Morning light gently filtered through the curtains as Kaguya woke up, her mind still on the warmth she had shared with Kurome the night before. Kurome lay beside her, their bodies close, clinging to each other in a comfortable embrace.
Kaguya smiled faintly, brushing a stray lock of hair from Kurome's face. Just as she started to sit up, a sudden, loud crash echoed from outside, shattering the peaceful morning.
Before they could react, the door to their room burst open, and a figure came tumbling in. It was Mine
The girl had a delicate appearance, with pink twin-tails tied with ribbons, dressed in a pink dress, and wearing small pink shoes. She was none other than Mine, who had left a few days ago.
At this moment, she looked rather disheveled. One of the ribbons in her pink twin-tails had snapped, causing her once smooth hair to fall loosely around her shoulders. Her pink dress was torn and tattered, with the strap hanging limply down, revealing her soft, round shoulder.
It was clear that Mine had suffered severe injuries. Her body was covered in wounds, and blood still trickled from the corner of her mouth.
"You... you two really are perverts," Mine managed to say with difficulty, her eyes fixed on the two entangled figures before her as she lay sprawled on the ground.
"Hey, hey, you're seriously injured and you're still saying stuff like that. Is that really okay?" Kaguya couldn't help but think sarcastically.
But under the intense gaze of Mine's beautiful eyes, Kaguya felt pressured, especially after she had spent the night with Kurome. The situation was incredibly awkward.
Kaguya tried to nonchalantly pull her hand away from Kurome, but she was unexpectedly held firmly by her. Kaguya was momentarily stunned.
Beside her, Kurome let out a soft snort and clung to Kaguya's body, casting a provocative glance at Mine. "A mere defeated dog has no right to criticize others."
"You're the defeated dog!" Mine struggled to get up from the ground, shouting angrily. However, she was seriously injured, her complexion pale, and her body swayed unsteadily.
"Is that so?" Kurome looked at her with disdain. "Then why are you in such a pathetic state? Or is it because your brain capacity is too small, leading to a congenital intelligence deficit, which made you so weak that you couldn't even walk properly and fell down the stairs? If that's the case, it's really pitiful."
Kurome once again demonstrated her sharp tongue, one that could enrage anyone without any regret. Even though Kaguya had seen it before, she was still surprised. Kurome, who looked so gentle and serene on the outside, had this unexpected talent.
Enraged, Mine reached for her sniper rifle, intending to fire a shot at Kurome. However, as she tried to lift it, she couldn't muster the strength. Instead, the sniper rifle slipped from her hands and clattered to the floor with a loud "clang."
Kaguya, always observant, noticed a deep, bone-exposing wound on Mine's right arm. The stark contrast of the gash against her smooth, pale skin was shocking; it seemed to have damaged her bones, which explained why she couldn't hold her weapon properly.
At that moment, a voice echoed from outside the house.
"I've found you!"
The door suddenly burst open, and a figure rushed inside at lightning speed, charging towards Mine. However, before he could reach her, his body suddenly jolted as if struck by a heavy hammer. His chest caved in, and blood spurted from his mouth as he was sent flying backward at an even greater speed.
With a deafening crash, the intruder slammed into the side of the house, creating a large hole.
"A mere rat dares to make such a ruckus," Kaguya said coldly, her face as serene as water, her clear eyes flashing with a cold light as she calmly stepped out of the house.
Outside the house, an armed Imperial army had already surrounded them. They were clad in armor, holding spears, exuding a fierce and murderous aura. It was evident that they were the elite of the Imperial forces, as only the best could display such formidable presence.
However, there was a look of shock on their faces as they stared in disbelief at the silver-haired girl who had stepped out. They couldn't believe that their squad leader had been knocked away with a single blow by this girl.
It was well-known that their squad leader was exceptionally powerful, one of the strongest in the Empire, referred to as one of the "Three Beasts," and a top general under the Empire's most formidable commander, Esdeath. But now, he had been defeated in a single move.
"Cough, cough," the man who had been struck by Kaguya struggled to get up, coughing and spitting out a few mouthfuls of blood. Wiping his mouth, he stood up, leaning against the wall.
This man, with spiky blond hair and a sinister expression, especially with the wicked smile at the corner of his mouth, was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit with a coat over it, giving him a muscular appearance. He was none other than Daidara, one of the Three Beasts.
"As expected of the Empire's princess," Daidara said, staring intently at Kaguya, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "To think you possess such immense power. Truly surprising. But what I love most is fighting strong opponents!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Daidara, wielding two large axes, stepped forward and charged at Kaguya like a shadow, a grin of malevolent delight on his face.
He swung one of his axes fiercely at Kaguya.
However, such an attack was far too basic, lacking any real threat, and failed to pique Kaguya's interest. It was like watching a child's play—uninteresting and devoid of any challenge.
With a slight shift of her body, Kaguya easily dodged the powerful strike. Daidara's follow-up attack quickly followed, but it too posed no danger to Kaguya.
Daidara's twin axes sliced through the air with great force, creating a storm of attacks that seemed relentless from an outsider's perspective. But Kaguya merely continued to dodge effortlessly. To the onlookers, it appeared as though Daidara had the upper hand, pushing Kaguya to the brink.
The Imperial soldiers began cheering for Daidara, as if he had already secured victory.
"Hey, aren't you going to help her?" Mine turned to Kurome, asking, "If you don't help soon, she's going to lose."
Mine wasn't particularly concerned about Kaguya, but she knew that if Kaguya lost, she would likely suffer the same fate. Although Kaguya could be irritating, she was still far better than the ruthless Imperial forces.
"Help? Why should I help?" Kurome pouted. "Can't you see with your own eyes? This is just a bunch of weaklings."
"Weaklings?"
Mine felt anger rising within her. If they were weaklings, then what did that make her?
But what happened next left her stunned.