The Ring Of Earth Part 22

'But why now?' asked Miyuki. 'When we're in harvest?'

'That's exactly why. Our guard is down. We're tired. Akechi's been waiting for this moment.'

A battalion of armoured samurai materialized from the forest to stand upon the ridge in one unbroken line. Raising their swords aloft, the countless blades catching the blazing sun, they gave an almighty battle cry. It echoed through the valley.

This was answered by another.

Jack was almost stopped in his tracks at the sight of a second battalion marching up the valley road, the column stretching into the distance like an immense dragon's tail.

'They certainly haven't come to negotiate a surrender,' said Tenzen. 'This'll be a fight to the death. Gather your weapons. My father will need us all in the village square.'

Splitting from the others, Jack ran to Soke's farmhouse. The first wave of troops had already begun to descend the slopes. But the Ring of Earth was proving an effective defence. The steep valley sides and lack of paths hampered their advance. Some samurai were even falling over themselves, their armour hindering them.

Jack flung open the door to the doma doma. In the hearth room, Soke had raised a section of the floorboards, beneath which Jack could see a whole host of hidden weapons swords, knives, shuriken, shuko shuriken, shuko claws, chains, and even a small bow and quiver of arrows. The entire time Jack had been living in the house, he'd had no idea this compartment existed. The shock on his face must have been apparent. claws, chains, and even a small bow and quiver of arrows. The entire time Jack had been living in the house, he'd had no idea this compartment existed. The shock on his face must have been apparent.

'Although I hope for the best,' said Soke, fis.h.i.+ng out a large katana katana, 'I've always prepared for the worst.'

He offered the weapon to Jack, unsheathing the blade to reveal a jagged, saw-like edge. 'It's a s.h.i.+koro-ken s.h.i.+koro-ken,' he explained. 'A Sword of Destruction.'

Jack tried not to imagine the damage such a weapon could do.

'Thank you,' he replied, handing it back, 'but I'd prefer my own swords.'

Soke nodded. 'Better the devil you know.' He put the s.h.i.+koro-ken s.h.i.+koro-ken together with the other weapons he was collecting. together with the other weapons he was collecting.

Hanzo appeared, a bag in his hand, and began to stuff as many shuriken shuriken as he could into it. He glanced up at Jack with fearful yet determined eyes. as he could into it. He glanced up at Jack with fearful yet determined eyes.

'Are they in the village?' he asked.

'Not yet,' replied Jack, hoping his voice didn't give away the dread he felt.

He squeezed the boy's shoulder rea.s.suringly and hurried past into the bedroom. Grabbing his katana katana and and wakizas.h.i.+ wakizas.h.i.+, Jack slipped them firmly into the obi obi of his farming trousers. Even though he wasn't dressed for combat, with his swords he felt ready to confront the samurai. of his farming trousers. Even though he wasn't dressed for combat, with his swords he felt ready to confront the samurai.

His pack was stashed in the corner. All his possessions and, most importantly, the rutter rutter. He couldn't leave that behind. s.n.a.t.c.hing up the bag, he ran back into the hearth room. Soke and Hanzo were waiting for him at the doma doma entrance. entrance.

'Hurry!' urged the Grandmaster.

As Jack pa.s.sed the hidden compartment, an idea struck him. However important the contents, his pack would compromise his fighting ability. He dropped it into the hole and slammed the floorboards shut. At least the rutter rutter would be safe until he returned ... if he ever did. would be safe until he returned ... if he ever did.

Jack joined Soke and Hanzo in the yard. The first line of samurai had reached the village boundary, weaving along the network of pathways, while some struggled through the flooding paddy fields. A vanguard of ninja rushed to meet them, hoping to give the other villagers time to marshal in the square.

Soke handed Jack a bundle of weapons.

'Let's go,' he ordered, moving with astonis.h.i.+ng agility.

They sprinted along the path and on to the road. Other ninja joined them in their dash to the relative safety of the square. Ahead, Jack saw the second samurai battalion approaching. Only three men wide, due to the deliberately narrow road, the column was having to fight every step of the way as a small party of ninja battled to hold them back. But it would be touch and go whether Hanzo, Soke and Jack made it to the square's gate before the samurai did.

