Akashi in Harima, 1572

The armies of Kobayakawa Mototsura and Mori Motohira race along the coasts of Honshu occupying the Yamana provinces encountering little resistance. Mori Sanemune issued strict orders to his commanders not to loot or to harm the local populace in anyway. As a result, atrocities by Mori troops are isolated an infrequent. Further, Mori Sanemune institutesd a policy of zero taxation in all occupied territories. For this the local populace are overjoyed and embrace their new masters gladly. All this allows the Mori to advance rapidly north without leaving troops behind to garrison the occupied territories. Time and speed is of the essence for the Mori.

In 1572, as Motohira and Mototsura begin to converge on the Okayama-Tsuyama-Akashi junction on their way to Harima, Daimyo Sanemune receives disturbing reports regarding the loyalty of Kobayakawa Mototsura.

Mototsura had risen from among the ranks of the retainers and while his personal courage and abilities  could not be doubted, he was still not of the blood. The awful thought of Mototsura turning himself and his army over to the enemy was enough to make Sanemune lose his appetite. What is service to a daimyo compared to a Shogun? Even he, in Mototsura's shoes, would think twice.

Thus, one evening as Mototsura is making plans for the assault on Akashi Castle in Harima, he receives a galling order from the Daimyo to turnover command of his army...to Mori Motoharu!

And so it is Mori Motoharu who rides at the head of the victorious army into Akashi Castle. Whether the reports casting suspicion on Mototsura had substance, or whether they were merely the machinations of those jealous of him will never be known.

But before the Mori samurai have time to break into the castle reserves of sake, a scout brings in a report of sobering proportions - the armies of the Anti-Mori Shogunate Alliance (AMSA) have been found - all five of them. Five armies of the Hojo, Hatakeyama and Yamana are pressing rapidly into the only choke pointalong the road from Kyoto between the mountains and the sea - Akashi Castle.