Dimensional Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

Under the cold and serene moonlight, Artemisia stood completely enraged. The audacity of this insolent little girl to mar her face was an unforgivable insult. Her heart surged with a murderous intent so intense it seemed tangible.

As Artemisia gripped her glowing sword, she stepped closer and closer to Natsumi, her every movement deliberate, exuding an aura of cold menace. Natsumi, sprawled on the ground, had already succumbed to despair. She realized there was no escape—no miracle would save her now. Was this how she was going to die?

Artemisia's looming shadow stretched over Natsumi as she raised her radiant blade high above her head, prepared to strike it down. But just as she was about to swing, a familiar figure appeared in her mind, like a mirage. Shaking her head hard, she scoffed at the notion. How could it be that person? Of all people, it was impossible. For that individual to show up would be as likely as the world ending.

Yet when she blinked, the figure remained.

"Why are you lying on the ground? Aren't you afraid of catching cold?" The figure turned around, her tone half-teasing and half-scolding. "And what are you doing out here in the middle of the night, running around this dreadful place? Did you forget who you are? And more importantly, did you finish your chores? Don't forget there's cooking to be done."

In the soft glow of the moonlight, Kaguya's face appeared almost ethereal, her expression enigmatic. The faint smile on her lips carried a warmth that made the icy light of the moon seem gentle and inviting.

At that moment, Natsumi felt her nose sting as tears welled up in her eyes. Her vision blurred.

"Hey, hey, don't cry!" Kaguya hurried to her side, wrapping her arms around the petite girl and holding her close. "I'm here now, aren't I?"

But if Kaguya had hoped her clumsy comfort would work, she was sorely mistaken. Instead of stopping, Natsumi burst into sobs, crying so hard that she seemed to be letting out all the frustration, pain, and grievances she had bottled up for so long.

Kaguya froze, momentarily taken aback. For the first time, her playful demeanor melted away. Gently stroking Natsumi' delicate, trembling frame, she spoke softly, "I'm sorry... I'm late."

Natsumi clung to Kaguya's clothes as though holding on to her lifeline. Tears soaked through Kaguya's garment as the smaller girl buried herself in Kaguya's embrace, her frail body racked with sobs.

Not far away, Artemisia stood, her expression shifting to one of unease. Her sharp eyes studied the unexpected arrival. If her suspicions were correct, this silver-haired girl was none other than Kaguya, the so-called "Strongest Spirit." Not just a legend, Kaguya was considered the most powerful being alive, her strength so profound that it was said no one could rival her.

Artemisia's thoughts raced as she recalled the terrifying reports. AST forces annihilated. Japan's military reduced to chaos. The combined might of DEM and the world's armies crushed without resistance. She had seen the surveillance footage herself. Though it didn't convey the full extent of Kaguya's power, it was enough to send chills down her spine.

But standing here now, facing this breathtakingly beautiful girl who seemed so unassuming, Artemisia couldn't feel a single trace of that overwhelming strength. It was as though she were confronting an ordinary person—a perception that was perhaps the most disconcerting of all.

Meanwhile, Kaguya, holding the crying Natsumi, couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Perhaps she had gone too far. She had only meant to teach the girl a lesson, but things had clearly spiraled beyond her intention. "I'm sorry," Kaguya murmured, her voice barely audible, stroking Natsumi' hair. Her hands glowed faintly, a warm light emanating from her palms as she healed the girl's injuries.

But Natsumi, still clutching Kaguya's clothes, continued sobbing. It seemed she hadn't heard Kaguya's apology—or perhaps she didn't care.

Finally, Kaguya stood, lifting the smaller girl effortlessly in her arms. "Let's go," she said gently. "Let's go home."

Natsumi didn't resist. She didn't even utter a word, her usual fiery demeanor replaced by an unusual docility. She nestled into Kaguya's arms like a small, fragile kitten.

"Wait!" Artemisia's sharp voice cut through the silence. In an instant, she moved, her glowing sword coming to rest on Kaguya's shoulder. "Do you really think you can just leave like this?"

Kaguya didn't turn around. Her voice was calm, unhurried. "What else would I do?"

"You're not leaving until you tell me where my sister is," Artemisia demanded coldly.

"I haven't seen your sister for some time now," Kaguya replied, her tone growing faintly weary. "I don't know where she is."