Suddenly the column surged forward as the ninja fell beneath the blades of the samurai. It was now an all-out race to reach the wooden gate. Putting on a burst of speed, Jack sprinted up the rise with Soke and Hanzo. Behind them, the pounding of feet and shouts of the samurai pursued them. Risking a glance back, Jack saw a warrior, his sword raised in one hand, about to cut him down.

Then a flash of silver shot past Jack and struck the samurai in the throat. He let out a guttural cry, stumbled and fell, blood gus.h.i.+ng from his mouth. Tenzen, standing by the gate, launched another shuriken shuriken to take out the next samurai in line. Jack shot through the entrance, one of the last before the gate was slammed shut and barred. to take out the next samurai in line. Jack shot through the entrance, one of the last before the gate was slammed shut and barred.

The samurai troops began to hammer against the barrier. For the time being it held, but Jack knew they were on borrowed time.

'Thanks for saving me back there,' he gasped as Tenzen helped bolster the gate with wooden staves.

'You'd have done the same for me,' Tenzen replied, then in jest added, 'If you could hit a moving target, that is!'

'Distribute the weapons, Jack,' instructed Soke, before going to report to Shonin.

Handing out the few weapons he had, Jack was disheartened to see that barely half the villagers had made it. But he was glad to see Miyuki among the survivors.

'Here,' said Jack, offering her the s.h.i.+koro-ken s.h.i.+koro-ken. 'It's the ideal weapon for you.'

Miyuki took it, smiling grimly when she drew the blade. 'Thanks, but we'll need more than a Sword of Destruction to get out of this alive.'

'I've been in worse situations,' said Jack, thinking of the Battle of Osaka and his encounter with the Red Devils.

'Are you so sure?' she replied, looking out across the paddy fields not with despair, but resignation.

The fields swarmed with samurai, the rice crops the villagers had been working so hard to harvest now trampled underfoot. Any pockets of resistance were being swiftly crushed. From all directions, daimyo daimyo Akechi's forces closed in upon the central square. At a guess, the ninja were outnumbered ten to one. With such a force, Jack realized Akechi's forces closed in upon the central square. At a guess, the ninja were outnumbered ten to one. With such a force, Jack realized daimyo daimyo Akechi intended to wipe out the entire village, just as he'd vowed to. Akechi intended to wipe out the entire village, just as he'd vowed to.

Jack never imagined he'd find himself on the side of the ninja, fighting against samurai. Perhaps this is one battle I won't survive Perhaps this is one battle I won't survive, he thought.

As the samurai gathered for their main a.s.sault on the square, Jack spotted the daimyo daimyo Akechi on his horse. Dressed in full ceremonial armour, he looked like the warrior in his painting except he was safely at the rear, letting his troops take the fight to the ninja. Akechi on his horse. Dressed in full ceremonial armour, he looked like the warrior in his painting except he was safely at the rear, letting his troops take the fight to the ninja.

Inside the square, Shonin was rallying everyone together. The heads of family were taking up their stations to defend the four corners. Mothers with their children were being shepherded inside the farmhouse by Momochi.

Jack looked down at Hanzo, who stood by his side, silent yet resolute. 'You should go too,' he said, hoping against hope that the women and children might be spared.

Hanzo shook his head. 'I'm not scared,' he said, drawing a short sword from his hip. 'This is what I've trained for.' is what I've trained for.'

Jack couldn't help but smile. The boy had the heart of a ninja and the samurai courage to match.

But as Jack prepared to face their enemy, he was terrified the so-called tuition he'd given Hanzo wouldn't be enough to repel the attack of a fully armed warrior. He could only pray he was wrong.

44.

THE V VILLAGE S SQUARE.

To Jack's surprise and relief, the samurai's initial offensive was repelled. The village square, built as it was upon a bank and with one side buffered by the pond, was proving to be an effective stronghold. Ninja armed with bows shot arrows into the samurai horde, picking off those who attempted to scale the steep bank. Any warrior managing to do so was confronted by the impenetrable thorn hedge, while samurai reaching the inner fence found themselves skewered by spears and naginata naginata.

