The farmers cried ‘KIAI!’ with every strike, their bursts of breath fogging in the chill air. What they lacked in coordination and timing, they made up for in enthusiasm.

Since the discovery of the weapon hoard, the villagers had been repentant, humbled by the forgiveness shown by the young samurai. They now worked without complaint, trained like dedicated warriors, and saw the young samurai as allies rather than oppressors – a preconception they’d found hard to shake off in light of their experiences with daimyo Ikeda and his samurai.

The outrage felt by the young samurai themselves had been buried in order to focus on Akuma’s forthcoming raid. They’d all agreed to honour the fallen by using their stolen weapons and armour to defend the village and, in doing so, atone for the villagers’ suffering caused by previous samurai wars.

Jack had gone so far as to suggest that they train the farmers in basic martial arts and sword skills. If the bandits made it through their outer defences, they would need every available hand to fight. Although it broke the law and further blurred the social boundaries, Hayato saw the sense in such a strategy and had even agreed to lead one of the sword classes himself. Time wasn’t on their side, but they hoped the training would improve everyone’s chances of survival.

In the field adjacent to Saburo’s, Yuudai was instructing his Barricade unit in the Art of the Spear. He was drilling them in thrusts, charges and various attack and defence manoeuvres. His camaraderie with the men, established during the construction of the barricade, was proving invaluable and his unit quickly fell into line to become the most disciplined and capable of all the groups.

Next to him, Miyuki was with Neko, demonstrating basic self-defence for the women of the village to use against the bandits. Neko was relishing her new status as a trainee ninja and, with her falls cushioned by the thick snow, she literally threw herself into every move.

As Jack approached the group, he heard one woman say, ‘But Neko’s no bandit. We wouldn’t stand a chance against a fully grown man.’

At this, Miyuki invited Yuudai to join them. He towered over the women, who all shrank back in trepidation. Miyuki signed some instructions to Neko, then turned to Yuudai.

‘Grab her,’ she ordered. ‘Then hit her.’

Yuudai’s broad brow creased with concern. ‘I don’t fight women, let alone young ladies half my size.’

‘You won’t hurt her, I promise.’