Bolt of Ophiotaurus

The Bolt of Ophiotaurus is one of one hundred unique crossbow bolts capable of suspending a deity's invulnerability for fifteen seconds after a direct hit to the eye. Its reusable-but-fragile design makes Katia's single bolt a scarce answer to otherwise untouchable divine enemies.

History

Princess Formidable's benefactor gift

Katia receives the bolt as the only item in a benefactor box from Princess Formidable after the princess begins sponsoring her. The timing and anti-deity function lead Carl to suspect the gift may be intended for Formidable's brother, Prince Stalwart, who is believed to be occupying the war god Grull's body. That intended target remains Carl's interpretation rather than an instruction included with the item. (Chapter 103)

Katia first uses the bolt during the Bedlam battle with Ysalte. She gives it to Paz, who drives it into the goddess's eye and then concentrates an explosion on her neck while her invulnerability is paused. Paz receives credit for the kill, but Carl notes that Katia's bolt made it possible. Katia recovers the projectile and explains that magical bolts can be reused as long as they do not break, preserving the original strategic possibility despite the first use. (Chapters 290 and 293)

Emberus's vulnerability window

By the eleventh-floor arena, custody has passed with Katia's crossbow to Donut. Donut loads the Bolt of Ophiotaurus through Scorpion's Bite and fires it into Emberus's eye socket. His yellow invulnerability glow immediately disappears for the stated fifteen seconds; a Danforth bolt in the other eye holds him still, and Taranis kills him with one second remaining in the window. (Chapter 492)

The bolt is last seen embedded in Emberus when the god explodes. The scene does not show Donut recovering it or confirm that it survived, so its latest custody and reusability cannot be established beyond that shot. (Chapter 492)

Abilities and properties

• It is explicitly numbered 1 of 100, although Katia possesses only this single example. (Chapter 103)
• Against an ordinary target or a deity struck anywhere except the eye, it acts as a regular crossbow bolt. (Chapter 103)
• A direct strike to a deity's eye pauses that deity's invulnerability for fifteen seconds. It removes the protection window rather than killing, restraining, or otherwise defeating the deity by itself. (Chapters 103, 290, and 492)
• It can be recovered and reused if it does not break. Retrieval is not automatic, and the supplied corpus does not confirm recovery after Emberus explodes. (Chapters 293 and 492)
• The crossbow and a separate restraining attack still matter operationally: Donut uses Katia's repeating crossbow to aim the bolt and a Danforth bolt to keep Emberus from moving during the brief vulnerability. (Chapter 492)

Ownership and custody