Dimensional Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

Kaguya let out a cold snort, a sharp glint flashing through her clear eyes. Gripping her katana tightly, she lunged forward like an arrow, her arm sweeping in a single arc. The blade's gleaming edge cut through the air like a rainbow, slicing the attacking ghoul cleanly in half.

Scarlet blood burst into the air like a rainstorm.

At the same time, a sharp sound of something breaking through the air came from behind her. Kaguya bent her lithe body gracefully to the side, avoiding the attack by a hair's breadth as the ghoul's claw swiped past her hair. Without hesitation, she struck out with her palm.

Vacuum Palm!

A dull "boom" echoed as the ghoul hit by the blow was sent flying backward like a rag doll. It crashed into a distant wall, embedding itself deeply into the solid rock. The sound of bones shattering echoed as it slid lifelessly to the ground.

The two remaining ghouls hesitated for a brief moment. Their ravenous faces twisted further, but their movements betrayed a flicker of wariness. Yet they rushed forward with a ferocity born of primal hunger, their claws gleaming with a deadly sheen as they slashed toward her.

Kaguya's lips curled into a slight smirk. With a tap of her foot, she retreated swiftly. Simultaneously, her wrist flicked, and her katana followed her movements like a shadow. The blade's edge flashed like icy light, slicing cleanly through their outstretched claws. Blood sprayed as their severed limbs spun in the air, landing with a dull thud far from their torsos.

"Roarrrr!"

The injured ghouls howled in agony, their eyes filled with unbridled ferocity. Their mangled limbs twitched violently as they lunged forward once more, completely disregarding their own injuries. Their primal hunger seemed to have completely overtaken any semblance of reason.

But before they could close the gap, Kaguya moved in a blur. With a few swift steps, she closed the distance, her blade arcing through the air.

Several dull thuds sounded as the ghouls crumpled to the ground, their severed heads rolling lifelessly across the cold floor. Blood pooled beneath their twitching bodies before their movements ceased entirely.

With a crisp "clang," Kaguya slid her blade back into its sheath.

The fight, which seemed chaotic and drawn out, had in reality lasted no more than a brief instant. The ghouls' surprise attack had been neutralized in the blink of an eye, leaving their corpses scattered across the ground.

However, there was no trace of satisfaction on Kaguya's face. Instead, her brows furrowed slightly. She had noticed something strange about these ghouls.

Kaguya's mental fortitude and spiritual awareness were exceptionally strong, making her highly attuned to the emotional and psychological states of those around her. While she couldn't read thoughts directly, she could clearly sense emotions like fear, anger, or joy.

Yet the ghouls here seemed utterly devoid of any complex emotions. There was no anger, no fear, no joy—nothing but an overwhelming and mindless desire to attack. They were less like people and more like starving wild beasts, driven solely by a primal urge to destroy.

Their twisted, savage faces made it clear that they had completely lost their sanity.

At that moment, another dark shadow crawled out from the corner and pounced on one of the lifeless ghoul corpses. The creature clung to the body and began tearing into it ravenously, ripping flesh apart and devouring it with frantic bites.

It was the first ghoul Kaguya had killed with her blade.

Could it be that hunger drove them to lose their minds?

She quickly dismissed this thought. Ghouls were creatures that could endure hunger for extended periods, and while hunger might weaken them, it wouldn't completely strip them of their sanity. The crazed behavior exhibited by these ghouls was far beyond normal.

Kaguya approached calmly, drawing her katana once more. With a single decisive motion, she swung the blade down.

The head of the feeding ghoul was severed cleanly, rolling several times before coming to a stop at her feet.

Kaguya didn't bother with further thoughts and walked directly into the depths of the laboratory.

The ghouls she had just encountered, though acting like mindless zombies, displayed extraordinary combat strength. At least one of them had the power of an S-class ghoul. If it had been someone else in her place, they might not have survived. It was evident that Kanou Akihiro's experiments had made significant progress; otherwise, such a large number of S-class ghouls wouldn't exist.

However, the experiments were far from perfect. The ghouls were devoid of reason, driven purely by instinct. It was hard to call this a true success. If anything, they were little more than failed products.

