And I am back! Don't worry guys, I have not forgotten about this story, I just wanted to get a few chapters in for my other story first. So anyway, back to business as usual, relax and enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 11: Rescue at Suruga

(Sunpu Manor, Suruga)

"Hm, that old Shingen is certainly serious this time," Ujiyasu said lazily as he viewed the sight below him.

After receiving word of Shingen's campaign against the Imagawa, Ujiyasu together with his children apart from Ujimasa and Ujinori, as well as Tsunashige, Kai, Ryuto, and Kotarō immediately set out to aid them. They had just arrived at Suruga and carefully surveyed the battle field from atop a cliff. Sunpu Manor, the Imagawa's main base was under heavy siege by the Takeda forces, and their red banners and armor completely covered the battlefield.

"I knew the situation was bad, but this is something else. I don't see a single Imagawa soldier down there," Ren noted, as there was not a single man from the Imagawa outside of the castle. Ryuto and Kotarō then appeared beside him. Ryuto bowed to Ren before reporting, "We've scouted the area, and the situation is not good. Most of the Imagawa forces have either defected or been defeated. Aside from a small unit to the north, only Master Yasutomo and Lady Naotora are left defending the castle.

"It's become quite chaotic down there. At this rate, the Imagawa will be swallowed up by the tiger's fangs," Kotarō said amused much to Ujiyasu's annoyance.

"I'm not going to let that happen. I can't let the once proud Imagawa end like this. At the very least, we need to save Yoshimoto's son. He'll never be able to rest in peace if we can't even do that much," Ujiyasu said seriously as stared at the enemy formation below the cliff. Hayakawa smiled at her father's stubborn resolve as she put a hand over her heart.

"Yes, you're right Father. We should make our move soon. Ryuto, how are the Imagawa fairing right now?" Ren asked.

"It's not good. The Imagawa officers Nobuteru Sena and Nobuoki Asahina defected as soon as the Takdda arrived, likely meaning they had already planned for this. Most of the Imagawa army was quickly defeated by the Takeda and now they've been pushed to the castle gates. The Imagawa unit to the north is currently isolated so they won't be able to reach the castle. I'd say as things are now, the castle will fall within the hour," Ryuto assessed calmly. Everyone then turned their attention to the sound of hurried footsteps coming their way. A messenger in the Imagawa's green and purple armor rushed to Ujiyasu with a worried face and bowed before him.

"L-Lord Uiyasu! I bring news! General Ujimoto Katsurayama and General Yoshiakira Miura have defected to the Takeda! They have joined up with Takeda at their northern camp!" He reported with fearful face.

"I'm guessing those two were in charge of that northern unit you talking about," Ren said, looking at Ryuto, who nodded in response.

"Come on! What's wrong with all these Imagawa guys? Doesn't anyone have any loyalty?" Kai asked annoyed.

"You can't really blame them. In these times loyalty, friendships, and even family don't mean much to people, just survival and ambition. Just look at Shingen. His son, Yoshinobu's wife was Ujizane's sister. He was willing to have them both killed for the chance to destroy Imagawa," Tsunashige explained.

"This is hardly the first time Shingen's done something like that. Beside's this is still pretty troublesome. Without those two, only Yasutomo and Lady Naotora are left. Despite how tough they are, they won't last much longer. This situation just keeps getting worse," Ujiyasu sighed.

"Maybe not. This might actually make things easier for us," Ren interjected with a serious face. Ujiyasu turned around with an intrigued look.

"Oh? You've got a plan to get through this, boy?" Ujiyasu asked curiously.

"I think so. If everything goes according to plan, then I believe our chances aren't half bad," Ren said confidently.

"Hm, alright then. At this point we need any idea we can get. I'll leave you in charge of in this battle, this is a good opportunity to see how you do against the Tiger of Kai," Ujiyasu said. Ren bowed before looking back towards everyone, who were eagerly awaiting his orders.

"Father, I need you along with Hayakawa and Kotarō to head to the southern gate where Lady Naotora is. The enemy forces there aren't as dense so it shouldn't be too difficult for you to break through. That way, we'll be able to reach Lord Ujizane quickly," Ren ordered.

"Very well, we'll save Lady Naotora and Lord Ujizane, no matter what," Hayakawa said, determined as Ujiyasu lazily nodded.

"Master Tsunashige, you will be important for this plan to work. I need you together with Kai and Ujikuni to head north, but don't make a move. I need you to stay hidden and not do anything until I give you the signal," Ren ordered.

"Hm, I can't say I know what you're planning but I trust you, Young Master. Leave it us," Tsunashige said, smiling at the young man.

Turning to Ryuto, he ordered, "Ryuto, you will go and cut off the enemy's supply line. With a force this large, they must have a steady supply line to maintain it. It will be you're job to take care it," Ren said. Ryuto nodded before immediately disappearing and heading off.

"Ujiteru and I will charge through the center and draw the enemy's attention. This will give everyone a chance to make their moves. Afterwards we'll immediately head towards the western gate where Master Yasutomo is fighting," Ren said looking at his brother who nodded reassuringly.

"You'll be taking quite a risk you know. Fighting the brunt of the Takeda forces is no easy task. There's a good chance you'll get killed out there," Ujiyasu warned seriously.

"I know. The Takeda are a force that matches even the Uesugi, perhaps even surpasses them. Don't worry Father, I promise no matter what, we'll all make it back home together along with Lord Ujizane and everyone else," Ren reassured with a determined look. See his son's face, Ujiyasu couldn't help but smile.

"Heh, if you're that confident, then let's see what you can do. Don't die alright?" Ujiyasu said as he mounted his horse. Ren nodded before getting on his new mount, Storm Runner. Everyone else followed suit and prepared to head out.

"With Tatsu, I'll be able to break through and come back in no time," Ren said, rubbing the now armored Storm Runner's head.

"Tatsu? That's what you're calling that thing?" Kai asked as she mounted her horse.

"Yeah, Hayakawa helped me pick out his name, he seems to like it," Ren said as the horse let out strong cry.

"I still can't believe you kept this monste- kyah!" Kai yelped out as she saw the horse give her an angry look which scared both her and her own horse which moved away a little.

"Hehe, I guess he still doesn't fully get along with people other Ren," Hayakawa giggled at Kai's interaction with the horse. Ren, who couldn't hold back a laugh at their conversation, then looked below the cliff with determined face.

"(Lord Yoshimoto, Mother... hold on just a little longer)," He thought as he brandished his blade. Raising it into the air, Ujiteru and the their units all prepared to move.

"Alright everyone, advance! Save the Imagawa and defeat the Takeda!" Ren roared out as Tatsu raised itself into the air, and quickly charging down the hill with incredible speed. Ujiteru let out his own battle cry as their respective units charged after him. Everyone else began to pray for their success as they awaited their chance to move. Hayakawa looked on as she saw Ren move further and further away.

"(Please, Ren. Come back safe...)" Hayakawa prayed as moved closer to the unsuspecting Takeda army.

(Play Conflagration (Hōjō) - Suruga)

"Charge!" Ren ordered as they quickly moved down the hill. They first saw a large unit of Takeda soldiers who looked shocked as they realized the Hōjō army's presence. Their once sturdy formation immediately fell into chaos and crumbled as the Hōjō army crashed into them.

