Stories of the Japanese 00785 [Late Kamakura Period] The Battle of Uchino

May 7, 1333 (Genko 3/Shokei 2). Ashikaga Takauji finally began to fight against the Rokuhara army as a rebel force. On this day, it was the allied forces of Ashikaga Takauji, Akamatsu Enshin, and Chigusa Tadaaki that attacked Rokuhara.
First, the Akamatsu army broke into Kyoto from To-ji Temple (Minami Ward, Kyoto City), and the Chigusa army from Takeda and Fushimi (Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City). The Ashikaga army had been chasing the aforementioned pigeon, and since that pigeon landed in a place called Uchino (Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City), which was the site of the former Daidairi (Greater Imperial Palace), the Ashikaga army attacked Uchino. The Daidairi had been located in Uchino until the Heian period, but it was later relocated, and around this time, there seems to have been a government office called the Jingikan-cho in Uchino. Incidentally, it is now Uchino Children's Park, and there is only a stone monument indicating that a palace once stood there.
The Rokuhara Tandai divided their 60,000 cavalry into three groups to deal with the Ashikaga, Akamatsu, and Chigusa armies respectively, but they decided to send their main forces, Suyama Yoshihisa and Kono Michimori, to Uchino to deal with the Ashikaga army. For Rokuhara, the Ashikaga army must have been the greatest threat.
In Uchino, both armies were initially cautious, shooting arrows from a distance while wary of the enemy, but soon a warrior from the Ashikaga army appeared, volunteering for single combat and announcing his name.
"I am Shitara Goro (?-1333), a retainer of the Ashikaga family. Anyone who thinks they are a match for me, please come forward and cross swords."
Then, an old warrior of about 50 years appeared from the Rokuhara forces and said,
"My name is Saito Genki (?-1333). I have spent many years in the lowest ranks of the magistrate's office, so some may despise me as a mere man of letters, but I am a man who has mastered the path of military strategy for generations. Come!"
He announced his name and they began to grapple.
The two grappled while still on their horses and fell with a thud. "Fell with a thud" is an expression that often appears in war chronicles, an onomatopoeia for falling from a horse.
Before long, the stronger Shitara got on top and cut Saito's throat, but Saito also stabbed Shitara from below as if thrusting upward into his body. Both men died in battle without ever loosening their grip on each other.
With the single combat between the two, the battle began to unfold rapidly. The next warrior from the Ashikaga army announced his name.
"I am Odaka Shigenari (?-1362), a retainer of Lord Ashikaga. Are Suyama-dono and Kono-dono, who are said to have performed meritorious deeds in the recent battle, present? Shall we cross swords?"
To everyone's surprise, Odaka wished for a direct confrontation with the commanders, Suyama Yoshihisa and Kono Michimori.
At this time, Suyama Yoshihisa was heading to To-ji Temple to support the battle against the Akamatsu army, but Kono Michimori was in the camp. Kono Michimori shouted, "I am here," and accepted the challenge to single combat.