Without another word, Ikada strode across the sand to his challenger. Both bowed and in an eye blink drew their blades and stepped back into fighting stance, swords vertical in a two-handed grip. The samurai moved in at once, feinting a head cut but shifting to s***h across the ribs. Parrying, Ikada slid his blade along the other’s, nicking the samurai’s neck. The man retreated, but Ikada closed again, pressing his attack.
Many times, Ikada came within a hair’s breadth of ending the battle but could not deliver a death cut. Bleeding from a dozen places, the black samurai now fought with his blade in his left hand, right arm hanging limp at his side.
Then Ikada, blocked on a vicious downward cut, dropped into a crouch to execute a perfect reverse spin. His blade slashed under the man’s gu
