As Ryuzen and Shingen Takeda ride with the Takeda cavalry along the Tokaido coastal road, Ryuzen notices the Pacific Ocean and never realized how beautiful it is in the mid-morning sunlight and feels a certain calmness about admiring the scenery. He then moves his attention toward the oncoming landscape near Sunpu castle and realizes this is probably one of the most beautiful and strategically amazing pieces of land he has seen so far in Japan. To the east of Sunpu castle was large flat plain with several rice fields, prosperous castle town with many merchants' stores, samurai residences, a harbor on the coast near the castle, several merchant and fishing vessels anchored in the harbor. Forested mountains to the north of the castle and to the west was where the wild Abe River that flowed into the Pacific Ocean was located. The castle was surrounded by large moat with a large outer stone wall, and inner stone wall with a several guard houses and castle gates. The gates themselves were made of the finest iron which made breaking through them extremely difficult. Several arrow slits, arrow loops, and other loops for arrows and other projectiles that could be fired at any would be attackers. The castle itself is three-story castle covered in white plaster that made it shine brightly in the sunlight. Making this Imagawa stronghold situated between the ocean and mountains a valuable piece of landscape and militarily strategic location along the Tokaido coastal road. As they neared the castle a large contingent soldiers stood just before the road begins to enter rice fields as an army of 5,000 Imagawa men standing in formation to block the Takeda army. Shingen Takeda riding just ahead of Ryuzen signals the army to halt, Shingen decked in his iconic crimson armor with his helmet adorned with long white yak hair topped with horn decoration in the morning light looked intimidating to any foe facing the famed Tiger of Kai.

  The wind along the Tokaido road carries the salt from Suruga Bay. Eleven thousand banners ripple behind Ryuzen and Takeda Shingen. Ahead, five thousand men stand in the open plain near Sunpu Castle not retreating. Not kneeling. Simply waiting. Takeda Shingen comments loudly for all his men to hear, "They know the count. And they still stand. Remember this when you draw your blades. We face men, not numbers" Ryuzen smiled inwardly when he heard that remark from the daimyo as his liege respected warriors who still fight yet outnumbered and even though they were going to die Shingen respected their loyalty to their lord. Then the Lord Shingen assigned Ryuzen to the right flank to lead his unit with 2000 Takeda cavalry to charge into the right flank of the army. Shingen Takeda would have another 5000-cavalry charge forward. The Imagawa army contained no cavalry, and it was almost entirely made up of peasant militia with bamboo spears and other various weapons, while just 500 fully armored samurai made up the center of the Imagawa army. Shingen knew this fight was over before it started, the Imagawa had no fortifications to hinder the cavalry, and they were standing on open ground against cavalry this fight would be a massacre, but he respected their honor to fight to the end and would oblige them.

  With a wave of Shingen's war fan, the cavalry charged at the Imagawa army, arrows from the enemy lines fired in the air and instantly connected into some of the Takeda cavalry and some riders and horses began to fall under the rain of arrows. Yet because of the sheer numbers of cavalry, there formation continued unimpeded. A second volley of arrows fired and again more cavalry fell under the hail of arrows, yet because of the sheer numbers of men charging it still did not slow them down. Finally, after receiving two volleys the cavalry finally smashes into the frontlines of the Imagawa and the peasant militia do not stand a chance and are trampled under by the horses or cut down by the samurai. Screams of the wounded and dying fills the air and the lines are starting to disintegrate except for the enemy center where the actual Imagawa samurai are holding their own despite being greatly outnumbered and keeping the cavalry at bay at the frontal attack and have managed to even kill several Takeda soldiers in the process but it was only a matter of time before the numbers overwhelmed these doomed samurai. Then without warning the Ryuzen unit hits the enemy right flank and like the left flank before the peasant militia are being killed with ease by the Takeda samurai. Ryuzen himself has cut down at least a dozen of the militia quite easily and Ryuzen could see most of the militia were dropping their weapons and retreating and the Imagawa samurai were still holding their ground. The militia lines around these brave samurai had all either been killed or have retreated and with Ryuzen unit closing their right flank and they were finally surrounded on all sides and being hard pressed. Each Imagawa samurai being cut down by three or four Takeda samurai and being overwhelmed quickly until finally after 40 minutes of fighting all the remaining enemy samurai lay dead. Once the battle was over the Takeda army immediately raced to surround the castle and prevent any reinforcements from entering the castle. Ryuzen was assigned to the west of the castle between the Abe River and the castle to blockade any attempt to assist the castle from the west while the rest of the army surrounded the rest of the castle and took over the harbor to prevent ships from docking as well. Once the siege lines were established, a contingent of soldiers were then sent to collect the heads of the dead enemies left on the plains and to clean up the battlefield. Katsuyori Takeda son of Shingen arrived in the late afternoon as the sun was about to set in the sky with an additional 4,000 men fresh from fighting and destroying the final stronghold of the Ogasawara clan in northern Shinano province and once he left a garrison on the newly claimed territory he then raced back south to join his father in helping with the invasion of Sunpu province. Shingen then assigned him to the north of the castle on the plains between the castle and the mountains to the north.

