CHAPTER VII


Spring 1556
Report:
The defence of Aki was fierce, and Mori's troops, 2 Naginata, 1 CA, 1 SA, made the best out of their fighting prowess. Nonetheless, they lost the battle. Hosokawa Naoyori and a handfull of ashigaru were massacred in Kochi castle by Amari Torayasu, as revenge for SaigoIezane's death. Bungo also was captured by Sadayasu with his 2 SA, 3 YS, 1 NC, 1 YC, 1 YA after defeating the rebel forces under Ouchi Nobushige, who raised a force of 4 YS, 6 SA and 4 YA. Thus, the overall situation is the following:

Remnants of the past.bmp


Plans:
All over regrouping will take place, a period of calm for few fresh forces to catch up. Obata is the single taisho pursuing his offensive plans, his bleeding forces shall push into Suo.




Summer 1556
Report:
Mori Takamoto, trusted with Suo, was anihilated along with all his heavily armoured troops, 1 SA and 1 YS.

Plans:
Obata's troops will now close in on Nagato, their final objective. The now elite corp will after that be reinforced. Yokota Takatoshi (YC) with 2 NC, 1 CA, 1 Naginata will go into Iwami after Motonari's head, protected not only by his hatamoto, but by 1 CA, 1 YS and YA also.

2 vital castle assaults shall be conducted, both my Shingen's sons. Takeda Nobukado (YS) seconded by Kosaka Yasumasa (NC) will storm Okayama fortress in Bizen, defended by the last of the Akamatsu, while Takeda Nobushige (YS) will conquer Usuki in Bungo. Troops will be sent in Buzen to secure the area.




Autumn 1556
Report:
News of Motonari's death arrived to Shingen in Kyoto only after 2 days through travelling doves. Almost all clans on the western coast understood now that their loyalties are bound to shift in favour of the Takeda. In Nagato, the last of the Mori, Yoshinari, with 2 SA and 1 YA, was also beheaded.

Mori now headless


Buzen, same as Usuki and Okayama, was overrun.

Plans:
Shimazu stands now alone in front of our armies. His front line provinces, Hyuga and Higo, shall be invaded as follows: Otomo Sadayasu (SA) with 2 YS, 2 NC, will enter Hyuga, confronting Shimazu Takahisa himself; Higo, secured by Shimazu Yoshihiro, will come under attack from Yamamoto Kansuke (CA) reinforced with some depleted 1 YS, 1 HC, 1 SA, 1 NC, 1 YC, 1 WM.



Another problem consists in the Yamana clan, who rules over Izumo. Shingen is reluctant to order an attack, as he hopes to end it all by persuading the Yamana to submit to us. Unfortunately, for so many seasons now, they refused any such thing. We may well be forced to invade Izumo.

Yamana of Izumo dilemma



Winter 1556
Report:
The Shimazu proved to be no match for our forces, despite the fact they were promising to take our heads as we took Oda's. In Hyuga Shimazu Takahisa, seconded by his sons, Yoshihisa (SA) and Norihisa (YS), and by taishos like Ryuzoji Takanobu (YS) and Shimazu Tadamoto (SA) plus some other 1 YC, 1 YA, were crushed. Both his sons and Takanobu found death on the battlefield. The province of Higo was chosed by Shimazu Yoshihiro (YA) as the place where to make his stand against Nowake. Seconded by the clan's most able generals, Iriki-in Shigetoki (SA), Omura Sumitada (YS), Shoni Tokinao (YS) and counting on some other 3 SA and 2 YA, he tried to repulse Yamamoto Kansuke. He died a noble death, along with all his men.

Dismayed by Shimazu's dezastruous fall, the Yamana clan submited to Shingen. Their hope was for our forces to be slowly decimated in Kyushu, thus giving them the chance to sprung all over the western provinces. It proved futile.

Plans:
Having been defeated in Hyuga, Takahisa sought refuge into Osumi. Otomo Sadayasu (SA) along with 1 NC and 1 YS will pursue his small group of hatamoto.

In the western province, what is now known as the Obata corps will assault Gotsu castle in Iwami. There, the last ronins of Mori, under Asai Naomasa (CA) fortified themselves, threatening the security of the province.




EPILOGUE


Spring 1557
Report:
Gotsu was conquered without any losses from our part.

Takahisa was beheaded, his clan lay broken at our feet.

Shimazu wasted all heads


Plans:
Eventhough this spring should have marked our total dominance of Japan, subversive forces still clung to power. Powerfull revolts were raised in Hyuga, Buzen and Aki by the former retainers of the recently fallen clans. Our forces will move to quell this rebels as follows: Tsuchiya Masatsugu (CA) with 2 NC, 3 YS, 1 YA, 1 HC and 1 YC, shall defend against Ito Nagafusa's army of 6 SA and 4 YA in Hyuga; Aki shall be secured by Sanada Yukitaka with 1 HC, 1 YS, 1 NC, 1 WM, 1 CA and 1 newly raised Naginata, as Ankokuji Terumasa recruited 5 SA and 4 YA that he plans to throw against us. In Buzen, as no forces were present near-by, we shall take over again next season.

Second, our forces in Satsuma, under Yamamoto Kansuke, will raise the siege of Kagoshima and storm the well-defended fortress.

Big headsoup party



Summer 1557
Report:
Swift as the wind our forces rode to meet the rebels, and even faster they cut their heads off. Nowake holds now dominion over entire Japan, and the Emperor and all nobles and clans acknowledge him and his government. Our campaign is at an end. Buzen will probably submit without a fight. The taishos shall now converge unto Kyoto, at the huge council Nowake convoked.

Almost no more heads



FINAL NOTE


The ending of my chronicle puts me in great trouble. As I noted in the begging, it only wanted to be a testimony of Shingen's remarkable talents. But his genius didn't end here. In the years that followed, he ruled over Japan with an iron hand. He created an administrative apparatus that will probably last for a thousand years, and forced all clans to crawl at his feet.

He still continued to call for me at long but this time pleasant councils. He appreciated me beyond my valour, as he put me ruler over a fief consisting of Ise, Owari, Mikawa, Totomi and Suruga, thus he put me in control of the largest part of the Tokaido road. Also, he honoured my son with the province of Tamba. The Obata became almost official protectors of Kyoto, and we fullfilled our role as best as we could untill now.

I am probably to leave this world soon. The "tora" (jap. tiger) allowed in my name as a derived from my first lords name, Nobutora, prepares for his death. My last few days in this castle proved to me the limits of my body. This body that once rode swift as the wind at Nowake's calling ..