As she ventured deeper into the facility, the space became increasingly vast. The room she entered was as large as a football field, cluttered with a variety of experimental equipment. Most of it had been destroyed, bearing evident signs of deliberate sabotage.

Had Kanou Akihiro already abandoned this place?

Or had his experiments reached a breakthrough, prompting him to leave this facility behind?

The possibility that he had predicted her arrival seemed unlikely. Kanou did not possess such foresight. If he hadn't known she was coming, the only plausible explanations were that the experiments had either succeeded or something unexpected had occurred, forcing him to abandon this crucial base.

But these zombie-like creatures hardly seemed like a measure of success.

Suddenly, Kaguya's sharp ears twitched. She turned her head toward a black iron door not far away, from which faint, hoarse, and chaotic sounds emanated. The deep, raspy noises reverberated clearly in the vast, empty room.

Without hesitation, Kaguya walked over to the iron door and gave it a strong pull. It was firmly locked, far more secure and solid than the base's exterior gates. The sheer thickness of this door meant even her blade might struggle to cut through it.

Frowning, she raised her hand. A dark purple orb of energy, emanating an ominous and terrifying aura, formed in her palm—the Tailed Beast Ball. With a slight movement of her hand, the destructive sphere tore through the air, colliding forcefully with the iron door.

Boom!

The deafening explosion sent fragments of iron and stone flying in all directions. A powerful shockwave swept through the room, stirring up a dense cloud of dust and smoke.

When the dust settled, the iron door was gone, replaced by a jagged, gaping hole.

As Kaguya stepped through the opening, the scene before her made her freeze in place.

In the pitch-black darkness, countless crimson lights began to flicker, like fireflies glimmering in the night. Yet, unlike fireflies, these glowing red orbs radiated an eerie and unsettling aura. Upon closer inspection, she realized that these glowing points were the eyes of ghouls.

The enormous commotion had clearly startled the creatures inside. The room began to echo with unsettling growls and snarls. The glowing red eyes turned toward her, dozens of figures emerging from the shadows. Their grotesque faces, twisted beyond recognition, were more monstrous than human.

Without hesitation, the ghouls charged at her, their movements wild and uncoordinated, yet their killing intent unmistakable.

Seeing the wave of charging ghouls, Kaguya stood firm, a faint smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "So this is what Kanou Akihiro's idea of success looks like? What an utter joke. But fine, I'll clean up your mess for you."

...

In the pitch-black darkness, the ground was littered with corpses sprawled in every direction. Severed limbs and dismembered bodies were scattered across the floor, with scarlet blood slowly seeping from them, filling the air with an overwhelming stench of iron. The suffocating smell of blood was almost unbearable.

With a crisp sound, "clang", the blade was sheathed, its gleaming light vanishing into its scabbard.

Kaguya turned around, casting a glance at the gruesome scene of carnage before her. She placed her fingers under her chin and furrowed her brows slightly.

The ghouls here weren't ordinary. None of them were low-level; the weakest among them were A-class, with even some SS-class mixed in. This was far beyond what Kaguya had anticipated. Originally, she had thought that even if Kanou Akihiro managed to utilize her blood for his experiments, the number of high-level ghouls he could produce would be limited. Never did she expect such an overwhelming quantity of powerful creations.

Although these ghouls were not as intelligent or refined as ordinary ghouls, their ferocity and sheer physical power made them more dangerous. For human investigators or even regular ghouls, these creatures were terrifying opponents. The scale of Kanou's experiment had clearly reached an alarming level, enough to create such monstrous results.

What troubled Kaguya even more was that Kanou Akihiro himself had managed to escape. It seemed she was one step too late.

But it didn't matter. If he continued his schemes, he would eventually reveal his whereabouts again. When the time came, she would uproot him and his entire operation.

Suddenly, a faint, weak voice echoed in the vast room, breaking the silence.

"Help... me..."

Kaguya paused, startled, and turned in the direction of the sound. Following the faint voice, she saw a dimly outlined figure bound to a frame inside a cage not far away. The person's body was bloodied and covered in wounds, making them appear to be at death's door.

