Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

The arrowhead formation was counterattacked by the enemy's crane wing formation, which had moved forward as a whole—a truly bizarre event from the Warring States period. It just goes to show that all sorts of strange things happen these days, and one cannot judge them by ordinary standards.

Commands continued to be relayed down from Mount Akutagawa. Although Mitsuhide's orders were swift, Kawamura's hooves were even faster. Before Akechi's arquebusiers could descend the mountain and form their battle formation, Kawamura's steel arrows had already struck both flanks of Akechi Hidemitsu's forces.

Arrows whistled through the air, each strike a fatal blow. The Ming army, whose flanks were the least resolute, was immediately terrified and retreated hastily. With the flanks retreating, the already struggling central army began to crumble.

"Akechi Samaritan is here!"

There was no other way, so Akechi Hidemitsu immediately revealed his identity and rode into battle. Don't assume that Hidemitsu is very young just because he's Mitsuhide's son-in-law. In fact, Hidemitsu is forty-five years old this year, gradually approaching the end of his fifty-year lifespan.

Samurai of his age either become generals to take command or retire from the military, handing over the headship of their clan to their sons, who are around twenty years old, so that their sons can continue to fight.

Given the current situation, there is no choice but to act. If Akechi Hidemitsu does not step forward to fight and stabilize morale, his army, caught in a three-pronged attack, will inevitably collapse.

A banner with a dragon and cloud pattern could be seen rising in the distance, charging forward. The generals of Kawamura's army, their courage surging, vied to be the first to charge. This was none other than Akechi Samasuke, the lord of Tanba Fukuchiyama Castle, a castle with a 50,000 koku of rice. If they could slay his head, their bravery would surely be renowned throughout the capital region.

Thanks to Akechi Hidemitsu's advance and the resounding beat of the taiko drums, the previously wavering Akechi army regained some stability. Everyone looked towards the center of the battle, where several large banners were clustered together. Each banner or flag represented a general, and both sides' officers had been engaged in a fierce battle, determined to kill their commanders.

"I've come to seek your guidance, Sange Kanji!" Sange Morinaka was the first to rush up to Akechi Hidemitsu and loudly announce his name.

"Perfect timing!" Akechi Hidemitsu naturally met the challenge head-on; there was no room for retreat at this moment.

Surrounding Saegusa Morinaka were the elite Takeda soldiers left behind by his adoptive father and uncles, as well as the soldiers Shichibei had taken in from Kai.

The old retainers of the tribe, each a capable and valiant warrior, routed Akechi Hidemitsu's disorganized retinue, who fled in disarray.

The saying "one against one" means that it can't be a group of us taking on one of you.

With his spear thrust straight at Akechi Hidemitsu on horseback, Saegusa Morinao's eyes were filled only with a fierce fighting spirit to achieve glory, nothing else. Akechi Hidemitsu on horseback swung his sword in response, and the first exchange ended in a draw.

He had only charged seven or eight steps when he turned his horse around and Akechi Hidemitsu returned. But he didn't even have time to turn around before Watanabe Kanbei was already upon him. He didn't even stab Akechi Hidemitsu; instead, he stabbed his horse.

The warhorse neighed and collapsed, its riders unable to protect it in time, and Xiuman nearly fell face-first to the ground. Not only that, but they lost all their weapons, leaving them without even a weapon to defend themselves.

This was a golden opportunity, and Goto Mototsugu swept his spear across the ground. Akechi Hidemitsu, relying on his years of battlefield experience, could only tumble and crawl backward on the ground.

But Watanabe Kanbei guards the front gate, and Mitsugane Morinaga guards the back gate. The head of such an important enemy general is worth at least three to five thousand koku of hereditary salary.

The two men were vying for credit.

The two young men were so fierce that Akechi Hidemitsu had nowhere to dodge and retreat. Unfortunately, they were not shrewd or experienced. If they were, they would have already picked up Akechi Hidemitsu's headband that had fallen to the ground and shouted that they had obtained Akechi Samasuke.

The two simply joined forces to pursue and kill, while Akechi Hidemitsu, who had retreated to the protection of his personal guards, felt a surge of relief. He couldn't deny the effects of age; at forty-five, he was no match for a samurai in his twenties who had already been killing for years and whose bodies were still agile and vigorous.

