It was to the point that there were almost two enemy Generals per allied General. It was a ridiculous position that would result in death quicker than they might have liked.
Akiko moved to help Jikouji, blocking a strike from a newcomer that had been aimed at his back, dancing lightly around their position, agile and comfortable with the blade. The old man barely noticed her out of the corner of his eye, breathing extremely heavily. "This isn’t working..." He stated the obvious, his muscles barely holding out as he blocked the most recent strikes. It might have been his imagination, but each blow seemed heavier than the last.
"Tell me about it!" Akiko complained, catching herself in surprise. It was not like her to speak so light-heartedly in grimly serious situations. It would seem her husband’s mannerisms were rubbing off on her. That was it, she realized, slipping past the most recent slash of the sword. If he was here, in her position, what would he do to accomplish their goal?
There were precious few pieces of their chessboard. There wasn’t much to work with. A complicated strategy was unlikely. He would rally them, wouldn’t he? He always knew the right words to get them through difficult situations. Their forces were scattered inside the encirclement, so the Takeda forces were able to make perfect use of their numerical advantage.
"GROUP UP!" Akiko shouted, settling on an idea. "GROUP TOGETHER! WE CAN SURVIVE LONGER IF WE GROUP UP!"
Her voice drifted into the ears of their allies and they held no doubts to who it was that might be shouting, as surprised as they were. There had never been an instant where Akiko had taken command entirely by herself, but a good idea was a good idea and it would be foolish to ignore it.
"COME ON YOU IDIOTS! GROUP TOGETHER!" Rin was slightly less endearing as she echoed the order, moving to join her friend, fighting by her side, offering a temporary safe haven for those that could arrive.
Morohira was still engaged in brutal combat with Akiyama, though he very much felt himself slipping onto the back foot and frustration bubbled up. He had to fight the urge to throw himself into a reckless attack, giving up flesh, just for a chance to escape this monotony. But with the arrival of a second spear-wielding General, that option was scr.a.p.ed away. He had heard Akiko’s order and as much as it pained him, he began to take slow steps back in the mud, retreating for the first time in his military career.
Sasaki and Togashi attempted the same, allowing the enemy to push them back, putting up as good a defence as they were able, doing their best to avoid slipping in the thick and sticky mud that thousands of feet had chewed up beneath them as a result of the damned rain. But if not for that rain, then there would be nothing to wash the blood from the minor cuts on their faces away and their vision would be obscured. Perhaps the gods might have been on their side after all?
They only knew they had arrived when their backs slammed into an ally. "Rokkaku, that had better be you, damned goon. If not, I’ll gut you." Morohira growled, feeling a wide back against his.
"Watch your mouth, Morohira. I may not be Rokkaku, but I’ll still gut you before you can attempt to swing your sword at me." Togashi replied through heaving breaths.
"Hah, you’re breathing rather heavily. Are you tired, Togashi?" He goaded, fending of the strikes as he spoke.
"Not a chance." He bit back, letting off a heavier strike than he normally would, in an attempt to pretend he was not in the least bit tired.
Slowly, they formed a circle of their own. The weak amongst the peasants had been weeded out and the hardy warriors that remained joined them. The Matsudairan soldiers were a welcome addition, as they kept the stinging Takeda veterans at bay, so that the stronger fighters could deal exclusively with the Generals.
"Not bad at all, but it is useless. You’ve merely prolonged your suffering." Akiyama murmured, admiring their formation from the back of his horse. His Generals were harassing them already. They were certainly slowed. With the lack of space and the comrades by their side, they could not wield their full strength.
But that was entirely their intention. Time. That was all they needed. Akiko looked around whenever she got a chance between strikes, and in her heart, she felt a deep amount of satisfaction. It was working! They could hold here for hours. They were exhausted, of course, but with the aggressiveness of Gengyo and Jikouji’s training, it was nothing new. Each of them had the mental fortitude to get through this.
’We’re ready, Tadakata!’ She screamed internally, clenching her fist in excitement. They’d lined them all up for a single perfect strike. The blow from their lionhearted hammer would be crushing.
Gengyo’s lip twitched, threatening to smile. He could see the woman he had married at the centre of it all, taking the lead. It was unexpected, but most certainly a welcome sight. He was looking towards Matsudaira’s headquarters waiting for the signal. No flag went into the air just yet - to his disappointment - but it would come very soon.
Meanwhile, Shingen folded his arms in satisfaction. "Checkmate." He murmured. That had been a thrilling battle. There would be a few more hours of fighting, but it was over. Every man was caught inside his Houen aside from a mere hundred. He was not naïve enough to let his guard down, however, and still remained fully alert, but by his eyes, this was merely winning the won game.
He contemplated moving closer himself, to join in the fighting, but that would almost definitely lead to Miura charging him. Why give him a chance at victory? Patient moves were required now, then it would be done.
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