Ok. The bad guys come in with a gun. One of the bad guys spots the sword hanging on the wall and grabs it. The victim struggles with the bad guy, gets hit and cut. Victim gains control of the sword and the ass-whippin' is on!!
I got the feeling that the author was just throwing around the label of victim. Reminds me of the part in John Ringo's "Ghost" novel where the law enforcement officers are at the scene where the hero has left behind a bunch of dead terrorists, and one live one which he interrogated by shooting in the leg. One agent asks after the condition of the "victim" and instead of responding with the condition of the hostage/kidnap victim that the hero had rescued, the respondent gave the condition of the terrorist who was shot in the leg. The first agent was not amused.