If he doesn't fight back, how much morale will his troops and the Akechi army that came down from Mount Akutagawa have left?

The battle lines have been greatly disrupted!

Fortunately, the arquebusiers on the mountain came down to meet them, at least forcing back Nagie Sadaharu and his hundreds of cavalrymen. Having stabilized the flanks, Akechi Hidemitsu lost much of his bravado, and faced with the tense battle, he could only reward his generals handsomely.

We defeated Renrenqianyiguan!

For each level of beheading, the reward is two strings of cash.

The bounty is only being offered now, which is a bit too late, because the bounty offered by Tōdō Takatora, the left wing of the Kawamura family, is five kan of cash for a first-degree beheading.

The anticipated poor performance and desertion of captured soldiers were thwarted by the rear guard and the double rewards from Shichibei and Todo Takatora, who, with overwhelming numerical superiority, surrounded the right flank of the Akechi army.

The 10,000 cavalrymen of Kawamura Army, including Todo Takatora, Kuwayama Kazuharu, Mori Jiroza, Aochi Shigetsuna, Ogawa Yutada, Akaza Naoyasu, and Kuchiki Mototsuna, completely surrounded the 3,500 cavalrymen of Akechi Army, including Saito Toshizo.

Even Saito Toshizo, a renowned general known for both wisdom and courage, was utterly powerless against an enemy force three times his size. Despite this numerical advantage, he suffered a series of defeats.

The soldiers, entrusted only with the tasks of supervising the battle and filling in the gaps, initially advanced slowly towards the Akechi army under the urging of Todo Takatora's thousand riders. Only after the two sides met did they realize that the Akechi army's formation was not solid, and its width was far inferior to their own.

The approximately 5,000 prisoners of war released from the Tada Copper Mine, ranging from junior officers to low-ranking soldiers, were almost entirely intact. Of course, they had been split up beforehand, with half of them being used to fill the mines of the Ikuno Silver Mine.

Basically, if the officers are present, the soldiers aren't. If the soldiers are present, the officers are moved elsewhere. While the original, familiar formations are indeed absent, temporary formations, which only need to be done superficially, pose absolutely no major problems.

More than five thousand people were caught up in the middle of the main army, and from a distance, it was still...

They were indeed imposing. After being driven forward by Tōdō Takatora, they saw that the Akechi army was outnumbered, and even these veteran soldiers felt a surge of courage.

The main problem is that they gave too much...

Even the captured soldiers were treated this way, so how could Ogawa Yutada, Akaza Naoyasu, and others not take it seriously? When the drums of the left flank were sounded, Kawamura's army righteously and squarely pressed Saito Toshizo's troops until they could hardly breathe.

In terms of ranged attacks? Kawamura's army had more arquebuses and bows. In terms of troop strength? There was no comparison. Even in terms of the width of their spears, the captured soldiers who were driven up were stronger.

When the central section of the Akechi army began to waver, Saito's right flank also began to crumble under the attack of Kawamura's left flank. Saito Rizo shouted loudly from his horse, running around to encourage his soldiers to hold on to the attack.

The soldiers weren't stunned. Seeing the Kawamura Army flags fluttering in front of them and to their left and right, they naturally felt great fear.

As Takatora, leading his troops in a fierce charge, saw Saito Toshimitsu running back and forth through the enemy lines, boosting morale, he made a plan. The reason the Akechi army was still able to hold on was because Saito Toshimitsu was still alive. Once Saito Toshimitsu was defeated, the right wing of the Akechi army would surely collapse.

Go!

With shouts blaring from his left and right, his bodyguard Todo Takatora became the spearhead, charging straight at Saito Toshizo. Saito Toshizo, however, was unfazed; in a one-on-one fight, he could take on a group. Toshizo was surrounded by a considerable number of men, who bravely met him.

The spirited Todo soldiers clashed with the equally roused Saito soldiers, and almost instantly, both sides suffered heavy casualties. But on the battlefield, survival is death, and death is life; it is the domain of the brave. Following their commander in the charge, how could they retreat?

At this time, Rizo was already forty-six years old. He encountered Tōdō Takatora, who was only twenty-five years old and at the peak of his life. As soon as they exchanged blows, Rizo realized that he was probably no match for him.

