After strengthening the tie with the Imagawa family by the marriage of Imagawa’s daughter and Harunobu’s son and heir Taro, Takeda’s troops finally advance on to Shinano defeating Murakami. A well thought-out strategy by Kansuke causes the feudal lords of Shinano to surrender to the Takeda clan without a battle one after another and Murakami instantly becomes isolated. Foreseeing a no-win situation, Murakami runs to Kagetora in Echigo. Kagetora makes up his mind to advance on to Shinano to restore order, having learned of Takeda’s villainous plot from Murakami.