‘Which leaves us with the last approach – the forest to the west,’ said Jack, and led the way.

As they walked out of the paddy fields, Jack felt a tug on his sleeve. Neko was beckoning him to follow her.

‘Hold on!’ said Jack to the others, as she steered him over to the pond.

Once there, she gestured to the ice now covering its surface. Jack wondered what her point was, until she stepped out on to the pond and walked straight across it.

‘Neko’s spotted a problem!’ shouted Jack, waving the others over and giving Neko a thumbs-up in recognition. ‘The bandits could circle the paddy fields and cross here.’

‘Not if the ice breaks,’ said Miyuki.

‘Who says it will?’ countered Hayato, pulling an arrow from his quiver and tapping the surface. ‘It sounds pretty thick to me. And Neko just walked on it.’

‘We weaken the ice first,’ said Miyuki condescendingly. ‘It makes the perfect natural deception.’

‘Are you volunteering to go out there and break the ice?’ challenged Hayato.

As the two of them once again locked horns, Yuudai picked up a nearby rock and hurled it high into the air. It landed in the centre of the pond with an almighty crack, smashing through the icy surface and sinking without trace. Tiny fracture lines spidered out from the hole.

‘That should do it,’ said Yuudai, grinning.

Jack laughed. He liked this boy’s attitude. Yuudai took no sides; he simply wanted to get the job done. With the pond’s threat now turned to a defensive advantage and with three angles of attack covered, Jack was beginning to feel more confident about their chances against Akuma.

That was until they entered the forest.

‘This is our greatest weakness,’ declared Hayato, studying the path before them. ‘Lots of cover, little advance warning and countless gullies to bypass any barricade we build.’

Jack and the others fell silent as they all sought a solution. But none was forthcoming. The forest simply provided too many opportunities for an attacking enemy.

‘Leave it to me,’ announced Miyuki.

‘But what exactly do you plan to do?’ demanded Hayato.

‘I have a few ideas.’

Hayato was about to protest, but Jack, wishing to avoid another clash of opinion, interjected first. ‘I trust your judgement, Miyuki.’

‘And I won’t let you down,’ she replied, bowing.

Before anyone could challenge her further, Jack went on. ‘Now we’ve a lot of work to do, so you’re each responsible for an approach. Yuudai, north at the barricade; Hayato, east at the bridge; Saburo, south at the paddy fields; Miyuki, west in the forest. Yori, you’re organizing the smoke beacon and can also act as runner between the four posts. I’ll be in the square coordinating the defences and the building of the watchtower. Any questions?’