The Way Of The Dragon (25 page)

‘It’s time we rejoined the fight.’

In the far corner of the courtyard, Takuan and Emi were surrounded by enemy samurai. Takuan, weakened by his injury, could hardly lift the sword he’d found. Akiko immediately let loose a
jindou
, knocking his attacker to the ground.

Yamato, staff twirling, hurried to their aid. Akiko was right behind him, stringing her bow as she ran. Jack was about to follow when he noticed Moriko getting to her feet. She swayed unsteadily as she nocked an arrow.

Jack ran to stop her, but he knew he’d never make it in time.

‘Die!’ shrieked Moriko, targeting Akiko in the back.

The Hall of the Hawk finally surrendered to the flames. The roof fell in and the wooden superstructure disintegrated with a resounding
crack
.

Moriko had little chance.

The building suddenly collapsed sideways, consuming her in an avalanche of fire, blazing wood and scalding ash. Jack saw her pale face stricken with fear as her hair burst into flame, her blackened mouth opening in an unheard scream. Then she disappeared beneath the smoking ruins, her bow and arrow still in her hands.

Beyond the remains, Kazuki stared in anguish at where Moriko had fallen. Through the haze of smoke and fire, Kazuki locked eyes with Jack. His face consumed with hate, Kazuki stormed off in the direction of the
Butokuden
.

Jack would not let him get away this time. Leaving Yori and Kiku tending to Saburo, he skirted the remains of the hall, evading several ongoing fights as he made for the
Butokuden
‘s back entrance.

Peering in, he found the
dojo
eerily deserted. The light from the fires chased shadows round the pillared hall and the noise of battle echoed in the high-vaulted ceiling like the spirits of warriors past.

Kazuki was in the ceremonial alcove. He was splashing lamp oil over the walls, clearly intent on burning the whole school to the ground.

Drawing both his swords, Jack crept inside. Carefully stepping over a couple of weapons discarded by students in their haste to arm themselves from the Weapons Wall, he crossed the
dojo
floor and approached Kazuki from behind.

Now was his chance to make Kazuki pay for all the bullying and harassment he’d suffered these past three years. In just a few more steps, he could run his rival through with his sword.

But his hand was stayed by the memory of Masamoto’s words of welcome that first day at the
Niten Ichi Ryū.

The Way of the Warrior means living by the samurai code of honour – bushido – at all times. I demand courage and rectitude in all your endeavours.

Jack realized the right thing to do here was
not
to kill Kazuki out of any sense of personal revenge. That was wrong. Jack had to bring this traitor to justice. Masamoto would want to deal with him personally.

‘Surrender, Kazuki,’ said Jack, placing the tip of his
katana
to Kazuki’s back.

Kazuki slowly turned round and raised his hands above his head.

Jack hadn’t expected Kazuki to give in without a fight.

A devious grin spread across his rival’s face.

Out of nowhere, a chain flicked through the air and wrapped itself round Jack’s neck. He was yanked backwards off his feet, both swords flying out of his hands. Hidden behind a pillar, Hiroto held the other end of the
manriki-gusari
. He began to drag Jack across the
dojo
floor.

‘Come on, good little
gaijin
dog!’ he squealed.

Choking on the chain, Jack tried to force his fingers between it and his throat. He managed to get some slack and rolled on to his knees. But Hiroto wrenched the chain again, throwing him face first to the floor.

Dragging him in the direction of a low beam, Jack realized Hiroto intended to hang him. Struggling harder, Jack clutched desperately at the polished wooden blocks of the
dojo
floor, but it was futile.

Then his hand came across a discarded
tantō
knife. He snatched it up. At least he would die fighting.

Moments later, he heard the clunk of the
manriki-gusari
being flung over the beam. All of a sudden, his head was yanked upwards. Jack gagged and had to stand on his toes to relieve the pressure. Hiroto, bracing himself against a pillar, hauled Jack off his feet.

Jack could no longer touch the floor. He hung there, his legs kicking spasmodically as Hiroto laughed at his torment. The boy’s grinning face faded in and out of focus, Jack on the verge of blacking out. In a last-ditch effort, he threw the knife at Hiroto. The
tantō
struck Hiroto in the stomach.

