deflected, the two managed to tear at each other. A bit of clothing tore here, a scratch on armor made there, Harken's hair was cut, and Ouki's shoulder guard was cut.

"Amazing..." A man beside Link murmured. "You can't even see their weapons..."

Another said, "Y'know... I kinda feel sorry for the rest of us. They are all fighting and here we are, just watching."

"Wrong. If anything, this spot right here could become the fiercest battlefield of all time at the drop of a hat."

"That doesn't matter," Link told them. He grit his teeth in frustration and powerlessness. "What matters is the duel. The entire campaign rides on who wins this. So believe in him... cheer him on."

Harken struck one of Ouki's blocks with such a strong move it created a loud clang. Though the spectators did not know it, the air coming from Harken's blade alone cut Ouki across the cheek. Ouki was pushed back once more. The Zhao cheered loudly as Harken gained the upper hand.

"Ouki's... losing?" A man murmured.

Link felt a cold sweat pour down his body. Ouki... was being pushed back? Ouki had shallow cuts all over his body from where Harken barely managed to touch him, and his arm shook. Few would know why his arm shook, but Link knew. Ouki's arm was still numb from before. "Come on... Ouki," Link prayed.

-Ouki-

Harken held a wound on his face and said, "Though the pain from the wounds you dealt me have faded with time, the injuries on my soul will only continue to throb! No matter how long passes, I shall never forget the death of my clan! Ouki, this is the same for you; the reason you are here before me. Rage is power. You know this. You should also remember the sight of 'her' death-"

Ouki's spear extended and crashed down in front of his face from across the battlefield meters away, faster than any could see or respond to. Even Harken was stunned by the speed of the blow in front of his face. His nose and chin split open, and Ouki's spear struck the ground with a thunderous crash. The Zhao stopped cheering, gaping at the speed of the blow, the strength of the blow, and the incredible length of the spear."You will not speak of her. Ever," Ouki declared. "But you are right... I am the same as you. The pain in my heart has never healed."

With a roar, Ouki Mitagi swung his spear into Harken. Harken blocked it easily enough, but the strength he opposed knocked him clear off his horse and into Zhao's ranks. The Zhao unfortunate enough to be in the way were cleaved in two. The spear continued to push him until Harken dug his feet in and stopped Ouki.

Harken's sword segmented apart to look like rope and was swiped at Ouki as a sharp whip. It cut Ouki's horse at the back legs, cutting the beast in two. Ouki fell to the ground, but quickly stood. His spear returned to its normal length. Now on equal footing, Harken charged. The two stood in a lethal dance together, raining blows back and forth.

Harken raised his blade to block a downward swing, and even though he blocked it, Ouki's strength still pushed through and hit his head. Harken fell to his knees. His eyes were dazed and unfocused. With spinning vision, he looked up at Ouki.

Ouki said, "You look confused, Harken, so listen well. To be a general is to be burdened. Ever since the age of thirteen, I have toured the battlefield. I have lost tens of thousands of comrades, and I have buried hundreds of thousands of enemies. The spark of life, the will, the hopes, and the dreams that all those men went to war with... All of that now dwells heavily upon my shoulders. The hope and prayers of the living and the security in which they live all dwells on my shoulders. I carry the will of the dead, and I carry the hopes of the living. A disgraced hermit like you who sold the lives of his family for power, fled when he was needed most, boasts yet hides in defeat, escapes when at the slightest disadvantage, and thinks NOTHING of his own allies is not a general!... A pitiful excuse for one like you probably has no idea what this burden entails."

Harken stood, shook away the cobwebs around his mind, and said, "What a waste of breath. No matter the era, there are always fools like you with nothing but ideals. You delude yourself believing you carry the will of the dead. The only thing the dead become is dust! The one and only truth is this! The defeated fall to the earth and the winners rise every higher!"

With that said, Harken swung his blade. Ouki easily blocked it with only one arm this time. Their weapons locked, and Ouki chuckled.

"It seems even until the very end, we will never see eye to eye," Ouki pondered. "Pity. I remember once having high hopes for you."

"You preach too much."

Once more, they traded blows. They dealt one another attacks powerful enough to shake the ground beneath their feet and knock the other down or up. With each clash, Harken found himself frustrated. He was stronger than Ouki! He was faster than Ouki! In comparison of technique, Ouki was the lesser! So why couldn't he cut the man down?! What was the source of Ouki's strength? Harken relied on his rage, the power he sold so many lives for, and yet it proved insufficient. This was only turning out to be a repeat of the previous time they fought.