Frowning, Kaguya walked toward the cage. It was forged from solid steel, extremely sturdy. The person inside was spared from being devoured by the frenzied ghouls only because most of them had already been killed, leaving none to finish the job.

Upon reaching the cage, she noticed a large iron lock securing it. Kaguya grabbed the lock, exerting a bit of strength, and with a soft crunch, the metal crumbled like clay in her hand. She tossed it aside casually, the lock clanging against the floor.

When Kaguya stepped closer to the bound figure on the frame, she froze.

Bound to the frame was a woman—someone she recognized.

"Ms. Fueguchi?"

Kaguya's eyes widened in shock. She had never imagined encountering Hinami Fueguchi here. After Kaguya had saved Hinami and her daughter, Hinami, they had gone into hiding to avoid both ghoul investigators and hostile ghouls. She hadn't expected them to reappear, let alone in such a wretched state.

Quickly, Kaguya stepped forward, drawing a finger across the steel chains binding Hinami. The reinforced metal snapped effortlessly, and Hinami's fragile, limp body collapsed into Kaguya's arms.

Her condition was dire. Due to significant blood loss, her face was pale as a sheet, and her frail body seemed utterly lifeless, on the brink of death. If not for the faint rise and fall of her chest, one might think she was already gone. At this rate, if she didn't receive treatment immediately, she wouldn't survive the day.

Kaguya placed a hand on Hinami's body, channeling a steady flow of her pure chakra through her palm and into Hinami's weakened form. The healing energy worked rapidly, sealing the woman's wounds at a speed visible to the naked eye.

But after only a short while, Kaguya withdrew her hand, her brows tightly furrowed.

Hinami's injuries were too severe, and her body was far too weak. Even with Kaguya's advanced medical ninjutsu, she could only stabilize her condition temporarily and prolong her life for now.

It seems this is the only way.

Kaguya drew a line across her wrist with her finger, leaving a red mark. The crimson blood dripping from her skin appeared especially striking. She held her wrist to Fueguchi Hinami's lips, allowing the blood to flow gently into her mouth.

Gradually, Hinami's complexion began to improve. Her previously pallid skin took on a slight flush, and her breathing steadied. Kaguya placed her hand on Hinami's chest, feeling the once-weak heartbeat grow stronger.

Kaguya let out a long sigh of relief, deeply grateful. If Hinami had died, little Hinami would have been utterly heartbroken.

However, Kaguya suddenly froze. The sensation in her hand was full and soft, so irresistibly inviting that she subconsciously squeezed a few more times. The elasticity beneath her fingers was hard to ignore.

It was normally unnoticeable, but Kaguya hadn't expected Hinami's chest to be of such an impressive size—hidden magnificence, perhaps?

Not only that, but the softness was remarkable, so delicate that her fingers seemed to bounce back from its surface.

Then came a faint, delicate sound: "Mmngh…"

Startled, Kaguya quickly withdrew her hand, feeling a trace of awkwardness. It wasn't her fault—Hinami's incredible softness had simply drawn her in. When the sound broke the silence, Kaguya realized how inappropriate her actions were. After all, this was Hinami's mother.

This was… very awkward.

Still, Kaguya had a thick skin and wouldn't be fazed by something as trivial as embarrassment.

"Ms. Fueguchi, Ms. Fueguchi," Kaguya called softly, gently shaking Hinami's body. However, the unconscious Hinami showed no signs of waking up.

Lingering here wasn't a good idea, especially since the overwhelming stench of blood in the air was beginning to bother Kaguya. But before leaving, she needed to properly treat Hinami's injuries—her wounds were severe, and if it had been anyone else, they would likely have died already.

Of course, taking advantage of the situation while treating her was only natural.

By the time Kaguya carried Hinami out of the laboratory, the sun was already high in the sky. She hadn't realized that several hours had passed while she was inside.

The bright sun now shone overhead, its rays adding a touch of warmth to the cold winter day.

Kaguya turned back, glancing at the dark, ominous entrance to the laboratory. She raised her hand and snapped her fingers with a crisp "snap."

At the sound, black flames erupted from the entrance, spreading rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the flames engulfed the entire laboratory, burning it down in a roaring inferno.

Such a place of evil… it's best if it disappears into ashes.

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