Mōri then departed from the mainland to build a fort, known as Miyao Castle, on Miyajima while proclaiming publicly his woe that it would not hold out long against an attack.

Their approach thus obscured, Motonari and two of his sons, Kikkawa Motoharu and Mōri Takamoto, landed on the east side of the island, to the rear of the Sue force.

[3] Meanwhile, Motonari's third son, Kobayakawa Takakage, sailed straight toward Miyao Castle in a feint,[4] then retreated so he could be in a position to return the following day, his attack synchronized with the overland assault.

[3] At dawn, Takakage and his 1,500 troops landed before the small fortress, and the sound of shell trumpets signaled that all units were in position and the attack commenced.

This victory brought the Mōri clan into a preeminent position in western Japan, and established their reputation for strategy and naval tactics.

The remains of Sue Harukata were transported back to the mainland and positively identified at Sakurao Castle before being accorded a funeral and burial in the cemetery of a nearby Buddhist temple in present-day Hatsukaichi city, Hiroshima Prefecture.