"Liar!" Artemisia's grip on her weapon tightened. "You were with her before! What did you do to her?"

"Believe what you want." Kaguya didn't even spare her a glance as she began walking away, carrying Natsumi as though the argument was beneath her notice.

"Stop right there!" Artemisia darted forward, blocking Kaguya's path. Her blade gleamed dangerously in the moonlight. "You're not leaving until you answer me!"

"And what if I don't?" Kaguya's response was maddeningly calm, her voice laced with a faint amusement.

"Then you'll face me!" Artemisia's sword pointed directly at Kaguya's chest. Her eyes blazed with determination.

"If you were a true warrior, you'd recognize the gap between us without even needing to fight." Kaguya's voice was soft, almost pitying. "Your sister understood that much. But you? You can't even see the gulf between us."

"You're lying!" Artemisia shouted, her voice trembling with anger. "I'm just as strong as my sister!"

"That's where you're wrong," Kaguya said quietly. Her gaze finally met Artemisia's, cool and unyielding. "Your sister had self-awareness. You, on the other hand, do not."

Artemisia had long been called "Ellen Mira Mathers' younger sister." Whenever someone mentioned her, it was almost always in relation to her elder sister.

From childhood, Ellen had been a dazzling figure, shining brightly like the rising sun. In contrast, Artemisia, though exceptionally talented, always lived in Ellen's shadow. Whenever people spoke of them, it was Ellen's name that came first, not hers.

In truth, Artemisia was a prodigy. Her ability to challenge and even defeat Spirits was a testament to her strength. She was undeniably powerful, a warrior who, in the original storyline, bested numerous Spirits, placing herself at the pinnacle of human achievement. Yet, in comparison to Ellen, Artemisia seemed to fall short.

In the past, the relationship between the two sisters was strong. Artemisia had been a gentle and kind-hearted girl, well-loved by everyone. But over time, things began to change. Ellen's brilliance drew everyone's attention, leaving Artemisia feeling overlooked and neglected.

Perhaps it was this neglect that sowed the seeds of resentment in her heart. She started to believe that Ellen's existence was the reason she was being overlooked. Determined to prove herself, she threw herself into rigorous training, enduring grueling challenges to strengthen her abilities and surpass her sister.

But as Ellen herself had once said, Artemisia was indeed an exceptionally gifted sorceress. Among humans, she stood at the pinnacle, capable of defeating Spirits with ease. Ellen's pride in her own strength was not without justification. By the time she reached adulthood, her talent and power had already surpassed many seasoned warriors, solidifying her position at the apex of humanity—a feat previously thought impossible.

Of course, beings like Kaguya didn't count as part of the equation.

This time, after returning from her training, Artemisia had intended to challenge Ellen to a duel and finally settle the score. However, upon arriving at DEM, she was met with shocking news: Ellen had gone missing and had not been seen for a long time. Rumors abounded that she might have perished in a battle with a Spirit.

The news shook Artemisia to her core, but she refused to believe it. Her sister, so strong and invincible, couldn't possibly have met such a fate.

Following Westcott's orders, she came here in search of Ellen's whereabouts.

But instead of finding her sister, she encountered someone else—someone renowned as the strongest Spirit, and likely the most powerful being in existence.

"Self-awareness?" Artemisia scoffed, her glowing blade leveled at Kaguya. Her voice turned icy. "If you really are here, then even better. They say you defeated my sister. Well, I'll do what she couldn't. I'll defeat you."

Hearing this, Kaguya sighed softly. "Humans are supposed to have intelligence. A brain is a wonderful thing—too bad you don't seem to be using yours."

Artemisia's delicate face flushed with anger. "Are you mocking me?" she snapped.

"Mocking you?" Kaguya shook her head. "Do you pay attention to ants baring their fangs at you on the ground?"

"You bastard!" Artemisia was incensed by Kaguya's dismissive tone. "If you dare belittle me like this, then face my blade!"

With that, Artemisia's glowing sword flared with brilliance, radiating a dazzling light. Her feet stomped hard against the ground, causing the earth beneath her to fracture into rippling cracks. Using the recoil, she launched herself like an arrow from a bow, closing the distance to Kaguya in the blink of an eye.

