decline; degeneration; decay; waning; ebbing
hard fight; close game; struggle; tight contest
information; news; report; reward; retribution
to follow in succession; to happen one after another
royal capital; imperial capital
to bring (news, knowledge, etc.); to introduce; to bring about; to cause; to produce (e.g. results)
the front; honest; upright; decent
counterattack; counteroffensive; counterblow
to lose; to miss (a chance, opportunity); to lose (a loved one); to be bereaved of; to concede (goals, points, etc.)
intently; single-mindedly; devotedly; solely; earnestly; with all one's heart
defense; defence; safeguard; protection
to penetrate; to sink in; to devote oneself (to); to do intently and exclusively; to do throughout (e.g. the night)
barely; narrowly; only just; with difficulty
maintenance; preservation; improvement
to play a leading role; to play a central part
regarding; in; to; towards; with regards to
encirclement; encircling net; tight besiegement
gradually; steadily; slowly; little by little; step by step; by degrees
present (e.g. government, administration); current; existing
king; queen; monarch; the Crown (as a focus of authority in the UK, etc.); the throne
scanning electron microscope; SEM
bitterness; distress; pain; bitterness and astringency
to make a decision; to draw a conclusion; to give a judgement; to hand down a verdict; to let go down; to lower; to do oneself
protection; safeguard; shugo (Kamakura or Muromachi period military governor)
last stand; last bastion; last stronghold; last frontier
the most; the extreme; prime; conspicuous
elite; best; pick; cream of the crop
(those) who are; (that) which is; in the capacity of
first; foremost; most important; best; greatest; above all
recapture; retaking; recovery; taking back
than; rather than; instead of; from; out of; except
mountain range; mountain belt
to separate (by distance, time, etc.); to isolate; to interpose; to have between; to alienate; to estrange
southern part; the south (of a region)
line of defence (defense); lines (as in enemy lines, etc.)
to decide; to determine; to establish; to lay down; to bring peace (to); to make peaceful
to be connected (to); to be joined together; to connect (of a telephone call, the internet, etc.); to get through; to lead (to an outcome); to bring about (a result); to be lined up (e.g. of cars)
base (of operations); site; location; center; foothold; stronghold
southwestern part; the southwest
fort; fortress; stronghold; fortification