Miyuki sprinted for the shelter of the barrier. A bandit followed in hot pursuit, wielding a vicious spiked club. Jack and Neko urged Miyuki on as she bounded headlong through the undergrowth. But the bandit, even faster, gained on her and swung his club. Jack shouted a warning. Miyuki ducked and switched direction.

The bandit cursed and raced after her. Too far from the barrier, Jack realized Miyuki would never reach them alive. The bandit swung his deadly club at her head again. But it never made contact. Like a startled bird, the man flailed as his feet were whipped from under him. Screaming in terror, he flew high into the forest canopy. Caught by the hidden snare, the bandit was left swinging back and forth with little hope of escape.

Weaving her way along the path, Miyuki avoided all her other traps then jumped high over the thorn ditch, somersaulting to land safely on the other side. Before Kurochi had another chance to aim at her, she dived behind the barrier and rolled to a stop beside Jack.

‘That was a little too close,’ she panted.

‘Where are you going?’ shouted Kurochi as his three surviving bandits beat a hasty retreat.

‘No one said anything about ninja!’ cried one of the men.

‘This area’s a death trap!’ said another, terrified.

The third bandit, running as fast as he could, didn’t even bother replying.

For a brief moment, Kurochi considered his chances of surviving a forest full of hidden traps. Then his better judgement prevailed and he hurriedly followed his fleeing men.

As the first bandit found his way to the path, he cried out in pain and began to hop around.

‘Tetsu-bishi?’ asked Jack, with a knowing smile.

Miyuki nodded and Jack almost felt pity for the men trying to escape the minefield of tetsu-bishi – iron spikes – hidden beneath the snow.

‘They won’t come this way again,’ said Miyuki confidently. ‘As the Grandmaster taught me – a scared enemy is as good as a dead enemy.’

49 Shot Down

49

SHOT DOWN

‘Why doesn’t he just give up?’ Sora asked in desperation.

He stood with his spear unit beside the moat, red-faced and breathless from fending off another of the bandits’ advances. It was now late afternoon and Akuma’s dogged determination was wearing the farmers down. While used to long hours labouring in the fields, they didn’t have the mental and physical stamina to fight for prolonged periods.

‘Akuma won’t stop until he’s won … or dead,’ replied Jack, flicking blood from his blade. ‘But as long as we keep fighting, he won’t win!’