Screaming, Hiroto let go of the
manriki-gusari
. The chain came loose and Jack hit the ground at the same time as Hiroto. Jack heaved air into his oxygen-starved lungs. Hiroto didn’t stop screaming, horror-struck at the blood gushing forth from his wound.

Jack crawled away, knowing he had to reach his swords before Kazuki saw what had happened and attacked him. He could hear the lumbering thud of footsteps getting closer. Only at the last second did Jack catch a glimpse of the iron-studded club. It came hurtling towards his head. He rolled to one side and the
dojo
floor exploded, splinters flying everywhere.

Standing over him, Nobu raised the
kanabō
again.

‘I’m going to squash you,
gaijin
!’ he growled.

Jack scrambled away as the club came crashing down a fraction behind him. He desperately needed a weapon, but the only thing close to hand was a discarded
tessen
. Picking up the iron fan, Jack stood to face his attacker.

Nobu looked at Jack’s tiny weapon and then at his own massive club.

‘What are you going to do? Fan me to death?’ he said, giving a great belly laugh.

As he lifted the club for another strike, Jack flicked the fan shut and drove its reinforced spine into Nobu’s gut. Winded, Nobu dropped the
kanabō
. It crashed to the ground. With lightning speed, Jack struck a second time, catching Nobu across the temple. The boy flopped to the floor, groaning and unable to stand.

Jack stepped away, breathing hard. His throat throbbed, his head pounded and his body ached from all the bruises.

But the fight was far from over.

Only
zanshin
saved Jack’s life.

Sensing an attack from behind, Jack ducked. The
katana
blade whistled through the air, barely missing his head. Kazuki swore in frustration and followed up with his
wakizashi
. With no time to evade the short sword, Jack turned on the spot, blocking the thrust to his stomach with the iron spine of the
tessen
. He deflected the strike, but lost his grip on the fan and it went clattering to the floor.

Kazuki came at Jack again. Jack dived out of the way, rolling across the
dojo
. Without a weapon, he had little hope of defending himself against two swords. He could see his own
katana
and
wakizashi
lying tantalizingly on the far side of Kazuki, but every time he tried to run for them his rival blocked the way.

Jack feigned a desperate rush for his swords. Kazuki jumped in his path. At the last second Jack switched directions, sprinting for the Weapons Wall instead. He seized the only remaining
katana
. Jack didn’t even have time to unsheath the sword before Kazuki’s blade cut at his neck.

Jack blocked the strike, the
saya
of his
katana
shattering on impact. Shaking off the remains of the scabbard, he hurriedly retreated and raised his weapon. The sword didn’t compare to Masamoto’s. It was heavy, unbalanced, its blade chipped and the handle worn smooth from constant training practice.

Kazuki noticed the uncertainty in Jack’s stance and attacked. A whirlwind of blades sliced through the air. Jack tried to defend himself, but his second-rate weapon put him at a disadvantage. He deflected a thrust to the stomach and countered with a strike to the neck, but Kazuki easily evaded the blade. Stepping off to one side, he smashed his sword on top of Jack’s, snapping off the tip of the battleworn blade. Jack stared at his broken weapon in shock.

Kazuki drove forward, shoulder-barging Jack into a nearby pillar. Jack crumpled against it as Kazuki’s
katana
came round in a great arc to cut him in half. In desperation, Jack swung his own sword across and the two weapons clashed and locked. Jack tried to disengage, but as he pulled away Kazuki executed a perfect Autumn Leaf strike, disarming Jack of his
katana
.

‘Defeated yet again!’ gloated Kazuki, placing the sword’s
kissaki
to Jack’s neck. ‘On your knees,
gaijin
!’

With no alternative, Jack did as he was told. It appeared that Kazuki was going to force him to commit
seppuku
. The thought terrified him. How could anyone slit open their
own
stomach?

Kazuki looked over at Hiroto, still screaming in the corner.

‘Will you be quiet! You’re not dying. It’s only blood.’ Kazuki shook his head in irritation. ‘Nobu, over here.’

Nobu sat up, rubbing his head. When he saw Jack on his knees, defeated with Kazuki’s blade to his throat, his face lit up with glee.

Kazuki studied Jack a moment, seeming to be in two minds whether to kill him or not.