In particular, Takatora Todo's almost giant-like height and physical strength advantage meant that the 1.92-meter-tall Takatora Todo could not defeat the 1.6-meter-tall Rizo Saito, giving the impression of an adult bullying a child.

In that moment of distraction, Todo Takatora's spear grazed Rizo's skirt armor, tearing off half of it. Todo soldiers charged from both sides, and Rizo, unable to parry, retreated hastily.

Before he could regain his footing, Gao Hu's spear struck again. Li San immediately raised his spear to try and deflect the attack. However, due to his unstable footing and inconsistent hand movements, Gao Hu seized the opportunity to thrust again.

A spear pierced Saito Rizo's abdomen, and Rizo stood up abruptly. He shouted, "Saito Naizaki has been captured by Todo Toraemon!"

Saito's entire army was greatly alarmed. A general beside Takatora rushed forward and severed Rizo's head. Rizo's personal guards then counterattacked, trying to seize Rizo's body.

In the midst of the struggle, the right wing of the Ming army collapsed like a landslide. The Ming army, already under immense pressure, finally snapped after Li San was defeated.

Saito Toshimitsu's three units collapsed first, followed by Shibata Katsusada, Abe no Sadayoshi, and others. The cries of enemy generals demanding victory echoed throughout the ranks. When Michio Shigeaki, a close confidant of Akechi Mitsuhide, led his troops to retreat, the right flank of the Akechi army was wide open, and all resistance vanished.

The entire battlefield situation had shifted in Kawamura's favor. Todo Takatora, while directing his troops to attack the central forces of Akechi's army, also mobilized his elite troops to prepare for a surprise attack on Mount Akutagawa.

Mitsuhide on Mount Akutagawa hadn't even looked away from the fierce battle in the middle of the field when he heard his men cry out in alarm at the collapse of the right flank. The tide of battle had turned in an instant, leaving the commander of Akutagawa's main force with no time to react.

"My lord! My lord! The right wing has collapsed!" Hirotada Tsumagi cried out to Mitsuhide Akechi.

502. The head of the five-stringed scepter is a symbol of courage and valor.

What's the panic!

Although Mitsuhide Akechi heard the news of the right wing's collapse, he did not panic like Hirotada Tsumagi. He simply looked down at the increasingly unfavorable battle situation at the foot of Mount Akutagawa.

"Has Rizo been captured?" Mitsuhide stood up and asked calmly.

"The flag fell and the people left; they must have been captured." Ji Chang was seen leaning on his red spear, gazing down the mountain.

"Saizo, would you be willing to go down the mountain to stop the enemy for me?" Mitsuhide took off his haori and draped it over Yoshinobu's shoulders.

"Please leave it to me." Yoshinobu seemed quite at ease, letting Mitsuhide put the haori on him.

"Uma-kai-shu!" Mitsuhide shouted, and five hundred of his personal guards, consisting of Mitsuhide's Uma-kai-shu, immediately stepped forward.

"Take care." Ji Chang turned and left, leading the five hundred people in front of him.

It was clear that with Yoshinobu gone, only about two thousand men remained at Akutagawa-yama Akechi's main camp. What could such a small force accomplish? Akechi Mitsuhide observed the battle from afar, the wind blowing against his back.

Her eyelashes stirred up a wisp of frost.

I haven't lost yet!

"Ise no Kami, you must succeed!" Mitsuhide put on the red bear fur cape that read "Atago Mountain Great Guardian Station" and clasped his hands together.

The Akechi Makai corps, arrayed on the mountain, served only one lord: Akechi Mitsuhide. Unlike other generals and commanders, their entire lives were tied to Mitsuhide. In the rigidly feudal environment of Japan, where "true loyalty" was paramount, from the day Mitsuhide betrayed Nobunaga, they had no choice but to wholeheartedly assist him in achieving victory.

"Follow me down the mountain." Mitsuhide raised his arms and beckoned the cavalry on either side to come out into battle.

Now is the time for Mitsuhide to step into the fray once more and personally secure a victory for himself. He has endured countless hardships and faced death several times in his first fifty years of life. So what? Now, I, Akechi Mitsuhide, stand here, while countless heroes have fallen.

