The mighty Imperial Guard launched a fierce offensive, surhing toward the Imperial Army like an unstoppable tidal wave.
Not to be outdone, the Imperial Army held their ground with spears and shields raised high, forming an impenetrable phalanx, ready for battle.
Finally, the two armies collided like crashing waves, sending a spray of blood and steel into the air.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
The battle cry echoed through the battlefield, shaking the earth.
Blood sprayed, flesh was torn apart.
The battlefield became a massive meat grinder, devouring lives relentlessly.
At the cemetery in the west of the Imperial Capital...
"Sister! Sister!"
A soft voice rang out as a young girl with rosy cheeks ran over. It was none other than Bols' daughter, Logue.
Cough cough.
The twin-tailed girl snapped out of her daze, hurriedly pushing away the silver-haired girl whose hand had slipped into her embrace. Flustered, she clumsily adjusted her disheveled clothes, her cheeks glowing a deep pink, as if brushed with blush.
"What are you doing here?" Kaguya asked nonchalantly.
"You two..." Logue tilted her head, eyeing the two of them suspiciously.
"Nothing important. Grown-up business," Kaguya said, reaching out to tap her white forehead gently. "Kids shouldn't ask too many questions."
"Hmph, I'm not a child anymore!" Logue puffed her cheeks indignantly. "I'm all grown up!"
"Oh really? And how old are you now?" Kaguya asked, amused.
Logue proudly raised ten fingers and lifted her chin. "I'm ten years old now!"
"Still so young," Kaguya chuckled, giving her chest a playful poke. "Come back when you've grown a bit more."
The little girl looked down at her chest, her face scrunching up in frustration. But then, as if struck by an idea, her eyes lit up, and she pointed at the twin-tailed girl standing nearby. "But this big sister isn't much older!"
Mine, who still had a slight blush from earlier, suddenly darkened, her eye twitching. She clenched her fists, looking like a volcano about to erupt.
"Kids these days… What are they even thinking?" she muttered under her breath.
Cough cough. Kaguya quickly cleared her throat, trying to diffuse the situation. "I meant age, dear. You're still too young. As for that big sister, well, she's not as young as she looks."
That was true enough. After Kaguya's... "careful examination" earlier, it was clear Mine was anything but small. Her curves were well-formed and smooth, just hidden beneath her tight clothing, which made her appear more petite than she really was.
"Wh-what are you saying?!" Mine shouted, her face flushing with embarrassment and anger.
Not wanting Mine to get any more worked up, Kaguya wisely decided to stay silent before things escalated further.
"Sister is scary," Logue whispered, shrinking behind Kaguya and clutching the edge of her robe. "But still... small is small, right? Why be so stingy about it?"
Kaguya had to bite back laughter. She hadn't expected the little girl to be so sharp with her comments, but seeing Mine's brewing fury, she wisely kept quiet.
"Logue, Logue!" A frantic voice called from the distance, and soon, a figure appeared running toward them. It was Eri's mother, Kije.
"You can't just run off like that!" Kije scolded, pulling Logue close before turning to Kaguya with an apologetic look. "I'm terribly sorry for the trouble she's caused."
"Not at all. I quite like her," Kaguya said with a smile.
Logue beamed, her small hand tightening around Kaguya's fingers happily.
Just then, a loud explosion echoed from the direction of the city gate, followed by plumes of smoke rising into the sky.
Kaguya's eyes narrowed. The Imperial Guard had likely breached the gates.
"It looks like I'll have to leave for now," Kaguya said, turning to Mine. "I'm leaving them in your care for the time being."
Mine huffed in annoyance but nodded reluctantly. "Fine, fine, I'll watch them."
"Thank you, I'm counting on you," Kije said gratefully.
"No problem," Kaguya waved dismissively.
"Hey, hold on a second! It's me who's been doing all the work here, not her!" Mine snapped.
"Don't forget, I saved you, too," Kaguya teased, tapping her forehead. "So technically, you owe me one. Shouldn't you treat your savior with a little more respect?"
"I never asked you to save me," Mine huffed. "And I wasn't going to lose anyway."
"Sure, sure, you're invincible," Kaguya said with a grin. "But still, I appreciate you looking after them for me."
"Yeah, yeah," Mine tossed her head defiantly, though her gaze softened. "Wait, are you mocking me?"
Took you long enough to figure that out.
"How could I?" Kaguya said with a straight face. "Well, I'll be off now." She waved at them with a smile before her body shimmered and disappeared, fading into stardust.
"Alright, the annoying one's gone. Let's go."
"Will Onee-chan come back?" Logue asked.
"Only if she doesn't get herself killed," Mine muttered.
At the city gates, the battle between the Imperial Army and the Imperial Guard raged on, reaching a fever pitch. Despite their numerical advantage and strategic positioning, the Imperial Army was steadily being pushed back. The Imperial Guard's unstoppable momentum carved through the defenders like a knife through butter, and it wasn't long before the Imperial Army began to falter.
The soldiers of the Empire, their morale plummeting, began a slow retreat. Though their losses weren't devastating yet, the fear and uncertainty among the ranks were palpable. If this continued, it was only a matter of time before the Imperial forces were completely routed.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Guard pressed their advantage, breaking through the defenses and pushing deeper into the heart of the city.
As they advanced, a colossal figure suddenly appeared in the center of the capital, casting a massive shadow over everything. The skies darkened, and the city fell silent in awe and fear.
It was the Emperor's ultimate Teigu—Shikoutazer.