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The army of Jima now gathered at the front door, Gash went wild with rage and started stabbing at it with his sword. Wataru and George had to restrain him and drag him off. "Let me go! ROYGEL! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! I WANT VENGEANCE, YOU HEAR ME? VENGEANCE!!" "How do we get in Sandy?" Tigerlilly asked. As if in answer to her question, the entire Stormvermin detachment rushed at the door banging and hacking with their weapons. In little time, the obstruction to their progress disintegrated. The Stormvermin were inside first where they met a wall of wearet soldiers, some of them were Roygels' personal guard. Gash however saw the chieftain scurry into the gardens. Ignoring all around, the general of the Stormvermin gave chase. The Stormvermin fury was seeming to be a match for the wearets' sheer brutality as a majority of them were pushed back into the gardens. "Look Elmtrail," said Tigerlilly as she saw two wearets run into a passageway. Without thinking she grabbed Elmtails' paw and ran with the squirrel in tow. "Tigerlilly wait," Elmtail pleaded.

Out in the gardens, Roygel stopped to gain his breathe. As he stood hunched over, he heard footsteps behind him and a familiar voice. "ROYGEL!" Gash bellowed as he made a lunge at the wearet chieftain But the massive looming creature was quick, he slammed his club into Gashs' midriff bowling the rat general over on his back. Roygel then brought the club down hard on Gash's head, once. Twice. Thrice. Four times. The wearet let out a cruel chuckle as Gash lay on the floor, his head had no recognisable features left.

Up in the pagoda, Claw paced around the throne room anxiously. He started to feel something, a sensation he had never felt in a long time, fear. He heard activity outside his door and readied his sword, "Who is it?" "'Tis Mangetail, Lord." "Ah, my seer! How goes the battle?" Claw said as he sat back down. "Erm... not well. The rebels have stormed the palace hall and are now rampaging around in the gardens," Mangetail explained. Ikkit Claw then started drumming the mandibles of the brazen claw on the arm of his throne. "Why didn't you foresee this? You said victory would be assured. Was that a lie?" Mangetail stood speechless. "I don't know which is more annoying; you clammed up or in full flow. Begone from my sight!"

Elmtail was still being pulled along by Tigerlilly. The squirrel had noticed that the passage they travelled down had started sloping downwards and in little time the passage entered a large circular stone room. "Where are we?" Elmtail enquired. "I'm not sure. I've never been in the Shoguns' palace before," Tigerlilly answered. Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling sound. As the pair looked around, they saw the two wearets they were chasing blocking the way back up to the hall. Then they heard a hissing sound and what sounded like scurrying. "What's that noise?" Tigerlilliy peered into the shadows and a giant black scorpion scurried out of the blackness, tail poised ready to kill. Elmtail had no hesitation in getting Tigerlilly behind him and notching a shaft to his bow. When he released the arrow and let it fly, the massive creature grabbed it in one pincer and snapped it in two. The two wearets stood on an outcrop watching the 'sport'. "Get out uv that'n. Rerere!" The scorpion was now on them. Elmtail notched another shaft, but the massive creature brushed the squirrel aside with one stroke of its' huge pincer. Tigerlilly rushed to his side, "Are you all right?" "I hate to die this far from Redwall..." he said. Tigerlilly then twisted her features into a scowl. "No," she said. " I'm not going to let our lives end like this," she cast her katanas aside and confronted the scorpion, her paws spread wide. "You're being kept here against your will. Turn your rage on your captors, they're behind you." Elmtails' jaw dropped with absolute disbelief, "How can you be so mind-bogglingly flippant?! That won't work." Tigerlilly ignored him, "We are not the ones who have shamed you with your captivity." The scorpion yielded its' advance before turning around and started climbing up the walls after the two wearets. "Wot're yer doin', yer stupid thing! Kill 'em," one wearet shouted. But the scorpion advanced on them and delivered two blows of it's deadly tail, one for each of its' captors. Elmtail's face was a picture of true disbelief, "Now I've seen everything." He exclaimed. "How do we get out of here?" "Oh I think our new friend knows a way out," Tigerlilly replied.

