Coughing and eyes watering, Jack barely had time to register the mayhem of the sea battle before a samurai rushed at him with a sword. The blade cut down to his left. Jack blocked the attack with his katana. The samurai struck again. This time, Jack executed an Autumn Leaf strike. The technique was rushed, but it was enough to disarm his attacker and the sword clattered to the iron deck.

In desperation, the weaponless samurai threw himself at Jack. They both crashed backwards. The impact knocked the breath out of Jack and his katana slipped from his grasp. Pinned beneath the samurai, Jack felt the man’s fingers wrap round his throat. Wrestling to free himself, Jack used his forearm to attack the inside of the samurai’s left elbow, while simultaneously palm-striking him in the jaw. The double-assault broke the samurai’s balance and he collapsed sideways. Jack fought his way on top.

But the samurai offered no resistance. He’d gone limp in Jack’s grip.

It wasn’t until the blood ran in rivulets down the curving iron roof that Jack realized why. He’d been fortunate enough to land on the walkway, while the samurai had rolled on to the spikes. With great care, Jack got to his feet and stepped away from the impaled samurai, whose face was fixed in a contortion of agony.

Jack retrieved his katana and was considering his next move, when Dragon Eye rose out of the hatch.

‘Don’t make me kill you, gaijin. Surrender!’

Jack raised his sword in reply.

‘So be it,’ hissed the ninja, flicking the blood from Black Cloud’s blade.

Tightening his grip on the katana, Jack braced himself for a fight to the death. Their last encounter had been an epic struggle. It had taken all his courage, every ounce of strength and mastery of the Two Heavens just to survive. Even then, he’d needed his friends Akiko and Yamato to ultimately defeat Dragon Eye. Yet still they had not been able to kill the ninja.

This time, Jack had only a single sword. And he was alone.

Jack tried to push his doubts aside. They would just get him killed. His swordmaster Sensei Hosokawa had taught him that he must ‘stare death in the face and react without hesitation. No fear. No confusion. No doubt.’ He repeated the mantra in his head, clearing his mind into a warrior’s state of mushin: ‘Expect nothing. Be ready for anything.’

Dragon Eye advanced, squatting low like a crab to counter the pitch and roll of the ship. He held Black Cloud aloft in his right hand, the blade poised like the stinger of a scorpion.

Jack mirrored his stance, but gripped his katana in two hands above his head, the blade’s tip pointed directly at the ninja’s face.