Looking at the burning destroyer gradually sinking, Kaguya, floating in the air, snorted coldly and dusted her hands, her clear eyes flashing with cold light.
She hadn't intended to cause trouble, but the destroyer repeatedly attacked, making her furious. These American forces didn't know when to stop. Did they think she was an easy target? She had long been displeased with their arrogance, and her response was correspondingly severe. Their current predicament was their own doing.
Faced with Kaguya's immense power, the massive destroyer stood no chance. Neither the Phalanx CIWS nor the missiles could penetrate the defense shield formed by Kaguya's Truth-Seeking Balls.
However, Kaguya discovered something strange: when she wasn't using her powers, she appeared as a loli, but when she did, her body transformed into that of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl.
This baffled Kaguya. Was it because of her powers, or had her body undergone some mutation? Or did this change occur after arriving in this world?
Kaguya couldn't figure it out, but she did gain the ability to change her appearance at will. This was not an illusion like the Transformation Technique but a genuine transformation.
Just as Kaguya was about to leave, a few more missiles came whistling toward her.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
With a series of deafening explosions, Kaguya, floating in the air, was hit by the missiles. The explosion was like a display of fireworks, with flames and smoke billowing.
At this moment, a fighter jet roared past. It had a light gray paint job and streamlined design—the United States' most advanced fifth-generation fighter, the F-22.
"Reporting to command center, the target has been hit, the target has been hit."
"Is it destroyed?"
"No sign of the target, the target has been... Aah!"
The pilot of the fighter jet let out a ghost-like scream as he looked up. Unbeknownst to him, someone was standing atop the jet—the silver-haired girl they had been ordered to eliminate.
The silver-haired girl stood on the jet, her hair dancing in the wind. She raised her arm, aimed at the jet, and gave a squint-eyed smile. Under normal circumstances, such a beautiful smile would captivate many, but to the pilot, it was a demon's grin.
With a loud "boom," the fighter jet exploded instantly, becoming a fireball that disintegrated in the air, scattering metal fragments into the sea below.
"Now interrupting with breaking news. Earlier today, in the South China Sea, Chinese and US fleets engaged in intense conflict, but both sides remained rational and restrained, preventing escalation. This afternoon, China and the US issued a joint statement, signing a peace agreement. The US fleet will withdraw from the South China Sea, and the US acknowledges China's sovereignty over the South China Sea."
The news caused a significant international uproar. No one expected the usually tough US to sign such an agreement, effectively admitting defeat and compromise. To other countries, this was unimaginable.
Seeing the US compromise, the Philippines dared not continue. Shortly after the joint statement, the Philippines met with the Chinese ambassador, recognized China's rights in the South China Sea, and promised to withdraw from Zhongye Island and other territories, even offering symbolic compensation to China.
The confrontation between the Chinese and US fleets in the South China Sea had been on the brink of war, and many pessimistically believed a conflict was inevitable. However, the subsequent developments left everyone astonished. The situation turned unexpectedly, with the US backing down and China emerging as the biggest winner. This baffled many military observers who couldn't understand what had stopped the escalating conflict.
Only the top officials of China and the US knew the true reason behind these events.
The US Third Fleet and Seventh Fleet had suffered significant losses. Three aircraft carriers sank, two were heavily damaged and incapacitated, and fourteen Aegis destroyers were sunk, with twenty-three heavily damaged. Two sank on their way back to port, and the death toll exceeded tens of thousands. This was the greatest loss the US had suffered since World War II.
However, due to an information lockdown, most countries didn't know what had happened in the South China Sea, only a few coastal nations were aware.
Qiao Xiaoqing walked along the street, feeling distracted, still trying to process what had happened earlier.
"The US has agreed to sign a peace agreement and accepted some of our demands. However, they also have one request: to find this person."
The photo depicted a stunningly beautiful woman. Her silver hair fluttered in the wind, her skin was as white and flawless as porcelain, her eyebrows arched like distant mountains, and her eyes were like clear autumn waters. Her figure was tall and curvaceous, clad in a black Gothic-style dress, its pleats swaying in the wind, revealing her fair legs.
Qiao Xiaoqing belonged to the National Security Special Operations Division, commonly known as the Security Bureau, which handled national strategy, security, counter-espionage, and intelligence gathering. Her department, the Fifth Division, was responsible for intelligence collection, and her current mission was to find this girl, reportedly connected to the recent South China Sea conflict.
Since returning, Qiao Xiaoqing had been feeling restless, as if something was about to happen. The person in the photo looked increasingly familiar, as if she had seen her somewhere before, yet she couldn't quite recall.
"I'm back," Qiao Xiaoqing called out, pushing open the door and stepping inside, changing into slippers and entering the living room. The room was spotless, as if it had been carefully cleaned. The table was dust-free, and the windows sparkled, but there seemed to be no sign of anyone's presence.
"Has she left after all?" Qiao Xiaoqing sighed, knowing that Kaguya couldn't stay here indefinitely. She had her job and couldn't always accompany her, so leaving was inevitable.
Still, Qiao Xiaoqing felt reluctant. Despite their short time together, it felt like they had known each other forever, a familiarity she hadn't felt since that person left.
She regretted not giving Kaguya a phone to stay in contact. How had she overlooked such a simple thing? Qiao Xiaoqing ruffled her hair in frustration, feeling discouraged.
"Back already?"
At that moment, a familiar and pleasant voice sounded in the room.
Qiao Xiaoqing's eyes widened as she quickly turned around, staring in disbelief at the figure standing in the room. It was the silver-haired loli she hadn't seen for days.