Meanwhile up above, the Jima army had trampled through the gardens and headed for the pagoda itself. A detail of Stormvermin stayed to watch over the body of their dead leader while Sandokhan, Mattimeo, Wataru and Farlo made their way into the keep of the palace. Wataru checked the door, it wasn't barricaded. The otter peered inside and then beckoned the others to follow. Inside was surprisingly bright and splendours, it seems as if Claw hadn't spoiled the original grandeur of the Shoguns' domicile. Mattimeo saw somebeast moving out of the corner of his sight. He turned and saw Mangetail running up the staircase to one of the upper floors of the pagoda tower. "Hoi!" He called out. "Matty, wait!" Wataru called after him. But the otters' words went unnoticed as Mattimeo gave full chase. Mangetail didn't have the stamina for prolonged chases but the seer was deviously clever. He took refuge in a room and waited for the mouse warrior. When Mattimeo had found him, Mangetail cowered piteously, "No! Don't kill me!" "On your feet!" Mangetail did as we was told but Mattimeo didn't notice the seer sprinkle red coloured dust into his paw. "Alright rat, let's go," Mattimeo said in an authoritative tone. Mangetail waited until Mattimeo was behind him, then made his move. The rat turned round like a shot and blew the red dust into the mouse warriors' eyes. Mattimeo fell to his knees in pain with the sword of Martin slipping from his grasp. He clamped his paws over his burning eyes while Claws' seer grabbed the sword of Martin and held it aloft. "Let's just hope for your sake the here-after is a better world than this!" Mangetail sneered. Suddenly he felt something sharp pierce his midsection. Mangetail dropped Martins' sword and gaped at the katana stained with his blood. Then the blade twisted painfully and then sliced sideways. Mangetail's eyes clouded over before he dropped to the floor. "Are you all right Redwaller?" Mattimeo let out a small sigh of relief. "Sandy! Am I glad to hear your voice!" The fox then set to work cleaning Mattimeos' eyes with some water. The dust had turned to sludge with Mattimeos' tears, that had welded his eyelids shut. When all the dust had been washed away, Mattimeo had managed to open his bloodshot eyes. "Can you see?" "My vision's a bit blurred but I think I can fight on." Flugg then appeared in the doorway with the Blue Samurai. "Most of the wearets have retreated to the upper levels," said Flugg. "And Roygel?" "He's up there as well," the Blue Samurai said. Then the sound of roaring echoed inside the hallways and passages. "Go Lord Sandokhan. I shall deal with these beasts," the Blue Samurai said drawing her katana and bounding down the staircase to the gardens below. Flugg stayed with Mattimeo while Sandokhan, Wataru and Farlo continued in their pursuit of Ikkit Claw. There was only a small band of wearets left on the upper levels however they still impeded the warriors' progress further. When they reached the top level, they walked down a passageway leading to the throne room. "This is it! He's in here somewhere," said Farlo as he rushed towards the throne room door. As he extended his paw to slide the door open, somebeast did it for him. Suddenly Farlo was batted into the air and landed hard on his back. There, stood in the doorway was the chieftain of the wearets. The fox and the otter drew their katanas and charged forwards. Wataru was the first to make a blow, but Lons' armour was the perfect defence. Roygel just raised his gauntlet and the katana rang off the armour, before the wearet brought his club into the otters chest bowling him over. Sandokhan then jumped into the melee and made a downwards slash. Roygel was quick, he grabbed Sandokhans' arm in mid swipe and pinned him up against the wall twisting the fox's' paw. Sandokhan glared coldly into the wearets' eyes as the pain built up in his joint. Snap! Sandokhan yelped in pain as the Starfire fell to the floor. Seeing his chance, Ikkit Claw scurried out of hiding and picked the sword up before retreating back to the throne room "Not so tough without yer bla- Yarr!" The wearet looked behind him to see Wataru stab him through the armpit. Roygel dropped Sandokhan before picking up the Samurai otter by the throat. Roygel threw Wataru savagely against the wall. Wataru met the wall with a sickening bump before collapsing to the ground. The wearet chieftain turned back to Sandokhan, "Now Oi's make you beg ter die!" "I don't think so," a voice called out. Roygel looked toward the staircase landing and there was Flugg with Mattimeo. "Then Oi'll deal with you and kill da fox... slowly." Flugg started eyeing the wearets' armour and was balancing a shuriken star the Blue Samurai had given him. "What little one? Yous regret not runnin' away?" "Actually, I was thinking about your armour. It seems to me that your armour can't cover all of your body, can it?" As the massive hulking creature loomed over them Flugg threw the shuriken and it embedded itself in Roygels' left eye. Roygel screamed in pain as he staggered backwards blinded. He then tripped over Watarus' rudder like tail and stumbled backwards through a window and fell to the paved courtyard below. Mattimeo then ran to Watarus' side, "He's in very bad shape." He called to Sandokhan, who was nursing his broken paw. "The... Starfire," the otter murmured "Claw stole it," Sandokhan replied. "Don't worry, I'll finish it." "You don't... have to convince me you're tough. Hehe," said Wataru letting out a dry laugh. "Don't grieve for me Sandy, I've died honourably in battle," Wataru uttered before lying back against the wall. "Your name shall be immortalised in song," Sandokhan declared before turning to the throne room door. "Wait," said Mattimeo. "I don't think your wakizashi alone will be a match for a warlord armed with your country's' most precious relic." "What do you suggest?" With that, Mattimeo unfastened the scabbard of the Martin sword from his belt and handed it to the fox. "Take Martins' blade." Sandokhan drew it from the scabbard and examined the blade, it was the sword from his dream. "I wish you luck and courage," said Mattimeo as he bowed to the fox. "Oh Flugg," Sandokhan called, his paw reaching for the door. The shrew turned around to face him. "Nice throw!"

