Young Samurai _ The Way Of The Dragon - Chris Bradford [108]
As yet, the reserves had not been called for.
The waiting was the hardest part. The adrenalin that had kicked in upon exiting the castle had faded, leaving only the dull throb of constant fear. Every student was agitated, caught between a determination to fight and an urge to flee.
‘Are we winning?’ asked Yori, trying to snatch a look between Jack and Taro.
‘The battle’s barely begun,’ replied Taro.
‘But how are we doing? I can’t see anything in this stupid helmet.’
‘Take it off,’ Akiko suggested, helping him untie the cord round his chin. ‘It’s going to do you more harm than good.’
Yori stared in fear at the grey sky. ‘What if an arrow hits me?’
‘We’re standing behind Sensei Kyuzo. He’ll catch it for you!’ jested Yamato.
A ripple of nervous laughter broke from the ranks of young samurai.
‘Stay focused,’ growled Sensei Kyuzo, pacing the lines.
Taro scanned the plain, giving them a running commentary of the battle as it progressed.
‘It’s too early to tell who has the advantage. But a division of our troops are attacking the centre of the enemy’s frontline. See the ones with the black-and-white-striped sashimono – they’re trying to smash their way through to daimyo Kamakura’s personal guard.’
‘Why on earth attempt that?’ said Yamato. ‘That’s where his army is most concentrated.’
‘I think it’s a distraction. To draw their forces inwards. Look! Over to the left, there’s huge movement of our troops. I think Satoshi’s planning to strike Kamakura’s ranks from the rear.’
‘So… the enemy are losing?’ asked Yori hopefully.
‘No, they’re putting up heavy resistance. Kamakura’s cannon and arquebus fire are slaughtering our right flank.’
Jack could see wave upon wave of their ashigaru charging at the enemy, but each advance was decimated by a hail of gunshot. Daimyo Kamakura had trained his troops to shoot in coordinated ranks, ensuring at least one row was firing while another reloaded. Behind the gunners, an immense division of samurai was poised to launch a counter-attack.
‘They could break through at any moment,’ said Taro.
The optimistic smile on Yori’s face dropped.
The light rain of dawn returned and began to fall in earnest as the morning progressed. By noon, it had turned into a torrential downpour. The sounds of battle became lost in the deluge and the fire from cannon and arquebus petered out. The plain was churned into a quagmire of mud and blood, slowing the advance of both forces. Samurai not only had to fight the enemy, but also the ground as it sucked at their feet and dragged them off-balance. Meanwhile, the reserve troops, soaked to the skin and shivering with cold, slowly lost their resolve to fight.
‘Have we won yet?’ asked Yori, tugging on the sleeve of Taro’s armour.
‘No,’ replied Taro irritably. ‘Stop pestering me.’
‘Then why have the enemy stopped firing?’
‘He’s right,’ said Yamato, their view across the plain obscured by rain and smoke. ‘Have they surrendered?’
‘It doesn’t look like it,’ Taro said, pointing to a contingent of daimyo Kamakura’s army fighting tooth and nail with Satoshi’s samurai. ‘Though they are no longer shooting at our right flank.’
Jack grinned. The reason was apparent to him from his experience of loading the cannon on-board the Alexandria. ‘Gunpowder doesn’t ignite when wet!’
‘Of course! It should give us the advantage,’ said Taro, slamming a fist to his breastplate in satisfaction. ‘Look! Our troops are already starting to break through their frontline.’
Jack watched as a battalion of crack troops engaged with daimyo Kamakura’s personal army. A diamond formation of black-and-white sashimono was cutting deep into a sea of Kamakura’s blue-and-yellow flags. Soon they would be within striking distance of daimyo Kamakura’s own bodyguards.
‘We might just win!’ uttered Taro in disbelief.
48
THE RED DEVILS
Out of the east came a terrifying sight.
As if the horizon itself was bleeding,