Jack hoped this would be the end of it, but Nakamura was even tougher than he imagined. Despite being dazed, the bandit snatched up his battleaxe and swung it at Jack’s legs. Jack jumped in the air, the steel blade whistling beneath his feet. As he landed, Nakamura rose up and chopped madly with his axe.

The women and children scattered, desperate to avoid the deadly swipes.

Jack leapt away from the attack, but failed to notice the hearth behind him. He stumbled into the hot ashes of the dying fire, lost his footing and fell.

Nakamura rushed forward, his axe raised to cleave him in half.

Yoshi, still on his hands and knees, found his walking-stick and thrust it between Nakamura’s legs. Nakamura tripped and the axe head buried itself in the wall just above Jack’s head, splinters flying everywhere.

Cursing, Nakamura brutally kicked the old man to the ground. Jack jumped up but before he could draw his swords, Nakamura barrelled into him like a raging bull. The two of them careered into the rear wall which, already split by the axe, now disintegrated. They tumbled out of the farmhouse and down the slope, throwing kicks and punches as they fell.

In the square, Akuma and his bandits had returned, but Saburo was marshalling the farmers to corral them. One bandit had been knocked from his horse and was making a frenzied attempt at an escape. The villagers soon caught the doomed man. But Akuma rode defiantly straight at the farmers, driving them back again and again with his trident.

Jack and Nakamura rolled to a stop. Nakamura stunned Jack with a head butt, then scrambled through the snow to retrieve his battleaxe.

‘I’m going to take your head, gaijin,’ said Nakamura, spitting blood. ‘And your arms and your legs and your …’

Grunting with the effort, Nakamura brought his axe hurtling down.

Jack rolled aside as the blade thudded into the frozen ground. Scrambling to his feet, he unsheathed his swords and went on the attack. His katana flashed through the air, slicing for the bandit’s neck.

Nakamura blocked the blade with his axe head, sparks flying on contact. Jack spun and thrust with his wakizashi. Almost skewered on its tip, Nakamura twisted away at the last second and brought the axe handle down on to Jack’s left arm. Pain rocketed through Jack and he was forced to drop the short sword.

‘Your fancy sword techniques won’t beat an axe blow!’ laughed Nakamura.