Chapter 7: Weeping Clouds
(I advise you to listen to sad, preferably orchestral music while reading this. Definitely suited to this update's style. Requiem for a dream, for example, but whatever suits you and is sad.)
Only three months after the siege, another one is looming on the horizon. A huge and truly experienced Ikko Ikki force attacks the Westernmost castle. They outnumber the defenders by one thousand men, and are much better trained, equipped and have much more battlefield experience. Here, the goal will not be to survive, but to cause as much damage as possible.
The enemy chooses to attack in the rain. Indeed, such sad weather will suit the death of one of the brothers well enough. While the enemy army contains many archers, the weeping clouds hurt us more than them.
Even Masakage's always cheery mood is gone. He holds a short and sombre speech before organising his troops.
The formation is simple, but will hopefully cause the death of many Ikko Ikki heathens. Archers protect the important wall segments and the gates, while the infantry and the cavalry wait far inside to protect them from enemy arrows until the time comes to die.
The enemy army is led by two battle-hardened veterans, and organises into several groups to attack the castle from all sides. Unlike the Takeda siege in the Spring, who over-stretched their forces, the Ikko Ikki are fully aware that drawing the frontline as long as possible is good for them. Most groups contain archers, except the two northernmost ones.
The enemy slowly closes their siege ring around the fort, advancing rank upon rank. The defending soldiers lose all hope of survival as they see the endless orange mass. Today, we die for Uesugi! Meanwhile, three hundred yari ashigaru reinforcements arrive. Nobody notices them and they just stand there, watching the battle from afar.
As the enemy gets into range, all our archers open fire, trying to thin out their ranks before being forced into a melee.
As the enemy starts climbing up the walls, Masakage sees an opening and orders his ninety light cavalry to sally out and kill as many of the enemy archers as possible. The men assemble, pat the necks of their horses for one last time, grab their spears, then ride into death.
The enemy forces, under cover of their archers, manage to climb up the walls and push our bow ashigarus back. They are forced to retreat and our own yaris charge into the fray. Purple blends with orange, and red strikes across the field as the two lines meet and the troops get lost in the chaos of the battle. The defenders make up with stubborn determination for what they lack in experience and training. Our archers keep raining down death on the fighters. It doesn't matter how many we lose, only how many they lose.
Our cavalry met in the field with the enemy's mounted yaris, and the horses panicked. As they were fighting for survival, the enemy general and his bodyguard struck them in the back. Captain Yamamoto, realising the fate of his men are sealed, orders a last charge towards the enemy archers. Few can go, and fewer reach their target, but those who do wreak absolute havoc among the bow ronin. Only five cavalrymen kill twenty nine archers. They soon die. And the reinforcements still go unnoticed.
The enemy is surging in from all directions, and the remaining survivors gather around Masakage, who gives them faith to fight on. While the two northern groups are almost wiped out, the southern and eastern walls and fields are under the enemy's control. Even where remaining soldiers are, the enemy archers rain death upon them.
With a will to kill as many of them as possible, the defenders manage to hold the northern wall and force the enemy to rout. After a brief pause, they race to the other side. Inspired by Masakage's bravery, the troops throw themselves in the fray once more. As they enter battle, all feelings are lost. It is no longer about pride. Not anger. Not a will to live, nor a will to take life. It is love. Love to their clan, their general, their comrades, their friends and their families. By dying here, by doing their part in the swirling chaos, they ensure that those they love are safe, and there is no greater glory, nay, duty than this.
Suddenly, out of the muddy madness of the battle, twenty two men rise. Clad in shining orange, they cut a path through our troops and inspire the entire enemy army around them. It is the enemy general, Shimozuma Jutsurai, and he is as skilled with the blade as he at the drawing board. As the defenders die, the reinforcements still go unnotice. The enemy general's appearence, however, has the opposite effect on our troops than he thought. He showed to them hope. Hope of survival. Of life. Of being with their loved ones once more. If they can but kill him, this battle can be over.
The battle turns desperate, as the few defenders try to push the enemy back to the walls. They are slowly encircled and are instead losing ground themselves. Entire units are destroyed in the battle, and the ground is slick with the blood of several hundred mutilated men. Even the rain can't wash it all away.
Suzuki Sadayu, the enemy army's second general is spotted outside the walls. Masakage sends out his most trusted men, the castle's remaining Samurai Retainers, to kill him no matter what. They charge out the gates and meet out with the enemy general's bodyguard in the muddy field. Even though they are trained and hardened men, our samurai are still no match for this foe.
The enemy archers run out of arrows and are pushed on to a mad charge up the walls by their generals. The defenders slowly lose all faith to the never-ending assault. Striving to change the situation, Masakage orders a charge outside the walls, hoping to catch the enemy by surprise. Uesugi soldiers fall left and right, and still the reinforcements go unnoticed.
The enemy's last bow ashigaru unit meets a bunch of crazed and bloodied madmen. They clash with a horrifying sound, but the bloodlust of our soldiers is not enough.
Masakage attacks the enemy bow ashigaru in the back, but he in turn is attacked by the enemy bow ronin. All hope seems lost as purple slowly fades out of the battle.
Realising that death is upon him, Uesugi Masakage draws out his horn and plays a sorrowful tune on it. The remaining tens of warrior monks hear it and feel a new strength in their arms and heart. They rise up again one last time, and kill enemies left and right. Scared by this insanity, the enemy soon turns to flee, leaving only eighteen defenders alive, but it was a victory. A heroic victory.
The reinforcements did not see any fighting, and surely they could have prevented the loss of many good men. But what has come to pass will not change, and the enemy is beaten back now.
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Whew. This was. Incredible. This update is more serious, but I felt this battle just needed that tone.
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Topic: Let's Play Shogun: Total War 2 – Vassalize everyone (Read 12640 times)