Harken dealt Ouki a swipe across the chest that pierced his armor and caused blood to fly. The men roared in either cheer for Harken or panic for Ouki. In the same moment, Ouki slammed down on Harken's head with enough force to make him feel like his skull was on the verge of fracturing.

"How... How can you be this strong? Sentimental emotions are unnecessary to those who seek strength," Harken spoke as they fought. "I have thrown aside all desire but power! How can you be this strong!?"

Once more, Ouki gave a blow to the head that knocked the Dragmire down to his knees. Blood fell from open wounds on his scalp. It took all his focus to raise his sword and block the attacks Ouki rained down on him. Again and again, Ouki thrust his spear and struck Harken.

The Zhao retreated, feeling in a sense that this was the final blow. Harken no longer had anyone cheering for him, giving their hopes or encouragement, and was left alone amid Qin to be put down like an animal.

Harken's blade flew from his hands and he fell forward. Dazed and beaten, Harken's neck extended itself for the killing blow. Ouki raised his spear to behead him but paused.

The ground beneath his feet rumbled. Ouki looked up. All the Qin and Zhao noticed the rumbling too, and for a moment the fighting stopped so all eyes could search for the source.

From the passage in the canyon stood an army. A fresh, new army. Flags of Zhao raised high. Though Ouki could not see so far as to perceive who lead the army, it mattered not. In a single moment, he understood. The feeling he had felt all this time was made clear. The reason he rushed this final battle was before him. The reason Harken had taken a year to invade, why Harken's army had been openly known, was to be a distraction, not merely a challenge. The fact he waited a year was no coincidence. It would take a full year for an army to pass through the northern mountains and enter Qin.

With Bayou and the surrounding cities deserted, destroyed or besieged, no one would know of an army hidden in their country. No eyes would remain to be on the northern mountains that bordered Qin and Zhao.

Harken had been retreating, step by step, towards those very mountains.

Ouki looked down at Harken and was shocked. Ouki was not surprised by the army, but he was by Harken's expression. By his face, Ouki realized Harken did not know of the approaching army either.

Harken had been a distraction, and he had no idea. He was fighting an honest war in his own way, never knowing he was merely a pawn to something more. He never perceived there was ever more to this war than himself and Ouki. Harken was selfish that way, being unable to see past his own desires. Harken fell for his own allies' deception as the perfect fall-guy, and with Ouki's skill in reading his enemies thoughts and tactics... he fell for it too. Ouki's enemies were deceived by their very own allies.

The Qin saw endless ranks of Zhao entering the passage. Line upon line of Zhao approached them. They were exhausted, few, beaten, bleeding, broken in body... and now broken in spirit. Every soldier, from highest to lowest, knew they lost. There was no way out of this dead-end. Morale shattered, and all they could do was stand and watch as death approached.

As the first battalion of the fresh Zhao army approached on horseback, the Qin didn't even raise their weapons to defend themselves. It was to be a massacre.

"You have to be shitting me!" Link yelled. "How can there be a second army!?"

Realization that they had fallen for the enemy's plot and into their defeat set into every man. Ouki, who was skilled in perceiving a war's course, merely smiled.

Ouki chuckled, "Impressive. It has been a long time since I was put into a hopeless situation... I almost forgot what it felt like. Good job, whoever you are. I have been soundly defeated. It's almost enough to make the blood boil."

Something about his smile gave the surrounding men hope. Ouki had not given up, so neither would they. If anything, Ouki looked like he was having the time of his life. Without missing a beat, he began giving orders. His officers approached and listened with discipline of the Mitagi house.

"We shall probe the enemy for weak points while retreating. Geni, Shuu, you two have the rear."

"Yes, sir!" The two saluted.

"Saitou, direct the infantry in our retreat. Do not lose more men than necessary!"

"Yes, sir!" Saitou saluted.

"Kogan, set up a rallying point behind Chou-sou's army's left wing!"

"Yes, sir!" Kogan saluted.

"Men of Qin!" Ouki roared. "You have fought well, and now I ask of you to extend your strength to me one more time! Many of you will die, but there is hope! Give me your hopes, and I will bring you out of the darkness!"