"If I truly wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead."
At that moment, a pleasant voice suddenly spoke from behind them.
Sayo's pupils contracted, and Ieyasu was also startled. They wanted to turn around but found their bodies wouldn't move, as if they were paralyzed, unable to even hold their weapons steadily.
From behind them, a silver-haired girl emerged, walking in front of them. Without them noticing, Kaguya, who should have been at a distance, had appeared right behind them.
"You..." Ieyasu gritted his teeth and spoke with difficulty. A sense of helplessness overwhelmed him as if his body had been drained of energy, and he could no longer hold his sword. With a clang, it fell to the ground.
"How is this possible?"
"I told you, if I truly wanted to kill you, it wouldn't take any effort."
Kaguya took light steps towards Sayo, her lips curving into a smile as she lifted Sayo's chin with her pale fingers and chuckled, "Such naive children. Only children would innocently think that those who offer poisoned candy are good people."
"You, what do you mean?" Sayo endured Kaguya's intrusion, her cheeks flushing with pink.
"What I mean is—"
"Let her go!"
Before Kaguya could finish, a burst of energy suddenly erupted from Ieyasu, like a small whirlwind surrounding him. He gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed on Kaguya as he tightly grasped the sword he had picked up from the ground.
"Oh?" Kaguya's beautiful eyes widened slightly, curious as she observed Ieyasu's sudden outburst of strength. A smile played on her lips. "As expected from Tatsumi's companion, you have some ability, managing to break free from my ocular technique."
Kaguya's ability to appear behind them was Yomotsu Hirasaka, the power to traverse space. The paralysis was caused by her ability to manipulate others. Surprisingly, Ieyasu had managed to escape her control. Could it be because her powers were suppressed, or did this boy have some unique ability?
"I said let her go!"
With a furious shout, Ieyasu stepped forward, like a violent storm, charging at Kaguya. His speed was incredible; in an instant, he was before her, raising his sword, enveloped in a fierce wind blade, and struck down with all his might.
Gusts of wind surged, storms raged, and violent gales kicked up clouds of dust, filling the air with swirling particles.
"What?" Ieyasu's pupils shrank, his face filled with disbelief.
As the dust settled, the girl named Kaguya had blocked his full-force strike with just two fingers.
Kaguya lightly flicked her fingers against Ieyasu's sword, and he felt a powerful force pushing him back. He stumbled, nearly falling over.
"How is this possible?" Ieyasu exclaimed in shock.
"You can wield the power of wind? Quite a useful ability." Kaguya smiled slightly, extending her fair arm, and with a slight bend of her fingers, Ieyasu's sword flew into her hand under an unseen force. "But still too immature."
Ieyasu gritted his teeth, clenching his fists in frustration and reluctance.
"With such strength, you can't be an ordinary person," Sayo said sternly. "Who are you?"
"That can wait," Kaguya replied with a soft smile. "More importantly, I think you should come and see something." She tossed the sword back to Ieyasu in an arc.
Ieyasu was caught off guard, surprised that Kaguya returned his sword, and awkwardly caught it, nearly cutting himself.
Sayo found she could move again and gripped her bow but ultimately held back. She knew that the silver-haired girl's strength was beyond what they could handle; even if they fought desperately, they might not harm her.
She's right. If she truly wanted to kill us, we'd already be dead.
Sayo and Ieyasu exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and followed her. They wanted to see what Kaguya was up to.
The three of them walked along the tree-lined path towards the back of the villa.
The back of the villa was a forest filled with lush trees and dense bushes, and it was eerily silent. In early summer, there should have been insects and birds, but there was no sound, making it even more unsettling.
Sayo and Ieyasu felt a chill creeping up their spines, a sense of dread rising, prompting them to stay close to Kaguya.
"All right, we're here."
After an unknown amount of time, Kaguya stopped. Ieyasu nearly bumped into her, blushing slightly.
His sense of direction had always been poor, causing him to get lost frequently. Once, he left his village and took a month to find his way back, earning him the nickname "road idiot." In the dark forest, he was completely lost.
Thankfully, no one noticed, and Ieyasu sighed in relief.
Before them was a structure resembling a warehouse, rusted and seemingly aged, with walls covered in creeping vines.
"Why did you bring us here?" Sayo asked.
"You'll know once you open it," Kaguya replied with a bright smile.
Sayo furrowed her brows but eventually approached, with Ieyasu following closely.
As they neared the warehouse, they vaguely heard sounds. The closer they got, the louder it became, though they couldn't discern what it was.
Sayo and Ieyasu exchanged glances, their throats tightening as they swallowed nervously. For some reason, a deep chill rose up their spines.
Finally, they stood outside the warehouse, and the sounds inside became clear to their ears. Their hearts skipped a beat, for what they heard were wails of agony.
With a flash of white and a clang, Ieyasu sliced through the warehouse's chains and pushed the doors open with a grating sound.
What they saw inside left Sayo and Ieyasu wide-eyed and speechless, staring in disbelief at the scene before them.