The drums thundered, echoing across the mountainside. The Akechi Makai forces formed three ranks: front, middle, and rear. Mitsuhide personally oversaw the battle, leaving only a hundred or so to guard the main camp, while the rest were engaged in the struggle for the central section. They assisted Akechi Hidemitsu in repelling the Kawamura clan's attack.

As long as we hold the line head-on and pull back on the right flank, we can wait for Ise Sadaoki to break through.

Kawamura's main camp. Given Kawamura Nagayoshi's laughable martial prowess, he will surely flee. With the commander gone, the chance for victory remains in Mitsuhide's hands.

"The bandits are attacking from my right flank!" Mitsuhide's long-awaited former shogunate members, including Ise Sadaoki, finally appeared to Shichibei's side.

What about the mode?

"At most three thousand cavalry."

"Who is willing to fight off the enemy for me?" Upon hearing that there were at most three thousand men, Shichibei immediately calmed down and had no intention of running away.

He has more than five thousand men around him, and he only sends three thousand? That's laughable. This Mitsuhide really looks down on us. If we don't teach him a lesson, he'll think we're easy to bully.

"We are willing to go!" The generals on both sides volunteered for the battle one after another, each vying to be the first.

Kawamura's army's superiority was obvious to everyone. Defending the main camp would yield little merit; only by capturing enemy generals and flags could one hope to achieve great merit. Since Ise Sadaoki was coming to his death, why not fight?

"Today it's my turn to have a winning battle. Let's all charge!" Seeing that the morale of his troops was high and everyone was full of heroic spirit, Shichibei waved his hand.

Apart from the two thousand cavalrymen of Hatakeyama Army who did not have a commander, all other troops, regardless of their order of arrival, launched a fierce attack on Ise Sadaoki under the command of Takenaka Hanbei.

On the left wing, Shibata Nagakatsu; on the right wing, Awakawa Sadanobu; Ito Nagatomo led the charge; Takayama Shigetomo provided backup; with arquebusiers and bows in front and spears and clubs behind, they formed a formidable array and charged straight at the enemy.

What Ise Sadaoki? He's just a steward from the former shogunate's administrative office. His family has long since fallen into ruin, and he used to scavenge scraps with Mitsuhide. Today, he's just bumping into Shichibei and offering him a drink of his foot-washing water.

With a series of whistles, Kawamura's army pounced on the approaching former shogunate troops of the Akechi army like wolves and tigers. Ise Sadaoki, seeing that the approaching commanders were not famous ministers or generals, paid them no mind.

If it were Shibata Katsuie charging in, he would have to think twice. But it was just Shibata Katsuie's son who was charging in; what was there to fear?

Fire arrows! Fire arrows at me!

The Kawamura soldiers facing them paid no heed to the incoming arrows from Maruki Bow. They were muttering to themselves, their words barely audible from a distance, but clear to those closer. They were all talking about how a head was worth five kan of currency. Five kan of currency! A foot soldier only earned five or ten kan a year, and now a single head would do the trick.

It's done!

The ranks of Kawamura family spearmen, with a shout, charged into the Akechi army's formation. A great reward brings forth brave men, willing to risk their lives for money.

With money in place, soldiers will fight to the death.

One second Ise Sadaoki was calm and collected, the next his mouth froze. The first rank of spearmen from the Kawamura clan had already crashed into his lines, and some of them hadn't even had time to retreat before being pierced through by a spear from the Kawamura army.

"It was I, Ito Seizo, who was the first to break into the enemy lines!"

Ito Hisahisa, a close associate of Nobunaga, was incredibly powerful and easily swept aside the enemy troops in front of him, leaving a gaping wound. Back then, I was just a teenager, following Nobunaga in beheading enemies at Okehazama, and I didn't know what a match was.

What are your qualifications? What are my qualifications?

I'll shoot you with a big shot, Grandpa.

In the last two years, Ito Hisahisa was transferred to command and was given the leadership of Mangoku. Ten or eight years ago, he would have been the first to rush to the enemy lines to openly swear allegiance to Nobunaga.

"Not bad. Ise Sadaoki is a veteran after all, and he quickly recovered from his momentary carelessness. He immediately put away his initial contempt, ordered the archers to retreat slowly, and commanded the spearmen to engage them. It's just a matter of the brave prevailing in a narrow encounter, and the former Yamashiro shogunate troops have seen their share of big battles."