"Tsk. That hentai is so noisy. It's hard to concentrate as it is..", Chizuru ranted to herself, while she stood on top of a boulder to pinpoint Kaguya's location.
The Octagon was already barely recognizable from where Chizuru was standing. Giant rocks littered the stage like a miniature terrain of a mountainous region. On the far side, the flames continued to burn looking like threatening forest fires from a distant land.
"Let's see..", Chizuru carefully scouted the area below her until she heard some gravel crack from afar. "There!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Chizuru fired an arrow with her hunting bow. It immediately dispelled Kaguya's invisibility, as she jumped and rolled forward to evade the shot. A second shot was fired, but Kaguya vanished again at the same time it hit the ground.
Chizuru grinned deviously, as she started scouting the area again. "You'll eventually run out of potions, bunny girl."
Even if most of the spectators' attention was on the explosive battle between the two Berserkers, Hayama had his eye on the markswomen. The waiting game between the two interested him more, as he observed how much the girls learned from him in class when it comes to battle tactics.
"A 'Sniper' may have the advantage with weapons and gear..", said Hayama while catching Seijurou's attention. "But the build's reliance on equipment dulls the senses."
Seijurou nodded, as Chizuru took another shot at Kaguya on the fighting stage. "Then this is where a 'Ranger' takes over."
"With such limited space and rugged terrain, yes..", Hayama agreed, while Kaguya took another potion and went invisible again. "Taneda-san's extraordinary perception is now more superior than Sendou-san's goggles and potions. She actually reminds me of the 'Moon Goddess of the Hunt, Danaya'."
Seijurou stifled a laugh. "Don't you think that's a little bit of an exaggeration, sensei?"
Hayama chuckled, while Chizuru hopped to another boulder to get closer. "Probably in terms of power. However, the way she patiently waits for the perfect opportunity to corner her prey is just like from the 'monogatari'."
Without any hint, the two shooters fired arrows almost at the same time, with the crossbow slightly earlier. Chizuru's shot hit Kaguya's arm causing her to squeal in pain and take 'HP damage'. On the other hand, while looking very confident, Chizuru threw the crossbow ammunition, which she caught with her hand earlier.
"Oh, no! Your arm.. how're you going to shoot now, Princess?..", taunted Chizuru, which caused Kaguya to scowl at her.
The audience looked confused at first, since they were watching the melee combat between Jax and Kanae. As they realized what just happened, they started to cheer on for Chizuru to end the duel.
"Not yet though..", Hayama commented, as Kaguya desperately retreated again with invisibility. "It's just like when 'Danaya' burned all the exits of the 'Underworld', so that she could force the 'White Rabbit' to emerge from a single hole and ambush it. Taneda-san is denying all of Sendou-san's options before she delivers the final blow."
Seijurou's expression went blank with his sensei's unexpected literature lesson. "But didn't that enrage the queen of the 'Underworld' for setting her garden on fire?"
Hayama laughed, while Chizuru started to stalk Kaguya again on the octagonal platform. "And how did the narrative go again?"
"Only one path remained open to the world of souls..", Seijurou answered stoically, as this time, Jax took a hit from Kanae.
"Oh..", Hayama reacted, then shifting his attention to the warriors. "Rather grim that 'monogatari', don't you think?"
Unlike Kaguya's crossbow arrow earlier, a hit coming from Kanae's axe dealt a more significant damage to Jax. There was no need to check the "console command" for it was obvious when he staggered backwards. Sacrificing one's sanity for bestial rage temporarily increased Kanae's combat level. And it was something Jax was all too familiar with.
"It'll wear off soon.. just have to take a few hits..", Jax pondered in his thoughts, while he blocked more consecutive strikes from Kanae. "But how much of that mushroom did she eat?"
Thinking that the effects of amanita muscaria would eventually wear off and render Kanae exhausted soon, Jax desperately held on to keep his 'HP' from being damaged further. He pretty much relied on Kazuma to take the offensive, as his "Sorcerer build" teammate continued to hurl elemental spells at the very furious dual wielding "Berserker Form" of Kanae. Even if it did not affect her yet, Jax predicted that once the mushroom's effects wore off, she would deplete her "Stamina Points" completely and be knocked out cold.
However, there was one dilemma that they both have to figure out first.
"Jax! You need to switch first!..", yelled Kazuma, while Kanae carried on her onslaught and Kasumi shadowing her to share the aura's effects. "Taneda-chan said that you need to separate Shinazugawa-chan from Fukuoka-chan to get our strategy in place."
"Baka! You think I could do that now?! You blind or something?..", yelled Jax, as he continued to be the receiving end of Kanae's fury. "Just hold out a little longer. Amanita's effects will wear off soon."
Kazuma took a deep breath and shook his head, while he changed his firing position. "Are you presuming that our lovely lady knight will just drop dead in a while? I hate to break it to you, but that's not going to happen, my friend."
