Stories of the Japanese 00894 [Kenmu Period] Entering Kanegasaki Castle

Since negotiations with Imajō Jōkei were initially difficult, the soldiers of the Wakiya and Nitta forces thought,
“We will likely never be able to reach Kanegasaki,”
and began to desert the unit one after another. The force, which initially numbered 240 horsemen, was now reduced to just 16.
When Yoshisuke, who had fallen into a desperate situation, happened to meet a woodcutter and asked about the state of Kanegasaki Castle, he received information that
“Since yesterday morning, it seems the Ashikaga forces have been surrounding the castle with 20,000 to 30,000 horsemen.”
It seemed difficult to join them under these circumstances. As they discussed,
“What should we do? Should we give up on entering Kanegasaki Castle and head down to Echigo? Or should we commit seppuku here?”
Kuryū Akitomo, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Nitta, proposed,
“It would be difficult to escape all the way to Echigo. Why don't we hide in the mountains tonight, and before dawn, launch a surprise attack, shouting loudly as we charge into the enemy ranks? While the enemy is in a panic and retreating, we can slip into Kanegasaki Castle. If it doesn't go well, we can just fight to our hearts' content and die.”
Everyone agreed with this suggestion.
“Then, let's disguise ourselves to look like a large force to the enemy,”
they decided. The 16 men untied their headbands and sashes, tied them to the tips of bamboo poles to make them look like flags, and placed them in the shadows here and there to create the illusion of a large army.
Then, as dawn broke, the 16 men rushed out from behind the enemy lines, shouting,
“20,000 horsemen have arrived! Everyone in the castle, come out and fight with us!”
and let out a war cry. Hearing this, the 30,000 horsemen of the Ashikaga side were terrified, thinking,
“What? A large army has come from Somayama Castle!”
The 800 men inside Kanegasaki Castle, emboldened, rushed out of the castle, and the large Ashikaga army panicked and fled in disarray.
The fleeing Ashikaga forces mistook their own retreating allies for enemies and fought among themselves, or saw allies crossing their path and, thinking they were surrounded by enemies, committed seppuku. Most of the 30,000 Ashikaga horsemen fled back to their own provinces, and the soldiers who had been surrounding Kanegasaki Castle until just moments before had almost entirely dispersed.
It sounds like something out of a manga, that just 16 men could throw 30,000 into such chaos. The Taiheiki contains many exaggerations, and this episode is surely one of the most prominent among them.