First Battle

Kaguya had an unusual dream. She seemed to be in a strange place, shrouded in a hazy gray mist so thick she could barely see her own hand, let alone anything in front of her. In the distance, it felt like someone was calling out for help—a small, indistinct voice, somewhere between near and far, and it sounded like a little girl.

She wanted to go and help, but it was as if she were trapped in a nightmare, her body stiff and unable to move. She tried to open her mouth to call out, but no sound came. Just then, a mysterious energy surged from her, rippling outwards like circles in water. This energy, Kaguya recognized, was the very same the system's little sprite had spoken of.

The little girl's voice grew fainter, then faded altogether, vanishing into the air.

The scene shifted abruptly, and now Kaguya found herself surrounded by flames. Fires roared all around her, the tongues of flame lapping higher and higher, radiating intense heat and filling the air with the suffocating stench of charred wood and smoke that choked the surroundings, plunging everything into darkness.

Where is this place?

Kaguya frowned, surveying her surroundings. The buildings nearby were all engulfed in raging flames, like a scene from a massive fire. How had she ended up here? Could it be some kind of system glitch?

With a loud "boom," debris and rubble flew in all directions as flames shot up into the sky—likely a gas pipe had exploded.

Kaguya paid no mind to the fire; it posed no threat to her. Even the fiercest fire techniques could not harm her. She glanced around and began to head towards what she presumed was an exit; the smoke, thick as it was, did nothing to obscure her vision.

Then Kaguya paused mid-step, sensing something. She turned toward the corner of a nearby wall and saw a little girl huddled on the ground, protected by a piece of fallen ceiling that seemed to have shielded her from harm.

Kaguya reached out and picked up the soot-streaked little girl, carrying her out of the fire. Seemingly stirred by the movement, the girl opened her eyes, staring blankly at Kaguya for a few moments before drifting back into unconsciousness, likely from the smoke inhalation and lack of oxygen.

The sound of fire trucks echoed from a distance, their sirens drawing closer and closer. Red lights flickered in the distance as the emergency vehicles arrived.

Gently, Kaguya laid the little girl on a grassy patch, removed her outer robe, and draped it over the child. After a final glance, she turned and walked away.

Watching the fire continue to grow, Kaguya frowned slightly and raised her hand. A massive black vortex appeared in the sky, unleashing a torrential downpour. The heavy rain soaked the flames, and under its relentless drenching, the fire gradually died down, the thick smoke dispersing until, finally, the blaze was extinguished.

Suddenly, a gleaming edge cut through the air, heading for her unguarded back—a massive, flaming axe at least two meters long.

Just as the axe was about to split her in two, Kaguya raised the corner of her mouth and extended two slender, white fingers.

"Clang!"

The massive axe, which had been tearing through the air with incredible force, was halted mid-swing, its momentum sending shockwaves that ruffled Kaguya's clothes as the force swept out in all directions.

Kaguya stood unharmed, holding the gigantic axe between her fingers.

The little girl holding the axe froze, clearly not expecting Kaguya to block her attack with such ease.

Kaguya, without missing a beat, gave the axe a strong tug. Caught off guard, the girl lost her balance and stumbled forward, and before she could react, Kaguya grabbed her by her slender neck.

A flash of anger crossed the girl's delicate face, and a tremendous energy erupted from her seemingly fragile body, radiating outward like a tidal wave. But she hesitated—her attack hadn't so much as budged her opponent, who stood steady as if completely unaffected by the power just unleashed.

Seeing this, the girl's fury escalated, her body now encased in a blinding, scorching flame that seared the very ground beneath her. But to her dismay, Kaguya remained unscathed, tilting her head slightly, watching her with curious interest.

The girl's lovely face finally showed a hint of panic, her hands desperately grasping Kaguya's arm, her legs kicking in a futile attempt to break free. To Kaguya, however, her struggles felt like nothing more than a mild tickle, barely worth noticing.

As the girl flailed in desperation, Kaguya's smile widened. She pulled the girl closer, pinning her arms down and clasping her tightly in an unbreakable hold. And in that moment, as terror flickered in the girl's eyes, Kaguya leaned down and, without hesitation, pressed her lips to hers.

"What kind of dream was that…"

Waking with a jolt, Kaguya took a moment to collect herself. How could she dream about doing something like that to such a young girl? It was downright twisted. If she had been a little older, it might be easier to shrug off.

Could she really be that kind of… gentleman?

She found the thought hard to believe.

But where was she now?

Kaguya stood up, glancing around. The place was pitch black; her keen sight, which could normally pierce through any darkness, saw nothing. This wasn't just ordinary darkness—it was an absolute absence of light, blanketing everything in a void.