The supreme confidence of Akechi's troops was then dealt another blow.

Jack was helping defend the eastern corner, when Hanzo called out, 'Look! They're fighting among themselves.'

Jack was stunned to see he was right. A company of samurai was in utter disarray, blood flowing as they slaughtered one another for no apparent reason.

Tenzen laughed, though his eyes betrayed a deeper sorrow.

'That will be my uncle, Is.h.i.+be, and his men,' he said with pride. 'They've been hiding out in the storehouse, disguised in samurai armour.'

Jack now understood. A Ring of Wind tactic. A ninja's presence should be like the wind always felt but never seen. A ninja's presence should be like the wind always felt but never seen. It was a suicide mission. By infiltrating and killing the samurai from within their own ranks, Is.h.i.+be and his men had turned the samurai upon themselves. Not knowing who was friend or foe, each soldier now fought for his own life. It was a suicide mission. By infiltrating and killing the samurai from within their own ranks, Is.h.i.+be and his men had turned the samurai upon themselves. Not knowing who was friend or foe, each soldier now fought for his own life.

Chaos reigned and it sent ripples of mistrust among the other companies. But the commanders rallied their troops and enforced order upon them. The infighting petered out, the imposters exposed. Only one remained alive. He was dragged to the front of the column for all to see.

'Is.h.i.+be,' breathed Tenzen.

A samurai soldier forced the ninja to his knees. Then the commanding officer approached, withdrew his katana katana and cut off Is.h.i.+be's head. and cut off Is.h.i.+be's head.

'NO!' cried Tenzen.

Jack grabbed hold of Tenzen's arm, fearing his friend was about to leap the fence to wreak revenge.

The officer picked up Is.h.i.+be's severed head by the hair and held it aloft. Pointing his sword at the villagers in the square, he shouted, 'THIS IS THE FATE OF ALL NINJA!'

'And yours too!' screamed Tenzen as his shuriken shuriken struck the commander in the face a second later. struck the commander in the face a second later.

Blood gus.h.i.+ng from his eyesocket, the commander bawled, 'ATTACK! ATTACK!'

The samurai, rattling their swords, gave a deafening battle cry, and in one unstoppable wave stormed the barricades. The wooden gate disintegrated under the force of the a.s.sault. As the troops poured into the square, Jack now withdrew both both his swords. If there was ever a time he needed the Two Heavens, this was it. his swords. If there was ever a time he needed the Two Heavens, this was it.

'Stay by my side,' Jack told Hanzo.

'Are we going to die, tengu tengu?' he asked, his voice wavering.

Jack didn't want to lie to Hanzo, but neither did he want him to give up hope. 'Tengu can't die, remember!' can't die, remember!'

Hanzo looked up at Jack, his tender years all too visible in his terrified face. 'But I'm not a tengu tengu.'

'Well, I am. And I'm going to protect you with my life.'

The first samurai through the gate were slain immediately. But for every one killed, two more appeared. The ninja were driven back. Reinforcements rushed to their aid. Soke swung his cane and chain with devastating results. Despite his years, his lethal skills dealt death to any samurai who approached.

A group of soldiers broke through, charging towards Miyuki, Jack and Hanzo. Raising their swords, Jack and Miyuki prepared to defend themselves. But before the enemy had got within reach, five blades flicked through the air. They struck within the s.p.a.ce of a single breath.

Ikki goken.

The five samurai collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony.

Tenzen held out his hand to Hanzo. 'More!'

Hanzo hastily pa.s.sed him another five throwing stars from his bag.

The screaming samurai were put out of their misery by ninja with spears. But these kills were small victories in a battle the s.h.i.+n.o.bi s.h.i.+n.o.bi could only lose. It was immediately apparent to Jack that, forced to fight on samurai terms, the ninja were outskilled in the sword and outnumbered in men. Only their sheer bravery and determination held back the inevitable slaughter. could only lose. It was immediately apparent to Jack that, forced to fight on samurai terms, the ninja were outskilled in the sword and outnumbered in men. Only their sheer bravery and determination held back the inevitable slaughter.

