Four years have passed since the fall of the Heike, and the Second Son of the Emperor has declared martial law in the eastern provinces. The armies of the Eastern Provinces have been raised one by one, and there are three thousand soldiers on the side of the Taira side. The General of the Western Provinces, Takeda, asks the General if he is afraid to die, but the General replies that he does not know what he is doing. He tells Takeda that he has an idea. He suggests that the General should take a detour to the west and take a sea route to the Ahou Mountains. He says that he would much rather die than be killed. He also says that his brother, the General, is opposed to this, but he says that the economic strength of the western province will draw the troops to the eastern side sooner or later. Takeda says that they have received a command from the Emperor to stand by him, and he asks if he knows what kind of a man the General is. He is ten years older than his brother and is from a different mother. The two men discuss whether it would be better to unite the whole of the region first, or to wait until the battle is over. The general says he has not yet consulted with the Emperor, so he does as he pleases