Oke Gorge (Level 3)

The Demons savagely kill Yoshimoto Imagawa in Oke Gorge. Nobunaga Oda, who had set out to kill Yoshimoto, is accosted by the Demon horde.

## Level Introduction

Yoshimoto Imagawa sets out for Kyoto, aiming to crush the Oda Clan in Owari with a massive force of troops. Faced with their greatest crisis yet, the Clan’s young leader, Nobunaga, leads his forces in a daring raid against the oncoming army. However, just before the two forces come to blows, most unwelcome guests intervene…

## Walkthrough

**First task:** Support Oda Army and kill all Demons.

Approach the Demons in the centre of the gorge and defeat them all. There will be three Witch Spiders which you must also defeat. They show up as very small golden dots on your mini map which are sometimes quite hard to see. It is recommended that you use the "lead" function now to gain control of all available troops, as this will make the next tasks easier.

**Second task:** Work with Nobunaga to smash the Blood Crystals!

Four giant blood crystals will appear, each in a corner of the map. At this time, the third task will also become available. It is recommended that you complete the third task before going to destroy the blood crystals, as it has a short time limit, although this is not a requirement to finish the level. After the third task is completed, speed is essential to reduce ally casualties.

First, cut through the Demons that lead up to the giant blood crystal in the north-west corner of the map. Make sure to lead all your troops this way and have them destroy the blood crystal. As soon as this is done, turn back and defeat the group of demons that will have formed at the rear of your troops.

After this, lead your troops to a small blood crystal midway between the north-west and south-west giant crystals. Destroying these small crystals is not necessary to complete the level, but will minimise your losses and award you a weapon. Once the small crystal is destroyed, move on to destroy the south-western blood crystal. Once destroyed, reinforcement cavalry will appear at the north-east side of the map. Run towards these new troops to get them included in the lead command.

Take your new improved force to the small blood crystal on the south of the map and destroy it, then do the same to the giant blood crystal at the south-east.

**Third task:** Create Bow Pillars within the time limit!

Shortly after the second task begins, Aoi will say that there are too few troops to hold off the demons. You will then be given access to build bow pillars. You will have one minute to use your infantry troops to build a bow pillar. Build it where the green arrow is on the mini map.

**Fourth task:** Destroy the huge Demon and last Blood Crystal!

Now make your way to the north-east of the map. Destroy the westernmost Demons surrounding the last giant blood crystal so that your troops have enough space to follow you to the small blood crystal in the north. Destroy this smaller blood crystal (if you have destroyed the other two small crystals you will now be rewarded with the Eight Seals weapon) and immediately head towards the north-east corner of the map where the final blood crystal lies.
Take down the Giant Demon near the last blood crystal and then have your troops destroy the crystal itself.

## Plot

While watching the Demons kill Yoshimoto and his soldiers, Nobunaga contemplates how the Demon presence has worked in his favour. With a rallying call to his troops, the Oda forces prepare for battle with the Demons. Aoi and Inugami arrive to fight as Nobunaga had expected.
After battling a swarm of demons, including Witch Spiders, Aoi remarks that the areas evil aura hasn’t yet faded. She requests that Nobunaga’s troops help to destroy several giant blood crystals. After destroying two of the giant crystals, reinforcement cavalry from Nakajima Fort arrive to join the battle.
When only one blood crystal is left standing, Aoi senses the source of the evil gathered around it. When they arrive at the crystal, they find a Giant Demon among the Demon horde. After dispatching this Giant Demon and destroying the final crystal, the Demons subside.
After the battle, Nobunaga notes how although it has been ten years since they first crossed paths, Aoi hasn’t aged at all. She explains that until the land is free from the demons, mortal time will not pass for her. Nobunaga asks Aoi what reason she has to keep on living as she is, to which she cannot answer. He apologises, and departs, stating that they will meet again on some other battlefield.

## True History

In 1560, Yoshimoto Imagawa, with an army of about 25,000 men, set forth on a march to Kyoto. Entering the Oda territories in Owari Province, he first took the border fortresses of Washizu and Marune before setting up camp in a wooded gorge known as Dengakuhazama (later Okehazama). This was all reported to Nobunaga Oda by his scouts and, in response, Nobunaga then led his own forces into position at a temple called Zenshō-ji, a short distance away.
Had Nobunaga decided on a frontal assault, the battle would have most likely been lost, as his army was heavily outnumbered by the Imagawa forces. A frontal assault would have resulted in defeat and an attempt to hold out at Zenshō-ji would have only lasted a few days. Nobunaga stated that "only a strong offensive policy could make up for the superior numbers of the enemy” and ordered a counterattack. He left a dummy army at Zenshō-ji with a large number of banners, to give the impression that this was the location of his main force. Meanwhile, his main force (between 2,000 to 3,000 men) moved to the rear of the Imagawa army at Dengaku-hazama.
The Imagawa were celebrating their recent victories at Dengakuhazama and an afternoon thunderstorm further shielded Nobunaga's soldiers' advance. When the storm passed, Nobunaga's men poured into the camp from the north, and the Imagawa warriors fled from the attackers. This left their commander's tent undefended, and the Oda warriors closed in rapidly. Yoshimoto Imagawa, unaware of what had transpired, heard the noise and emerged from his tent shouting at his men to quit their drunken revelry and return to their posts. By the time he realized that the samurai before him were not his own, it was too late to organize a defence. Yoshimoto was attacked by two of Nobunaga’s samurai and killed.
This would become known as the Battle of Okehazama.