"It's the Hōjō! All forces stop them!" A Takeda commander ordered. Nodding, all of the Takeda's calvary in the area began charging towards the newcomers. As two of them reached Ren, they simultaneously lunged their spears at him. Ren swiftly ducked below them and slashed them both across their abdomen, instantly killing them as they fell from their mounts. Meanwhile Ujiteru was currently locked in a clash with three soldiers, who were steadily overpowering him. Letting out a fierce roar, he pushed them away and while they were open, he swiftly cut them all down with his long sword. As he saw three more enemies charging towards him, he pulled his rifle from his back and accurately fired three rounds, instantly puncturing his enemies.

Setting his sights on the commander, Ren began to rush towards his position. Seeing this, five more cavalrymen advanced to intercept him. Seeing the gap between them, Tatsu increased it's speed many times over, closing the distance between them and the Takeda forces. Between they even had time to be surprised, Tatsu raised it's body and stomped on the soldiers and their horses, effectively crushing them into the ground. It then jumped into the air over the three remaining cavalrymen, who could only look up in awe. Panicked the commander tried to pull out his sword, only to swiftly cut down by Ren when he landed. Coughing up blood at the gash made on his chest, the commander fell from his horse, much to the horror and shock of his men.

"C-Commander! This is bad, call for reinforcements back from the castle now!" A soldier ordered, as several cavalrymen began to head towards Sunpu Manor. Ren and Ujiteru saw this and nodded to each other as they allowed the messengers to escape. Knowing their mission, the brother's and their men charged back into the fray against the Takeda forces.

On the hill above, the rest of the Hōjō forces watched as several contingents of the Takeda forces moved from the castle towards the center of the battlefield where the fighting was intensifying by the second. Seeing his opportunity, Ujiyasu put away his pipe as prepared to head out.

"Alright everyone! You have your missions. Let's hurry and save my idiot nephew before it's too late. The longer we take, the more in danger my boys will be, so no slacking off!" Ujiyasu commanded seriously as his men cheered. The Hōjō Daimyo then began to rush to the southern side of the castle together with his daughter and ninja close behind him. Tsunashige took his his unit and began riding northwards through the forest in order to avoid being spotted. Soon the battle between Ambition and Family would intensify to a new level, and little did Ren and the Hōjō know, they would soon come face to face with a man who would play a major role in their future.

(Takeda Main Camp, Suruga)

"So Ujiyasu has come himself, eh? Looks like things won't be as easy as I had hoped," A man in a bright red mask said, as he continued to wave his iron fan towards himself. He sat in the center of his camp, guarded closely by many elite soldiers, as he listened to messengers reports. All over the camp were the red banners of the Takeda as well as banners that held his signature "Furin Kazan" letters.

"So far, we have not sighted Ujiyasu on the battlefield, but our scouts say that he led his forces from Odawara in person. So far, only his son's Ren and Ujiteru have appeared. Their are putting up a fierce fight in the center of battlefield, many of our men so far have been very impressed by the Hōjō's fighting spirit," a messenger reported as he kneeled before the Takeda lord.

"Ren Hōjō... that's old Shigeuji's son from the Aizu clan if I remember correctly. He must be quite something to give us this much trouble with only a limited number of men. If even Kenshin acknowledged him then he must surely be one to watch out for," Shingen mumbled as he began to rub his chin through his mask.

"What should we do then, My Lord?" the messenger asked worried.

"Don't worry. We'll leave this to Katsuyori and Masayuki, I'm sure they'll be fine. This is also a good chance to see exactly what this so called Dragon of Kanto is capable of," Shingen said with a small smile on his face.

(Sunpu Manor Southern Gate, Suruga)

"Oh, why is this happening to me? Is this the end?" Ujizane cried out as his body began to tremble. He was currently completely surrounded by a horde of Takeda troops. Beside him were a few desperate Imagawa guards and Naotora, who was trying her hardest to defend her incapable lord.

"Lord Ujizane, this is no time to be panicking! Oh, that was really rude of me to say, I'm so sorry!" Naotora exclaimed in embarrassment as she covered her face with her hands. Quickly remembering their current predicament, she regained her composure and got back into her fighting stance. Seeing no way out from the enemy encirclement, and with them continuing to close in on them, Naotora began to lose hope in the situation. She then braced herself as the Takeda soldiers began to charge towards them. Just before they reached them, Naotora heard five consecutive gunshots with five Takeda soldiers falling down soon after. She then noticed the ground below the Takeda soldiers get frozen along with their feet, stopping them all in place. A dark red streak suddenly appeared and fluidly moved through each of the soldiers, as suddenly they coughed up blood and fell to ground, defeated. Her eyes brightened up and nearly began to tear as she saw familiar faces staring back at her from behind where the Takeda forces had came from. She saw her saviors in the form of Ujiyasu, Kotaro, and Hayakawa together with a small contingent of men behind them.

"L-Lord Ujizane! They're here!" Naotora cheerfully said to her lord, who was curled into a ball on the ground with his eye's tightly closed shut.

"I-I know... Please make it quick and don't hurt me..." He mumbled fearfully as he anticipated the Takeda to take him.

"You idiot, we're not the Takeda. Open your eyes already, you coward," Ujiyasu sighed as he walked up the curled up lord. Opening his eyes, they began to tear up as he saw the sight of his uncle's annoyed face above him.

"U-Uncle! You came! I can't believe it, I was so scared!" Ujizane cried out as he moved to hug Ujiyasu, who stopped him by grabbing him by the back of his collar and lifting him up.

"Yeah, yeah. You're a lot more trouble than you're worth, but I couldn't just let you get taken out by Takeda," Ujiyasu said, setting his nephew back down on to the ground. Ujizane continued to express his gratitude to Ujiyasu, as all of his remaining guards let out a sigh of relief and sat down on the ground in exhaustion.

"Is this all that's left, where everyone else?" Hayakawa asked, seeing only a few tens of soldiers around them. Naotora sighed as she explained, "Yes... this is all that's left aside from Master Yasutomo's unit, I'm afraid. We had to gather just about every single soldier in left in our lands just to protect this place and it still wasn't enough. Everyone else has either been defeated or left to a different clan".

"The Imagawa's days are numbered then. At this rate, will this battles outcome even matter," Kotaro asked, amused.

"Quiet, ghost. They aren't done just yet. For now let's focus on Tiger in front of us, then we can deal with what comes next after. Get Ujizane into the castle and stay on guard. We'll handle the defenses of the south here," Ujiyasu ordered to which Imagawa men nodded and entered the castle with their lord.

"Lady Naotora, aren't you going too? I'm sure you must be tired after all that fighting, we'll handle the rest," Hayakawa said, concerned for her friend.

"I can't do that. Ii Family Precept, always stand by your comrades! You all have done so much for us, I can't just force you to take on our battles like this alone. Besides Master Yasutomo is still fighting really hard in the west, I'm worried about him. He's taking on the brunt of the enemy forces and he doesn't have many men with him..." Naotora said concerned.

"Don't worry, Lady Naotora. My brothers promised they would save him, and they always keep their promises. There's no way they will fail when someone needs help," Hayakawa said confidently, easing Naotora's worries as the two women smiled and nodded.

