Dimensional Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

"You must really be itching for a beating," Kaguya said coldly, giving Yamori a sidelong glance. "In situations like this, it's often because you've been spoiled. Looks like I'll have to give you a good thrashing to teach you a lesson."

It was meant to be a powerful statement, but coming from someone who looked as young as Kaguya, it felt a little less convincing.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, when Yamori was glanced at by this black-haired girl, it felt like he'd been pricked by a needle. He looked again, but all he saw was the same delicate, frail-looking girl. Was it just his imagination?

Just as Kaguya rolled up her sleeves, preparing to step forward and teach him "why flowers bloom so beautifully," someone suddenly tugged on her clothes. The unexpected pull made Kaguya stumble slightly, almost losing her balance.

She turned to see that the culprit was Akira Mado herself.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Kaguya asked, her tone unfriendly.

"If you don't want to die, stay behind me," Akira said firmly, pulling Kaguya back. "If you'd left earlier, you might've had a chance. But now, don't stray too far from me. These ghouls won't spare you just because you're a bystander."

"Spoiled rich girl?" Kaguya blinked, her expression blank. "You must have mistaken me for someone else."

"Who else but some rich girl would be bored enough to put jewels on a sword?" Akira shot her a sharp glance. "When the fighting starts, don't get in the way. Otherwise, I won't be able to protect you."

"Don't worry about me," Kaguya said with a laugh, twirling her ornate katana, Ruri, between her fingers. "These small fries aren't my match. You should focus on taking care of yourself instead."

Does this girl even understand the gravity of the situation?

Akira's anger flared as she grabbed Kaguya by the collar, her voice rising in frustration. "Listen to me. This isn't a simulation or some game! This is real, and people die here. Do you understand? Or is that still not clear to you?"

Kaguya froze.

No one had ever spoken to her like this before. Everyone who encountered her either showed utmost respect or, if they dared to offend her, met a swift and deadly end.

For a moment, she was stunned.

Akira, seeing Kaguya's dazed expression, thought her words had finally sunk in. She exhaled slightly, relieved. No matter what, this girl needed to understand the seriousness of the situation. Otherwise, when the fighting began, she would only become another casualty, torn apart by the ghouls.

This naive, self-centered young lady would likely be the first to die.

But almost immediately, a bitter thought crossed Akira's mind. She could barely protect herself right now, yet here she was worrying about someone else. Maybe neither of them would survive this.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to let your guard down during a fight?"

A sudden, maniacal laugh jolted Akira back to reality. Yamori was already upon her.

He raised his burly, muscular fist high into the air, a sadistic grin spread across his face, and swung it down toward Akira's chest.

Akira's eyes narrowed as she gripped her whip tightly. With a sharp "snap," she lashed it out toward Yamori's fist. If she could entangle his hand, she might still have a chance.

But just as her whip lashed out, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her—it was Kaguya.

"Idiot," Akira muttered through gritted teeth, her fury boiling over.

She had clearly told this girl to stay put, yet here she was, completely ignoring her instructions and stepping into the line of fire. Akira could only watch helplessly as Kaguya seemed moments away from being struck by Yamori's powerful attack.

With Yamori's strength, even a trained investigator wouldn't be able to withstand a blow like that. If it landed, this girl would be turned into nothing more than a bloody smear on the ground.

At this critical moment, Akira Mado gritted her teeth and reached out, grabbing Kaguya and shoving her aside with all her might.

"Ah!"

Caught off guard, Kaguya stumbled and was sent flying. "Bang!" Her face met the wall in an unceremonious crash.

"How ridiculous—trying to save someone in the middle of a fight. Are you playing house?" Yamori roared with laughter as he grabbed hold of Akira's whip and yanked it forcefully. "Die!" He swung his arm violently to the side.

Akira's pupils shrank as she tried to let go of her whip, but it was too late. Her body was yanked into the air and slammed against the wall with a heavy "boom!" She crumpled to the ground, rolling a few times before coming to a stop. Blood spurted from her mouth with a harsh "pfft."

