Young Samurai _ The Way Of The Dragon - Chris Bradford [64]
Jack ducked as a hook punch came out of nowhere. Retaliating with an elbow strike to the stomach, he winded his attacker. Then, reaching up, he grabbed the other’s arm and executed a seoi nage. The shoulder throw brought his opponent crashing to the ground.
She cried out as all the breath was knocked from her.
‘Sorry,’ said Jack, realizing he’d just floored Cho, one of Emi’s best friends. Then again, she had just tried to knock his head off.
Jack spotted Akiko on the other side of the dojo, effortlessly dispatching all challengers. She whirled through the air, executing a spinning back kick that sent Renzo, one of the toughest young samurai in their class, flying into a pillar. Suddenly Jack sensed someone behind him. He spun round to be confronted by Yori. He looked terrified.
‘Don’t worry,’ said Jack, dropping his guard. ‘I won’t fight you.’
‘Please throw me,’ pleaded Yori, glancing fearfully in the direction of Kazuki and his gang. ‘At least I know you won’t hurt me.’
The four of them were cutting a swathe through their opponents and they weren’t holding back. Using his bulk to his advantage, Nobu would grab a student, then Kazuki and Hiroto beat him to the floor while Goro covered their backs.
Jack understood. He picked Yori up round the waist, performing an o-goshi, and gently hip-threw his little friend to the ground.
‘Thank you,’ whispered Yori, pretending to be winded so that Sensei Kyuzo wouldn’t suspect he’d evaded the test.
Jack winked at his friend and prepared for his next challenger. Beside him, Yamato was locked in combat with Emi’s other best friend, Kai. As soon as she saw Jack, Kai disengaged from Yamato and attacked him instead.
She came in with a blistering combination of kicks. A front kick followed by a roundhouse, then a back kick, finished off with a brutal side-kick to the ribs. Jack rapidly retreated under the onslaught. But, as Kai went for a spinning hook kick to his head, Jack dropped low to the floor. Mirroring her turn, he executed a spinning ankle sweep and Kai went crashing to the ground.
‘Kai really had it in for you!’ said Yamato, his mouth open in astonishment at her vicious attack. ‘What did you do to upset her?’
‘I don’t know,’ gasped Jack, ‘but we have to stick together. Otherwise, Kazuki’s gang will win.’
On the other side of the dojo Kazuki, Hiroto and Goro were battling their way towards Akiko. They had just taken out Saburo and Kiku. Bypassing the other students, Jack and Yamato ran over to even up the fight. As they approached, Jack spotted Nobu targeting Takuan. Nobu had noticed the new boy was out of his depth and was about to seize him from behind. Jack owed it to Takuan to save him, in return for all his horseriding lessons.
‘Watch out!’ he shouted, charging past Takuan and front-kicking Nobu in the gut.
Nobu staggered away, though he remained on his feet.
‘Thanks,’ said Takuan, both of them now unsure whether they should fight one another or not.
But they didn’t have time to ponder the issue. Jack, having been distracted with his rescue of Takuan, was immediately attacked from the rear.
The punch to the kidneys almost dropped Jack there and then, but somehow he managed to keep his feet. Stumbling round, he threw up his guard, but a lightning kick blasted through his defences and caught him full in the face. Knocked senseless, Jack fell on his backside. Whoever had attacked him hadn’t held back.
‘That’s for using me to get inside my father’s castle!’ exclaimed Emi.
‘I… I said I was sorry,’ stammered Jack.
He sat there stunned, the shame of his past attempt to protect the rutter once again coming back to haunt him. No wonder Cho and Kai had been so keen to fight him. The daimyo’s daughter held a serious grudge, though. The incident had been over a year ago.
‘And I thought you liked me,’ she said in a harsh whisper.
Emi then noticed Takuan and threw him a coy smile. Takuan was so captivated by her that he was totally