Then a ghost-like figure flew out of the smoke. A flash of steel whipped past Jack’s face and Sayomi cried out as the shuriken embedded itself in her arm. Miyuki’s simultaneous flying side-kick struck Nakamura in the chest and sent him hurtling backwards into the hearth. He landed among the glowing embers and screamed as his clothes caught alight and flames leapt up his arms and back.

Seizing the initiative, Jack grabbed Sayomi’s wrist and disarmed her of the knife. Elbowing her in the stomach, he flung her over his shoulder, using seoi nage technique. Sayomi tumbled head first and crash-landed on the floor.

Above, a horrendous cracking alerted them to a rafter breaking free from the roof. Wasting no time, Miyuki took Jack’s hand and guided him through the smoke towards the door. A sharp pain flared in his right leg with every step. Behind, they heard Sayomi cursing them.

As they burst out of the door, Nakamura dashed past wearing a cloak of fire. He didn’t stop until he’d thrown himself into the lake.

The shock of their camp being set ablaze had sent the bandits into complete disarray. Some simply stared at the destruction, while others were violently sick from a combination of smoke and excess saké, and a desperate few were trying to douse the flames with buckets of water. The resulting mayhem covered Jack and Miyuki’s escape. They ran across the open ground, every excruciating step taking them closer to safety. Up ahead, the girl he’d saved was almost to the trees.

‘STOP THEM!’ roared Akuma, who stood enraged before the hellfire of his burning camp.

Jack and Miyuki kept running.

There was a crack of musket fire.

The bullet missed them.

But the girl fell.

‘NO!’ shouted Jack.

Arrow after arrow whistled past in the opposite direction as Hayato tried to hold back the bandits that Akuma had rallied.

Jack levelled with the girl and stopped to help her up. But she was already dead, a thin stream of blood running from her lips on to the crisp white snow.

‘We must keep going!’ said Miyuki, dragging Jack on.

The bandits were closing fast. Hayato picked off another three before Jack and Miyuki entered the treeline. Once within the woods, Hayato led them along the edge of the lake.

‘Neko and Sora have gone ahead with the girls and horses,’ he explained as they fled.

Behind them, they heard the angry shouts of the bandits. Limping as fast as he could, Jack’s only thoughts were of the poor girl who’d been shot so close to freedom. They entered the dogleg of the narrow gorge. As they turned the corner, Jack snatched a final glance back. The bandits’ camp was consumed in fire, the crimson flames reflected in the rippling waters of the lake like lava.

At least the girl’s death hadn’t been in vain.