Heike Monogatari stated that HIGUCHI was killed, even though quite a few people including MINAMOTO no Noriyori and MINAMOTO no Yoshitsune, who were impressed by his heroism, begged for his life, becauase some court nobles were furiously opposed to saving his life (to be described later).
その際、その武勇を惜しむ源範頼や源義経をはじめ、多くの人から助命嘆願があったが、これに公家達が猛反発を起こし、助命はかなわなかったと『平家物語』に載る（後述）。