Jax deflected Kanae's strike which got her fumbling back after. "Eh? Why is that?"
Kazuma shot a "Blizzard Spell" at Kanae, which she easily broke through in a second. "The Priestess' aura.. at the very least, causes Fukuoka-chan to prevent her 'malicious intent' from attacking Shinazugawa-chan."
"That doesn't change anything..", Jax answered, while he continued to evade and block Kanae's chops in intervals. "I'll hold out before my stamina runs out."
"That's the very least, Jax..", Kazuma shot another "ice spell" with the intention to slow Kanae down. "One of the effects of the 'Holy Aura of Protection" on nearby allies is a boost in health, magic, and stamina regeneration."
"Then, why didn't you say so earlier, loser?!..", exclaimed Jax, as he avoided another decapitating blow.
"I tried, but you kept yelling and calling me that!..", shot Kazuma back while charging another spell. "Again, we'll all be losers if you run out of stamina and, God forbid, health first and get knocked out."
The spectators' kept roaring wildly, as the battle entered its final stages. It was a test of endurance for the mages and warriors. Positions were being compromised for the ones who relied on stealth and nimbleness. Everyone eagerly anticipated for the culmination of the fight, as the climax drew nearer to unveil the last one standing.
"Chizuru has the entire Octagon covered..", Seijurou said, as he shifted his attention from his friend to the other skirmish. "But Jax is in a bind. He can't use his trump card since Toho has no spells that could neutralize him unlike Shinazugawa."
"Plus, he refuses to overcome his weakness with women..", Hayama added, while on the contrary to Seijurou, he went back in observation of Chizuru and Kaguya's conflict. "But it may be what's needed to win this match."
"What do you mean, sensei?..", asked Seijurou in confusion, as Chizuru moved towards the highest boulder at the center of the stage.
"Just watch. It'll be over soon."
For those who have carefully observed the battle between the "ranged" builds, it may have seemed that Chizuru was moving away from her target allowing Kaguya some space. This may also have been advantageous for a "Sniper", but what they did not know was Chizuru had her ace dealt already. She drew an arrow with her bow and surprisingly, closed her eyes.
"Yumi no Jutsu (Art of the Bow).. 'Serpent's Sense'.", Chizuru said an incantation that was unique only to hers alone, then she smiled smugly. "Found you."
Even with her eyes closed, Chizuru snuck towards an area where she could have a clear shot on Kaguya. Just like a snake stalking a small but skittish rodent, she moved without making a single crack on the gravel under her feet. She slithered towards Kaguya silently, while the ironically proclaimed at that moment, the "Predator Princess", hopelessly hid herself behind a large rock under the alchemical effects of the "Invisibility Potion".
Chizuru aimed carefully, then with just one deep breath, she let her arrow loose. The onlookers gasped, as she may have seemed to miss her target. However, it was not the case when a bag of broken vials laid wasted on the floor with an arrow stuck on it.
"I see you, Usagi-ojou-chan (little bunny girl)..", it did not make sense what Chizuru said since she had her eyes closed at the moment, but the tip of her drawn arrow and her seemingly obstructed gaze were fixed on Kaguya. She pulled her bowstring further back while being perched on the rock beside Kaguya. "What're you going to do without your invisibility now? Well, not that it's effective against my special technique."
Some of the members of the audience became baffled after witnessing something confusing. For someone who had her eyes closed and finding someone invisible was confusing enough already. It may have looked like Chizuru missed her shot, but the look of being cornered on Kaguya's face bewildered them. A battle of patience was not exactly a people pleasing one, but it was plenty impressive for those who understood it.
Hayama-sensei laughed out loud in astonishment to Seijurou's surprise. "Marvelous! Even I didn't see that coming!"
Confused, but in a totally different train of thought since he had already suspected what Chizuru was doing, he looked at his teacher wide eyed. "She's using 'Hebi no Me' (Snake Eyes) right now. It's a pretty common bow technique used by hunters. What extraordinary thing did Chizuru do, sensei?"
Hayama cleared his throat, as he prepared to explain. "The 'Hebi no Me' art allows 'Ranged Class Builds' to perceive their surroundings according to temperature when they close their eyes.. like a snake does. However, that ability can only cover a limited area which also depends on their amount of experience."
"Then, Chizuru's hard work in training paid off in the end..", said Seijurou while observing the ongoing confrontations on the fighting platform. "She could cover quite a vast amount of space."
"That's where you're wrong, Erida-san..", argued Hayama, as he too shifted his attention back to the duel. "Not even the most experienced 'Ranger' could project that art for more than thirty meters in front of him."
Seijurou's look of confusion went back to him, as he shifted his attention back to his teacher.
