Although the danger beasts had lost their rationality, they could still sense the dangerous aura emanating from the silver-haired girl in front of them, and instinctively moved away from her. Seeing her relentlessly pursuing them, the danger beasts scattered in all directions.
But their speed could not match Kaguya, who was like a stream of light. As soon as they turned around, their heads were severed by a blade of cold light, and blood spurted into the sky.
In no time at all, the danger beasts were slaughtered, their bodies lying everywhere, blood flowing like rivers. Limbs and internal organs littered the ground, exuding a strong stench of blood.
Kaguya stood quietly atop a hill made of corpses, holding the Kusanagi sword, her silver-white hair fluttering in the wind.
The guards looked up at Kaguya in admiration, their eyes filled with a hint of fear.
"Clean up this place, settle the villagers, and be vigilant. Anyone taking advantage of the chaos to commit crimes shall be executed on the spot."
"Yes."
After saying this, Kaguya stepped forward, turning into a stream of light as she rushed into the distance. She could sense that the culprit was not far away.
The further she went, the more shocking the scene became. Thick smoke billowed, flames soared, and dead bodies lay everywhere, with scattered danger beasts gnawing on them.
Seeing such a disgusting scene, Kaguya frowned slightly and waved her long sword. Amidst the splattering blood, she dispatched the monsters.
Kaguya quickened her pace, but as she delved deeper, the aura she was following grew faint and eventually vanished.
"Did they escape?" Kaguya furrowed her brow slightly.
Suddenly, faint sounds could be heard. Holding the Kusanagi sword, Kaguya approached and found a group of villagers. Their faces were pale, and their temples were dark, trembling unnaturally.
"Save us, please save us," a young man pleaded, lying on the ground in a pool of blood, dragging himself toward Kaguya with hope and joy in his eyes.
Instead of receiving Kaguya's help, a cold gleam sliced through the air.
The young man's head flew into the sky, blood gushing from his neck like a mist, splattering onto the white fox mask with red patterns.
He was beyond saving. Kaguya's eyes could see that the virus had already corroded his body, and it wouldn't be long before he became one of the danger beasts she had slain. Leaving him alive would only be a menace, and this was no time for compassion.
Seeing Kaguya kill, the other villagers widened their terrified eyes and fled, wishing they had more legs to run faster.
However, they didn't get far before Kaguya caught up, severing their heads, which spun and fell to the ground with a dull thud.
At dusk, the bloody slaughter began in earnest. Blood spattered, flesh flew, and cries of anguish, pleas for mercy, and sobs filled the air but didn't last long. The voices abruptly stopped as if something had strangled them. The thick scent of blood rose in the air, turning the moon above a deep crimson.
Kaguya sat quietly on a rooftop, her eyes, as cold as moonlight, gazing into the distance. Her once neat and pretty cherry blossom-patterned short kimono was now stained with blood. After a night of carnage, it was now dawn, with the morning star shining faintly in the sky, turning white as the fish's belly.
Kaguya had lost count of how many she had killed that night, unable to remember the number herself. Men, women, the elderly, and children—all lay in pools of blood.
Even as they begged for mercy, Kaguya's heart remained unmoved, mechanically raising her blade.
They had all been completely infected by the virus and were beyond saving. Even if she spared them, they would turn into irrational danger beasts, threatening others.
Though Kaguya felt she had done the right thing, she still felt uneasy.
"Bastard!"
Suddenly, an angry shout rang out as a figure charged at Kaguya, swinging a fist heavily at her.
As if anticipating the attack, Kaguya leaned back, dodging the powerful punch.
The assailant emerged, revealing herself to be a tall, curvaceous blonde girl with a beautiful face, her ample bust prominently protruding. It was the same blonde girl Kaguya had once encountered in the imperial capital.
"You slaughter innocents indiscriminately, killing so many people," the blonde girl growled through gritted teeth, her eyes blazing with anger, her fists clenched tightly. "You're all the same in the Empire, a bunch of scum, and the so-called princess is nothing more than a savage wench."
"Leone, what is there to say to her?" came a voice from the shadows, revealing a green-haired boy with goggles.
Suddenly, a spear shot out like lightning from the darkness, aiming at Kaguya's back.
In a flash of cold light, the spear was deflected by Kaguya's Kusanagi sword, spinning through the air. A figure clad in armor appeared, grabbing the spear and leaping down, the weapon aimed at the silver-haired girl below.
At the critical moment, Kaguya stepped lightly, her body moving like a willow leaf, evading the deadly strike.
"You've fallen for it."
The green-haired boy smiled faintly, pulling on a thread in his hand. Under the moonlight, silver threads shimmered with a cold gleam, surrounding Kaguya.
The tough threads formed a web, enveloping Kaguya and blocking her escape routes.
But Kaguya never intended to flee. Raising the Kusanagi sword in her hand, her jade-like arm swung, slicing through the threads before her in a single arc.
"What?" The green-haired boy was taken aback, not expecting the princess to cut through his threads.
These were crafted from the fur of a legendary super danger beast that inhabited the Eastern Sea. They were not only strong but also razor-sharp. Yet Kaguya had cut through them effortlessly.
Still, the green-haired boy's lips curled into a smile. His trump card wasn't these threads; it was...
"Roman Artillery, fire!"
A blinding column of light, emanating intense heat, shot across the sky like lightning, illuminating the land as if it were daylight, engulfing the silver-haired girl wearing the fox mask.