O-O

In the center of the battlefield, the Hōjō brothers continued to fight bravely as the Takeda ranks continued to increase by the minute. Infusing his spear with a large mass of flames, Ren prepared himself as a large wave of bright red clad soldiers advanced towards him. Swinging his spear towards them, the flames fired towards the men in the shape of crescent. Proving too fast for them dodge, they were fully blown away by the force of flames as they dispersed with immense force, launching the men into the air and causing to land onto the ground in loud thuds. Just as they were defeated, they were quickly replaced by double the number of men as before.

Tapping Tatsu with his feet, Ren rushed towards the new enemies at a blinding speed. Charging through the horde of soldiers, he continuously lunged his spear at his foes while narrowly avoiding their blades. After cutting his way to the center of the group, he charged his spear with a powerful flame, as the Takeda soldiers moved towards his from all sides. With a single slash, he created a ring of fire that continued to expand away from him. The ring of fire passed through each soldier, eventually blowing away every last enemy before dispersing rapidly. Letting out a deep breath, he lowered his weapon as he saw that most of his foes had been defeated. He tensed up as soon as he heard the sound of countless hooves hitting the ground draw closer to his position. Soon he saw countless more cavalrymen racing towards their position from multiple directions. Just as he prepared himself for the upcoming fight, Ujiteru lifted his sword in front of him.

"Brother, we'll deal with these guys. You go save Master Yasutomo," Ujiteru said as he and his men formed a defensive line.

"Are you sure? The enemy force is massive, I can't just leave you all to deal with this yourselves," Ren said, concerned.

"Who do you think you're talking to? I'm the older one here, I can't keep letting my younger sibling handle everything. Besides, Master Yasutomo has been fighting against these odds so long before we got here. I can't afford to let his efforts go to waste. I'll show these Takeda bastards what the second son of the Lion can do!" Ujiteru said confidently as all of his men smiled and roared out in excitement. Smiling at his brother's determination, he nodded as he and Tatsu turned towards the direction of the castle.

"Alright Brother, I'll leave things here to you. Don't worry I'll be back soon. Show them what we Hōjō can do," Ren said, before racing towards the castle. Smiling Ujiteru raised his sword as all of his men awaited his orders with anticipation.

"Alright everyone! Let's do what we do best! Let's go!" Ujiteru shouted, as his men roared out with him. Undeterred by the massive Takeda force, they fearlessly stood their ground as both sides came to fierce clash.

(Sunpu Manor West Gate, Suruga)

"Ha...Ha...Is that all you Takeda devils got?"

Tightly gripping his Destiny spear, Yasutomo stood unbowed before the horde of Takeda soldiers that had surrounded him. With many drops of sweat falling down his face, the green and purple clad warrior was nearing his limit after fighting for so long. Around him were countless slain Takeda soldiers who littered the ground. The sight of the fierce Imagawa warrior served to hinder the confidence of the Takeda, who were wary of the man as they tried to maintain their distance.

"You have fought well, warrior, however surely you see the futility of this continued struggle," a low and calm voice said from behind the Takeda soldiers. The men stood aside to clear the path for the man, who walked closer to Yasutomo. Getting a full view of the man, Yasutomo saw a middle aged man donning red and black armor. A notable feature was his long split colored hair, being black on he left and white on the right, which was partly covered by a red hat with a gold pronged ornament on the left side. On his shoulder plate as well as on his cloth hanging from his waste was a symbol resembling six golden coins. Hanging from his poleaxe was a red banner which held the same symbol.

"Futile, huh? Futile or not, I have a duty to my Lord and clan. I refuse to turn my back on those who need me, and this clan needs now more than ever. I am the sturdy spear of the Imagawa, no matter what, I will not bend nor break until I have secured my Lord's safety!" Yasutomo exclaimed, pointing his spear at the dual haired man.

"The spear of the Imagawa indeed, I see the rumors of your unbending loyalty and great might are true. It is such a pity that even with retainers as fine as you, the Imagawa has ended up in such a state," the man said with true sympathy in his voice. Hardening his resolve, he brandished his weapon and his men followed suit.

"No matter how great a spear you may be, without a worthy master to wield you, you are nothing more than a decoration," he said as he motioned for his men to charge. Bracing himself, the Imagawa warrior prepared to take on the impending attack despite the massive fatigue he felt. Just as he raised his spear to meet the first attack, an object quickly hit the ground in front of him, creating a large pillar of flames that divided the two sides. The Takeda troops at the front were unfortunate enough to be caught by the flames, and instantly killed while the others quickly backed away. After the flames dissipated, Yasutomo saw a familiar short spear at the center of what was once at the center of the flames. Turning his attention to the front of him, he saw some kind of commotion going on behind the mob of Takeda forces.

"Someone, stop him!"

"Argh! He's too fast!"

Hearing the struggling going on behind his forces, the Takeda commander narrowed his eyes as he saw a figure riding atop an armored orange horse charging through his men. Jumping up into the air, the shadow of the horse hovered over man as everyone looked on in shock. Yasutomo couldn't believe his eyes, as the figure landed directly in front of him.

"Lord Ren?" Yasutomo asked he began to fee his fatigue get the better of him. Gripping on to his spear and pulling it from the ground, the young warrior smiled reassuring at the tired man.

"Forgive me for being so late, Master Yasutomo. Don't worry, I'll handle this, so please go into the castle and get some rest," Ren said. The older man let out a deep breath as his men rushed over to help him.

"Don't worry about me, My Lord... I just need a little break and I'll be better than you know it," Yasutomo said as he fell to his knee in exhaustion. His few remaining soldiers quickly rushed to his side to help him, but he waved them off. Looking at them, Ren told them to look after the man to which they nodded. Turning his attention back to the enemy in front of him, Ren couldn't help but get a strange feeling from the black and white haired man in front. Seeing the small Hōjō mark on Ren's chest plate, the man realized what was going on.

"So the Hōjō are here, I see now why our forces were suddenly in disarray. Seeing your skill and young appearance, I assume you're the one they call the Dragon of Kanto?" He asked as he narrowed his eyes at the young man.

"I suppose that's what people call me, but the name's Ren. I'm guessing you're the one in command here?" Ren asked.

"It's Masayuki Sanada. My Lord entrusted me with command of this battle, and I'll do whatever it takes to claim victory. Seeing as how you're here. I assume the Hōjō intend to break their alliance with us?" Masayuki asked.

"Hm, you Takeda broke our alliance when you decided to attack the Imagawa. We're simply honoring our alliance by helping them," Ren replied.

"Is that right? What benefit is there in making an enemy of us just to save the weak and finished Imagawa?" Masayuki asked, wary of Ren's movements.

"Just like you, we have something to fight for too. It just happens our motivations are different. The Imagawa is my mother's family so they are our family too. We won't simply turn our back on them just because things are looking grim for them. No matter what, we refuse to let them die like this" Ren said, brandishing his spear. Masayuki lips formed into a small and nearly unnoticeable smile.

"Is that right? I suppose I can respect that, however even so, for my Lord, I will end both you and the Imagawa," Masayuki said coldly as he and his unit charged towards Ren. Wasting no time, Ren sallied forth into the enemy ranks. Powering up his flames, Ren fired a straight shot, effectively piercing and clearing out a straight line of Takeda soldiers. It eventually broke through their ranks and reached Masayuki, who used his blade to block the attack. Although successful in minimizing the damage done to him, he was still pushed back several meters by the force of the attack.