"If you watched her movements carefully, Taneda-san only used that 'Yumi no Jutsu' (Art of the Bow) when she perched on a rock that was at the dead center of the Octagon..", Hayama continued while watching Kanae, this time, continue her relentless assault on Jax. "With her movements after that, it was obvious she had detected where Sendou-san's location was.. which is about sixty meters away."
A totally mind blown Seijurou finally lost his concentration on the current duel, as he took in Hayama's words. "No way. How's that possible?"
"Through a special technique she developed and perfected herself..", said Hayama a little louder since the crowd was roaring in excitement for the battle's nearing conclusion. "You probably noticed since you worked on the Underforge before this fight that the fletchings of Taneda-san's arrows have some sort of ancient writings on it, yes?"
"Eh? I might've overlooked that, sensei, since I thought that it was some sort of her signature for ownership..", Seijurou replied, while he slightly looked upward as if searching for an answer. "She's quite possessive of her things."
"Can't read ancient 'Kanji', I see? Just like verbal incantations, spells are written with the ancient language..", Hayama continued, which got Seijurou into a sudden realization. "All the arrows in Taneda-san's quiver are 'Wards'. With her special technique, 'Serpent's Sense', she can conjure her thermal vision through her ammunition. And as you can see, she already had strategically shot her arrows all over the place."
"So.. when she closes her eyes..?!..", Seijurou muttered, as his expression became as shocked as ever. "Chizuru has a full three hundred sixty degree infrared view of the entire Octagon!"
"Exactly. Just like burning all the rabbit holes and leaving one exit..", Hayama said emphatically, as he nodded in agreement. "The class of year 2022 is going to be a formidable force one day."
Meanwhile, as Kaguya continued her mad dash to escape Chizuru's paralyzing grasp, nothing changed in the two warriors' exchange. Kanae was still on the offensive, and Jax was still gradually losing "Stamina Points and "Health Points". However, if there was any sort of progress on their side of things, Jax was coming dangerously close to his stamina limit, and Kanae just continued to regenerate through Kasumi's aura.
The odds of the two Trinities' duel were stacked on a half and half. What mattered was who would be able to deliver the finishing blow first. Kaguya was very close to leaning towards the ten percent health limit rule, but she was still barely clinging to dear life with her last minute dodges. On the other hand, Jax was in a bind since every block and evasive maneuver cost him some "SPs", which would eventually deplete his to zero that could lead to full exhaustion resulting a knockout.
Jax, then, tried to back away to a distance to recover some stamina, but Kanae's own "Berserker Break" covered it quickly. It actually ended up with him using more "SPs" than recovering a few.
"Why don't you eat some of that mushroom yourself?..", asked Kazuma while hurling an "Ice Wall Spell" in between Jax and Kanae. But Kanae broke through just about the same time the spell was casted.
"Do you want me to literally kill every last person in here?!..", Jax rebutted, as he blocked Kanae's relentless spinning axe strikes with his own axe. "That's out of the question!"
Kazuma shot another freezing spell, as he glanced at Chizuru who was currently perched on a boulder nearby. "Then enlighten me, Jax! Taneda-chan seems to be doing well with her rabbit hunting but is having a hard time getting the job done."
"Is switching the only real option we have?!..", asked Jax desperately while getting mercilessly hammered. "I'm seriously close to my stamina's limit. Think of something else!"
"Are you seriously thinking to let me go against something that makes me useless?..", Kazuma shot a glance towards Kasumi while hurling another spell. "I'm also nearing my magic's limit, you know!"
Even if Kasumi had been using one type of technique since the beginning of the match, it was deemed efficient so far. Not a single point of damage was taken by her. Although looking completely battered due to Kazuma's spells, through the effects of her holy aura, Kanae still regenerated the stamina and health lost and was fighting like she was fresh.
It was obviously a losing battle for Jax and Kazuma. Their only hope was for Chizuru to finish her end of the job first. However, that in itself did not look too good since a ranged build's tactics was of the patient type, meaning it usually took longer to conclude.
"You really want to switch badly, huh?!..", Jax snapped, as he sensed that his stamina was close to depletion. "Fine! Cast an armor spell or whatever, so you don't die."
"Eh? Why? I'm a heavily armored powerful 'Sorcerer'..", Kazuma bragged arrogantly but at the same time, confused with Jax's suggestion.
"Just do it already, loser!"
"As you wish. Download 'Yoroi no Jumon' fifty three..", being not adept with defensive spells because of his build, Kazuma recited the incantation with a "Download Hand Gesture". However, as proud as he is as a "Sorcerer", he did not hold back with the spell's intermediate amplitude. "Mammoth Hide."
An ethereal version of a massive hairy beast cloaked Kazuma. But his time in the spotlight was short lived, as he got surprised with Jax's inhuman strength when he grabbed him with one arm to throw towards Kanae's direction.
