School Grounds Fun

Hotaru's gaze was fixed on the Hollow bait as he explained what was to happen. Though she took in his words she didn't respond. Seeing the fracture form in the bait she could tell that it was no bluff. This would be a real situation where she would really be forced to take action in order to protect the others. Once the piece of bait had burst her eyes widened in disbelief.

'Oh goodness. He really broke it.'

"Sensei... Looks like I've got no option but to do my best here. I suppose I'm off to take care of a hollow infestation."

Knowing that she didn't have as much time to prepare for this scenario as she'd have liked, Hotaru took off from where she had been standing, leaving her bag behind as books would be of no use in this situation. Through a little acrobatics and use of hirenkyaku, the girl was soon atop the roof of the school, albeit keeping some distance from the fault in the barrier that she was able to spot.

'And I really can't rely on anyone with this. Trial by fire. Maybe this will be good for target practice though.'

Through the glove on her right hand, Hotaru formed her bow. Though she kept her gaze to the fault she did not yet form an arrow, instead taking in the calm before the storm that was sure to happen soon enough.

Ai nodded his head as he lightly started to dust his hands off against one another. He raised his right arm up and pulled his sleeve down as he lowered it back down to eye level to look at his wristwatch. He then looked back up too Hotaru and then looked around.

A small rift started to pull itself open in the sky over the school. A long white claw forced its way out and soon another. A long pale face pushed forward as it let out a low moan.

Hotaru looked up to the sky as the rift began to open, signifying the beginning of what was likely going to be a long evening. Though it was getting more difficult to see with the dwindling light, the girl could see the large clawed hands and pale face. Her eyes widened as she saw this, it wasn't something that she had been prepared for in this exercise but now would be forced to face.

'You've gotta be kidding me...is that a Menos? We must be that appetizing of a place for one of them to come out. I'd have thought for sure the small fry would flock here instead first.'

Though the girl had never faced such a hollow before, she readied her bow and took aim at the being. Pulling from her surroundings she produced her first arrow and pulled back on her bowstring. Her aim set, Hotaru fired the first arrow from her place on the rooftop, hoping to hit one of the creature's hands.

The hollow slowly started to pull apart the sky as the rift started to open more and more. It was finally stopped as an arrow pierced its hand. It only seemed to stop out of the sudden attack. It halted its moving but it was only the start.

Four smaller hollows appeared, one with the looks of a bat, and the other three of large iguana-like bodies. The bat started to fly across the sky as the others crashed onto the ground.

Ai had started to Hirenkyaku from tree top to tree top, a golden bow appearing in his hand as he pulls back and leaves a line of light from his arrow as they stay still and hidden within the trees. He continues this in silence and moving around without paying much mind to the hollows or Hotaru

Hotaru watched as the large one stopped its motion, but her attention was diverted by the other smaller hollows that had approached the area now. Quickly she looked at each, counting them.

'Three on the ground, one in the sky. Since there are more on the ground it would make sense to take care of them first before they become a threat. If I miss they can at least come for me instead of others.'

The plan in her head, the girl stood upright and pulled back on her bow again. She fired an arrow at each on the ground before scanning the skies for the flying hollow.

A arrow struck into the back of one of the reptile like creatures and slammed it into the ground. Another of the creatures slid to a stop as an arrow struck the ground in front of it and it snarled as he started to weave through the trees and toward the one that shot it. The last was hit in the mask and faded before it could even let out a cry of pain.

The bat like creature that shot through the clouds, its red eyes glimpsing when the clouds didn't cover it.

The massive hollow stayed in its still position as it didn't seem to take to anything. But more hollow started to appear around it, several large snake like hollows slithered out and around its fingers and started to drop to the ground.


Ai continued his movements, jumping from one spot to the next and releasing a never moving arrow where he once was.

Hotaru only caught a glimpse of the flying Hollow before it went beneath cloud cover again and clicked her tongue.

'Can't get it easily like that...'

Instead of focusing on what she couldn't catch easily, Hotaru turned her attention back toward the ground and the Hollows she hadn't dispatched on the first try. She shot another arrow at each. Once she had she heard the first thud of one of the snake-hollows as it made a fall on the ground.

"They're multiplying. Of course they would though given someone had to bait them and we're tempting meals as it is."

Drawing back on her bowstring again, the young woman launched several more arrows at the new arrivals.

