Chapter 129 Hit the Target and Then Marry
"Can you trust me? Sensei, I promise I won't hurt you." Shirou looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka and spoke gently.
"What's with that tone, like you're trying to trick some little girl?" Hiratsuka Shizuka glared at Shirou warily, complaining.
"I just want to put you at ease. And this isn't deception—you know my skill, right, Sensei? Besides, your current state is quite formidable. As long as you just stand there without moving, leave everything to me." Shirou explained, still speaking in a gentle tone.
"What about being formidable? What's wrong with that? Is it a sin for a woman to be stronger than a man!?" Hiratsuka Shizuka seemed to be touched on a sore spot and roared loudly.
"Tch, women are really troublesome." The bow captain frowned at Hiratsuka Shizuka, then turned to Shirou and said, "Boy, how about I lend you one of my men instead? But if you injure her, you'll have to pay with your life."
"Well, fine. I don't think I'll lose..." Shirou was about to agree.
"No need!!! I'll do it myself!" Hiratsuka Shizuka felt as if she was being underestimated and unhappily agreed.
"Is that alright? Got it, Sensei. Just remember not to move around, and close your eyes." Shirou asked. Even though he wouldn't miss, he couldn't guarantee she wouldn't flinch.
"Leave it to me! I won't let these guys look down on me! I'll stand perfectly still! Shirou, go ahead and shoot at me! But you better be accurate! Otherwise, you'll have to take responsibility!" Hiratsuka Shizuka warned.
"Mm, Sensei, don't worry... Hm? ...Eh?" Shirou nodded in agreement, but couldn't shake the feeling something was off.
"Alright! I'm going!" Hiratsuka Shizuka took the wild peach from Shirou, didn't look back at him again, assumed he had agreed, and strode boldly to the other side of the stage.
The bow captain laughed and said: "Oh, seeing you like this, you're really quite fierce, just like the female guards under our Wu Kingdom princess... Back then even Lord Liu Bei was too scared to come close."
"Why not just say I'm the princess herself!" Hiratsuka Shizuka snapped angrily, irritation rising in her heart. She didn't hesitate further, walked to the target area, and placed the peach on top of her head.
The bow captain turned to Shirou and said: "If you're ready, then begin. If it's a tie, we'll do it again. Whoever makes the first mistake loses."
"No need. We'll decide it in one round." Shirou projected his black longbow, speaking with calm confidence.
The bow captain chuckled: "Oh? Tell me, I've already hit once. How do you plan to surpass me?"
"Bring me a black cloth! I'll shoot blindfolded!" Shirou declared.
The bow captain burst into laughter: "Hahaha, good! Instructor Li only summoned us because he follows the tradition of training disciples every day—where the strong win and the weak withdraw. Out of these thousand archers, I'm the best shot, so I became captain. Shooting blindfolded at a target might still be possible, but at a person? That's impossible.
If you can actually hit like this, I'll admit you're a divine marksman, one who would be rare even among ten thousand troops. Perhaps only General Taishi Ci of Wu could be your match. Men! Blindfold this young hero!"
"Wait... Shirou! What are you doing!?" Hiratsuka Shizuka cried out in shock, seeing the boy's eyes being covered.
"Sensei, you trust me, right? Then just close your eyes. It won't hurt—it'll be over quickly." Shirou chuckled lightly, allowing the soldiers to cover his eyes.
"And why are you using that tone again, like you're coaxing a little girl!?" Hiratsuka Shizuka shouted. But despite her words, she still trusted him fully and didn't move an inch.
Shirou's eyes were wrapped tightly with long black cloth, several thick layers. When he closed them, the outside world was pitch black, not a trace of light could pass through.
"This side of Shirou-senpai somehow feels kind of exciting." Gudako exhaled hot air from her nose.
"If his hair turned white, he'd basically be a Nier-style femboy Shirou, wouldn't he?" Da Vinci quipped.
"Shut up!" Shirou retorted, calming his mind, focusing all his concentration on the space where Hiratsuka Shizuka stood, the position of the peach, fixing everything firmly in his heart.
At this moment, seeing wasn't important—what mattered was maintaining the correct state of mind for archery.
"Sensei, are you ready? Close your eyes and count from one to ten silently. It'll all be over." Shirou said calmly.
"Ahhh! Whatever, just do it! If I get hurt or disfigured, you'll have to spend your whole life making it up to me!" Hiratsuka Shizuka shouted with resignation, closing her eyes.
"Don't worry. I swear nothing will happen to you." Shirou answered.
With the peach balanced on her head, Hiratsuka Shizuka shut her eyes, clenched her fists tightly, and muttered with overwhelming force: If I get hurt, then we'll get married! If I get hurt, then we'll get married! If I get hurt, then we'll get married!
Fortunately, Shirou was blindfolded at this moment—if he had seen her like that, even if he could aim correctly, he might have been so startled his hands would tremble and cause a mistake.
The boy drew the longbow, the twang of the bowstring rang out.
Not one arrow, but three— The first pierced the peach, the second struck it midair, carrying it upward, the third fell from above, nailing it straight into the bullseye of the target behind.
The bow captain and all the training archers around them saw this scene and were shocked.
"Hahaha! Magnificent! Who would have thought that even a thousand years later, such amazing skill could still be seen, and such a divine marksman exist! We've lost. This path is yours to take.
I am not the greatest divine archer here. But that general's specialty was throwing stones, so Master Li had me serve as this trial instead. It was truly an honor. Boy, the tower above will not be easy to pass. May you win battle after battle, unstoppable."
The bow captain and the soldiers all looked satisfied, laughing heartily. As their purpose was fulfilled when Shirou passed the trial, they turned back into black earth and were absorbed into the tower.
"Huh? It's over?" Hiratsuka Shizuka opened her eyes, looked around in confusion, then turned her head to see the peach with three arrows stuck in it, perfectly nailed into the bullseye.
"What about those soldiers?" She looked around—the hundreds of practicing archers were all gone, leaving the tower suddenly empty.
"They vanished. Let's go upstairs." Shirou said, moving toward the stairs without delay.
"...Oh." Hiratsuka Shizuka responded, following him up the redwood staircase.
Halfway up, before reaching the second floor, a loud, earthshaking snore rang out, reverberating through the wooden walls and floor, as if shaking the heavens.
When they reached the second floor, they saw lying before the stairs to the third floor—a massive black figure. Not a bear, but a burly man as huge as a bear.
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