Miyuki looked up at him in shock. ‘Oh no! Who was killed?’

Jack dabbed a dry tear from his cheek and replied in his gravest tone, ‘One of Yori’s straw soldiers.’

Miyuki blinked, then registered what he’d said. ‘A hilarious samurai joke!’ she laughed. ‘I suppose that makes us even.’

Getting up, she headed wearily for the farmhouse. ‘Wake me in an hour or so, will you?’

‘Don’t worry,’ said Jack. ‘I won’t let you miss any of the action.’

Miyuki was almost to the door, when the alarm clanged a second time.

‘No chance of that!’ she called, running back.

Up in the watchtower, Yori pointed and yelled, ‘Horses to the east!’

Now on full alert, Jack dashed down to Hayato’s defensive line, Miyuki and Junichi close on his heels. Hayato stood behind the protective wall of hay bales at the eastern entrance, his hand shading his eyes as he looked to the horizon. Silhouetted against the rising sun, the bandits could be seen in the distance, galloping across the plain.

‘It won’t be long before they’re here,’ said Hayato, picking up his bow.

‘Good luck with your shot,’ encouraged Miyuki.

‘I don’t need luck,’ replied Hayato irritably. ‘I’ve practised.’

He selected an arrow from his quiver. A cloth dipped in lamp oil had been bound to the shaft near the tip.

‘I just need to compensate for the arrow’s extra weight and drag, that’s all.’

Jack looked over to the bridge. The wooden target had been removed and the cask of gunpowder was just visible beside the main supporting strut. Although he had every faith in Hayato’s skills, it was still an extremely difficult shot – one made harder by the fact he was firing into the sun.

‘I’ll send for reinforcements,’ said Jack. ‘Just in case.’

He turned to one of the younger farmers. ‘Tell Yuudai we need his second division here now.’

Nodding obediently, the farmer dashed away as if his life depended upon it.

Hayato stood by the sentry fire in preparation to ignite the arrow. The bandits were still a good distance off and his timing would have to be perfect. He couldn’t fire too early or else they wouldn’t catch Akuma’s forces in the blast. But if he shot too late, the village would be in serious danger of invasion. And if he missed …

The farmers fell silent as the tension grew.

Jack tried to count the enemy as they approached. Although too far away to be accurate, he judged there were more than thirty left.

Then Jack noticed something odd. A thin stream of smoke was rising from the roof of the mill.

‘Where’s your mother?’ Jack asked Junichi.

‘My mother is stubborn,’ he replied, with a sad but resigned look on his face.

‘Natsuko’s still there!’

‘I tried to persuade her so many times, but –’