The lizard like hollow that was struck in the back had little time to move as a arrow shot right through its skull and it faded. The last of the lizards shot in and out of the trees and another arrow shot at it but only managed to snip its tail off but it grew closer to her.

The snakes that hit the ground were four and they started to slither toward the baits original location but when one of them turned into a pin cushion, the others quickly made it to the cover of trees.

The large hollow continued to remain motionless as five bird-like hollows cawed and burst from the rift and into the skies with its fellow bat hollow that was still under the cover of cloud.


Ai noticed that the number of hollows were starting to get more and more. He knew that there were going to be a lot but he also figured that Kotaru could handle herself

"Or I can only hope."

He had made a few laps around the grounds and arrows of light were held in place within the leaves of the trees as he continued on yet another round.

Hotaru remained poised after firing the last arrow for the moment. The Hollows seemed rather adept at going for cover both on the ground and sky which would be problematic as their numbers continued to increase.

"Cowards, the whole lot of them. This isn't good at all. And I can't just fire blindly either. At least not toward the ground..."

Turning her attention to the sky Hotaru aimed her bow to the cloud she had spotted one of the Hollows fly into. Though it was a long shot, she then attempted to fire into the cloud cover. If she didn't hit the least she could hope for was to lure some of the bird-hollows from their hiding places.

The last reptile-like hollow crawled its way up a house and onto its roof, rearing back and poised to jump on the qunicy.

The snakes had wrapped around the trees and started to move from one to the next, one being unlucky enough to wrap its upper body around a branch but hid an arrow on its side, cutting the hollow in half and dropping the parts to the ground with a thud. A head of a snake popped up to try and find the archer.

The bat like hollow continued to dash across the skies but as the arrows were shot through the clouds, it was was forced to stop its weaving and stop. The bird-like hollows tried to mimic the bat in its hiding and all were shot out the sky, fading before they even hit the ground.

The large hollow remained motionless but it slowly started to open its mouth but still, nothing more from it. Larger Hollows appeared at its sides, seemingly fighting to move past it but failing in there attempts.


Ai continued to move from tree to tree and placing more arrows in them, dodging a bite from a snake hollow but not firing at it. He simply released yet another arrow and continued "And. Just. A. Few. More."

After shooting the bird-hollows from the sky, Hotaru switched her attention back to the ground. Before her gaze reached there though, she spied the remaining lizard-type that had made it to the roof. Without hesitation the girl pulled back on her bowstring and fired at the mask of the Hollow. Once she had Hotaru glanced up toward the large hollow and frowned.

'This is going too slow. There's gotta be a better way about this.'

Seeing that none of the large hollows were getting through, her focus shifted toward the treeline where the others had run off to. As a test she fired a single shot.

"How to get you guys out of hiding..."

The reptile like hollow had lunged at the quincy but midair, it could not avoid the arrow as it shot strait through it, it dissipating shortly after.

The snake like hollows aimed to keep there distance away from the arrows that rested in the tree's after seeing what happened to the one. They kept themselves hidden but when an arrow stuck the ground, they let out a hiss and rustled the trees before jumping out of them and aimed to slither up another set of trees.

The bat like hollow had started its diving as it streamed across the sky and shot itself high into the air, seemingly out of sight.

The large hollow slowly let its mouth open wider and wider but still never moving. The other hollows around it continued to try and force there way out but to no avail.


Ai had finally made several trips around the campus around and now stood atop a single tree, panting lightly as he held his bow at his side.

"Come on miss Nakano, don't hesitate to think of new things to fit the situation. Nothing in battle ever goes that way someone plans it. You have to improvise and adapt. Think of quicker or more powerful ways to put the situation in your favor."

Seeing that the shot did nothing to help the situation the girl ran her index finger of her left hand along the bowstring while focused on the woods. Keeping the bow raised she prepared to draw back again on the string.

'Well usually I'm pretty good at breaking my arrows after shooting. Maybe there's some way that I can use that to find those Hollows. To where hiding won't help, no matter how long.'

Slowly Hotaru began to draw back, focusing on the arrow of energy she was creating as she did so. Once she was content with the style of the arrow she had created, the girl fired toward where she had fired previously, having noted the hisses.

"Let's try this. Burst. Please?"

Once it had reached the forested area the arrow lost its form, splitting in a blast. Pieces of the arrow branched out from the break, which would hopefully embed themselves upon several of the snake-hollows in the area if it made contact, forming a mark.

