The damage inflicted by Shuten Doji and his gang was very severe, which prompted MINAMOTO no Yorimitsu to go on a mission to exterminate the oni; together with his main followers, the Four Great Warriors of Yorimitsu (WATANABE no Tsuna, SAKATA no Kintoki, Sadamitsu USUI, and URABE no Suetake) and other friends including FUJIWARA no Yasumasa, he set out for Mt. Oe leading a force of more than fifty warriors in total.
酒呑童子の一味による被害があまりにも大きく、源頼光が鬼退治に行くこととなり、配下の頼光四天王（渡辺綱・坂田金時・碓井貞光・卜部季武）や友人の藤原保昌ら、総勢五十数名とともに大江山に向かった。