"Pathetic," Yamori sneered as he took a step toward her, shrugging his shoulders. Looking down at her with a menacing grin, he said, "Humans are just food on a plate. To think you'd dare to resist—how naive."

"You inhuman beasts are nothing but flesh-eating animals," Akira spat, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth as she glared at him with hatred.

"Oh? That reminds me," Yamori said with a sinister grin, cracking his knuckles with a series of "crack, crack" sounds. "I haven't eaten today. You look tender and delicious. Guess I'll give you a try."

He slowly approached Akira, stopping just in front of her. Extending his large hand, he reached for her hair. At that moment, with a sharp "snap," a shadow darted toward Yamori's face like a flash of lightning.

"Slap!"

A red mark appeared on Yamori's face, a thin cut tracing across his skin.

Startled, Yamori wiped the blood from his face, his expression twisting into one of rage. "You bitch! How dare you hit me? You're dead!"

Without hesitation, he aimed a fierce kick at Akira's abdomen.

Akira lay curled on the ground, her face slick with sweat from the pain. Gravely injured, she had no chance of resisting Yamori's attack. As she clenched her teeth and shut her eyes, bracing herself for the blow, a deafening "boom!" erupted.

Debris flew everywhere, and dust filled the air.

Akira winced as sand and rubble struck her face. The sting forced her to open her eyes, and what she saw left her stunned.

Yamori had somehow been hurled into the wall. The impact left a massive crater, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading across its surface. His body bore several deep wounds, and crimson blood trickled steadily from them.

Standing in front of Akira was the black-haired girl she had pushed away earlier. Kaguya held a combat-ready stance, her katana glinting faintly with streaks of fresh blood.

Could it have been her?

The thought felt absurd to Akira. How could that possibly be?

The black-haired girl turned her head and flashed her a grin. "You just stay right there," Kaguya said casually. "Leave the rest to me. Oh, and try not to get in my way, okay?"

"Are you crazy?" Akira struggled to push herself up from the ground with her arms, yelling angrily. "Are you a complete idiot?"

"An idiot?"

Kaguya rubbed her nose, red from hitting the wall, and let out a cheeky laugh. "Don't worry. These small fries are nothing to me. Just stay down and rest there. We wouldn't want someone to 'pick you up' while you're out cold, would we?"

At the mention of "picked up," Kaguya couldn't help but glance over at Akira. Her clothes were in disarray, with a few areas torn to reveal a glimpse of her pale shoulders and a hint of snow-white skin at her chest. The black stockings on her thighs had several large tears, exposing patches of fair skin. The sight was undeniably alluring, especially paired with her current vulnerable position.

What a beautiful woman, Kaguya mused to herself.

"You idiot!" Akira exclaimed, infuriated. "Do you have any idea what's going on? That's Yamori—a notorious S-rated ghoul! Do you think you can deal with him? You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Relax, relax," Kaguya said, coughing lightly as she withdrew her gaze and waved dismissively. A bright smile crossed her face as she said, "There's no way I'd die that easily. Want to know a secret? I'm actually pretty strong!"

"Idiot," Akira muttered, her teeth grinding in frustration. She felt like she was about to explode from rage. Does this girl have any awareness of the danger she's in?

To her, Kaguya seemed like a naive high schooler trapped in a childish fantasy, as though she thought this was a schoolyard brawl rather than a life-or-death battle with bloodthirsty ghouls.

"Hahaha!" Yamori took large strides forward, laughing maniacally. "Not bad. I like your stupidity. To think that there's such a fool among humans—someone who actually believes they can take on ghouls like me. It's hilarious!"

"What's so funny?" Kaguya stepped onto a nearby stone, her tone sharp and rude. "Looking like a bear, aren't you embarrassed to show your face in public? Aren't you afraid someone might drag you off to a zoo?"