The snake like hollows made there way into the trees once more as they slithered around as to not be seen or shot at again. They hid themselves from sight, only letting out light hiss sounds of them detecting their prey or soon to be. But this did not go well with what the quincy had in mind.

Her arrow shot through the air and as she spoke the single word, the arrow reacted as it seemed to explode from the command word. The needle-like objects that burst forth shot in every direction, some of them pinning into the side of the trees, some of them actually striking the snakes on some part of there body.

The needles dimmed and soon vanished as the ones on the hollows did the same. But where they were first struck, a cross appeared on the single spot.

The bat was no longer in sight but the light screeches told that it was still in the area.

The large hollow had stopped moving as a red glow started to become faint in the back of its mouth. The arms of the other hollows around it tried to push the bigger one out if its way but they could only seem to reach out and nothing more.


Ai watched Hotaru as she released and arrow and it burst. He smiled as he raised his bow up and patted his wrist in a silent applaud to her

"Very well done miss Nakano, that was impressive. I knew you could handle this....or at least hoped you would. Headmaster would kill me if he knew I used hollow bait without authorization."

He made sure to speak the last part under his breath as he then looked up at the large hollow in the sky as he then raised his bow and aimed at it and pulled back as a arrow appeared and he then slowly moved his arm forward and back, moving the arrow in the same motion as if to get a feel for it.

"Good. It burst and hopefully can give me some show of where these snakes are."

With no hesitation after the signs of the prior arrow died down Hotaru drew back on the bow again, creating another arrow. Focusing on this arrow she concentrated on making sure that it was similar to the previous one. Having this new arrow formed she focused on the closest mark that she could sense.

"Please hit the mark."

This time, if all went well the arrow wouldn't burst, but would instead seek out the chosen mark of the previous arrow which rested on an unwitting Hollow. She would then repeat this for the other targets that she now had, hoping to extinguish the hiding Hollows.

The snakes continued to keep themselves from sight as the trees did that well for there body types. But there were four left and it was something that was not going to be seen by any other them. As the quincy fired her shot, the arrow changed from its straight forward shot and made a direct path toward a tree and shortly after, into the cross mark of the hollow.

The other hollows started to try and slither away but like the first, the arrows shot through the leaves and straight into them and forcing one out into the open where it was pinned to the ground and struggled before stopping and seemingly dying as it soon faded.

The bat like hollow finally returned to sight as it was making a straight dive down at the quincy, any chance of stopping it was beyond anyone's power from its height, even if it was struck by an arrow, the body would surely do damage. If it was struck many times over itself then it may not be so much of a threat.

The giant hollow's red light slowly started to grow brighter and brighter. The hollows around it slowly stopping there will to try and escape and pulled there arms back into the darkness.


Ai looked toward Hotaru as she fired another arrow and after shooting into the trees, the hollows soon fell out and he glanced back to her. It was like his own Sucher Arrow but she could pin point more than one target. He looked back toward the large hollow and pulled back his arrow once more and then released it as he started to make a circle in front of him of hovering arrows.

After dispatching the last of the Hollows hiding within the trees, Hotaru returned her attention to the skies. Looking up she finally spotted the elusive bat-Hollow. It was headed...right for her. Initially her instinct told her to get away but she then recalled that she was atop the Academy. Anyone could be inside of it and if that Hollow tore through she wouldn't be able to protect them if she moved.

'Little other choice but to try to shoot it out of the sky before it reaches me.'

Fixing her gaze to the bat-Hollow and not noticing what it was that the larger Hollow was doing, Hotaru lifted her bow, aiming it toward the sky as she formed an arrow. Once her aim was set she would fire an arrow like she had brought on those others moments ago. Preparing the next shot, she watched and waited for the arrow was close to the Hollow.

"Burst!"

The arrow was blasted apart just before it could strike the Hollow, it's remnants splitting out in numerous directions. Not taking the time to watch if it had made she fired five more arrows, all in the direction of the descending bat-Hollow.

The bat like hollow was in a nosedive toward the quincy and had no intent on stopping. It continued straight down, even as the arrow was released. But as she spoke the magical word once more, the arrow blew up and the pins shot out and many of them hit the bat but did not slow it, five crosses forming over it. It's mask, three on the wings, and one on its chest.

When she shot the next arrows, they shot straight into the sky in a direct line but broke formation and each one picked a cross and pierced them. With each hit, it jerked but the other arrows still found there marks. The bat started to swivel in the sky and by the time it reached the quincy, a single drop of what remained of its mask tapped against the ground below and soon disappeared.