With sword in his good paw Sandokhan slid the doors open. There, sat on Lons' throne was the Honoured Claw of the Eshin Realm. The fox closed the door and turned to the rat. "You have defiled my homeland and you have offended my Shogun!" Ikkit Claw rose to his footpaws, wielding the Starfire. "I offered your Shogun a chance to surrender, he refused. So you must be the one who killed Jagee." "Correct," Sandokhan replied. "So now you're going to kill me? I don't think so. You're nothing but a mere peasant without your sword." "I don't need the Starfire to finish you off," Sandokhan scowled, holding the sword of Martin aloft. Claw however just sneereed at the sword. "That's a very strange sword," he said. "Tell me, who crafted that blade?" "A badger named Boar the fighter." "It looks too small to be wielded by the likes of you. Was it forged for someone else?" "It was forged for a great warrior, his name was Martin," as soon as the fox answered Claws' eyes went wide. It was the name of the presense that Mangetail had felt since Jagee was killed. "You lie!" "Samurai do not lie. It is against our code of honour," Sandokhan replied. Claw tightened his grip on the Starfire and gritted his teeth before he made an advance at Sandokhan. Martins' sword was too heavy to be used with just one paw, all that Sandokhan could do was parry. One of Claws' sword strokes was so strong that the fox was forced against a pillar supporting the ceiling. Then the fox saw a brazen blur. He ducked as Claw made a blow with the massive brass claw. However, Ikkit Claw missed and his prosthetic was embedded in the pillar. Claw struggled hard to wedge it free but it was no use. The fox saw his chance. He cut upwards and severed the false claw from the rat. Ikkit Claw screamed in pain and staggered backwards nursing the stump. "Meet your death with some dignity. You're beaten in combat and you know it," said Sandokhan. "Never!" Claw went berserk with rage and charged at the fox. Sandokhan tried to dodge one of Claws' advances but the rat was quick. He sliced the top off the fox's' left ear, then their blades grinded together. Sandokhan was forced to the floor, the pain in his broken paw becoming to great to ignore. Sandokhan backed up against a pillar as Claw made ready for the finishing blow. He slashed downwards. Clang! The Starfire katana rang off the brazen claw already wedged in the wooden pillar. The rat dropped the Starfire as the vibrations shook his bones. Sandokhan then skewered the Honoured Claw through the middle with the sword of Martin up to the hilt. As the fox drew the sword out, Ikkit Claw dropped to his knees. "It can't be..." he gasped, feeling his strength ebb away. "You're finished," the fox sneered. "No! I...am.... Ikkit Claw! The voice of the Eshin Celestial Realm!" Sandokhan retrieved the Starfire and held it aloft, ready to make a slashing movement. "You are the voice of tyrrany and you must be silenced!"

As Sandokhan walked out into the courtyard of the palace, Starfire in his belt and Martin's sword in his good paw. The fox strained his eyes against the torrent of wind and rain that now pelted the army of liberators. The Blue Samurai was the first to approach, "The Claw?" Sandokhan dropped Martin's sword, which the Blue Samurai hastily picked up. The fox reached behind him and pulled something from his belt. The Samurai held the severed head of Ikkit Claw aloft for all to see. There was a thunderous rapture of applause from all, while the Stormvermin screamed and roared in victory. The Blue Samurai hugged Sandokhan tight. "Well done Sandy!" "Erm, thank you. By the way, your voice sounds familiar..." The Blue Samurai then unfastened the faceplate and removed her helmet. "RITSUKO!!!" "Yes Sandy. I did tell you my father was Samurai." Sandokhan's jaw dropped to the ground, but Ritsuko was more interested in his wounds. She saw Sandokhans' paw twisted at an unnatural angle and the blood pouring from the stump where his ear had been. "You're hurt," "I'll be all right." The pair heard movement behind them. A group of Stormvermin carried the body of General Gash from the front door. The head of the corpse covered with a linen cloth. All Stormvermin stood to attention and followed the burial party out of the palace gates. "We shall return our General's remains to Manchuria for burial," said one of Gashs' captains. "There is nothing for us here any more." "Your General died in battle. Every warrior should be so lucky," said Sandokhan.