Mononobe no Futo had never been known for her calm and rational reactions to unexpected situations. This probably explained why she was still wandering deep within the Bamboo Forest of the Lost in the dead of the night, with her eyebrows singed off and smoke still wafting off the charred edges of her robe.
The shikaisen was currently stumbling aimlessly down an overgrown path, just wide enough to allow her to pass. A continuous, sullen mutter could be heard drifting down the track.
"Mayhap I acted too hastily when dealing with that base-born incendiary. Uncouth she may have been, but her skills in our duel were indeed worthy of song…"
A massive explosion shook the stillness of the Bamboo Forest, as yet another century-old stand of bamboo was reduced to splinters by an errant danmaku shot.
The match between Mononobe no Futo and Fujiwara no Mokou was in full swing, and the night skies lit up every so often with a fresh display of pyrotechnic might.
"Submit to me and swear loyalty to the rightful rule of the Crown Prince, and I may yet be merciful!"
"Don't get too full of yourself; you might just spill!"
Mokou seemed to be getting more talkative as the duel continued. She'd started with grunts and then progressed to one-word insults.
Now she'd started getting - horror of horrors - witty.
"Hourai 「South Wind, Clear Sky -Fujiyama Volcano-」 !"
Futo swore and rolled out of the way of yet more spouts of flame, which then proceeded to explode violently, spraying great fountains of fire in every direction. She immediately took to the air, jinking and weaving around, and managed to successfully dodge every blast sent her way.
That is, every blast except the last, which proceeded to explode directly in her face and sent her crashing back to earth. Picking herself up, Futo groggily assessed her current prospects of winning. Unfortunately for her, the battle appeared to be leaning distinctly towards Mokou at the moment.
"What's the matter, can't take the heat?"
The Hourai immortal stalked forward, flames surrounding her like a halo.
Futo was already getting quite winded, to tell the truth. That last point-blank hit had taken quite a bit out of her. Nonetheless, her blood was up, and she would rather have died than admit any weakness at that point.
She sprang to her feet, calling on whatever reserves of strength she still possessed.
"Flatter not thyself! Thine embers could barely warm the meanest hovel, let alone hurt one such as myself. Now, witness the very concept of fire, the flames that spring from the heart of all creation! Blaze Sign 「Taiyi True Fire」 !"
Mokou began to dodge, first slowly, then faster and faster as the gouts of glowing plasma launched by Futo began igniting the surroundings violently, causing additional bursts of flame to shoot in every direction. No one could have avoided them all, and one well-aimed shot scored a direct hit, reducing the Fujiwara to a blackened crisp. Futo's shout of mingled surprise and triumph was cut short as Mokou got up a few moments later, looking none the worse for wear.
"Hah! Not too shabby, I'll admit, but it's not like dying fazes me much."
"Barbaric though it may be, wast not this method of duelling claimed to be non-lethal?" Futo called out, a slightly dumbfounded expression on her face. It was not every day you saw someone get up after being incinerated. "The shrine maiden herself did inform me that once the contest was agreed upon, the magic of the land itself enforced that rule, save by mutual consent."
Mokou simply shrugged. "This body of mine is so weak, it even dies from danmaku shots, but I just resurrect anyway. Yeah, Keine keeps nagging me to live more healthily, but I figure, why bother?"
Futo nodded. "Truly, the power of the Hourai Elixir is beyond compare. Say no more, and let us end this farce before any more time is wasted."
"I couldn't agree more. 「Phoenix Rebirth」!
The Taoist barely had time to move before the first barrage of flames smashed into her, followed by a second, then a third wave. Everything went black, and she knew no more.
Futo came to her senses a short time later, with a throbbing headache that was even worse than her hangover from that twenty-jar shochu dare with Tojiko. What had just happened, and why was she sprawled out on the forest floor?
Suddenly, the memories of the last thirty minutes flooded back into her mind, and she jerked up and looked around. Mokou was gone, and the only evidence remaining of their duel were the smouldering bamboo stalks and the blackened patches of forest floor.
Slowly getting to her feet, Futo couldn't help wincing as her body protested vigorously at the fresh abuse she was heaping on it. Slowly. she began limping back down the narrow trail, deeper into the forest. She wasn't about to admit defeat in her quest just yet. If she did, not only would Miko be very disappointed with her, that ass Tojiko would be utterly insufferable for the next few months.