The middle-aged man continued running without looking back, his face still etched with fear, as if some horrifying presence was chasing him. His clothes were drenched with sweat, which dripped steadily as he pushed forward.
After running for over half an hour, they finally managed to escape the battlefield and reach a forest. Exhausted, they collapsed, panting heavily. Their energy was completely spent, some so much so that they couldn't even stand back up after sitting down.
But it was worth it—they had finally escaped that terrifying hell.
"What... what was that just now?" Bolic asked between gasps for breath.
The others around him were just as curious, their eyes fixed on the middle-aged man, awaiting an explanation.
"You fools," the middle-aged man snapped, having lost all composure after everything they had been through. "Were you all blind? Didn't you notice that those who weren't caught by the vines also died?"
His words struck a chord, and the group suddenly remembered that many on the battlefield had indeed collapsed without warning, blood seeping from their mouths and noses, their faces twisted in agony. At the time, they had been too busy fleeing for their lives to think about it, assuming the blood was from the chaos of the battle. But now, in hindsight, it seemed far more sinister.
"Could it be...?" Bolic's face turned pale.
"Exactly. Those strange trees must be the cause," the middle-aged man said grimly. "They might have some hidden ability to kill without being noticed. Those who mysteriously died must have been affected by it."
Though the middle-aged man didn't know the exact details, he was close to the truth.
The trees created by the Shin Jukai Kōtan (God: Nativity of a World of Trees) were indeed dangerous. Similar to the Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees used by Hashirama Senju, which released a paralyzing pollen, the Shin Jukai Kōtan had a far deadlier effect. After Kaguya's mutation, this technique gained the ability to release a potent toxin into the air, capable of killing swiftly and silently.
Many on the battlefield had died from this very poison.
"Good thing you noticed in time," Bolic said, sighing in relief. He looked at the middle-aged man with a hint of gratitude. If not for his quick thinking, they might have succumbed to the poison by now.
"Let's not waste time. We need to move quickly," the middle-aged man urged. "She probably thinks we're already dead from the poison. If she realizes we're still alive, she won't let us go."
The mention of Kaguya sent a shiver down everyone's spine, especially Bolic, who immediately thought of the silver-haired beauty they had just escaped from. If she found out they were still alive...
"Yes, yes, we need to get out of here," Bolic agreed hastily, leading the group as they hurriedly moved deeper into the forest.
The middle-aged man frowned slightly but prepared to follow.
Suddenly, one of the men in the group collapsed to the ground.
"Useless!" Bolic shouted in anger, kicking the fallen man several times. "Get up!" The man on the ground was the one who had been carrying Bolic.
But the man remained motionless, no matter how hard Bolic kicked him. Another person in the group came over and turned the man onto his back.
"Ah!"
The group recoiled in horror, stumbling backward. The man's face was a ghastly shade of blue, blood trickling from his nose and mouth, his eyes wide open in a grotesque death stare. He was dead.
Even more terrifying, his death was identical to the deaths of those who had been poisoned on the battlefield.
Panic set in, and the group scattered in all directions, each person terrified that they might be next. If he was dead, what about the rest of them?
Their worst fears were soon realized. One by one, as they ran, people began to collapse, blood pouring from their mouths and noses. Within moments, they were all dead.
Bolic, who had been cowardly from the start, also fell victim to the poison, collapsing onto the ground and never getting up again.
The middle-aged man's eyes widened in terror, his face turning as white as a sheet. He suddenly felt something wet in his mouth and coughed, covering his mouth with his hand. When he looked at his hand, he saw it was covered in blood.
Back at the crown of the giant tree, Kaguya paid no attention to the fate of these insignificant figures. To her, they were nothing more than ants—whether they lived or died made no difference. She was far more occupied with the golden-haired beauty in her arms, who had dared to call her a good person. For that, Kaguya decided a thorough punishment was in order.
As dawn broke, the gentle sunlight bathed the earth in a soft glow, infusing the air with a sweet, refreshing scent.
Kaguya stretched out her arm, instinctively reaching out beside her, but found only empty space. She sat up, rubbing her drowsy eyes until she was fully awake.
The sky was clear, with white clouds drifting lazily across it. A gentle breeze played with her silver hair, making it sway gracefully in the air.
She was sitting atop a massive flower, part of the colossal God Tree below. From this height, it felt as if she could reach out and touch the clouds, giving the scene an almost dreamlike quality.
But Kaguya's mind wasn't on the scenery. She glanced around, but there was no sign of the blonde girl she had been expecting.
"Looks like she left after all," Kaguya sighed. She had known Leone wouldn't stay, given that they were on opposite sides and might even become enemies in the future.
Must it always come to this—loving each other only to end up hurting one another?
Completely naked, Kaguya stretched languidly, standing up on the flower. In the soft morning light, her flawless figure radiated an irresistible allure.
She gazed at the clouds on the horizon, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on her lips.
As if.
As if I'd ever let myself be controlled by such trivialities as fate.
If everything is determined by some so-called stone of fate, then I'll just shatter that worthless rock.
In the end, destiny will be mine to command.
With a graceful wave of her hand, Kaguya's red and black Gothic dress reappeared on her body. She then traced a finger through the air, opening a black portal before her. With steady steps, she walked into the portal, which then vanished without a trace.
The final chapter is about to unfold, and the curtain of the end will soon rise. And she will put the perfect full stop to this story.