The Ring of Earth - Chris Bradford [89]
Above, Jack glimpsed a flaming star as it shot through the night sky, rapidly followed by three more. Fire shuriken.
As they struck their target, small charges detonated, consuming the castle’s watchtower in flames. Kajiya and his tiny team gave the impression of a mass assault on Maruyama’s southern defences.
In the hellish orange glow of the blazing watchtower, Jack saw Miyuki cornered by Gemnan and another samurai. Gemnan now wielded a spear and Miyuki was battling to avoid its barbed tip as she simultaneously fought the two samurai. Jack shot a troubled glance at Tenzen, who’d just run out of throwing stars.
‘Go! I’ll be fine on my own,’ said Tenzen, snatching up a discarded samurai katana. ‘More than fine!’
Jack rushed to save Miyuki.
‘Slice her up for my pot!’ sneered Gemnan, driving Miyuki towards the samurai’s blade.
Jack leapt between them, forcing the samurai to retreat under the onslaught of his katana. Miyuki, deflecting Gemnan’s spear thrust, swiped with the jagged edge of her shikoro-ken at his head. But Gemnan was surprisingly deft with his weapon. Dodging her attack, he drove the forked tip into Miyuki’s shoulder. She screamed, thrown back into the wall.
Gemnan watched her struggle. ‘Does it hurt?’ he asked with a gleeful smile across his face.
As he went to thrust again, this time aiming for her heart, a chain whipped round his throat and he was yanked off his feet. Losing grip on the spear, he landed heavily on his back. Gagging, his face bright red, he managed to get his fingers round the chain and off his throat before Zenjubo could move in for the kill.
But Momochi was waiting for him.
The ninja, his rage entirely focused upon the torturer, seized Gemnan and lifted him high above his head. The man struggled futilely in his grip.
‘This is for my son!’ Momochi bawled, tossing the hated samurai into his own cauldron.
Gemnan, shrieking from the scalding water, flailed and writhed. His screams of pain pierced the shouts of combat, and the samurai Jack was fighting took one look at this horrific sight then fled from the courtyard.
Crawling out of the pot, Gemnan staggered around in maddened agony.
Miyuki was waiting for him now, wanting her revenge. ‘You murdered my father! My mother! My little brother!’ she cried, advancing on him.
Gemnan, seeing the bitter hatred in her eyes and the lethal Sword of Destruction in her hands, cowered from her. ‘Devil! Devil! Everywhere devils!’ he blurted, incoherent.
Stumbling in the darkness, Gemnan fell to the ground and gave a gut-wrenching moan. ‘HELLLLLP me …’
His whole body twitched twice then fell still, the sharpened barbs of bamboo thrusting like a dozen spears through his chest.
Miyuki, her sword limp in her hand, stared coldly at the man who’d destroyed her life. Her eyes showed no joy, no pity, not even relief at his death. But there was no satisfaction either. His suffering was over far too quickly, but Miyuki’s would remain with her for the rest of her life.
Jack, grabbing her arm, shook Miyuki out of her daze. ‘It’s time we got out of here,’ he said.
The battle for the courtyard was over, but the ninja knew reinforcements would be on their way. Despite losing two in the fight, with another three injured, the shinobi hadn’t lost hope.
‘Let’s go!’ ordered Shonin, leading his clan out, with Soke helped by Hanzo.
They hurried through the castle compounds, heading straight for the eastern side gate. Thanks to Kajiya’s efforts they met with little resistance, most of Akechi’s troops having rallied to the defence of the castle’s southern wall. Approaching the gate, another explosion ripped through the castle grounds. The five sentries stood awestruck, staring into the night at the raging flames.
‘Seal the gate!’ ordered Shonin as they marched purposefully towards them. ‘We’re under attack by