Session 20. (7/12/05)

The scouts lead the way for the army, south to Balloch Hakodate, taking a left turn at Albuquerque Kamiiso. As they turn onto the coast road the heroes spot a check point ahead. It wasn't there when they last came this way, a year earlier, nor when Kanemitsu came through before the winter. A clan Kono mon flies over the waiting troops. The invaders are discussing what to do when Haku (Paul Burton) and Kanemitsu realise that this is not the most obvious place for a check point but a good place for an ambush, with large boulders strewn beside the road. One of the Ainu is sent back to halt the army while Miyoshi (Jim Loder) decides what to do. Eventually the consensus is to sneak past the check point, let the army come on and spring the ambush with overwhelming numerical superiority, while the scouts wait down the road and intercept anyone escaping or sent to warn Hakodate. So another runner is sent back to stop the army stopping and advance. Haku decides to climb a nearby hill from which he can see the action and cast Mud where it is most needed. The other former samurai sneak into the woods as far from the road as they can get in this narrow gap between the hills and the sea. As they pass they see 20-30 samurai lying in wait behind the boulders. Katchamaru (Anthony Hummerston) takes special care to keep his weapons and equipment quiet as they tiptoe past, but concentrates so hard he doesn't notice himself whistling. However, most of the samurai also don't notice; just one decides to investigate. The heroes settle down to wait for the action, but Miyoshi, Kanemitsu and Mineo (Denzil Brown) spot the samurai approaching them. They alert the others and draw bows. When he reaches optimum range they let fly and Yoshi (Chris Dore), Kachamaru, Mineo and Manemitsu all hit - only Miyoshi misses (as usual). The samurai is badly injured, cries out and tries to run away, but Miyoshi doesn't miss a second time and Yoshi's second hit finishes him.

There is some consternation in the check point at this turn of events. The leader of the samurai sends a party of six to investigate. Kachamaru announces that he has a cunning plan that cannot fail - he will disguise himself as a demon and scare the troops away. Miyoshi hits him round the head and tells everyone to pick up their bows. Again they wait until the samurai are at optimum range and fire. Again Miyoshi misses while everyone else hits. The samurai charge their position and they get second arrows off at point-blank range. Again the second round gives hits to everyone - some of the samurai are looking quite poorly now. Then it's swords out and close combat fighting. Miyoshi misses, as does Kachamaru. Yoshi and Mineo get hits but both are hit in return. Yoshi's man goes down. Kanemitsu swings his huge naginata and scores a big hit. Miyoshi, Yoshi, Kachamaru and Kanemitsu score second hits; the samurai all fail and their leader trips and is dazed. In the next round Miyoshi, Kachamaru, Mineo and Kanemitsu all hit and kill their opponents; Yoshi and Miyoshi (on the second attack) finish off the sixth and last samurai.

The samurai at the check point have spotted the fight and are on the verge of coming to help their comrades when one of them notices the Ainu army. It has got quite close to the check point. The leader quickly makes his decision: he sends seven samurai to take on the 2,500-strong army (or at least slow it down); another seven will try to ride off to warn Hakodate; and the other 11 will take on the scouts to stop them stopping the riders.

Haku casts Mud on the ones going for the horses to slow them down. The other heroes again get two rounds with bows before the samurai are on them. For once Miyoshi scores and Kanemitsu misses, but in the second round Miyoshi breaks his bowstring. Kachamaru casts Stage Flash and manages to blind most of the samurai. For the next round only the L4 leader gets a hit (in fact two, on Kanemitsu). Yoshi and Miyoshi use Ni-to-kenjutsu and score seven hits in the round; Kachamaru gets a critical hit; Mineo scores on both attacks; and Kanemitsu hits the powerful leader. Miyoshi, Yoshi and Mineo end the episode with kills - but eight strong samurai remain...

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