The Ring of Water - Chris Bradford [82]
Jack ran to her aid, thrusting his sword between them and halting the lethal attack. The two young samurai glared at each other, their rivalry as fierce as ever.
The pounding of feet across the boardwalk announced the rapid advance of the Scorpion Gang.
‘I will have my revenge, gaijin,’ snarled Kazuki.
‘No, you won’t!’ cried Hana, whipping him across the gut with her bokken.
Kazuki doubled over. But before she or Jack could finish him, the Scorpion Gang was on them. Driven into retreat, Jack battled to keep them at bay. Although he didn’t have the strength in his left arm to wield two swords, his skill with a single katana meant he was no easy kill.
Hiroto came in first. ‘I’m going to stick you like a pig,’ he squealed in his cruel high-pitched tone. ‘Just like you did me.’
Jack remembered throwing a knife at the boy in a last-ditch effort to stop Hiroto from hanging him during the attack on the Niten Ichi Ryū. The blade had pierced Hiroto’s stomach and the boy had let go of the noose. Jack’s mercy in allowing Hiroto to live might now be his undoing.
Meanwhile, Hana was confronted by one of Kazuki’s hulking cousins, Toru.
‘You hurt Kazuki,’ he grunted. ‘I hurt you.’
Toru didn’t use a sword; instead he favoured a kanabō, an immense iron-studded club. He swung it at Hana. Squealing, she ducked and was forced to leap out of the way as the club came smashing down a second time. It ploughed into the floor, cracking the wooden deck and sending splinters flying. Hana valiantly tried to block the follow-up blow with her bokken, but the force of the strike knocked her to the ground.
Seeing the danger she was in, Jack feigned a wide attack on Hiroto. The boy went to block it and Jack kicked him hard in the stomach, targeting his old injury. Hiroto crumpled, wheezing for breath. As Toru moved to crush Hana with the club, Jack charged at him, his head down in Demon Horn Fist, screaming at the top of his voice, ‘KIAAAIIIII!’
Startled, Toru turned to pummel Jack instead. He raised his club just as Jack collided into him. It was like hitting a brick wall. But the impact was enough to knock Toru off-balance. He staggered against the bridge’s handrail. It gave way and, pulled backwards by the weight of his kanabō, Toru toppled over the rail into the foaming waters of the Kizu River.
Enraged at their loss, the rest of the Scorpion Gang rushed Jack and Hana as one. Pulling Hana to her feet, Jack fled with her in the opposite direction.
The doōshin officer ordered his men to march on to the bridge, sasumata primed to meet them.
Trapped in the middle, Jack realized there was no escape.
‘I won’t let them take you,’ said Jack, his sword held protectively across her.
‘And I won’t let them kill you either,’ replied Hana, her bokken trembling in her hand.
Standing back to back, Jack and Hana faced their fate.
52
HONOUR AND SACRFICE
‘The gaijin’s head is mine!’ shouted Kazuki, pushing through the ranks.
The Scorpion Gang immediately stepped back to allow the declared duel to take place. Kazuki and Jack had fought many times before, both in training and for real. Their sword skills were well matched and no decisive victor had yet emerged. But that was before Kazuki’s right hand had been maimed by Akiko’s arrow and Jack’s left arm injured by Botan.
As Jack prepared for their final showdown, Hana was seized by a dōshin.
‘You’re the thief who stole my wife’s fan!’ he snarled.
Swinging her bokken, Hana managed to crack the man across the shin, forcing him to let go. Other dōshin rushed in, pinning her to the ground with sasumata. The officer stepped forward to skewer her with his sword.
Jack leapt to stop him, but Kazuki intervened first.
‘Don’t kill her yet!’ he ordered. ‘She has vital information.’
The officer reluctantly