"I expected as much, Setsuna. That was incredibly helpful."
"Since you've been helping me with the modification plans for my priestess outfit—and considering you might be my future husband—I'm happy to help you whenever you need."
Shortly before the school trip, Setsuna had demonstrated her archery skills for Yugo at his request. In retrospect, he likely wanted a reference for his shooting-specialized Green Armor.
Yugo spoke to her after she finished showcasing various techniques with her Magic Item, the Dragon String Bow.
"Wind arrows are remarkably versatile. You can adjust the power, rate of fire, and even the trajectory on the fly."
"Precisely. I can guide the flight path with the wind, and because the arrows are conjured from mana, I can sustain a barrage as long as my magic power holds. It is a significant advantage."
Setsuna elaborated on the benefits of creating arrows from pure magic, noting that she never had to worry about physical ammunition or carrying a quiver. Like Melt's Sword Ring, Magic Items that manifest weaponry are generally efficient with mana consumption, and the ability to alter the weapon's form mid-manifestation was another major point in their favor.
Yugo nodded as he listened, but then a sudden thought occurred to him.
"Say, is there any way to rig the arrows themselves with a little surprise?"
"A surprise? Like how Melt alters her swords to fit the situation? Is that what you mean?"
Setsuna looked slightly puzzled. As she mentioned, Melt would occasionally manifest rapiers when she needed piercing power or massive claymores when she needed brute force. She assumed Yugo was asking if she could do the same with her arrows, but he shook his head.
"No, that's not quite it. How should I put it? I mean like... making a wind arrow that suddenly explodes! Like an artillery shell!"
"...It's not impossible. It would be harder to control, and it would definitely consume more magic power, though."
Instead of maintaining the arrow's shape until impact, she could treat it like an explosive round. To put it in terms Yugo understood, he was suggesting she shift her mindset away from traditional archery and toward something more like a shotgun or a rifle.
It was a technique that strayed far from the orthodox path of the bow, but Setsuna found the concept intriguing. Despite her stoic appearance, she possessed a deep well of curiosity.
"It sounds interesting. Shall we give it a try? Tell me more about the image you have in mind."
"Yeah, sure! For example... what if you had an arrow that suddenly... spre-e-eads!?"
"His phrasing was odd at the time, but the technique is certainly effective. I'm glad I took the time to practice it," Setsuna murmured to herself.
A faint smile touched her lips as she nocked another wind arrow and fired it at the bewildered Guruto.
"Kh! Another one!?"
If he stopped moving for even a second, he would be skewered. Guruto flew desperately, weaving through the sky to avoid the incoming fire, but Setsuna was reading his movements with perfect clarity.
By analyzing his top speed and habitual maneuvers, she mapped out his flight paths and fired her arrows to systematically rob him of any escape. As Guruto continued to barely evade her shots, Setsuna adjusted the quality of her magic and loosed a specific arrow.
"Yes, right there. And now... spread."
"Guoh!?"
Once again, a wind arrow detonated directly in front of the dodging Guruto. By pouring extra magic into a thicker shaft, Setsuna had rigged the arrow to explode just before impact, catching the target in a concussive blast.
It was not an easy technique to master, and it certainly had its quirks. However, for a genius who had spent years disciplining herself in the art of the bow, turning this new inspiration into a practical weapon was well within her capabilities.
"Curve. Spread. Curve again. You'll stop right there, won't you? And that's when this arrow takes your wing."
"Guh! Guuuuh!? Agah!"
She wasn't just shooting to hit him; she was shooting to corral him. It was a strategy only possible because of her nearly limitless ammunition. She rattled her opponent, gathered his data, predicted his path, and then delivered the decisive blow.
"Haa... huff...! Damn it, what is this? Why can't I dodge them!?"
Guruto had the entire sky as his playground. Avoiding the attacks of a single girl on a small boat should have been child's play.
And yet, for some reason, he kept finding himself in the path of arrows he couldn't possibly avoid. Pain throbbed throughout his body. He couldn't understand it. It was absurd. Something was fundamentally wrong. Why was he, the one with the overwhelming advantage, the one being cornered?
"Biran, are you done yet? Stop playing around and finish them off already!"
Initially, he had planned to toy with them until Biran finished off Ryuga. Now, his only thought was to endure until his partner could return to the fray. The mental strain caused his physical fatigue to spike; his breathing grew heavy and his voice turned ragged. Most of all, the sheer incomprehensibility of his predicament fueled a rising panic that gnawed at his mind.
"It seems you finally understand," Setsuna whispered, watching her opponent's movements grow stiff and predictable.
She drew her bow with cold precision, her aim locked onto the panicked Bird Magic Armor Beast.
"You are no hunter. You are merely prey—a weak little bird."