The giant hollow continued to gain more and more of its charge, the air itself seemed to get thicker from the condensed spiritual pressure. The cero bulging seemingly at this point as a light vibrating went through the air.


Ai pulled back on his bow just a bit more before speaking aloud

"Good Job Miss Nakano! You pass with flying colors! Now just watch how I do things!"

As he spoke that he released the arrow and as he did, he spoke once more

"Eingefroren Arrow!"

As he said the words, every arrow that he had taken the time to place in the trees around the campus, and the circle of arrows in front of him all released themselves. All of the aimed at one point, the hollow in the air. Before the cero could be fired, the hundreds of hundreds of arrows pelted on the hollow until the mass of them and the held cero blew up in the sky in a bright blue fireball.

Spoiler:

Ai let his bow drop down to his side as it disappeared and he let out a deep breath before dropping to his knees at the sight, that and the sheer amount of arrows being held at once was both wonderful and horrifying and tiring at the same time.

Though it kept its descent up to the last moment, Hotaru didn't move out of the way and kept her bow at the ready until it was no more. Once she had done her part and the teacher spoke, the girl's bow vanished and she brought her hand down. She retrained her focus to a different part of the sky, watching as he took care of the large Hollow with a rather flashy display of numerous arrows. When the barrage had finished she located Ai, going over to his side. Looking at him, she tilted her head slightly and questioned him.

"Does this mean we're done finally, Kazuma-sensei? Or will there still be some attraction to the bait? Either way won't people start to wonder what's going on if they hadn't sensed the Hollows already?"

Ai slowly turned his attention over toward Hotaru and listened as she spoke about people noticing and if they were done. He nodded his head and then spoke

"Yes, yes, we are done for the day and after that, I don't think even the stupidest hollow would come around her for a good day or so. And if anyone noticed....well, I don't see any hollows...."

He leaned forward and pulled himself off the ground before dusting his chest off and straitening his shirt and glanced over to her with a coy smile

"do you~?"

At his comment on seeing Hollows the girl turned from him to survey the surroundings. Not feeling or seeing anything she figured he was right and that no hollows were remaining nor would return to the area for now.

"You have a point with that, I'll give you that much Sensei."

With a smile in return the girl walked toward the edge of the rooftop before peering down over the side.

"Now to get back down from here somehow."

Ai laughed lightly as she spoke about not seeing any hollows in sight or sensing any within range. He was joking about the situation and that was something he was going to have to find a way into make sure she got a good grasp of jokes and his own sense of humor. He soon followed her over to the edge and placed his hands on his hip as he then took in a deep breath

"Well that's easy..."

He moved his free arm down and leaned forward as he scooped her up into his arms as he then spoke

"I jump with you and all is well."

He then took a step forward as he used his Hirenkyaku to appear down near the ground and took a few steps forward before looking down at her

"So you can go up with no problem but getting back down is? Cat like much?"

Hotaru had still been glancing over the ledge of the roof when Ai joined her. In truth she was looking for a sort of ladder or step on which she could at least start to descend to the ground. So it came as a bit of a shock when she had been lifted up by the teacher.

"Eh?"

Before she could really properly register what had happened they were back on the ground thanks to a skilled execution of Hirenkyaku. She made a mental note to have to practice getting down from high places before responding honestly.

"I've never had to worry about getting down from heights. Sure, I've jumped out a window a few times in a hurry before but never off a roof."

After answering his question she remained that way for a moment as if nothing was wrong. Slowly though it finally registered that the teacher had her in his arms. The redness of her face could be seen increasing at the rate that such a thing sunk in before she brought up the fact.

"And...um...Kazuma-sensei?"

Ai nodded his head as she spoke about the simple height was the factor in all of it. Another thing he would have to make sure to train her in when free time was given. He paused in thought as she started to turn beet red. He then listened as she said his name and it took him a moment himself to actually put the pieces together.

"Oh, right, right, you can walk on your own can't you?"

He laughed hesitantly as he leaned forward and slowly placed her feet on the ground before putting her down and out of his grasp.

Once she had been set back on the ground, Hotaru took a step back. Despite the flush on her face, she bowed to the teacher and smiled in thanks. It likely wouldn't have been pretty nor graceful if she had tried to find her own way down.

"Um, thank you for the help, Sensei. But yes I'm fine and able to stand."