‘Rei!’ said the official, the two of them bowed and the incense was lit. ‘Hajime!’

Yamato didn’t move.

Saburo hesitated slightly, then struck with a clean front kick followed by a solid reverse punch.

Yamato coolly evaded the kick, blocking Saburo’s punch with his forearm. Then in one lightning movement, he spun into Saburo and threw him with a devastating seoinage, shoulder throw. Saburo sailed through the air and landed hard on the wooden floor of the Butokuden.

‘Ippon!’ shouted the official over the exultant cheers. ‘Round two goes to Yagyu Ryu!’

The incense had barely begun to smoulder and the match was over.

37: THE JADE SWORD

37

THE JADE SWORD

Jack stared deep into Yamato’s eyes, hunting for his first move.

‘Most battles are won before the sword is drawn,’ Sensei Hosokawa had told Jack during one of their kenjutsu sessions. ‘Defeat your enemy’s mind, you defeat their sword.’

Akiko had won her bokken match against Moriko, exacting a sweet revenge with a three-nothing victory. Moriko’s sneaky tactics in taijutsu had incensed Akiko and she had fought without mercy.

Saburo, on the other hand, having lost so much confidence following his fight with Yamato, was beaten by Raiden two–one. The Taryu-Jiai now hung in the balance; either school could win.

Everything came down to Jack and Yamato.

Jack still couldn’t believe Yamato was fighting against his father’s own school, but the dark thunderous look in Yamato’s eyes made it clear that his fight was with Jack. And Jack alone.

‘Best out of three?’ teased Jack, throwing down their old gauntlet.

Jack knew how Yamato thought and fought. He had been taught by him, practised with him, been beaten by him. This time, Jack vowed it would be Yamato’s turn to lose.

Yamato snorted his disdain and without replying brought his kissaki in line with Jack’s.

‘Hajime!’ announced the official.

Yamato struck with the speed of a cobra. His bokken glanced off Jack’s own weapon and hurtled towards Jack’s head.

Jack ducked under the blow, sweeping round to bring his own bokken across Yamato’s gut. Yamato quickly countered and blocked his strike. Jack immediately pressed forward with another attack, but Yamato predicted it and neatly side-stepped, bringing his own weapon down on to Jack’s leading sword arm.

‘YAME!’ called the official as the crowd applauded. ‘Point to Yagyu!’

‘I could see you thinking the move before you made it,’ laughed Yamato. ‘You haven’t changed, Jack.’

‘But you have,’ replied Jack. ‘You’ve lost face.’

Yamato fumed at the insult and even before the official had started the next round, he launched his attack. It was exactly the reaction Jack had hoped for. Yamato still couldn’t control his temper, and when unsettled by his emotions, Jack knew he would make fundamental errors of judgement.