In the distance, Miyuki using her manriki chain to disarm Sayomi of her bow. Then Sayomi wielding her double-edged naginata. Miyuki fighting a losing battle, only her swift reactions and acrobatic skills keeping her from being sliced in half …

Jack rubbed his temples, trying to relieve the throbbing in his head and recover enough to fight.

At that moment, Akuma spotted him alive yet helpless in the middle of the square and turned his horse to charge at him. With a triumphant expression, he raised his trident, aiming its cruel barbs at Jack’s chest.

Unable to stand, let alone run, Jack could only watch as Akuma closed in for the kill.

56 Shakujō

56

SHAKUJŌ

All was lost. He had failed. The village was to be conquered by the devil, Akuma.

Jack had been foolish to think that he and his friends could make a stand against such bandits and win. After all, he was just a young samurai … and soon to be a dead samurai.

As Jack knelt powerless to avoid his fate, he stared into the unforgiving eyes of his enemy. Black as a moonless night, they harboured only hate for him along with a cold callous pleasure at exacting revenge.

‘I’ll rip your heart out!’ Akuma roared as he thundered ever closer, trident thrust forward.

Jack made a final attempt to rise, but his legs gave beneath him.

And then he was encircled by a protective ring of spears. They formed an impenetrable barrier, forcing Akuma’s horse to rear up and break from its charge. The unit of farmers held their ground as Akuma, along with two other bandits, attempted to penetrate the ranks. But with their charges blocked by the steel-tipped samurai spears, Akuma snarled, ‘I’ll leave you till last, gaijin!’

Angrily whipping his horse, he then rode off with his bandits to find easier prey.

‘I said you’d need me to save your miserable life yet again!’ jested Saburo, pulling Jack to his feet. ‘For the time being, at least.’

Jack clamped his hand on Saburo’s shoulder as much to thank him as to steady his own legs. The sickness eased and although his head still hurt, his world was no longer spinning like a top.

‘What took you so long?’ said Jack, smiling despite the pain.

‘Not all the bandits from the paddy field were fried by Miyuki’s bonfire,’ replied Saburo.

A blast of gunfire scattered a bunch of villagers hiding behind a woodpile; one fell dead before he’d taken two steps.

Jack hunted for the deadly Kurochi among the bandits, but the square was too chaotic to pinpoint where he was firing from. To Jack’s relief, though, Yori was still holding off his attacker. The bandit, on foot and armed with a battle-chipped katana, fought to bring the little monk down. But Yori used his ringed staff to deflect the strikes.