The remaining Takeda soldiers quickly moved to cover the path created from the blast as they rushed to meet Ren's charge. Thrusting their spears at the young man, they began a relentless assault. Ren skillfully parried each attack and cut them all done before they had the chance to react. Four more men attempted to use their spears to stab the Storm Runner while three more jumped into the air to attack it's rider. Angrily narrowing it's eyes, Tatsu raised it's body into the air, causing all of the Takeda spears to miss their mark. Using the new elevation, Ren was able to reach the Takeda soldiers in the air, and slashed them across the chest, causing droplets of blood to fly into the air as they were sent to the ground. The remaining Takeda soldiers panicked as they saw the shadow of Tatsu hovering over them as it slammed it's legs onto them, crushing them instantly with it's hooves.

Yasutomo watched in awe as the young warrior continued to hack his way through the mob of Takeda forces. He couldn't believe how determined Ren looked as he continued to fight against such odds, and for a clan other than his own no less. Smiling, the older man slowly stood back up.

"General, you should rest more. You must still be exhausted from earlier," one of his men said, worried. Yasutomo held his hand up to the man and tightly gripped his spear.

"I've rested for more than enough now. We can't just stand by and watch as our allies fight for us like this. How can we ever face Lord Yoshimoto if we can't even defend a single castle?" Yasutomo asked. Slowly he saw a fire reignite in the eyes of his few remaining men.

"This is no time to be sitting idly by. Let's show these Takeda devils that even without Lord Yoshimoto, we still have plenty of fight left in us!" Yasutomo exclaimed, raising his Destiny spear into the air. Roaring out in response to his battle cry, his unit followed behind him as they all charged towards the crowd Ren was fighting. Yasutomo powered up his Musou as his spear became enveloped in a purple electrical current. He slashed his spear into the air, creating two purple waves of electrical Musou. The waves quickly cut through two lines of soldiers before they had anytime to react. Ren was surprised by the sudden attack, as he suddenly noticed the remaining Imagawa men fighting by his side.

"Lord Ren, allow me to assist you. I can't have you do everything now, can I?" Yasutomo said as he stood bellow Ren with his spear ready.

"I appreciate it, It's very reassuring to have you by my side," Ren said, smiling at the man. Nodding, the two continued to fight against the Takeda, with many beginning to become fearful of the combined strength of the two. Masayuki watched the scene unfold from the back with a careful and calculating stare. He saw his forces being cut down one after another as the Imagawa were suddenly filled with newfound spirit.

"Hm... I suppose we underestimated how much fight the Imagawa still had left," Masayuki said rubbing his chin.

"Sir, should we call for reinforcements?" a soldier asked. Masayuki shook his head.

"No, I'm sure the Hōjō still haven't revealed all of their cards just yet. We can't afford to spread out our forces anymore than we already have. For now let's fall back and rethink our approach to this," Masayuki ordered as his soldier nodded and gave the command to his men. Just as Ren and Yasutomo cut down several more enemies, the remaining Takeda began to flee. In the distance they saw Masayuki ahead of the group, on his mount as they moved further away.

"Looks like we were able to defend the castle for now..." Yasutomo said, letting out a deep breath.

"They won't be gone for long, once they've gain a better grasp on the situation, they'll be back. I'm particularly worried about that Masayuki, I can tell he's dangerous," Ren said warily.

"Yes, you're right. He's certainly someone to watch out for. He may very well be just as formidable as Shingen. We need to figure out a plan and quick," Yasutomo said.

"I already have a plan in place, but it's down to us to make it succeed. It involves your former allies that just defected actually," Ren explained, as Yasutomo raised a brow.

"Those cowards? How are they going to be any help, even if they hadn't betrayed us, they still wouldn't be able to change anything. As we speak they are probably groveling and making merry in the Takeda's northern camp," Yasutomo said frustratingly of his former comrades.

"It's exactly because they are such cowards that we'll able to make us of them. I'll explain everything later, for now we need to help my brother. He's brave, but even he won't last much longer in these odds," Ren said, concerned.

"Very well then. Let's go before it's too late, but are you sure it's safe for all of us to leave the castle?" Yasutomo asked, mounting his horse.

"Don't worry. Father and everyone else have got it covered. For now, let's focus on turning this battle around," Ren said. Yasutomo nodded as they all rode off quickly outside. They advanced without stop until they reached the center of the battlefield where Ujiteru and his men were beginning to be overwhelmed by the massive Takeda horde. Ujiteru cut down several men with his long sword then pulled his rifle from his back to shoot another Takeda soldier who was about to stab one of his men from behind. The second eldest Hōjō sibling turned around when he heard some kind of commotion coming from the Takeda forces. His face lit up upon seeing his brother rushing over to him.

"Brother! We're here to help!" Ren shouted out as he began cutting his way through multiple Takeda men to reach his brother.

"Ah good timing, and I see you've got Master Yasutomo with you too," Ujiteru said, noticing the small unit of men that Ren brought with him.

"Yes, it's good to finally meet you, Lord Ujiteru. I'm grateful for all of your assistance," Yasutomo said respectfully as he bowed from his horse.

"How's everything been looking so far, Brother?" Ren asked as he looked at the fighting around them.

"Not too good. No matter how many we take out, they just keep on coming from every direction. Not only that, but we have no cover out here. At this rate, we'll be completely overwhelmed," Ujiteru said, firing off another round of bullets which knocked over several cavalrymen.

"Hm, we need to find a way to keep the enemy at bay and restrict their movements somehow... Out here we're just sitting ducks for their cavalry," Ren said as he surveyed the area around them, only seeing flat lands in sight.

"The central garrison is located to the west of here. It's the choke point to where their camp is located. If we take it back, perhaps we can use it to hold the enemy off until we can find an opportunity to strike back," Yasutomo suggested, as he thrusted his spear into the chest of another enemy.

"Very well then. You know the layout of this area much better than we do. We'll move out as soon as we handle the situation here," Ren said before charging into another group of Takeda soldiers. Nodding, Ujiteru and Yasutomo both followed after him with their weapons ready. Forming his flames, Ren created a burning twister around him, blowing away all of the enemies around him. As more troops ran up to him, Ren continued to block and counter the incoming barrage of spears. With one swift slash, he cut through another multitude of soldiers while Tatsu charged and trampled the rest. Over with Yasutomo, the man charged a large amount of purple lightning through his spear as a large number of men began to surround him. He thrusted his spear multiple times at his incoming attackers, effortlessly piercing through four of them before turning his attention to the rest. Just before they reached him, he plunged his spear into the ground, causing an electrical current to instantly shock everyone around him. After the attack ended, all of the men had smoked coming from their bodies as they fell one after the other. With the brunt of the Takeda forces in the area defeated, the remaining soldier began to withdraw once Ujiteru rallied his men.

"Everyone fall back! We'll attack once we regroup with reinforcements!" a Takeda commander ordered as all of the remaining men began fleeing to the west. Ren cut down several more soldiers as they continued to flee, but stopped once they were too far away from his group.

"They're likely going to the central garrison. We need to act now before they have the chance to attack again," Yasutomo insisted, as Ren nodded.

"Right, everyone let's go! We can't afford to waste any time," Ren ordered as Ujiteru and Yasutomo nodded in agreement before setting off towards the west.

