The unit led by Seryu and Ieyasu charged through the northern tribal army with unstoppable force, causing them to scatter in complete disarray. Most of the tribal soldiers were slaughtered on the spot, while only a small fraction managed to escape into the vast mountains.
Seryu wanted to pursue them, but Ieyasu stopped her, reminding her that the princess had ordered them only to rout the enemy. Expending resources and time chasing these now-cowardly deserters into the endless mountains would be unwise. These tribal soldiers, once dispersed in the vast mountain ranges, would be like finding needles in a haystack.
Hearing that this was the princess's order, Seryu shivered, her high spirits suddenly deflating. She feared no one except Kaguya, though she would never admit it openly.
Their campaign had been victorious, and Kurome's forces also achieved outstanding results. Armed with the Imperial Arm "Yatsufusa," Kurome excelled in large-scale battles, especially with a super-dangerous beast among her puppets, a powerful weapon against massed enemies.
Under the beast's fierce assault, the northern tribal forces crumbled, abandoning their armor and fleeing in panic.
"This is so boring," Kurome said, sheathing her sword and exhaling softly.
Although her physical abilities had greatly improved through training, the Imperial Arm still placed a significant burden on her, especially in large-scale battles, which required even more stamina.
Fortunately, the northern tribal forces had no real resistance; only a few had moderate strength. But even those were easily defeated by her puppets, leaving her somewhat disappointed.
"Who goes there?" Kurome suddenly turned her head, looking toward a sparse thicket in the distance.
"To think we were discovered, how unexpected."
Several figures emerged from the bushes, led by a man with spiky hair and a long ponytail. His expression was arrogant, with a star in the center of his forehead, bronze skin, a strong, muscular body, wearing a half-shirt exposing his abs, and a unique outfit with tights.
Behind him were two men and two women. One girl was dressed in a maid-like outfit, cute and petite, with shoulder-length blonde hair and bunny-like ribbons.
Next to her was a girl in a red dress, with a charming face, a star hairpin, and black stockings, looking very lively.
The two men were a thin man with a sinister gaze and a lascivious smile, and a fat man dressed like a clown, or perhaps an actual clown.
Kurome's eyes narrowed. If she wasn't mistaken, these were the notorious Wild Hunt group.
This organization had long engaged in shady activities like extorting protection money, framing others, and committing heinous acts of rape and slaughter. The leader was Syura, the son of Minister Honest, and the others were likely Dorothea, Cosmina, Enshin, and Champ, if intelligence was accurate.
They were formidable individuals. Kurome could defeat any of them individually, but facing all five at once was beyond her capabilities, especially after the exhaustion from using her Imperial Arm.
"I feel like I've seen you before." Syura's eyes roved lasciviously over Kurome as he scratched his head, then suddenly clapped his hands. "Ah, you're that enhancement type from the Imperial Research Institute, right?"
"Syura, what are you doing here?" Kurome gripped her sword tightly and asked coldly, recognizing their hostile intent.
"Oh, I didn't expect you to know my name," Syura's eyes brightened as he smirked. "Interesting. Well then, I've decided you're my next toy. Excited? As for my intentions, I plan to enjoy myself with you."
With those words, Syura's body flickered like a shadow, rushing toward Kurome.
"Protect the lady!"
At that moment, the elite guards demonstrated their remarkable combat skills by swiftly forming a defensive line, standing at the ready with their weapons.
But the four behind Syura moved as well, and their speed was incredible, reaching the guards in an instant like specters.
Blood spattered, and flesh flew.
The girl named Dorothea dashed into the crowd like lightning, biting into a soldier's neck. The soldier barely had time to react as his body shriveled, turning into a dried corpse as if drained of life. This was her Imperial Arm, Blood Collection, a set of fangs that absorbed victims into mummies, using them for healing and power enhancement.
The other girl, Cosmina, held a microphone. When she spoke into it, the soldiers charging her fell limply to the ground, their bones pulverized by the ultrasonic waves from her Imperial Arm.
The other two were even more brutal. Enshin wielded a scimitar among the crowd, releasing fierce wind blades from his weapon. Soldiers fell like wheat being harvested, severed limbs flying as blood filled the air.
The fat clown wasn't as graceful, swinging his massive arm and tossing a small ball into the ranks, which exploded violently, reducing soldiers to dust. This was his Imperial Arm, Disorderly Six Spheres, each possessing different attributes; this one was his Explosive Sphere.
Although the elite guards were strong and formidable, they were still only human. Against Imperial Arm wielders, they struggled, but they charged forward without hesitation.
"Bastards!"
With heavy losses among the guards, Kurome's face showed anger. She drew her shining sword, dashed forward like a streak of light, and charged at them with lightning speed.