Battle of Ishikari

**The Battle of Ishikari** took place during the Baconvirate, late Classical Era on the Ishikari plain from Ezochi, now known as the Hokkaido island. It was fought by the Yokaian Imperial Army commanded by Emperor of Change Huxwells and another Yokaian Imperial Army led by general Kenji against the invading Baconfederacy army allied with the Potato tribes. It was the last major engagement between Yokai and the Baconfederacy marking the end of the 40 years civil war in favour of the Baconfederacy member states, becoming independent, the destruction of the Dai Yokai Teikoku and the end of the Ancient Era.

## Prelude

The continuous war between the two Emperors of the Dai Yokai Teikoku (The Great Yokaian Empire) made the empire itself becoming weaker and more vulnerable for the rebellious factions to invade the homeland of Yokai. Emperor Huxwells after defeating his brother Artimis for the capital city that fell into ruins due to the battle, realized that the Baconfederacy would exploit such opportunity to invade and therefore, he took the rest of the army and sailed to Ezochi where he built a fortified settlement on the Ishikari plain where all his 6.000 soldiers could guard every side of the walls. Huxwells, in the end proved to be right about his enemy because three days later, the entire army of the Baconfederacy formed of 25000 soldiers and another 15000 Potato tribesmen hired as mercenaries from the Unknown World.

The Baconfederacy marched towards Ishikari but once they have seen the fortifications present on the area, they came to the conclusion that the casualties would be high for a direct attack and so they began the construction of a 9 km line of circumvallation, consisting of a 3m thick earthen ramparts and entrenchments that encircled Huxwells's fortification. The line of circumvallation would have been used as a base for launching assaults against the Yokaians if they would not surrender in 3 months due to starvation.

## The Siege and Battle

The Baconfederacy army was stationed on the northern and western side of the circumvallation while the Potato tribes were stationed on the southern and eastern side of the circumvallation. On the 32th day, the Baconfederacy's scouts reported the movement of a Yokaian Imperial Army which landed on the shores of Ezochi and began marching towards the Ishikari plain. They knew that the Yokaian reinforcements intend to break the blockade and so began the construction of a contravallation to enhance the blockade of the settlement and prevent the reinforcements to disrupt the blockade.

Although they could not build it in time because the second day the reinforcements of 11000 soldiers led by general Kenji have arrived from the South. The Potato tribes never killed Yokaian soldiers, only citizens from nearby towns, they have waited for over a month for such opportunity to test Yokai's military strength and so they marched towards the Yokaian reinforcements, began bashing their shield with their own axes and spears, howling, shouting and doing incantations against the steady Yokaian that remained silent and on guard for the incoming attack. Eventually the Potato tribesmen hurled the heads they have gathered from the innocent Yokaian citizens they decapitated days ago, throwing all the heads to Kenji's army and afterwards charging like rabid animals, keeping their weapons high and the shield in front of their body and running with rage as a battery ram intending to break the battle-line formed by the Yokaians.

Kenji's army assembled a first-line made of disciplined soldiers holding a tight formation, experienced in conserving their strength and knowing when to choose the opportunity to strike and their skill were put to the test because the 15000 Potato tribesmen led by the 15 Harkas (tribe leaders) charged towards the battle-line. Although the barbarians blinded by their fury did not expect the hundreds of spears thrown from the second line that stood behind the first-line. Meanwhile two smaller armies, each having 1500 soldiers marched at the right and left flanks of the tribesmen that grew weary due to the exhaustion of the battle and they were charged from both flanks, being slowly decimated by Kenji's reserves.

Inevitably all the Harka were killed in the struggle, the remaining 3500 tribesmen began to retreat towards the Baconfederacy, but their path was blocked by Kenji's cavalry galloping from the front and from behind of the retreating Potato tribesmen that were running filled with panic and fear. Exhausted and broken, the tribesmen were killed to the last man. Kenji elated of the victory, ordered his soldiers to behead the dead tribesmen. Afterwards, he deployed in front of the line the mangonels and used them to throw all the heads towards the Baconfederacy army with the exception of the 15 heads from the Harka which were dragged by a chariot parading in front of the Yokaian reinforcements that were shouting and bashing their weapons on their shields.

## The Death of the Last Emperor

The Baconfederacy being showered under the thousands of heads and seeing the remaining 9000 men led by general Kenji, determined the Baconfederacy to send the 25000 soldiers to assault the fortifications built by Huxwells from the northern side. Meanwhile, the Yokaian reinforcements came pouring through the southern gate of the settlement, even climbed the walls with their ladders in an attempt to form a defensive line quicker than the Baconfederacy would be able to strike in great force.

The armies clashed in every section of the settlement, the battle became savage and brutal by each hour that passed. The ground was spilled with the blood that came from both sides, corpses piling up one on another becoming difficult for soldiers to march.

The Emperor of Change Huxwells accompanied by his Imperial Bodyguard of 98 men were flanked from both sides by the Baconfederacy regiments in a phalanx formation with their 6m length forming their walls of spears. Eventually, Huxwells was pierced over 30 times from the right and left sides, once slain he was raised by the dozens spears as high as possible, showing the dead Emperor Huxwells tangled into their spears.

The battle lasted for another day, the Yokaians were eager to fight to the death and due to their courage they have won the battle but with high casualties, remaining with about 120-130 men. The army of the Baconfederacy was completely decimated but with the death of Huxwells and having no heir to the throne, the Great Yokaian Empire could not exist anymore and meant that the war was lost, having the state members of the Baconfederacy to obtain their independence.