At this moment, Syura was half-kneeling on the ground, a tree branch piercing through his thigh, with one end sticking out on the other side. Crimson blood gushed from the wound, staining his pants red.
Syura gritted his teeth and yanked the thin branch out of his leg, causing blood to spurt out. He didn't even glance at the wound, his eyes locked on Kaguya, cold sweat pouring down his face.
The silver-haired girl's speed was simply too fast—so fast that he couldn't react before the branch had shot into his leg. Not only that, but the light branch in her hand had become like an arrow, instantly penetrating his thigh.
Just how powerful did one have to be to perform such a casual yet devastating action?
"Why so quiet, son of the prime minister?" Kaguya strolled over, mocking him. "Weren't you always so arrogant? Now you look like a turtle, hiding its head inside its shell."
Syura used to always brag about being the minister's son.
"Don't push me too far," Syura growled, his face dark. "When people are desperate, they can do anything."
"You mean like a cornered dog biting back?" Kaguya said with a sly smile.
"I advise you not to oppose us," Syura said sternly. "We've acquired the Supreme Teigu. You may be strong, but you're no match for it."
"The Supreme Teigu?" Kaguya paused for a moment. "Are you talking about the Emperor's Teigu?"
Seeing Kaguya's surprised expression, Syura thought she was scared. A smile crept onto his face. "Exactly. The Supreme Teigu, known as the King of Teigus, was owned by the founding Emperor. It was the first Teigu in the world. Its power is beyond anything you can handle."
"I see. I'm starting to feel a bit scared." Kaguya crossed her arms in front of her chest, her pink cheeks displaying a pitiful expression, so convincingly that it seemed real.
Seeing the silver-haired girl's posture, Syura's eyes went wide, his mind turning to mush. The lust that had been extinguished reignited, and his heart itched as though it were being scratched by a cat.
In his lust-driven state, he didn't notice the cold, barely detectable smile in Kaguya's eyes.
"You don't have to be afraid," Syura said, a lecherous grin spreading across his face. "If you surrender and join the Empire's army, I guarantee you'll remain a princess of the Empire. Not only that, but you could even become the Empress."
"The Empress?" Kaguya feigned confusion.
"That's right, the Empress." Syura's eyes gleamed with lust. "Once I become Emperor, you'll be my Empress."
"Shouldn't your father be Emperor?" Kaguya asked, curious.
"That old geezer?" Syura scoffed. "He doesn't have much time left. He'll be dead soon, and when that happens, the entire Empire will be ours." As he spoke, his eyes glinted with lust, and he could no longer hold back. He reached out with his hand to touch Kaguya's face.
"Is that so?"
Kaguya's lips curled into a radiant smile, and then—wham—she delivered a swift kick.
"Boom!"
"Ahhhh!"
A piercing scream erupted suddenly, echoing for what felt like an eternity, like the wails of a eunuch in the palace.
Syura was now clutching his groin, rolling on the ground like a worm desperately squirming in a filthy latrine.
"Sorry, but I'm not interested in becoming anyone's Empress," Kaguya said with a smirk. "And I'm even less interested in becoming your Empress. I don't have a habit of associating with trash—I'm afraid it might lower my IQ."
"You..." Syura's body curled up like a shrimp, the intense pain leaving him breathless. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, and his words came out through gritted teeth. "You b*tch..."
"Do you really think someone like you is worthy of me?" Kaguya pressed her foot down on his head, shoving his face into the dirt. "You should look at yourself in the mirror."
"You... you think you've won?" Syura's voice was muffled as his mouth was pressed into the ground.
"Isn't it obvious?" Kaguya teased, twirling her hair. "What could be clearer?"
"Then let me show you my true power."
As soon as he finished speaking, a surge of immense power erupted from Syura, allowing him to break free from under Kaguya's foot.
Kaguya leaped back, her body tracing a graceful arc through the air before landing lightly on the ground.
Syura then pulled a syringe from his pocket and injected it into his neck.
Within seconds, his body began to twitch and convulse. With a series of sharp cracking sounds, his muscles swelled like a balloon, writhing like worms. With each movement, they grew bigger and bigger. In no time, Syura had transformed into a giant over three meters tall.
Kaguya's eyebrows furrowed slightly. She suddenly turned and called out, "Mine, take the two of them and leave. I'll leave them in your hands. Be careful of the Empire's forces nearby."
"You don't have to tell me," Mine snorted, turning to Heidi and the little girl. "Let's go. It's not safe here anymore."
"But... that sister..." the little girl said weakly, her eyes showing reluctance to leave.
"You mean that one?" Mine said. "Don't worry. Though she's a bit wicked, perverted, likes to tease people, and is arrogant and narcissistic, you don't need to worry about her. She won't die anytime soon."
"Hey, hey!" Kaguya shouted from a distance, clearly displeased. "I can hear you! Is it really okay to talk behind someone's back like that?"
"I wasn't talking behind your back," Mine retorted, raising her head. "I'm saying it to your face. And besides, I wasn't saying anything bad. It's all true."
"Are you saying it's true that you're flat-chested?" Kaguya teased with an evil grin.
"You jerk! Watch out!" Mine's pupils contracted as she suddenly shouted a warning.
At the same time, a dark figure appeared behind Kaguya, raising a sharp, giant claw to strike her down.