The owner of the fair hand was a beautiful black-haired girl with curved eyebrows, striking black and white eyes, a small upturned nose, and soft, rosy lips. She was none other than Kurome.
At this moment, she appeared somewhat thinly dressed, not wearing enough warm clothes. Amidst the swirling snow and howling north wind, she shivered slightly.
Kurome now regretted her hasty actions. She should not have hurried out so quickly, especially since the warmth of the palace misled her about the severity of the cold outside. She was wearing only a wool sweater and some undergarments, without even a small cotton coat.
The cold wind was biting, penetrating her bones, and her breath turned to mist in the frigid air.
She thought several times about turning back, but doing so would be very embarrassing, especially in front of Sayo, who would certainly mock her. This thought gave her the courage to continue.
At this time, the weather was freezing, and the ground was icy. Kurome walked through the vast forest, trying to find a path to the small town, but the falling snow had completely covered the road, leaving everything white, obscuring her view.
However, Kurome seemed to remember a small village not far ahead, which she had visited with Kaguya.
She gently rubbed her almost frozen hands and walked forward with unsteady steps through the thick snow.
Suddenly, a white shadow flashed before her.
Kurome's clear eyes narrowed; she saw clearly that the shadow was a rabbit. The heavy snow had stopped briefly, and animals were beginning to emerge, taking advantage of the short respite to forage.
Touching her rumbling stomach, Kurome realized she hadn't eaten all day, and the bag of cookies Kaguya gave her was already finished. To fill her stomach, she would have to rely on this rabbit.
Kurome stepped forward, her petite body becoming a blur as she dashed toward the rabbit at lightning speed.
The rabbit seemed unaware of the danger and continued to hop around, searching for uncovered grass and berries. When it finally realized the danger and tried to run, it was too late.
A fair hand reached out, grabbing its long ears and lifting it. The rabbit struggled desperately, but being caught by a critical point, it had no way to escape the small hand.
Kurome held the rabbit up to her face, examining it with a smile. "It's a bit small, not enough to eat, but better than nothing."
The rabbit seemed terrified by Kurome's "evil" smile, trembling all over, not daring to move.
Suddenly, a loud noise shattered the forest's silence. The ground shook violently as if an earthquake had struck, causing stones to roll and branches to sway. The snow on the branches fell in swirls amidst the cold wind.
"What was that?" Kurome looked toward the source of the sound, her pupils shrinking. Her hand loosened, and the rabbit dropped to the ground, rolled, got up, and dashed away out of sight.
Not far from her, a massive figure emerged from the thick snow, towering as high as a seven or eight-story building. It was colossal and muscular, covered in thick steel armor with only a few parts exposed.
It raised its head and roared, the sound waves stirring a tempest of air like a fierce hurricane, bending trees. Even Kurome struggled to keep her balance.
Kurome's delicate face grew serious as she gripped her long sword, her eyes fixed on the giant before her.
Suddenly, the giant stepped forward, its tremendous footsteps booming like thunder as it charged toward Kurome. Despite its massive size, it was incredibly fast, reaching her side in an instant, swinging a fist larger than Kurome's body toward her.
With a deafening crash, the snow and ice on the ground exploded, sending waves of snowflakes, ice blocks, and stones flying like bullets in all directions.
Amidst the flying snow, Kurome's figure was nowhere to be seen. As the giant searched around, a shout came from above, and a figure dived down from the sky, slashing at the giant's head with a long sword.
It was Kurome. She had skillfully evaded the giant's punch at the last moment, using its arm to reach its head.
With a sharp clang, Kurome's pupils constricted. The sword scraped against the steel helmet, striking sparks but failing to penetrate, leaving only a shallow dent. She hadn't expected the armor to be so robust, even her Imperial Arm couldn't break through.
Angered by Kurome's actions, the giant roared and swung its fist at her. In mid-air, Kurome seemed on the verge of being struck.
In that critical moment, Kurome adjusted her position, placing the long sword horizontally in front of her.
With a resounding clang, Kurome was hit hard, sent flying and landed heavily on the ground, rolling several times before stopping.
Fortunately, the thick snow cushioned her fall, preventing severe injury. Had it been solid ground, Kurome would have been seriously hurt.
Breathing heavily, Kurome shakily got up from the snow, clutching her left arm with her right hand. Her left arm was injured in the battle but only slightly; it was just a bit numb.
She had been too careless, assuming that the sharpness of her Imperial Arm could defeat the giant in one blow. She hadn't anticipated the armor's extraordinary thickness.
Kurome steadied her breathing, gripping her sword tightly, focusing intently. She shouted, stepped forward, and charged at the giant like an arrow released from a bow.