Turning, he faced the three children – a girl, a boy and a gaijin! They stood their ground, raising their weapons as one. Unnerved by their daring, he shot one glance at his fallen comrade and fled.

‘How… did you do that?’ stammered Jack, astounded at Akiko’s lightning skills.

‘Japanese women don’t just wear kimonos, Jack,’ she replied, indignant at his incredulity.

Outside, they heard Taka-san shouting.

‘Quick! Taka-san needs our help,’ she said, hurrying to the door ahead of the two boys.

They raced out into the garden just in time to see Dragon Eye run Taka-san through with his sword. All three of them screamed at the top of their lungs and charged Dragon Eye as one.

Dragon Eye stepped away from Taka-san’s body, pulling his sword out, and turned to confront them. Taka-san crumpled to the ground, clutching his bleeding stomach and hacking up blood. Jack, Akiko and Yamato formed a protective ring round their wounded friend.

‘Young samurai! How novel!’ laughed Dragon Eye, amused at the absurd sight of three children wielding weapons.

‘Not too young to die, though,’ he added with sinister malevolence.

The two other ninja emerged out of the darkness, weapons at the ready. Jack noted that one of them cradled a broken wrist to his chest. Clearly didn’t hit him hard enough, thought Jack bitterly.

‘Rutter,’ hissed Dragon Eye, his solitary green eye flaring at Jack. ‘Where is it?’

21: NITEN ICHI RYŪ

21

NITEN ICHI RYŪ

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ said Jack, thinking on his feet.

Akiko and Yamato exchanged puzzled glances. Was Jack the reason for the attack?

‘Liar!’ countered Dragon Eye. ‘We wouldn’t be here unless they knew you had it.’

Suddenly there was a high whistling in the air and the soft sound of a fleshy impact. The ninja with the broken wrist fell face down on the snowy ground, an arrow quivering in his back.

‘Masamoto!’ spat Dragon Eye.

Masamoto, swords drawn, charged into the garden flanked by four samurai. Three more samurai thundered across the veranda, stringing fresh arrows on to their bows.

‘Another time, gaijin,’ promised Dragon Eye, before fleeing with the remaining ninja over the bridge.

Yamato dragged Akiko and Jack to the ground as arrows shot overhead. The first arrow caught the trailing ninja in the leg. The second pierced his throat. The third was targeted on Dragon Eye, who leapt cat-like into the cherry blossom tree, the arrow flying beneath him and embedding itself in the trunk. Dragon Eye swung from the lower branch, dislodging a thick curtain of snow, and deftly flipped himself over the wall, before escaping into the night.

‘By Akuma! Who was that?’ demanded Masamoto as he levelled with them.

‘Dragon Eye,’ said Jack, getting back to his feet.