"Ice Clone!?"
Chiyo looked at the chunks of ice shredded to bits by the Chikamatsu Collection, then snorted coldly. A threatening target like this absolutely could not be allowed to grow successfully.
Somewhere on the ice field, Duke had hidden himself. Chiyo did not panic at all. Her arms bent naturally before her, and nearly imperceptible chakra threads from her fingertips connected to the Chikamatsu Collection, controlling them into a defensive formation around her.
A cold wind swept past, lifting Chiyo's hair. The silent Collection's white robes danced in the wind as they stood vigilantly on guard. Their elbows, like transformable construction toys, changed shape in an instant and flung out a barrage of spinning blades, their edges glinting with an eerie chill. In true puppeteer fashion, those blades were definitely laced with something.
"Ice Release: Blizzard!"
The faint breeze suddenly became a gale, and the temperature plummeted, making it impossible to keep one's eyes open. Chiyo controlled the Collection to block the storm. Ice pellets swept through the blizzard, striking the puppets like bullets with a rapid clatter and coating them in a thick layer of ice.
From Chiyo's blind spot behind her, Duke broke through the ice and flashed forward, throwing a punch straight at her lower back. The ninja handbook had records on puppeteers: having devoted their lives to developing Puppet Technique and mastering its skills, they neglected taijutsu and Illusion Technique training. In other words, in close combat, they were utter trash.
To kill a snake, strike seven inches from its head; to fell a tree, dig up its roots first! When fighting a puppeteer, close combat was the first choice.
Crack!
His punch landed on Chiyo's back. Before Duke could celebrate, he sensed that something felt wrong through his fist. He stomped against the ice