(Central Garrison, Suruga)

There was massive amount of movement in the garrison as countless red-clad soldiers rushed in every direction. Some rushed towards a long line of horses that stood ready for battle, while others loaded supplies in different directions. There were also some who had just returned from battle that needed rest or medical attention. In the center of the base was the Takeda general, Masanobu Kōsaka, who had a stern look on his face as he oversaw the movements of his men.

"Hurry up and get ready! I need the next unit to head out, don't give the Imagawa any chance to breath. The sooner we capture the castle, the better!" Masanobu ordered, as his men began to speed up their preparations. Soon he saw the gate slowly open, as a tired and exhausted looking unit entered. The door soon closed behind them after they all returned. Masanobu rushed over and was surprised to see the state of his men.

"General, please forgive us. We couldn't break through their defensive line," the Takeda captain said weakly, as the rest of his men proceeded to move further into the garrison to rest.

"We still can't break through? Even if it is the Hōjō, their numbers are few. They can't be giving us this much trouble," Masanobu said, shocked.

"Well it seemed like we were going to overrun them, but then suddenly they received backup from the castle. Both Hōjō and Imagawa forces were too much, we couldn't break through..." the captain said, regrettably.

"From the castle? Just what is Masayuki doing? Fine, their numbers are few and their men are surely exhausted by now. If we maintain the pressure on them then we should be fine. Hurry up and hea-"

He had no time to complete his sentence as suddenly a massive explosion occurred from the gate in front of him, knocking aside all of the guards there. From the smoke, a large column of flames in the shape of a dragon flew over Masanobu's head where majority of the men in the garrison were stationed. The dragon crashed into the ground, creating a massive explosion which instantly took out all of the men there. Soon the flames spread over to the location where they kept their supplies and equipment, as well as to the location of their horses. The supplies instantly were set alight as the men tried to put out the flames. The horses became erratic and spooked by the sudden wave of heat, and began to go out of control.

Masanobu was about to go and assist his men when suddenly he saw multiple figures appear from the now-destroyed gate. He saw many soldiers from both the Imagawa and the Hōjō charging through the gate. Ren who was leading them had Storm Runner jump up into the air. As he hovered over Masanobu, he thrusted his spear downward to the general below him. Reacting just in time, Masanobu drew his sword and narrowly prevented the spear from reaching his head. After Ren landed behind him, he had little time to rest as soon he had to block another incoming attack from Yasutomo. As he struggled in a blade lock against the Imagawa warrior, he saw his disoriented men beginning to be overwhelmed by their attackers. Ordinarily they would have the advantage in numbers, but due to the shock from the previous attack, the Takeda found themselves unable to fight back effectively.

Pushing Yasutomo back, Masanobu readied to head for his men. Just as he turned around, he caught a glimpse of something from the corner of his eye. It was Ujiteru, who pointed his rifle at the general while mounted on his horse. Before he was able to raise his sword to defend himself, Ujiteru fired a shot at the man. The bullet pierced his arm, instantly making him gasp in pain as he dropped his sword.

As he tightly gripped his now bleeding arm, he saw Yasutomo charge towards him with his spear ready. Unable to pick up his sword, Masanobu was prepared to resign to his fate, as he closed his eyes. Yasutomo thrusted his spear at the man, however just before it hit it's mark, five Takeda soldiers simultaneously stopped the attack using their own spears.

"General, you must retreat! We'll hold them off," one soldier said as he struggled to hold off Yasutomo.

"No, I refuse to-" Masanobu was cut short when several of his men began to drag him away from the fighting against his will. Yasutomo quickly dispatched the men holding him off and tried to chase after Yasutomo, but was met by a barrage of arrows. Deflecting the storm of arrows, he saw a line of archers close to the eastern gate. Unable to press forward due to the barrage, he was forced to watch as Masanobu and the others mounted and evacuated from the garrison. After everyone had successfully escaped, the archers ceased their attack and escaped after them.

"Forgive me, I wasn't able to finish off that man," Yasutomo said apologetically as Ren and Ujiteru approached him.

"It's fine, Master Yasutomo. We've already captured the garrison, so it's fine either way. Besides, with that wound, he likely won't be able to rejoin the battle any time soon," Ren said. Closing his hand, the flames around the base that had been created from his earlier attack instantly burned out.

"Alright, everyone set up your defenses here. The Takeda won't stop their attack so easily. It's only a matter of time before they come again," Ren ordered, as all of his men nodded and began setting up around the base.

"We now have a place to fend off the enemy, but will this be enough?" Yasutomo asked.

"No, it's not. This is only the first step. Our job now is to defend this place with all we've got. The rest is up to Master Tsunashige and the others," Ren said, motioning to a messenger, who bowed before moving to carry out his mission.

"Are you sure this plan will work?" Yasutomo asked Ujiteru, who smiled back at the man.

"I may not be as smart as Ren or Father when it comes to things like strategy, but I know he can be trusted. My brother hasn't steered us wrong yet, and I know he will always make the right choice. I promise you, he won't ever let us down," Ujiteru said confidently. Yasutomo looked over to Ren, who was giving his men their various tasks. He saw the confident and determined look on the young warrior, as well as the trust his men had in him. The older man couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Yes, I believe you're right".

(Northern Suruga Camp, Suruga)

On top of a tall cliff was Tsunashige and his men, who were carefully surveying the are below. Just below them was a large camp filled with many Takeda soldiers and banners. The veteran also took note of the number of green and purple-clad men there as well.

"Damn, those cowards really did defect after all," Kai said, annoyed.

"Yes, this could prove to be trouble. The Takeda themselves are already a nuisance enough on their own, but now with the extra muscle, we'll have an even harder time," Tsunashige said, taking note of the large number of men located there.

"Argh! Why did Lord Ren tell us to wait here?! Against those numbers, we probably can't do much, shouldn't we be helping out in the front lines with him instead?" Kai yelled out, only to be shushed by Tsunashige.

"I understand your frustration, My Lady, but we should trust the young master for now. Our Lord entrusted command to him because he knows of the young master's abilities. You should know that better than anyone," Tsunashige said, earning him a pout from the girl.

"I know, but still..." Kai muttered.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll have a chance soon enough. After all, brother did say we were the key to his plan," Ujikuni said, trying to reassure her. As if on cue, the messenger from Ren appeared from the forest behind them and ran up to Tsunashige.

"My Lord, a message from Lord Ren. He asks for you to attack the northern camp, but do not infiltrate it. Try and make as much of commotion as you can, and don't capture the base until you feel the time is right," The messenger reported, much to the confusion of Kai and the others.

"Wait... What?! Attack but don't capture the base? We couldn't capture it even if we wanted to! What is Lord Ren thinking?!" Kai yelled out frustratingly.

"Make as much commotion as possible... and move when the time is right... oh! I see now, Young Master, you sly dog," Tsunashige said with a light laugh.

"What? Did you figure out something, Lord Tsunashige?" Ujiteru asked, trying to calm down Kai.

"Yes, yes. I see what he's planning, however we can't make a move just yet. Attacking right now would be foolish. We need a slight opening before attacking," Tsunashige said, remounting his horse. Looking over, he saw some kind of commotion coming from the men who were looking over the cliff.