"That son of a..", Kazuma panicked in his thoughts, as he flew with tremendous speed towards a very angry looking Kanae. "He intended to use me as a projectile!"
Sensing the imminent danger even in her enraged state, Kanae just rolled sideward to evade an incredibly heavily armored ammunition in the form of a "Sorcerer". Kazuma would have been against this plan, but it somehow created some distance between Kanae, Jax, and Kasumi. However, his split second journey was not over when he realized that he was heading straight for a very hard wall, Kasumi.
But there was no wall. Kazuma collided with Kasumi rendering both of them down.
"Crap! Kasumi-chan!..", Jax turned pale, while he panicked. "I'm so sorry! I overshot!"
As he looked on the recent turn of events, Seijurou smirked. Contrary to everybody's confusion, he knew exactly what happened. "There was no 'malice' in that attack. The offender, Toho, was merely thinking of not hitting anything but could not avoid it. Therefore, Shinazugawa's aura was penetrated."
"Well said, Erida-san..", said Hayama while looking at Chizuru, who suddenly shifted her stance as if sensing an opening. "And here comes the final shot."
As quickly as the nullification of the "Holy Aura of Protection", Chizuru fired an arrow towards a slowly recovering Kasumi. And almost exactly at the same time, she recited a quick incantation. "Yumi no Jutsu (Art of the Bow).. Stunning Silence."
The effect of Chizuru's technique is part of a Ranger's common arsenal. Named the "Stunning Silence", is frequently used against magic wielders, as the shot blunt headed arrow renders them unable to use spells temporarily. It also works on any kind of technique or art that requires some form of incantation like holy or weapon arts.
However, Seijurou looked a bit skeptical, while the arrow traveled. "It's too far. The aura will be up any second."
"But Xi-san doesn't know that..", rebutted Hayama, as he saw Jax suddenly prepare for a move.
Cold sweat poured on Jax's forehead the moment he realized what he had done. As he perceived the very sharp looking arrow, but was actually blunt, approach furiously towards Kanae, Jax only had one thing in his mind. Ignoring both his teammates and a fast approaching Kanae, he ran towards Kasumi's aid.
"Oh, no. I'm not going to make it in time..", Jax panicked while thinking for a last ditch solution. He made a dash and was running as fast as he could. However, his stamina was also running out, and the arrow seemed to go even faster.
"The aura is up again. It's no use..", said Seijurou the moment Kasumi redid the art. "And what the hell are you doing, Saru-san?"
With all that was left with Jax, he gave everything he could to save Kasumi, although she was technically safe already with her holy aura up again.
"Buki no Jutsu..", Jax desperately said the incantation, as the arrow closed in. "Berserker Break!"
With just a few centimeters to spare, Jax was able to tackle Kasumi out of the way. The arrow safely landed on the floor while everyone looked stunned with what just happened. It was as if the "Stunning Silence" hit everyone in the stadium.
"He broke through!..", exclaimed Seijurou, as a look of shock engulfed his face.
"Like the one previously, there was no malicious intent on Xi-san's technique. His intention was to save Shinazugawa-san from harm..", Hayama pointed out while looking at where Jax and Kasumi landed. "But more importantly."
Jax, once again, overshot, as Seijurou realized that he and Kasumi, who laid shocked and flushing on top of him, landed out of bounds.
Chizuru shook her head, as she sighed in frustration. "Baka-hentai.."
Translation Notes:
Monogatari - a Japanese folklore narrative. In this chapter, it is also treated as a folklore narrative but in Jihonian legend.
Underworld - the place where souls go to after death.
Baka - literally means stupid, idiot, or dumb.
Fletchings - the feathered part of an arrow
Kanji - literally means "Han Characters", it is the Japanese writing system using Chinese characters. In this chapter, it is treated as the way of writing ancient text.
Honorifics Guide:
Usagi-ojou-chan - Chizuru's wordplay to tease Sendou Kaguya, which literally means "little bunny girl".
Baka-hentai - it may be evident already that Chizuru loves to play with words, and here is another example, which she used on Jax. It literally means "stupid pervert".
Monogatari Concepts:
Danaya - one of the "Seven, who were, are, and will be revered". She is the Moon Goddess of the Hunt, patroness of the Ranged Class Builds, and the personification of nightfall. She is said to be responsible for having many souls lost in the night, by destroying the many pathways to the Underworld and only leaving one, during the "War of the Elders". Her sigil is a snake coiled around an arrow over a circular object representing the moon.
White Rabbit - the representation of the harbinger of death in Danaya's monogatari. It was killed by Danaya in the end of the narrative along with the burning of the many rabbit holes leading to the Underworld and the garden of the queen. With the enraged queen and the pursuit of the White Rabbit leading to the eventual escape of Danaya from the Underworld, the monogatari of "The Hunting of the White Rabbit Under the Moon" seems to be Jihon's own version of "Alice and Wonderland".