Shonin fought alongside his men, splatters of blood staining his kimono. His bodyguards fell one by one under the swords of the samurai, but he wouldn't yield.

The fighting spread throughout the square, the cries of battle now joined by the screams of the wounded and dying. A unit of samurai carved their way through the ninja defence. In its midst was their commanding officer, his face dripping with blood, his eye a gruesome hole. The unit purposefully fought its way over to Tenzen.

'You take my eye, I take your head!' the commanding officer declared, swinging his sword.

Tenzen threw a pointed shuriken shuriken, but the samurai was ready for him this time. Deflecting the spike with his blade, he drove forward with his katana katana.

Drawing his ninjat ninjat, Tenzen fought for his life.

Jack and Miyuki rushed to his defence, but the samurai's escort engaged them in combat, leaving Tenzen to struggle on alone. As Jack clashed with two warriors, through the chaos of battle Hanzo saw Soke surrounded by samurai. A glancing blow from one of his attacker's swords dug deep into the Grandmaster's thigh and he dropped to the ground.

'Grandfather!' cried Hanzo, running to his aid, his sword held high.

'NO!' shouted Jack. But it was too late. The boy was no longer under his protection.

In that moment of distraction, Jack was caught across the arm by one of the samurai's blades. It was only a flesh wound, but it roused his fighting spirit. Side-kicking the first samurai hard in the chest, he simultaneously hobbled the second with a lightning strike to the knee. Jack barged through them, rus.h.i.+ng across the square in pursuit of Hanzo. But another samurai, broad as an ox and with a terrifying menp menp mask of gold and black serrated teeth, blocked his path. mask of gold and black serrated teeth, blocked his path.

'The infamous gaijin gaijin samurai!' he grunted in satisfaction. 'You're samurai!' he grunted in satisfaction. 'You're my my prize.' prize.'

The samurai wielded a deadly nagamaki nagamaki, a weapon with a lethal katana katana-length blade and an extended shaft equally as long.

Jack barely avoided his thrust and was almost hacked in two by a second sweeping attack. Deflecting the blade, Jack attempted a counter-cut across the man's chest, but he couldn't get close enough. The nagamaki nagamaki's extra reach kept his swords at bay. Driven backwards by a series of sweeping slices, he stumbled over the dead body of a ninja and fell to the bloodsoaked ground.

As Jack instinctively rolled to his feet, the samurai seized upon the advantage and thrust for his heart. There was no time for Jack to evade it. But then a jagged-edge sword cleaved through the nagamaki nagamaki's shaft and and the samurai's lead hand severing them both. the samurai's lead hand severing them both.

Holding his stump before his eyes, the samurai's cry of shock was cut short when a ninja's arrow lodged itself in his throat. The samurai collapsed in a juddering heap at Jack's feet.

'Come on,' Miyuki insisted, dragging Jack towards the farmhouse. She too was wounded, blood running down her arm.

'But Hanzo!' he protested. 'Soke!'

Mounting the embankments on all sides, Akechi's army surged into the square and overwhelmed the remaining ninja. Neither Hanzo nor Soke were anywhere to be seen.

'It's too late!' cried Miyuki. She pulled Jack inside the farmhouse, where a handful of ninja were making a last stand. Stumbling down the corridor, Miyuki led Jack into the reception room. As she hurried towards the dais, two samurai one wearing a red menp menp with a hooknose, the other a helmet with two spiked horns burst through a with a hooknose, the other a helmet with two spiked horns burst through a shoji shoji to their left. to their left.

'At last, I've caught up with you!' snarled the horn-headed samurai.

Jack couldn't believe it, though he recognized the man's rat-like moustache and bushy eyebrows. It was the samurai from the inn at Shono.

'You won't escape me this time, gaijin gaijin,' he growled, raising his katana katana.

Jack and Miyuki, side by side, swords in hand, confronted their enemy.

Miyuki glanced at Jack with grim finality. 'To the death!'