Sano parried while a tornado of blades churned around him. His counterattack merely slashed Nirin’s sleeve. He dodged a cut aimed at his head, then whirled just in time to deflect slices from two Deshima guards. Takeda and his retainers fought the other ten. Energy poured from Sano’s spiritual center, bringing with it a heightened awareness, an expanded vision. As he advanced and retreated, he saw Hirata chasing Liu Yun and the Dutchman. The abbot held a dagger in the hand he’d earlier kept hidden under his sleeve.

“Your partner killed my brother,” he screamed, tearing after deGraeff. He must have been waiting for the right moment to attack, and the raid had spurred him to action. “Now you’ll join Jan Spaen in death. Order will be restored to the universe—the I Ching does not lie. I shall have my revenge on you vile, mercenary Dutch at last!”

The terrified barbarian raced around the hall. Abbot Liu Yun shrieked curses in Chinese.

With a quick cut, Sano laid open a Deshima guard’s throat. The man fell dead beside another slain by Takeda. Sano leapt over the bodies and continued battling Nirin and three other guards. One of Takeda’s retainers cleaved a guard’s skull, slashed another’s chest, then took a fatal cut across the belly. The supreme judge fought expertly, but his garments hung in shreds, and cuts bled on his exposed legs. Sano felt his own strength diminishing, his reflexes slowing, and his sore shoulder leaking blood. He drew his short sword, fighting two-handed to parry strikes and reduce the stress on his injury.

Abbot Liu Yun cornered deGraeff against the altar, shrilling, “Die! Die!” and stabbing at deGraeff. The barbarian threw up his hands in self-defense. The dagger gashed his palms, then pierced his chest. DeGraeff screamed and fell. Hirata tried to pull Liu Yun away, but the abbot jumped on deGraeff and kept stabbing. Then deGraeff seized the dagger, and they grappled in a desperate struggle for its possession. Dutch and Chinese curses filled the hall.

Ducking a slash, Sano swung his blade in an arc and cut a guard’s legs out from under him. As he rose, he saw deGraeff win control of the weapon and turn it on Abbot Liu Yun. Now the Chinese man’s cries of agony drowned out the ring of blades. Two more guards replaced the fallen man. Sano took a cut to his thigh and stumbled. His opponents closed in for the kill.

Then a figure moved swiftly behind them. They both grunted; their faces went slack, and they fell forward. Blood poured from wounds across the backs of their necks. There stood Hirata, dripping sword raised.

“Liu Yun and the barbarian are killing each other,” he told Sano. “Get Iishino. I’ll handle this.”