Kaguya had no patience for politeness when it came to ugly men like Yamori. While she reserved sweet words for beauties, Yamori didn't qualify.

"A bear?"

Yamori's face darkened. "I was planning to let you live a bit longer, but since you're in such a hurry to die, I'll grant your wish. Get her! I'll deal with her myself."

As he spoke, a feral grin spread across his face, revealing sharp fangs.

At his command, the dozen ghouls rushed forward. Their claws gleamed menacingly as they pounced on Kaguya, their figures blurring with speed. To them, this fragile-looking girl was nothing more than easy prey.

But they had no idea what they were up against.

Before they could even reach her, Kaguya let out a soft laugh. Her thumb flicked the hilt of her katana, and with a snap, the blade was unsheathed. A dazzling gleam of light shot forward like a radiant rainbow. Her blade blurred into countless afterimages, forming an overwhelming flurry of strikes that descended upon the ghouls like a storm.

Slash, slash, slash!

The blade tore through their bodies effortlessly. Blood sprayed through the air, and severed limbs flew in all directions. The crimson mist of blood mixed with the persistent autumn rain, painting the scene in a grotesque palette of red.

The lifeless bodies of the ghouls fell heavily to the ground, splattering blood everywhere. Their eyes remained wide open, faces frozen with expressions of terror, as though they hadn't even registered their deaths before it was too late.

"Doesn't seem like much of a challenge," Kaguya chuckled softly. She flicked her arm, sending beads of blood flying off the blade of her sword to spatter onto the ground, leaving a crimson stain.

"Ah… Ah…"

The remaining ghouls, terrified by the sudden carnage, stood rooted to the spot. They glanced at Kaguya in utter horror, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. A few even began stepping backward, the overwhelming fear leaving them incapable of thought or action.

"How disgraceful," Kaguya said with a smirk. "Trash like you has no reason to keep existing. You can all die now."

As her words fell, Kaguya stepped forward with explosive speed, as though she had transformed into an arrow loosed from a bow. In an instant, she was behind the retreating ghouls. With a flick of her wrist, her blade danced through the air like an extension of her body, releasing a dazzling flash of light.

Slash, slash, slash!

Before the ghouls could take more than a few steps, the blade pierced through their bodies effortlessly. Blood sprayed through the air as their limbs were severed, the crimson mist blending with the light autumn rain.

In mere moments, the dozen or so ghouls collapsed to the ground in a heap of mangled corpses.

Lying prone on the ground, Akira Mado's eyes widened in disbelief, her face filled with shock as she stared at the scene unfolding before her.

She knew well that these ghouls were not weaklings. Many of them were seasoned fighters and had likely devoured countless humans. For an ordinary investigator, handling even one of them would require great effort. Yet in the span of mere seconds, over a dozen had been dispatched with ease.

Akira had initially pegged Kaguya as nothing more than an ordinary high school girl—albeit an exceptionally beautiful one. She had never imagined that this seemingly delicate girl would possess such overwhelming strength.

"Let me tell you a secret: I'm actually really strong," Kaguya's earlier words echoed in her mind. Could it be that this girl was truly as formidable as she claimed?

At that moment, a shadow suddenly appeared behind Kaguya. The figure raised a massive arm, its fist the size of a bowl, and swung it directly toward her back with devastating force.

"You're too careless!"

Akira's pupils contracted. Pushing herself up with her arms, she shouted urgently, "Watch out!"

But it was too late.

"Boom!"

A dull, thunderous sound rang out as an immense force erupted like a tidal wave. The shockwave kicked up a storm of dust and debris, forcing even Akira, who was lying on the ground, to close her eyes against the stinging wind.

When the storm finally subsided, Akira opened her eyes anxiously. A sinking feeling weighed heavily in her chest. No human could possibly survive such a powerful strike. Unlike ghouls, humans lacked the regenerative abilities or resilience to endure such attacks.

If Kaguya had been hit…

In her mind's eye, Akira could already picture the girl's grievously injured form.

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