Chapter 64: The Ultimate Archery Showdown
Since this event was more promotional in nature, the rules of the friendly match were simple:
Each round consisted of six arrows fired continuously. After completing six rounds (36 arrows total), the shooter would leave the field. If a shot missed the target, the archer had to yield their spot and re-queue. The top three participants with the highest scores would be awarded 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, with prizes presented on-site.
The players who had missed previously had already stepped down and new ones had taken their place. The second round of shooting was about to begin.
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Tomoe Gozen, daughter of a local noble family, grew up alongside Kiso Yoshinaka. Two of Yoshinaka's four famed generals were her older brothers, so she was immersed in martial arts from a young age.
By the time she was very young, she had already followed the army into many battles, mastering the secrets of war. Be it swordsmanship, horseback riding, or mounted archery—she excelled in all of them.
Erina, though completely inexperienced, had the support of the Heroic Spirit possessing her, granting her battle-hardened archery skills.
Magical energy surged through her, guiding the movement of her arms and the muscles of her back, helping her assume the ideal form.
The girl in the baseball cap—her eyes flashed red for a moment.
Thwip!
The sound of the bowstring rang out, and the arrow shot forth like a meteor, slamming into the bullseye with a heavy thud.
Six arrows. Six direct hits.
Every shot dead center.
Not to be outdone, Shirou raised his bow and calmly mirrored his earlier performance. Each arrow was released cleanly and fluidly, forming a tight, evenly spaced cluster on the target's center—identical to his first round.
When the scorekeeper pulled the arrows out of the target, they found only six holes, with no enlargement or overlapping—just like before.
It was as if the two had locked into a dead-even duel: A high-powered cannon-girl, radiating intensity, versus a steady, composed young man as calm as drifting clouds.
Spectators and competitors alike were drawn in and began crowding around to watch.
After every round, the crowd would erupt with excitement—cheering, shouting, even fangirl-like squeals rang out.
The two had become the biggest stars of the entire event.
To those with archery experience, the two seemed almost terrifyingly skilled.
They used completely different techniques and styles, but both produced equally breathtaking results—like watching the perfect training manual in motion.
Spectators couldn't help but observe them greedily, hoping to absorb something useful to improve their own skills.
For the laypeople, it was simply an exciting and beautiful duel.
The thrilling release of each arrow, the grace of their draw, and the rhythm of the string being released made it feel almost artistic—causing bursts of joy from the crowd.
Some sharp-eyed, over-imaginative onlookers even started interpreting the scene as a love drama unfolding.
The blonde girl's gaze toward the boy clearly held some deeper meaning, while behind him were other girls watching closely, possibly jealous or protective.
"Her look says, 'If I win, you have to come home and marry me!'" some whispered excitedly.
"And he's thinking, 'I have greater dreams to chase—I can't be tied down by marriage so soon!'"
"And if their genders were swapped, this would make for a perfect doujin plot," someone muttered.
A yuri-loving male artist and a fujoshi passed by each other, both scribbling furiously into their sketchbooks, laughing creepily with inspiration pouring out of them.
By the fifth round, Erina began to feel a creeping anxiety in her chest.
"What the heck?! Does someone like this really exist—someone even more of a genius than me? I already understand cooking to a near-divine level—how can he be so strong in archery too?!"
This wasn't her area of expertise. The strength she borrowed from Tomoe Gozen felt like a floating water lily—when water was plentiful, it could rise high, but once the drought came and the water receded, it too would sink.
On the other hand, the boy in front of her was like a straight bamboo stalk—hollow inside, upright outside, and always growing. Though he might sway in storms, he would never break, always remaining tall and steadfast.
After 36 arrows, the six rounds concluded.
Shirou scored a perfect 360 points, each arrow hitting dead center with six flawless holes on the target.
Erina, who had blasted her target full of pits with sheer force, missed by just one point, ending with 359 points, placing second due to a single mistake.
Inside her, the white-haired Heroic Spirit spoke via mental transmission:
"My sincerest apologies, Erina. I'm excellent at launching enemies into the sky and blasting them midair… But in contests like this, aiming at a stationary target, I still couldn't win."
"Don't apologize," Erina replied, removing her hat and flicking her long hair back. "The one who made the mistake… was me."
"No, Erina, you performed wonderfully. It's just that the boy had, in addition to great archery skills, a pair of eyes that anyone would envy."
"Ughhh, I shouldn't have challenged him with archery in the first place!" Erina bit her finger regretfully.
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When the match officially ended, Shirou and Erina were called up to the awards podium as first and second place winners.
"Congratulations! That was truly a fantastic match. We hope you'll join our competitions again in the future."
The award presenter handed Shirou a silver trophy shaped like a bow and arrow. Second and third place received certificates.
"Thank you for the kind words," Shirou said, accepting the trophy.
"Nakiri Erina, congratulations. You're the only female in the top ten—how remarkable! A true heroine."
"Hmph. Reaching this level is only natural for me, even if I lost," Erina replied haughtily.
"No, seriously—you were amazing," Shirou said, sincerely.
Even with the help of a Heroic Spirit, pulling that off wasn't easy.
Then the award presenter, a middle-aged man, couldn't help but ask:
"By the way, are you two… a couple?"
"No, absolutely not!!" Erina's face flushed red. "Why would you even say that?! Why would I ever be paired with this guy?!"
She may have admired him just a little… But the idea of dating, let alone marrying him at this stage, was way too early for a girl who wasn't even technically a high schooler yet!
"I see, I see," the presenter chuckled, giving Shirou a knowing smile. "Well, good luck, young man."
The crowd below smiled warmly, cheering:
"You got this! Don't let such a cute girl slip away!"
"From my experience, just a little more effort and she's yours! Go for it!" The third-place winner, a military man, gave Shirou a thumbs-up.
"No, no! You're all misunderstanding!" Shirou tried to explain.
But everyone simply nodded with understanding, not listening at all.
"I said we're NOT!!" Erina shouted angrily.
And yet, all the looks directed toward her were filled with gentle, doting affection.
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After the award ceremony, Shirou and the still-fuming girl stepped down and walked toward a quiet corner.
"Hey, Princess… looks like I won this time, yeah?" Shirou asked with a smile.
Seeing his smug expression just made her more upset.
She wanted to squish that face like dough, bake it into bread, and eat it whole!
How dare he smirk like that after making her lose face! He was definitely up to something shady in that brain of his! Was he going to ask her to do something even more embarrassing now?
But as a lady of the Nakiri family, she wouldn't go back on her word.
Face red and fists clenched, Erina stomped her foot and shouted:
"Fine! Yes! You won! Happy now?! What do you want me to do? Just say it!"
"Why do I feel like I'm suddenly the villain here?" Shirou muttered. "Anyway… can you tell me what's going on with the Heroic Spirit possessing you?"