high ground; plateau; heights
immediate follower (of the shogun)
group; flock; crowd; wide expanse (of flowers)
woollen fabric; woollen cloth
pioneer; leader; taking the initiative; leading an attack; charging ahead of others (towards the enemy)
goal; target; aim; mark; sign; landmark
all sides; the four cardinal directions and the four ordinal directions; large hanging lantern
cliff; precipice; precipice; brink of a dangerous situation
now (esp. in contrast to the past); now at last; at present; right now
dangerous position; peril
to fall down; to drop; to be omitted; to be missing; to decrease; to sink; to fail (e.g. exam or class)
successfully; nicely; (yummy) food; yum-yum
sparing life and taking life; letting live and killing
to be caught; to be captured; to be taken prisoner; to be seized with (fear, etc.); to be a slave to; to stick to
country in civil war; country disarrayed by war; Warring States period (Japan, China); competiton in which there are several evenly-matched participants; hotly-contested game (match, market, etc.)
cunning and wickedness; cunning and wicked person
prediction; prophecy; prognostication
long-cherished ambition; satisfaction
to congratulate; to celebrate
desperate situation with no escape; being driven into a corner; being cornered; last extremity
length and width; length and breadth; four cardinal points; every direction; as one wishes; as one pleases
tongue; tongue-like object; clapper (of a bell); talon (of a lock)
spirit; soul; drive; vigor; vigour
fair complexion; face without makeup; inexperience
with bare hands; with or from nothing
to fall ill; to suffer from (e.g. a disease); to have something wrong with (e.g. an inner organ)
implementation (e.g. of a system); materialization; materialisation; realization; realisation; actualization
fleeting; transient; short-lived; empty (dream, etc.); mere (hope); faint (possibility)
reality; actuality; hard fact
last days; the end; one's fate
end; final; end of life; death; never; not at all
to thrust (something) into (something); to cram; to plunge into; to charge into; to delve into (a matter); to go into depth; to press (someone) about
to save; to rescue; to help; to assist; to support (financially); to contribute (to)
certainly; without fail; right and wrong; pros and cons
now that it's come to this; since it's come to this
foot (of a mountain or hill); bottom; base
remnants of a defeated army
to stay on; to remain; to hold out; to stop (doing); to give up
to look back on (the past); to reflect on; to look behind (at); to turn round (and look); to consider; to concern oneself about
to crush (with the weight of misfortune)
along the way; along the road
(how) many times; (how) often
to abate; to decrease; to diminish; to shorten
to be wounded; to get injured; to get hurt feelings; to get damaged; to get chipped