Kanegasaki (Level 7)

Tokichiro Kinoshita fights gallantly against the Asai and Asakura, allowing Nobunaga Oda to make a safe escape. But a new enemy awaits Tokichiro.

## Level Introduction

Nobunaga Oda marches to defeat Yoshikage Asakura of Echizen. However, his ambitions are crushed when his brother-in-law Nagamasa Asai defects. Now caught in the pincers of his enemy, Nobunaga and his forces face annihilation. Tokichiro Kinoshita and the rear guard mount a defence to buy Nobunaga enough time to escape. But they soon have to contend with more than mere mortals…

## Walkthrough

**First task:** Escort Tokichiro to the gate!

Begin by leading Tokichiro's men forward slightly until Demons appear in the area to the north and ahead to the east. Clear the demons coming from the east and then lead your troops to the blood crystal in the circular north area. Place bow pillars as you go. After the blood crystal is destroyed a group of Demons will appear to the west where your troops just were, and the second task will become available. Complete this while holding back the oncoming Demons from the east.

After the second task is complete continue to lead your troops along the east path with Inugami at the front, clearing the Demons. Continue to place strategic bow pillars as you advance. You will eventually come to the blood crystal that is spawning the Demons. Destroy it using infantry and fire pillars. Advancing further will spawn another blood crystal on a bridge, and the third task will start. After destroying the blood crystal (therefore finishing the third task) a group of Demons including a Giant Demon will appear in front of you, defeating it is the fourth task.

After heading slightly further you will come to a cross-roads with the north branch blocked by a large blood crystal wall. The fifth task will start at this point but we will come to this later. Do not proceed to engage the enemies further up the east path. Instead destroy the blood crystal wall. This can take some time so make sure to build fire pillars to help out.

After the blood crystal wall is destroyed, the north branch will fill with Demons, starting the sixth task. Wipe them out to complete this. After this is done, lead your troops back to the east branch and start clearing the Demons that lie along the pathway. There will be a smaller blood crystal along the way. Destroy it to complete the fifth task.

Slightly further on is another blood crystal wall that serves as the exit for the north branch. This will spawn Demons so it's beneficial to destroy it now. Then continue further east to start the seventh task. Do not have your troops follow for now as it is possible to accidentally finish the level without completing the seventh task.

Once the seventh task is completed, just wait at the target area at the far east of the map with the lead function turned off. Once Tokichiro reaches the target destination the first task will be completed, ending the level.

**Second task:** Use a fire pillar to hold off the rear Demons!

Head back to the starting area to the far west and place three fire pillars in the areas indicated by the three green arrows on the mini-map.

**Third task:** Destroy the Blood Crystal on the bridge!

Simply lead your infantry to the large blood crystal and destroy it as you would normally.

**Fourth task:** Wipe out the huge Demons blocking the road!

Defeat the Giant Demon by running behind it and attacking until it is dead. Destroy any lesser Demons after this.

**Fifth task:** Defeat Demons near the barrier and aid Tokichiro!

Follow the east branch and destroy the blood crystal there.

**Sixth task:** Wipe out the Demons in the gorge!

Destroy all the Demons that appear in the north branch.

**Seventh task:** Defeat the huge Demon blocking the barrier!

Defeat the Giant Demon that appears.

## Plot

After his hard fought battle as Nobunaga’s rear guard, Tokichiro prepares himself for an honourable death against the demons. As he does so, Inugami kills the demon that was about to take his life.
Inugami and Aoi escort Tokichiro through a narrow mountain pass, fighting off waves of demons from the front and rear as they progress. Along the way, their path is blocked by a large blood crystal. While Inugami holds off the spawning demons, Tokichiro’s infantry manage to destroy the crystal. However, standing on the other side is a Giant Demon.
After slaying the Demon, the group finds themselves at a fork in the road, each path containing more Demons. As they push through the fork, they come across another Giant Demon blocking the final path to their goal, but Inagami is able to slay it.
After reaching their destination, Tokichiro thanks Aoi and Inugami for saving his life. He requests them to join his army and help Nobunaga achieve his goal. Aoi replies that their sole purpose is to slay the demons, and that they cannot take sides in fleeting human conflicts. Tokichiro accepts this and states that they will probably end up fighting together again anyway.

## True History

Nagamasa Asai was Nobunaga Oda’s brother in law by marriage to Nobunaga’s sister, Oichi. In 1570, Oda Nobunaga declared war on the Asakura family of Echizen. The Asakura and Azai had been allies since the time of Nagamasa Asai’s grandfather. This sudden war between two Azai clan allies is reported to have divided the clan. Many retainers wished to honor the alliance with the Asakura, while Nagamasa himself is reported to have favoured staying neutral, essentially siding with Nobunaga. In the end, the Azai clan chose to honor the generations-old alliance with the Asakura and came to their aid. Initially, this decision caused Nobunaga's army, which was marching upon the Asakura's lands to retreat back to Kyoto. At this time Tokichiro Kinoshita was serving under the command of Nobunaga.