“I envy you your certainty, Jimmu,” replied the captain. “I’m not so sure myself. I’ve heard that the Takeda outnumber us more than three to one. We’ll have a hard fight of it.”

“Another campfire rumor!” Jimmu scoffed.

“No,” said the captain. “The information was given to me by Lord Ankan.”

A momentary panic gripped Jimmu—if he were killed by a Takeda soldier, his father would never be avenged.

“Pull yourself together!” said a voice in his head. “You are behaving like a coward. You will survive the battle by making proper use of your fighting skills. Afterward, you will bring the beast Ankan to justice. He caused the death of your noble father. Your mother swallowed poison because of him, and died a slow, agonizing death. You have a sacred purpose. No bullet or arrow will come near you. Any enemy who challenges you will fall. You will kill Ankan with your father’s sword.”

There was no mistaking the voice in Jimmu’s mind; it was Nichiren’s.

When the opposing sides came within sight of each other, they hurriedly assumed their battle formations. In the teeth of a bitter wind the masses of armed men swirled like flocks of starlings on the wing. The Tokugawa army advanced to within two hundred feet of the Takeda camp.

Lord Ankan’s soldiers were positioned on the left flank of the Tokugawa forces, together with the troops of General Ietada, General Tadakatsu, and General Kazumasa, who were also allies of Lord Ieyasu. Jimmu was given command of a detail of fifteen spearmen, one of whom was Kambei.

Kambei grinned at Jimmu, but the expression in his eyes revealed the grin as no more than bravado.

“The shoe’s on the other foot now, eh, lad?” he chuckled. “Today you give the orders, and I jump—not for long, though. We’re going to be slaughtered.”

“Empty your mind of such thoughts!” commanded Jimmu. “You’ll need a clear head for what’s to come.”

“I’ve never had a clear head in my life, but I know death when I see it,” Kambei responded. “Our guts are going to get trampled under the hoofs of the Takeda cavalry.”

“That’s enough, guardsman!” snapped Jimmu. “Your loose talk is making your comrades nervous.”

Kambei lowered his head and spat with casual contempt, but he kept quiet.

The busy maneuvering was succeeded by a long period of inactivity, during which tension built up until it was almost unbearable.

Captain Muraki stopped by to conduct a routine inspection.

“Is everything in order?” he inquired.

“Yes, sir. The men have been ready for over an hour,” said Jimmu. “Why don’t the Takeda attack? They have superior numbers; what are they waiting for?”