Her speed was incredible. In an instant, she was upon Kaguya, her arm raised high as her glowing sword cleaved downward, wreathed in blinding golden light.

Kaguya, however, didn't move. She stood still, as if entirely oblivious to the incoming attack.

But just as the blade was about to strike her, Kaguya tilted her head slightly upward and spoke, her voice calm yet cutting. "It seems you haven't learned from your sister's mistakes. Allow me to teach you the lesson she couldn't."

"Don't you dare mention my sister!" Artemisia roared, her fury fueling the energy coursing through her sword. The blade grew brighter, fiercer. "I don't need her! I'll—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Kaguya raised her hand, her pale palm facing Artemisia. Her voice, soft and serene, uttered two words: "Shinra Tensei."

Artemisia's pupils constricted. A sudden, overwhelming sense of danger enveloped her. She instinctively halted her attack, withdrawing her blade and crossing it in front of her in a desperate attempt to defend herself.

But she wasn't fast enough.

A massive repelling force slammed into her with earth-shattering intensity.

"Boom!"

The deafening sound echoed as Artemisia was flung backward. She hit the ground hard, rolling several times before finally coming to a stop.

Today's Shinra Tensei wasn't what it used to be. Augmented by the addition of Kaguya's malevolent chakra, its power had multiplied exponentially, far surpassing its original strength. Even the Kaguya Ōtsutsuki of legend didn't possess the sheer destructive force of the Kaguya who now stood before Artemisia.

To Kaguya's mild surprise, Artemisia slowly pushed herself to her feet. Her body trembled, and her clothes were filthy, but she wasn't gravely injured.

"Oh?" Kaguya arched a delicate brow.

It turned out that, in the instant before the impact, Artemisia had instinctively activated her "Voluntary Domain." While the domain couldn't completely block the force of Shinra Tensei, it had absorbed a significant portion of the attack, mitigating the damage she took.

Still, Kaguya couldn't help but be impressed. Even with most of the force negated, the residual power of Shinra Tensei wasn't something just anyone could withstand. Artemisia's endurance was unexpectedly remarkable.

Of course, Artemisia wouldn't admit the truth: years of sparring with her sister—where she was often on the receiving end—had not only honed her skills but also made her extraordinarily adept at taking a beating.

Artemisia launched a frenzied assault, her glowing sword slashing through the air in wide, sweeping arcs. Each strike left afterimages, the blade glinting coldly under the dim light. Her attacks came like a torrential storm, relentlessly bearing down on Kaguya.

But Kaguya remained unfazed. Within the chaotic barrage, she moved with the grace of a casual stroll, as if taking a leisurely walk through a garden. The flashing blade and shadowy strikes seemed to pass her by without consequence. A subtle sidestep here, a slight tilt there—her movements appeared effortless, as though she could read Artemisia's every action in advance.

Under the watchful gaze of Kaguya's starry pupils, Artemisia's strikes seemed as slow as molasses. Though visually threatening, they posed no real danger.

The harder Artemisia fought, the more frustrated she became. Time and again, her attacks came within a hair's breadth of hitting their mark, only for Kaguya to evade with almost disdainful ease. It was as if her strikes cut through air, leaving Artemisia with a maddening sense of futility.

This isn't working, she thought grimly. If things continue like this, there's no way I can defeat this woman. I have no choice…

Artemisia's body suddenly erupted with a surge of energy, an invisible force coalescing around her like a palpable aura. The violent gusts it generated sent dust and debris swirling into the air.

"Hah!"

With a sharp cry, Artemisia vanished in a blur, her speed now multiplied several times over. Her figure split into a trail of phantoms as she streaked toward Kaguya like a bolt of lightning. In the blink of an eye, she appeared right in front of Kaguya, raising her glowing sword to deliver a decisive blow.

The technique came at a heavy cost to her body, but it greatly amplified her power.

Yet, just as Artemisia's blade was about to strike, Kaguya turned her head slightly, raising her hand to face her attacker.

Artemisia's lips curled into a sly grin.

"You've fallen into my trap."

The figure of Artemisia before Kaguya abruptly vanished. At the same moment, her true form reappeared behind Kaguya, her blade slicing through the air with deadly precision, aiming directly for the back of Kaguya's head.

As the glowing sword descended, promising a clean decapitation, a voice rang out from behind Artemisia, freezing her in place.

