"The limits of patience?" Gilles de Rais, also known as Bluebeard, froze for a moment, as if he had just heard the most ridiculous thing. He let out a bizarre laugh, sneering, "A little girl, barely out of her cradle, dares to speak so boldly. But this only makes it more interesting. I wonder if you'll still have the strength to talk when you're tied to a post, having your belly cut open."
"Cut open my belly?" Kaguya turned back to him, her lips curling into a mocking smile. "With just you?"
"Confidence doesn't guarantee victory," Gilles said, his bulging fish-like eyes drooping slightly, hands clasped together as he spoke in his characteristic quivering voice. "Even if you have courage and willpower, even the belief that you will win, it doesn't change the outcome. Sometimes, overconfidence only leads to tragedy."
"I have no interest in hearing your twisted logic, nor in wasting any more time with you." Kaguya's brows furrowed as she spoke, her tone filled with growing impatience.
Suddenly, a golden sword materialized in Kaguya's hand, radiating a brilliant light. Wind began to swirl around the blade, concealing it from sight.
"Get out of my way!"
With a sharp swing of her arm, Kaguya slashed through the air with the invisible sword. A blinding flash of light cut through the air like a swift rainbow.
Blood splattered everywhere.
Under Kaguya's fierce attack, the grotesque tentacles Gilles had summoned were severed as easily as slicing through tofu. From the wounds, crimson blood sprayed into the air, filling the surroundings with a sickening stench.
Kaguya had no intention of staying any longer. After cutting through a path, she leapt into action, her foot pushing off the ground like an arrow shot from a bow, speeding away into the distance.
"Do you think you can just leave?" Gilles' dead fish eyes darted about as he pulled out a book. "You're far too naive. Stay, scream, tremble in fear, and then die."
As soon as Gilles finished speaking, the book in his hands began to glow with an eerie black light. Dark energy filled the air, thick and oppressive.
Suddenly, the ground around Kaguya exploded, and grotesque, multicolored flowers—resembling giant Rafflesia—sprouted from the earth, covered in menacing spikes. In the blink of an eye, the area was filled with these monstrous flowers and tentacles, releasing a nauseating stench.
"Disgusting," Kaguya muttered, her brow twitching in distaste. She swung her sword casually, slicing one of the Rafflesia flowers in half.
More and more tentacles and flowers began to surround her, closing in layer after layer, trapping her in their midst.
"You can't escape," Gilles taunted, his grin widening. "Stop resisting and your suffering might be lessened."
Kaguya's eyes fell on the book in Gilles' hand. "So that's the source of your magic power—this book?"
"Indeed. Thanks to this grimoire left by my ally, Prelati, I've learned to summon armies of demons," Gilles said, pride swelling in his voice. "Impressive, isn't it?"
Kaguya suddenly stopped, standing still.
"Have you given up?" Gilles was momentarily surprised, then overjoyed. "Excellent, that's the smart choice. Rather than struggling in pain, enjoy the ecstasy. I'll be gentle."
"Don't misunderstand," Kaguya chuckled softly. "I'm not surrendering."
"Oh?" Gilles looked confused.
"I just don't have the time to play with you any longer." A small smile crept across Kaguya's face. "Let's end this."
With other matters pressing on her—like rescuing Sakura—she couldn't afford to waste time on this psychopath. Despite having used a significant amount of energy earlier, she knew she had to finish this quickly, even if it meant exhausting herself further.
Kaguya raised both arms, her eyes narrowing as a massive surge of energy erupted from her body, swirling around her in a visible aura. At the same time, a powerful repulsive force exploded outward.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Gilles' pupils shrank in terror. A profound sense of impending doom washed over him. He was horrified and tried to flee, but it was too late.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A deafening series of explosions shook the ground. Rocks were pulverized, debris flew through the air, and trees disintegrated into dust. The violent shockwaves, mixed with surging winds, ripped through the surroundings like a tidal wave, scattering everything in their path. Dust clouds rose into the sky, obscuring the devastation.
As the dust began to settle, the area revealed a massive crater, as if a meteor had crashed into the earth, leaving nothing but desolation behind.
The power of Shinra Tensei was not to be underestimated. In the past, Nagato had wiped out an entire village with a single strike. Against a few weaklings like this, it was more than enough. Yet, even though Kaguya had only used a scaled-down version of the technique, the energy drain left her feeling light-headed and dizzy. The signs of overexertion were clear.
In the middle of the massive crater lay a disfigured figure—Gilles de Rais. His body was twisted unnaturally, covered in wounds, and blood seeped from his broken bones. His clothing was tattered and soaked in blood.
Nearby, his ancient grimoire lay silently on the ground.
Kaguya walked over, bent down, and picked up the book, her curiosity piqued. She brushed off the dust and flipped through a few pages before promptly closing it and tossing it aside like trash.
"I can't even read it," she muttered, annoyed.
Turning her attention back to Gilles, Kaguya kicked him lightly, frowning as she asked, "Hey, are you dead?"
Gilles coughed up blood and slowly opened his eyes. Upon seeing Kaguya, his face lit up, and he cried out, "Jeanne! You're Jeanne! Thank the heavens, I've finally found you!"
"Huh?"
Kaguya stared at him, bewildered. Had he hit his head too hard during the battle?
The badly injured Gilles began dragging his broken body toward Kaguya, reaching out with a trembling hand. "Jeanne… Jeanne…"
"Jeanne, my foot!" Kaguya snapped, kicking him squarely in the face, knocking him unconscious.
She couldn't help but feel disgusted, her skin crawling with revulsion.
Was his vision that bad? How on earth did he mistake her for Jeanne d'Arc? They didn't look remotely similar! If he had to mistake her for anyone, at least pick Saber, not her! It was utterly baffling.
Kaguya had initially intended to finish him off, but she changed her mind. Killing him now would be a waste. She needed him to stir up trouble for others; his time to leave this world hadn't come yet.
With Gilles and Ryūnosuke ruled out as the culprits behind Sakura Tohsaka's abduction, there was only one other possible location where she could be held.
Kaguya turned, her eyes narrowing as she focused. In a flash, she shot off into the distance, her figure quickly shrinking into a small dot before vanishing entirely from sight.