The Ring of Fire is the sixth book in the Young Samurai Series.
Synopsis
Winter, 1614
After a snowstorm forces Jack to take shelter, Jack comes across a village in need of protection against mountain bandits.
Torn between moving on or helping, Jack is persuaded to stay and fight their cause.
But Jack is the first and only samurai to do so. Now he must enlist other warriors to the village's aid before the bandits steal the village's harvest.
No easy when he is a foreigner and the reward is so little.
If only he had his friends to call on. . . .
Characters
- Hayato - Son of the late daimyo Yukimura and a highly proficient archer. Deceased.
- Yuudai - Able bodied and immensely strong samurai who wields a nodachi.
- Neko - An orphaned girl who is both deaf and mute. She cooks for Jack's squad and the farmers, and also learns some ninja skills from Miyuki.
- Junichi - Head of the Tamagashi village Jack resides in. He has his Mother living with him. Deceased.
- Yoshi - Elder of Tamagashi village.
- Toge- One of the village leaders, and highly distrusts Jack, doubting his abilities as a samurai.
- Sora - One of the elderly farmers.
- Akuma - Main antagonist in the story. Nicknamed "Black Moon," He is an utterly heartless warrior who plunders the villagers' rice for his own every year at full moon, leaving them with almost nothing to eat. He is killed by those whom he ruthlessly oppressed in the end.
- Nakamura "Scarface" - Not to be confused with Sensei Nakamura, Nakamura is one of Akuma's most skilled henchmen, wielding a axe with fierce skill. He tries to take Jack down with him knowing that he is dying, but fails and drowns.
- Sayomi "Night Woman" - Female Bandit who serves Akuma. Wields a naginata. Deceased.
- Kurochi - Nicknamed "The Snake." He is highly proficient with the use of a musket to shoot targets from long range. Thanks to Neko's efforts, he dies in a sea of flames after falling from a watchtower.