"Lord Tsunashige! There appears to be some kind of panic going on in the enemy camp," one of the men yelled. Raising a brow, he quickly went over to investigate. When he looked down, he indeed saw the Takeda men panicking and confused.

"What's going on? They were completely diligent and ready to move just moments ago," Tsunashige said, rubbing his chin.

"It's likely they just received news about the capture of the central garrison. That's probably rattled their forces," The messenger suggested.

"Hmm... I see. I get what you're thinking, Young Master. Alright! Now's the times to make our move. Everyone follow me!" Tsunashige roared out heartily as he began charging down before his men had time to react.

"H-Hey! Wait for us, my lord!" Kai yelled out, as she and the others scurried to mount her horse and rush after him.

Inside the base, the Takeda forces were shaken by the news of the Hōjō and Imagawa resistance. In the commander's tent inside the base were Shingen's son, Katsuyori, as well as his generals Masakage Yamagata and Naiki Takanashi Seated next to them were the Imagawa traitors, Ujimoto Katsurayama and Yoshiakira Miura.

"Hm, the Hōjō are certainly more persistent than I thought. To think they were able to turn the tables on Masanobu like that..." Masakage said.

"Yes this could be trouble, but I'm still worried about Masayuki," Katsuyori said, concerned for his friend.

"Don't worry, My Lord. Masayuki is fine. He likely only retreated when he knew it was the best option. We should have faith," Masakage said, reassuring the brown haired youth.

"Yes, I'm sure you're right. For now, we need to think about what we should do about the Hōjō," Katsuyori said, looking around for suggestions from his men.

"I'm sure our Lord will be sending more men to retake the garrison. I say we should mobilize our units here and launch a two pronged assault on the base together with our main unit. It's clear the Hōjō and Imagawa's strongest men are there so if we can defeat them, the castle should fall with ease," Masakage suggested as everyone in the tent nodded in agreement. Just as they stood up to exit the tent, a Takeda soldier rushed in with a panic look on his face.

"My lord! We have trouble! We are under attack from the Hōjō! The enemy is led by Tsunashige Hōjō!" the man said. Hearing this news, everyone began to get nervous as they talked amongst themselves.

"Are you sure it's Tsunashige? Also how many men are there?" Masakage asked.

"We have no doubt it's him. Their commander is an elderly man dressed in yellow and purple armor. His horse also carries a banner with the character of Hachiman on it. They only have several hundred men, but they've already dispatched our guards outside. Our remaining men have been stricken with fear, and are too afraid to go out to face him," the guard reported.

"Damn, it must be him then. This could trouble, we already have problem to deal with in the west, this is not the time for this," Masakage said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"W-What should we do? There's no way we can fight someone like that," Ujimoto said, panicked.

"Don't worry, regardless of how strong they are, we have the advantage here. Defeating him will ensure our victory here. My Lord and I will go and face Tsunashige. Everyone else stay here in case of a surprise attack," Masakage suggested.

Katsuyori nodded and grabbed hold of his spear as he said, "Right, if we can defeat a renown warrior like that then Father will surely be proud of us. Let's go, I'll be right behind you, Master Masakage". The older man nodded before they rushed to prepare to attack. Ujimoto and Yoshiakira were left with great uncertainty as they watched the two leave.

"When I agreed to defect, I thought it was because the Takeda's victory was certain... did we make a mistake?" Yoshiakira asked.

"I don't know... It's true that the Takeda still have the overwhelming advantage, but against foes like the Lion of Sagami, The Dragon of Kanto, and the Warrior in Yellow, not to mention Master Yasutomo as well... For now let's just observe and see..." Ujimoto said, with uncertainty in his voice.

Outside the garrison, the Hōjō were hurtling various insults to the men inside. Tsunashige, Kai, and Ujiteru stood at the front, awaiting for their enemies to come out. Beneath them were the bodies of countless Takeda guards, who they dispatched effortlessly moments earlier.

"Come on, you cowards! The Warrior in Yellow is here, don't you want to kill me and gain glory and fame? If you won't fight, then come out and offer your heads to me!" Tsunashige shouted mockingly, as he pointed his rune spear towards the guards who stood at the top of the base. They looked at each other nervously as they continued to take his verbal abuse.

"Shah! What's taking so long? If you guys are that scared then go on home already?! And to those traitors in there, you better hope I don't get my hands on you!" Kai yelled out ferociously, scaring even a few of her men behind her.

"Master Tsunashige, we've been at this for a while now, are you sure they'll come out?" Ujiteru asked.

"Well I'll admit, they are certainly are taking their time. Either way even if they don't come out, at the very least that should keep them from joining the battle. I would prefer it if they did come out though," Tsunashige said, as the two looked on at Kai and the others continuing to taunt the Takeda. Soon their efforts were rewarded as they noticed the gate beginning to open. A smile formed on Tsunashige's face as he watched numerous red-clad cavalry begin to flood out from the base.

"Alright everyone, get ready to give it everything you've got!" Tsunashige said excitedly. Everyone roared out in agreement as they charged to meet the incoming attack. Kai and Ujiteru each charged to different sides with their men while Tsunashige rushed through the center. Charging his lightning through his rune spear, the veteran easily cut down every soldier that crossed his path. After breaking through several lines of men, the Takeda began to become intimidated by the yellow-clad warrior as he continued to cut deeper into their ranks.

"Someone stop him! He's too strong!'

"I-It's really him, It's the Warrior in Yellow!"

"There's also a terrifying woman over here too! It's like fighting a wild beast!

Tsunashige took advantage of the enemy's panic as he continued to slay soldier after soldier. He raised his spear to strike down another one, as they flinched in fear. Just as he thrusted his spear forward, it was deflected by swing of someone's sword. Looking over he saw a familiar red clad warrior with a fierce and ready expression on his face.

"Yamagata, huh? It's certainly been a while. Finally an opponent worth fighting. Defeating you here will certainly make me even more famous, I certainly can't afford to fall behind these youngsters now," Tsunashige said with hearty tone.

"You're still as troublesome to fight as ever. I refuse to allow you to stand in my lord's path any further. Prepare yourself, I fully intend to bring home a yellow trophy for my lord today," Masakage said, brandishing his sword at the man. The two experienced warriors then charged towards each other in what would be a fierce clash.

Inside the garrison, the remaining soldiers all were on edge at the sound of the fierce battle occurring outside. They continued to carefully eye the gate in fear of the possibility of Hōjō soldiers rushing in. The ones who were most on edge were the Imagawa men who had defected. The two generals in charge were restless as they continuously sent out scouts to check the status of the battle.

"How is the battle going proceeding?" Ujimoto asked the scout.

"So far, the Hōjō-Imagawa forces are putting up a tough resistance. The next wave of Takeda forces led by Masatoyo Naitō, Nobufusa Baba, and Nobutomo Akiyama have begun their attack on the Central Garrison, but so far they are having a hard time gaining any ground. Meanwhile the general Yamagata's unit is also having a hard time against Tsunashige. They are proving to be much stronger than initially thought," the scout reported before being dismissed by the general.

"Argh, things are starting to look grim. Perhaps we did make the wrong decision..." Yoshiakira mumbled nervously.

"Yes... it might be best to side with the Imagawa after all..." Ujimoto contemplated. Just as the two were in the middle of their thoughts, they felt hands on their shoulders and jumped up in shock. Looking behind them, they saw Masayuki's retainer, Naiki Takanashi, giving them a big smile.

