The night was deep, with stars shining and a crescent moon hanging in the dark night sky, emitting a soft glow. The moonlight poured down like silk, illuminating a small, ordinary village with a silvery hue.
The village was located northeast of the small town, with hundreds of households and neatly arranged houses. By now, it was late at night, and most villagers had fallen asleep, with only a few scattered lights still on. The village appeared even more peaceful and serene under the gentle moonlight.
Suddenly, the sound of thundering hooves and a cacophony of footsteps came from afar, breaking the town's silence. The dogs in the village started barking loudly, their voices echoing sharply in the quiet night.
A black-feathered arrow shot through the air like lightning, and the barking abruptly ceased.
The villagers seemed to sense that something was amiss, quickly dressing and rushing out of their houses, only to be terrified by what they saw.
In front of them was a group of fully armed guards, tall and burly, with bulging muscles. They wore shiny armor and held sharp steel swords, exuding a chilling, murderous aura.
The villagers hesitated, afraid to approach. They were filled with unease, not knowing the guards' purpose for suddenly appearing. Judging by their looks, the visitors were unlikely to be friendly. Some quick-witted individuals had already begun fleeing under the cover of night.
"Excuse me, officer, what brings you here?" an elderly man with graying hair emerged from the crowd, trembling as he spoke.
"Gather all the villagers in the square," the leading officer shouted loudly, "anyone who disobeys will be severely punished!"
Although they did not know the guards' intentions, seeing the surrounding guards glaring at them with weapons drawn, the terrified villagers slowly gathered in the square. In no time, about a thousand people had assembled.
The square was crowded with people shoulder to shoulder, yet no one spoke. The surroundings were silent, with the crackling sound of burning torches echoing sharply in the square.
Suddenly, several guards carrying something approached the officer.
The people in the square could see clearly: these were several bloody heads. An uproar ensued, causing a commotion.
"Reporting, sir, those who tried to escape have been executed," the guard shouted.
"Very well, it seems there are no survivors," the officer grinned grotesquely, turning to face the crowd, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes.
"Kill them all!"
Those on the outskirts of the crowd, not fully understanding what was happening, were suddenly impaled by swords through their chests, with bright red blood spraying out instantly.
Under the rain of blood, the villagers finally realized disaster had befallen them. Crying and screaming, they desperately tried to escape, but they were already surrounded by guards and were now trapped like fish in a barrel.
A bloody massacre had begun.
Kaguya moved lightly, her body turning into a streak of light, gliding through the dense forest like a phantom. As she drew closer to the village mentioned by the girl, her expression grew increasingly grave, for she could faintly smell the stench of blood in the chilly autumn breeze.
Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and Kaguya quickened her pace even further. Unfortunately, without knowing the precise location, using her Yomotsu Hirasaka technique would result in significant deviation. If she made a mistake, it would waste even more time. To be safe, Kaguya had to rely on her legs.
Now, all she could hope for was that the villagers could hold on a little longer.
In the village, the guards' brutal slaughter made the villagers realize their intention to wipe them out entirely.
"Fight them!"
"Even if we die, we won't let them have it easy!"
"Kill them!"
Driven to desperation, the villagers found their fighting spirit, launching themselves at the surrounding guards with fists and teeth when no weapons were available. Several guards were pulled down and never rose again.
The villagers' outburst briefly turned the tide, allowing them to gain a temporary upper hand.
However, their fleeting courage could not change the outcome. After all, they were just unarmed civilians, and it was impossible for them to compete against the fully armed guards. Once their courage faded, they were like lambs to the slaughter.
Eventually, under the bloody suppression, the villagers' morale waned. The guards, now bloodthirsty, turned into a pack of wolves among sheep, savagely slaughtering the villagers.
Seeing blood and flesh flying everywhere and people being slaughtered one after another, the villagers, overwhelmed by fear, abandoned their resistance and fled in panic. But how could they escape?
Faced with bloodstained swords, the villagers fell into despair.
At this moment, a rumbling sound came from afar, as if an earthquake was occurring, deafeningly loud.
Both the town guards and the villagers were drawn to the sudden noise, turning their attention to the distance.
Under the dark night sky, illuminated by the moonlight, a military force with banners fluttering and weapons gleaming like a torrent of steel surged from the horizon, charging towards the town guards like an arrow.
"Wait, who are you?" the town guard officer stepped forward and shouted.
Before he could finish his sentence, a cold flash flickered, and the officer's head soared into the sky, with blood gushing from his neck.
The officer, who had considerable strength, was decapitated in one strike by an unknown soldier.
Caught off guard, the town guards collided head-on with the unexpected military force.
Blood splattered, and flesh flew.
The seemingly conjured-up military force displayed formidable combat power, advancing relentlessly and irresistibly.
Against the fierce military force, the town guards were no match. They were overwhelmed, retreating in panic and disarray. Not only was there a significant disparity in strength between the two forces, but the town guards' weapons and equipment were far inferior. Furthermore, their willpower was no match for these wolves in sheep's clothing who only bullied civilians.
The army charged like a hot knife through butter, crushing the town guards with ease, causing them to flee in all directions, wishing they could sprout extra legs.
Once they had treated the villagers like sheep to be slaughtered, now they themselves were being slaughtered like sheep, a cruel irony.
Finally, the villagers, still in shock, realized what had happened, momentarily unsure of what to do. The sharp-eyed ones suddenly remembered: these troops, with their armor bearing unusual insignia, were the Princess's guards.
"It's the Princess's army! The Princess has come to save us!"
"It really is the Princess's army!"
"We're saved!"