"Did you really think such a move would work on me? How naïve."

Artemisia's pupils contracted as realization dawned. Her sword passed through Kaguya's figure without resistance, like cutting through mist. There was no impact, no sensation.

It was merely an afterimage.

Before Artemisia could recover, Kaguya's voice drifted softly from behind her. "Secret Technique."

Artemisia was suspended in midair, unable to find footing. Her Realizer device was overloaded, leaving her unable to move. Panic bubbled up within her as she instinctively activated her territory barrier to its maximum capacity, bracing herself to endure the incoming attack.

"Thousand Years of Death."

"Huh?"

For a brief moment, Artemisia froze, confused by the unfamiliar name of the technique. Her puzzlement lasted only seconds before a sharp, unbearable pain shot through her lower back. It was an intense sensation, like an electric shock, simultaneously stabbing and tearing.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!"

Her agonized scream tore through the still night, shattering the park's eerie calm. Birds startled from the treetops, their wings flapping noisily in the darkness as feathers rained down like snow.

On the grass below, Artemisia writhed in pain, clutching her rear with both hands as she lay prone. Her legs flailed helplessly, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Well, that's dealt with," Kaguya said, dusting her hands as though completing a menial task. She turned and began walking toward where Natsumi lay. But she had only taken a few steps when Artemisia's enraged voice rang out behind her.

"Stop right there!" Artemisia shouted, her tone filled with humiliation and fury. She sat awkwardly on the ground, legs clamped tightly together, one hand still gripping her lower back.

Kaguya didn't stop, nor did she acknowledge the outburst, continuing forward as if she hadn't heard a thing.

"You think you can insult me and walk away?" Artemisia yelled furiously. "I'll kill you!" Yet, her current pitiful state only served to undermine her words, making her seem almost laughable.

Seeing no response from Kaguya, Artemisia gritted her teeth and pressed a red button on her Realizer device. Instantly, a surge of power erupted around her, unleashing a barrage of energy projectiles that filled the air like a rainstorm, hurtling toward Kaguya at blinding speed.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Explosions rang out one after another, the deafening roars echoing through the park. The ground shattered beneath the onslaught, sending shards of stone and splinters of wood flying. The resulting shockwaves swept outward in rippling waves, raising clouds of dust and smoke.

"Did… did I get her?" Artemisia muttered uncertainly.

Against any other opponent, she would have been confident. These high-energy explosive rounds could seriously injure even a Spirit. But this foe defied logic; her strength was beyond comprehension. Artemisia wasn't sure how effective her attack had been.

As the smoke and dust began to clear, a figure emerged, standing unharmed. It was the silver-haired girl, Kaguya.

Kaguya lifted her gaze, her cold eyes locking onto Artemisia. The clarity and intensity in those eyes sent a wave of primal fear coursing through Artemisia. It felt as though she was staring into the abyss itself, the eyes of a death god. Unconsciously, Artemisia averted her gaze, her terror slightly easing when she broke eye contact.

"I spared you for your sister's sake," Kaguya said, her tone calm but piercing, each word laced with icy menace. "But that doesn't mean you can act with impunity."

"I don't need your pity!" Artemisia retorted, clutching her glowing sword. "I'll kill you, you—"

Before she could finish her sentence, her eyes widened in shock. The silver-haired girl had vanished. A cold, unyielding hand gripped her neck from behind. It was Kaguya.

She hadn't even seen Kaguya move.

Artemisia struggled desperately, her hands clawing at Kaguya's iron-like grip. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't free herself.

Kaguya leaned in close, her voice low and deadly. "Don't let me see you again. Next time, I won't show mercy."

The chilling words froze Artemisia to her core. Her body stiffened, and a cold sweat broke out across her skin. In that moment, she had no doubt that if she defied this girl again, she would die.

To Kaguya, Artemisia was nothing more than a nuisance. Even if she was a beauty, it made no difference. If a woman's character didn't interest her, no matter how beautiful, she was no different from an ant.

Maybe if Artemisia had attacked her, Kaguya could have spared her, letting her live to bring more entertainment later. But attacking Natsumi with killing intent? That was unforgivable. She was lucky she was Ellen's sister; otherwise, Kaguya wouldn't have hesitated to crush her neck.

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