"Ah, what's with the surprised faces, generals? Lord Masayuki sent me here to give you some support. Let us battle against Tsunashige together, shall we?" the general asked heartily with a bright smile.

"U-Uh yes... Yes, of course..." Ujimoto replied nervously as the two Imagawa generals traded uncertain looks.

(Central Garrison, Suruga)

"Don't give in! Push them back with everything you've got!" Yasutomo roared out. The general was currently standing atop the once quiet garrison, which had now been turned into a violent battleground. Outside the garrison was a massive wave of red-clad warriors, who were attacking with all of their might. In the front were cavalrymen, who were fighting fiercely to try and pry open the gate to the garrison, while in the back a long array of archers were raining down arrows upon the garrison.

"General, we can't hold them off much longer! They'll break through at any moment!" a soldier reported. Yasutomo frowned as he walked over to the ledge. He saw the men desperately trying to hold onto the gate. He saw the wood begin to bend and rumble as the soldiers outside were relentlessly attacking. He then looked over and nodded to Ujiteru, who motioned for several dozens of men to line the top of the garrison. Each had a rifle and carefully knelt down to take aim. As another volley of arrows began to home in on them, Yasutomo and Ujiteru swiftly pulled out their weapons and began deflecting the arrows at a rapid speed. As soon as they sliced the last remaining arrows, the riflemen signaled to the generals that their preparations were complete.

"Alright, ready... aim... fire!" Ujiteru ordered.

Each riflemen carefully aimed their rifles to the men below them. As soon as they locked onto their targets, they all simultaneously pulled their triggers. In a single moment, a loud bang echoed throughout the battlefield which could be heard even through the countless voices and sounds of battle in the area. In an instant, all of the men lined up below them were immediately felled by the shots, as more men from behind moved to replace them. The riflemen quickly moved to prepare their next shots. Seeing their opportunity, the Takeda began to rally even further. With one mighty push, they forced open the gate, wood cracking and breaking as they forced their way in, effectivley sending the men, who were holding the door, straight to the ground. Before they could get up, Takeda spears began to descend upon them. Shutting their eyes in fear, they resigned to their fates before they heard cries of pain coming from the enemy. Opening their eyes, they saw Ren, who had just dispatched the Takeda enemies.

"Are you alright? You should go back and rest, I'll handle the enemy here," Ren ordered as he turned his attention to the incoming horde of enemies that threatened to flood into the garrison. Seeing their general ready to fight alone, they all clenched their weapons and stood firmly behind him.

"No way, we have your back, My Lord!" one of them exclaimed, as the others nodded in agreement. Smiling at their determination, he thanked them before charging into the enemy in front of him. Seeing the fighting going on below him, Yasutomo made his decision and tightly gripped his spear, as he walked to the ledge.

"Master Ujiteru, I'll leave things up here to you. I'll go and handle the enemy below," Yasutomo said as he jumped down into the garrison. Landing with a loud thud, he quickly rushed over to Ren and his men, who were in the midst of a ferocious battle to keep the enemy from entering the base. Surrounded by enemies, Ren created a waved of flames around him, easily burning through his foes. Just as he thought he had a moment to rest, even more Takeda troops took their place. Just then a stream of purple lightning struck the crowd of enemies behind him, taking them out in an instant. He turned around to see Yasutomo racing to his side. Having their backs to each other, they turned their attention to mounting number of Takeda men, who continued to surround them.

"My Lord, allow me to have your back" Yasutomo stated, brandishing his Destiny spear against the foes in front of him.

"I know I can count on you, Master Yasutomo. It's really reassuring to have you with me," Ren said confidently. The Takeda men all roared out as they charged at the pair. The two wielded their spears completely in sync, as they each cut down the enemies in front of them. Each skillfully blocked and countered every attack that came their way, causing countless droplets of blood to shower the field around them. After their most immediate enemies were taken care of, both warriors charged their respective elements into their spears, as more began to rush towards them. At the exact same time, both warriors launched their attacks with their elements flying through the area around them. The Takeda troops didn't even have time to shout out in surprise, as they were suddenly overwhelmed by a combination of purple lighting and red-hot flames. The force of the attack created a powerful shockwave which shook the entire base to it's core. Once the dust settled, the two noticed even more enemies coming towards them from the distance.

"We can't keep this up for long. There's simply too many of them," Yasutomo said, gritting his teeth.

"We just need to hold on a little longer. If I'm right, then we should be getting some aid momentarily both here and to the north," Ren said, flicking the blood from his blade and armor.

"Let's hope you're right, for now let's give it everything we've got. Rah!" Yasutomo exclaimed as he charged towards the incoming Takeda forces. Seeing the older man's spirit, Ren followed suit and rushed forward beside the man. The two continued to fight fiercely, making even the mighty Takeda start to feel intimidated. Several yards away from the main battle zone were the Takeda generals in charge.

"What is going on? We've already infiltrated the base, but we still aren't gaining any ground?" Masatoyo Naito scowled as he watched the battle unfold before him.

"There are apparently two powerful warriors giving us trouble. We might need to send in even more men, or perhaps request some more from the Main Camp," Nobufusa suggested.

"Sooner or later, we'll break through. I'm more worried about our supplies though. They should've arrived long ago, and we are beginning to run out... Where are they at such a crucial time?" Nobutomo angrily said, noticing his men begin to get sluggish.

"Hmm, you're right. They were suppose to be here a while ago, we won't be able to keep up this level attack much longer without supplies. Perhaps we should deploy and end this quickly" Masatoyo suggested. As the generals pondered their options, no one was able to notice the arrival of another unit behind their forces. Just beyond the Takeda unit, a large force with Hōjō banners flying with them arrived on the scene. In front of them was Ujimasa and Ujinori.

"Whew, we finally made it, Father's not going to be happy we took so long," Ujimasa said, letting out a sigh.

"Yeah, you're right... Hey, is that..." Ujinori said, noticing the battlefield in front of them. They saw the Central Garrison which flew Hōjō and Imagawa banners above it, although it was most obscured by a large amount of smoke. They saw countless soldiers mobilizing around the base with loud shouting being echoed through the distance.

"It looks like our forces are struggling over there, and it appears the enemy hasn't noticed yet," Ujinori said, carefully eyeing the battlefield.

"Damn it, we are so late, but this is our chance to make up for it," Ujimasa said, grabbing his spear form his back.

"Alright everyone, Let's help out our allies. Advance, and catch the Takeda between us!" Ujimasa ordered as he charged forward. Everyone cried out in agreement as they charged with haste towards the oblivious Takeda army.

(Northern Suruga Camp, Suruga)

Inside the base, the two Imagawa generals sat impatiently with their men, as they continued to monitor the battlefield. Several meters away, they noticed Naiki constantly keeping an eye on them. Gritting his teeth, Ujimoto turned his attention back to another report from a scout.

"Another Hōjō unit?" Ujimoto asked. The messenger hesitantly nodded.

"Yes, it's led by Ujiyasu's eldest son, Ujimasa. They completely caught General Naito and General Baba off guard. The men in the Central Garrison then rallied and are dealing heavy damage to the Takeda with their pincer attack. Also, it appears something happened to the supply unit, so our army's morale has plummeted..." the scout stated grimly.