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  Once the early evening had begun Ryuzen was in his tent sitting with Enkai with a go game set up on a small table between Enkai and Ryuzen and two candles in lanterns lit on a table nearby them to illuminate the tent. Outside the tent a lot of activity was happening. The Takeda army was building a line of ditches just outside the wall near the moat connecting from the west with Ryuzen unit all the way around to the east where Shingen main camp and army was located. Artillery pieces being placed behind the ditches covered by barricades and the tents and camps still being set up and wagons arriving with more supplies by the hour. Shingen had prepared well for this campaign and was going to ensure that nothing will be left to chance. As Ryuzen and Enkai play a round of go in the tent and Gensei arrives on one of the wagons and walks into Ryuzen tent to the surprise of Ryuzen and Enkai and greet him warmly. Gensei speaks, "My lord I have arrived as requested to be at your side during this great endeavor although I will not be able to see this undertaking but just listen" Ryuzen chuckled and rose and bid a servant to bring some tea and a seat for the old musician. Gensei then continued, "Although I am surprised you asked me to be here as my talents lie in listening and discerning those I come in contact with and curious how I can help you in this siege" Ryuzen responded once the servant came and brought the tea in and set up the extra chair and had Gensei sit down and then Ryuzen ordered the guards to close the tent entrance. "I need you to be my ears and discernment my old friend. You no doubt have heard of the attempt on my life awhile back and Shingen has ordered I stay in my camp, and I must be guarded at all times, and my movements have been limited. My shinobi have reported that two shipments of rice bound for our army has been attacked. At first, I thought they were bandits, but what was peculiar is they just burned the supplies and left as quickly as they appeared and took nothing with them. This happened before I was attacked and I do not believe in coincidences and I need you to play your music around the camp and listen to conversations and movements of everyone around. I will have Hanzo and a few of his men stationed near you if you need to report something to me or to act quickly under my authority I give you leave to do so. I believe the enemy is still in the camp somewhere and I need you to find them so it can be dealt with before it effects the siege" "I understand lord you wish for me to discern in the voices of anything strange or peculiar. Reveal what the shadows dare not show in the light but can only be found in the dark" "Precisely my friend, you will begin tomorrow and make your way around the camp under the guise of entertainment for the men" Gensei nodded in understanding and then all three of them enjoyed some hot tea and conversed with each other like they were back home, Gensei played his music and then Enkai and Ryuzen played go into the evening.

  At same time in Sunpu castle in the great hall, a middle-aged Imagawa general by the name of Okabe Motonobu with a well-groomed beard with typical samurai haircut with a topknot and short in stature but built like a modern-day featherweight boxer and has loyally served the Imagawa since the age of 15 and now is 46 but is at this very moment feeling betrayed by his lord. He has just been informed by his mother the ever-wise Lady Keisho of Suruga that the supposed lord of the castle fled in disguised and dressed in woman's pink silk robe and makeup with a few attendants during the battle near the castle. The lord was last seen fleeing and tripping in the fine pink silk robe and almost comically slipping in the mud, but he did manage to escape before the Takeda clan had encircled the castle. Okabe replied sarcastically, 'Tell him the next time he wears silk, he should learn to walk in it" Ujizanes mother shook her agreement and shame and then replied, "It seems Suruga lost not a son but a daughter who did not stay" Okabe replied, "My lord fled but I will not abandon the people of this castle and land will defend it to my last breath" Lady Keisho bowed in respect the faithful general. The Brat of Imagawa proved what everyone in his land did not want to believe, he was a shameful coward with no honor or loyalty to those who served him and simply used his army as a distraction so he could make his escape. The remaining 4,000 people in this castle including his mother have felt betrayed and cast aside as if they were nothing yet this old faithful general who had served Yoshimoto Imagawa before the Brat of Imagawa would honor his oath and defend this castle and its people and force the Shingen Takeda into an honorable surrender for the Imagawa. It was there only hope if some of his people were to survive this siege and he would do his best to see the Lady Keisho was treated well and would not be harmed by the enemy. Okabe then left the great hall went to observe the enemy from the highest floor in the castle and would begin to plan how to cause as much pain as possible to the enemy for them to terms before he would surrender the castle.

  Several large black ships numbering in the amount of twenty total armed with several cannons sailing near Ise Province near Ise bay moving in the direction west toward Sunpu castle and moving with a very specific mission ordered by Melanios moves through the night boding an ill omen for the sleeping Takeda army. Their goal was to harass the enemy and to cause casualties but not break the siege but to bleed the enemy army with bombardments from the ocean. Melanios wanted the Takeda to suffer for the insult of daring to attack one of his disciples. The pieces have been set, and the siege is now about to begin. Ryuzen with his time marker will be needed now more than ever if disaster should befall the Takeda army at this critical siege. Ryuzen must win in order to continue his goal in one day obtaining the orb of fate from Mt.Fuji before Melanios power grows to powerful to contain.