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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.

35

YOSHIOKA RYŪ

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.