Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of What Defines Us

For How Long Will One Try?

Just as overseer Oke began stepping in closer, aiming to check on Erumo's condition, the girl squirmed and began slowly getting herself together. Her shaking arms pushed her body off the ground, then, began stroking the crimson marks over her body, in an attempt to wipe the bloodstains over her skin, clothes as hair.

It did not appear like the Kaguya Shikotsumyaku ability was very prone to submitting to chakra augmentation based defenses. Usually, breaking through the flesh of a ninja who was not overly worn out in combat would have been hard, requiring a significant difference in power or a miscalculation on the victim's part. There could have been no doubt that Erumo did not underestimate Jekleifer for a moment. This clean injury was proof of how penetrative and powerful the Kaguya bloodline was.

"It appears your opponent can still fight", overseer Oke turned at Jekleifer who nodded coldly, as if displaying his approval over Oke's permission to continue the battle and agreeing to his conclusions.

"Don't tire yourself out, feel free to stay down", Jekleifer taunted his opponent who forced a grin on her pale and smeared with bloody stains face.

"Same applies to you", she said inviting a moderate amount of surprise on Jekleifer's face. The trapster appeared to have noticed what Mana had seen as well – Jekleifer was actively damaging himself with each of his techniques. He may have been able to create bone but surfacing it and removing it through his flesh still spilled blood and was tremendously painful, mentally wearing the youth down a bit by bit.

The Kaguya clansman extended his palm forward, before pointing his fingers at the kunoichi he was facing off against. He intended to repeat the jutsu he had just used. That may have been the wise thing to do. If he took as much as a step forward, he was subjecting himself to risk to the traps that Erumo had set up. Hanging back and firing at his opponent, chipping down at her vitality, chakra, and willpower to keep going was the safe bet.

"Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!" Jekleifer grunted out loud. Erumo's fingers twitched, revealing a string of steel wire being tied around them.

"String Reeling Jutsu!" she chanted out before zipping away from danger and into the north-western part of the arena. "Wanna try this again?" she grinned, such confidence must have completely blown any mystery about if Erumo had a hunch about the strain the Kaguya bloodline jutsu had on Jekleifer to the Kaguya genin. Slowly, Jekleifer lowered his hand. He had landed a lucky blow. He would not land another of the same manner. Jekleifer needed to look for new opportunities...

The golden-haired Kaguya stretched out his tired and crimson-stains-wearing muscles, mentally preparing for something immensely painful. Mana could see unrest in Erumo's eyes. There was little she could do offensively – attacking the Kaguya was pointless due to his ability to form bone plates under his skin to soften blows and create bones from his body, which would have skewered one if they tried attacking him physically. This youth was a defensive fortress as much as he was a devastating spear.

"Don't turn your eyes from me!" Erumo yelled out pulling on another wire of string and unleashing a strong current of wind from a sealing tag stuck to one of the downed trees, that picked up and scattered a swarm of explosive tags all around the Kaguya. With an easy hand seal shape of her one hand, Erumo activated the tags and made them all detonate.

This really did hurt Jekleifer. The body of the young man was covered with nasty tears of where chunks of flesh were torn from his body and where bone plates covered him up, protecting his organs and his vital parts and preventing the damage from spreading too deep into his body. Still, the explosive trap had left its impact.

"You are an impressive kunoichi, for that reason I gave you time to impress the Ninja Council", Jekleifer huffed out in a tired and ridden with pain voice. The pain tolerance of this young man was out of this world – he suffered dozens of explosives detonating right up in his face while he created bone plates where there were none, burrowing under his skin like an opponent's blade, like an insertion of a foreign object. "However, that time is now past."