There was no time to think. The black bear's next attack was already upon her. Its paws swung with ferocious speed, the sound of tearing air ringing out incessantly.
"Ugh... what a pain."
Yui's gaze sharpened slightly. Watching the paw sweep toward her, she flipped backward and swiftly evaded it.
The instant she landed, she swung Hakutaku again. Just as before, the keen Sword Aura struck the bear's paw, sending metallic sparks flying.
"Don't tell me it's really made of iron!" Her voice grew a little grave. "What kind of black bear is this? How can its flesh be so hard?"
"Heh heh... Yui Hyuga, you guessed right. This bear's hide is tough, truly like iron." Kazama Ya spoke very quietly, using the surrounding noise to mask his voice as he directed it straight into Yui's ears.
"And you've probably already seen that this bear can turn invisible."
"What's more..." Kazama Ya tried to warn her of something.
"Roar!" A piercing bellow assaulted her ears. Kazama Ya cut off what he was about to say and fell silent inside the Gourd again.
"Fun... fun." The enormous black bear threw back its head and roared, pounding its chest with both paws as though venting its emotions.
"Kazama Ya? What's more? Does this bear have some other ability?" Yui frowned at the Gourd at her waist. Having someone stop halfway through a sentence always left her uneasy.
Inside the Gourd, Kazama Ya rolled his eyes disdainfully. "Hmph... whose fault is it that you didn't let me finish earlier? Now look... you're reaping what you sowed!"
As the black bear's presence grew more imposing, Yui sensed trouble. She shifted her feet and hurriedly backed away. It seemed she could not defeat this black bear without using her true abilities.
But doing so might