‘You’re not samurai.
Gaijin
don’t deserve to die
honourably
by the sword,’ he sneered, drawing the blade away and flicking the
kissaki
across Jack’s right cheek. Jack grimaced as a thin line of blood oozed to the surface. ‘That should even up your scars, for a start.’

Nobu lumbered over, the
kanabō
on his shoulder, and awaited Kazuki’s command.

Sheathing his swords, Kazuki grabbed Jack by the throat.

‘You killed Moriko!’ he said, a tremor seizing his voice. ‘You
will
suffer for it.’

‘I didn’t -‘ protested Jack, but Kazuki cut him off.

‘Nobu, break his legs. We don’t want him getting away this time. I want the
gaijin
to burn, just as she did.’

Nobu obediently raised the
kanabō
to shatter Jack’s ankles.

‘Stop!’ said a timid voice from the doorway.

Yori ran in, his sword drawn.

‘If you hurt Jack, I’ll kill Kazuki,’ he threatened, pointing his sword at Kazuki’s heart. Despite the courage of his words, Yori’s sword arm trembled.

‘Nobu, do what he says,’ said Kazuki, bowing his head in defeat.

Nobu, his podgy face wrinkling in bemusement, was about to lower his club when Kazuki struck. With lightning speed, he withdrew his
katana
and knocked Yori’s sword to the ground.

‘Yet again, your little bodyguard fails you,
gaijin
,’ sneered Kazuki, poking Yori in the chest with his finger. ‘Go on, Yori, run away like you always do.’

Yori stood there, his lip trembling. He sobbed in great gulps of air and looked like he was about to cry.

Kazuki walked away, laughing coldly. ‘Nobu, after you snap the
gaijin
‘s legs, crush the mouse.’

Grinning, Nobu raised the
kanabō
above his head.

All of a sudden, an ear-splitting
kiai
filled the
Butokuden
.

‘
YAH!
’

Nobu staggered backwards, a confused expression on his face. All his strength evaporated and he dropped the
kanabō
on his head. Lurching like a Daruma Doll, he crumpled to the floor again, this time unconscious.

Kazuki spun round, his eyes wide with shock. Drawing his swords, he charged at his enemy.

‘
YAH!
’

Kazuki stopped in his tracks. He tried to lift his
katana
again.

‘
YAH!
’

Kazuki dropped to his knees, his face ashen, groaning as if a spear had been thrust through his body.

‘No more! You’ll kill him,’ shouted Jack.

Yori, his lungs full for another attack, slowly released his breath. Jack got to his feet and retrieved his swords.

‘Are you all right?’ he asked, seeing Yori shuddering.

Yori blinked, as if awoken from a trance, and nodded weakly. In a tiny voice he replied, ‘I couldn’t fail you again.’

‘And you didn’t,’ said Jack, putting his arm round Yori. ‘I guess Sensei Yamada was right, even the smallest breeze can make ripples on the largest ocean.’

Jack indicated the immense Nobu out cold on the floor and they both laughed from a combination of exhaustion and relief. But they stopped when they noticed Kazuki had managed to stagger to the doorway.

Leaving Hiroto still groaning in the corner and Nobu unconscious, Yori and Jack hurried after Kazuki. By the time they reached the door, the traitor had disappeared among the chaos of battle.

A huge cry sounded as a fresh wave of young samurai poured in through the
Niten Ichi Ryū
gates.

At the head of the column was Yoshioka.

Masamoto rallied his students together in front of the Southern Zen Garden, each group led by a sensei. Jack and Yori ran over and joined the ranks to face their new enemy from the
Yoshioka Ryū
. Tired, battleworn and vastly outnumbered, Jack realized there was little hope for them now.

‘We’ll fight to the last samurai standing!’ shouted Sensei Kyuzo, raising his
katana
.

The
Niten Ichi Ryū
bellowed in response, firing up their courage for the final assault.

The
Yagyu Ryū,
confident of victory, roared back. But the students of the
Yoshioka Ryū
didn’t join in the battle cry. Instead, they unsheathed their swords and attacked the students and sensei of the
Yagyu Ryū
.

Suddenly the invaders were on the defensive and being driven back. The tide of battle had turned.

Their advantage lost, the
Yagyu Ryū
beat a hasty retreat.

The
Niten Ichi Ryū
cheered their unexpected allies and joined in routing the enemy. Soon the courtyard was cleared and the gates closed against further attacks.