"At this rate... we may end up getting getting killed too. Especially with Tsunashige Hōjō just outside..." Yoshiakira muttered, as he held his shaking hands together.

"Damn it! It's clear where this battle is going, I've made my decision!" Ujimoto exclaimed, as he unsheathed his sword. Seeing the general's reaction, all of the Imagawa men stood up, preparing to follow their general's orders. Naiki and other Takeda men eyed them suspiciously as they reached for their weapons. The sound of everyone drawing their weapons instantly put everyone in the base on alert.

"Everyone, it's clear what we have to do! We'll take back this base and fight for the Imagawa, Follow me!" Ujimoto ordered. All of the Imagawa warriors roared in agreement as they began to attack their former allies. Most of the Takeda had been caught off-guard aside from Naiki and men around him. Naiki scowled as he grabbed his spear and charged towards the traitors. Quickly finding the two generals, he thrusted his spear towards the traitors to which both blocked at the same time.

"Lord Masayuki was right after all. You traitorous cowards won't get away with this!" The Sanada retainer shouted angrily as he began exchanging blows with the two men. The area around them quickly turned chaotic by this turn of events as former allies turned on each other. It quickly escalated into an even fiercer battle than the one just outside the base, where the Takeda began to lose their momentum against Tsunashige's unit. One example of this was the battle between Tsunashige and Masakage, which was reaching it's end.

The two generals were in the midst of high speed clash with sparks flying with every contact between their weapons. During one attack where both general's weapons were pushed upward, Tsunashige saw his chance to strike and with lightning infused thrust, he aimed straight for Masakage's neck. The Takeda general tried to block the incoming attack, however, the yellow-clad general proved to be too quick. Masakage was only able to block the attack with the hilt of his sword, which was not enough to sufficiently defend himself. The lightning from Tsunashige's spear released against his hilt and the force knocked the Takeda general from his horse onto the ground with a thud from his armor. Seeing his opportunity, Tsunashige dashed towards the Takeda general from atop his horse and swung his spear downward. Masakage, having still not recovered from the previous attack, did not see the attack until it was a few inches away, giving him no time to raise his sword. Just before Tsunashige's spear reached the general, another spear appeared and stopped Tsunashige's attack. Both general's looked over to see Katsuyori, who was struggling to hold off Tsunashige's attack.

"Young Master! What are you doing? This is far too dangerous!" Masakage asked, slowly getting back onto his feet.

"That doesn't matter! If I were to let you die here, then I could never face Father again nor would deserve to succeed one day!" Katsuyori shouted as he knocked Tsunashige's spear into the air and lunged forward to which Tsunashige pulled back to evade the strike.

"Heh, not bad, tiger cub. I see Shingen's got a fearsome son, but don't think I'll lose to some greenhorn so easily," Tsunashige proudly stated as he prepared to face the Takeda successor. Just before they could begin their battle, all three men noticed something happening from within the garrison. Naiki rode outside followed by several of his men with concerned looks on their faces.

"My Lord! The Imagawa have betrayed us!" The man reported, as Katsuyori and Masakage gasped in shock.

"Those cowards, we have to punish them for this," Katsuyori said angrily. Masakage shook his head as he noticed the situation around them.

"No, Young Master. Our forces are in complete disarray right now. We have enemies both in front and behind us, any advantage we had is now gone. Our best option is to regroup with our lord and rethink our strategy," Masakage suggested, as he remounted his horse.

"What?! We've come too far to just give in, we can still-"

"General Yamagata and I will open the way for you, My Lord. Just go!" Naiki said as he and Masakage began to cut their way through the Hōjō forces to the side. Katsuyori struggled before hesitantly following after his retainers. Tsunashige was about to chase after them, but decided in the end to let them go. After finishing up the enemies on their end, Kai and Ujikuni met up with the old man.

"Master Tsunashige, should we go after them?" Ujikuni asked.

"No, let them go. For now let's focus on dealing with the enemies remaining here and take the camp," Tsunashige said.

"Wait, what happened over there, didn't they have the advantage a while ago? Why do they seem like they are freaking out in there?" Kai asked, seeing some kind of fighting going on inside their camp.

"The young master's plan seems to have succeeded," Tsunashige said.

"Brother's plan? I still don't understand what happened," Ujikuni said, confused.

"He knew that the traitors here were different from the ones who defected earlier in that they are only willing to join the winning side to save their own lives, and did not collude with the Takeda earlier but rather waited to see who they knew for certain would win. He knew that if we could make it seem like the Imagawa still had a chance of winning then they would be more likely to defect back and strike the enemy while they least expect it. He had me use my reputation to scare them while he would work to turn the tide on his end. I have to admit, it worked out pretty well," Tsunashige explained with a hearty laugh.

"Argh! I still don't get it! Whatever, we just have to finish off the Takeda here, right? Then let's go!" Kai yelled out as she advanced into the garrison.

"Haha, well said, my lady! I'm right behind you!" Tsunashige exclaimed, as he and Ujikuni raced after her.

(Takeda Main Camp, Suruga)

"Haha! Not bad Hōjō, not bad at all! " Shingen praised cheerfully, as his general looked on in annoyance.

"My Lord, this is not the time to be praising our enemy. We have to do something quickly," Nobukado Takeda said, carefully examining the map on their table.

"Don't be such a bore, Nobukado. You have to admit, they certainly pulled one over on us. They even got the better of Masayuki and Masakage, that's worth some praise, do you not think?" The Takeda commander asked.

"My Lord, we still have plenty of strength left here. Masayuki's unit has already returned, and Lord Katsuyori and General Yamagata will be back soon. I say once we have everyone together, we storm the enemy. Surely they are at their limits now," Nobushige Oyamada suggested.

"No, we will withdraw to Kai for now," Shingen suddenly ordered.

"What?! My Lord, we can't just leave yet, we still have plenty of man power!" Nobushige said.

"That may be true, but how do you intend to feed them? Surely you've noticed already," Shingen said, eyeing the map carefully.

"What do you mean, My Lord?" Nobushige asked, irritated.

"Haven't you noticed that none of our positions have received any food yet? It's likely that Ujyasu sent out a skilled unit that cut off our supply lines without us noticing. A large army especially needs a constant flow of supplies. With the current amount we have here, we only have just about to return home," Shingen explained, cooling himself off with his iron fan.

"Tch! Damn those Hōjō!" Nobushige cursed.

"Don't be so mad Nobushige. We'll give this battle to the Hōjō for now, but we have already accomplished what we set out to do. The Imagawa are already finished after this battle regardless of what the Hōjō do. We can just come back later and take it with no difficulty. For now prepare our men to return home, we'll all set off once Katsuyori and the others return," Shingen ordered as all of his men stood up and left to make their preparations, leaving Shingen to sit and wait patiently with two guards by his side. Unbeknownst to him and everyone else who was there earler, a figure was carefully eyeing him from behind the banners just behind him. It was Ryuto, who had concealed his presence from all those around him.

Ryuto seeing his chance, silently released the blades from his gauntlet and prepared to move in for the kill. Steeling his resolve, he was ready to slay a tiger.

Phew! This chapter turned out a lot longer than I would've liked. Oh well (Shrug). Sorry for the delay, I've been getting demolished by finals and all that, but at least I have a temporary break. Please be patient for the next chapter and I will see you guys later! EpicZL out!