At that moment, the ground trembled as if hit by an earthquake, sending ripples through the space around her like waves on a pond. Then, right in front of her, a dark portal suddenly materialized, soft light spilling through from the other side.

Kaguya peered through the portal, startled to see a familiar world beyond. She saw towering buildings, bustling city streets, a constant flow of people—and anti-aircraft guns?

What on earth was this?

Still, anything was better than this empty void. She would lose her mind if she had to stay here any longer with nothing to do.

Kaguya gathered herself, leaping through the portal, and as she landed, the sharp blare of sirens echoed overhead.

As soon as Kaguya emerged from the portal, she was met with a hail of anti-aircraft gunfire. The bullets, hot from the roaring muzzles, formed a relentless steel curtain sweeping toward her.

For anyone else, this barrage would have turned them into Swiss cheese, but for Kaguya, this level of assault was nowhere near enough to pose a threat.

Without even flinching, Kaguya watched as several black spheres materialized around her. They expanded instantly, forming a shield in front of her.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

A cascade of sharp metallic sounds rang out as the torrent of bullets struck the Truth-Seeking Balls, sparking brightly, while even a few missiles exploded against them to no avail—leaving not even a single crack on the shield.

What's going on?

Kaguya was at a loss. She had just exited the portal and was immediately targeted, receiving a full-on assault.

Just then, she noticed a group of black dots approaching from a distance, soon revealed to be a group of young women. They wore jetpacks on their backs, emitting streams of hot exhaust that enabled them to fly. Each wielded a hefty-looking assault rifle.

If Kaguya was correct, these must be members of the Anti-Spirit Team (AST), a special combat unit formed to neutralize spirits by force.

Seeing this, Kaguya began to understand. It seemed these girls had mistaken her for a spirit.

Just her luck.

To be fair, seeing someone suddenly appear out of thin air and float in midair would make anyone suspicious. And these days, only spirits possessed such abilities without external aid.

Reaching out, Kaguya traced a line with her finger, creating a small dark portal at her fingertip. She retrieved a fox mask, white with red markings, one she used often in the past. Though it offered no stat bonuses, it served well for keeping her identity hidden. Still, maybe she'd ask the system sprite later if she had masks with added attributes.

This wasn't the time for such thoughts, though, as the AST girls had arrived and were firing at her with their guns.

It was a spectacle too ridiculous to witness.

Unfortunately for them, these weapons, while decent, were not nearly enough to handle Kaguya, who simply raised her hand and unleashed a powerful repulsive force from her palm.

"Shinra Tensei."

To her surprise, the AST girls weren't blasted out of the sky immediately. A semi-transparent shield materialized in front of them, blocking Kaguya's attack. The force of her attack still sent them flying back several hundred meters before they managed to stop themselves.

"So that's the AST's personal domain," Kaguya noted with mild intrigue as a faint smile curved her lips. It was somewhat impressive that it could withstand her Shinra Tensei—Even if it was just a casual attack, little more than a fraction of her power

"So strong…" whispered an AST member.

"Hmph, useless," scoffed the girl in charge, evidently the squad leader. "Are you seriously backing down already? Watch me."

No sooner had she spoken than she engaged her jetpack's booster, rocketing towards Kaguya with her gun raised, finger on the trigger.

"Ratatatata!"

The weapon's muzzle flashed as it spat bullets at Kaguya, sending more bright sparks skittering across the surface of the Truth-Seeking Balls' shield.

Seeing Kaguya's Truth-Seeking Balls defending her, the AST squad leader smirked as four missiles extended from her jetpack with a click. In a shriek of air, the missiles launched, drawing long trails of smoke as they curved around to strike Kaguya from behind.

Her plan was straightforward—she aimed to divert Kaguya's attention with her frontal attack. If Kaguya's defenses focused on the front, her blind spot would be exposed to the missiles.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of explosions erupted, filling the air with shrapnel and thick smoke, forming a black mushroom cloud.

At the same time, a massive metal net descended from the sky over the blast zone and pulled tight.

"Nice work, Captain!"

"As expected of our captain!"

"When will I ever get to be as awesome as Captain?"

Several AST girls gathered around the captain, eyes sparkling with admiration.

"If you train diligently every day and never give up, you'll reach my level and maybe even surpass it one day." Although her expression was solemn, the hint of a smirk betrayed her real feelings.

She was clearly a classic tsundere.

"Captain…"

But just then, an AST member approached cautiously. "Um… the spirit seems to have disappeared."

"Disappeared?" The captain blinked in surprise. "Didn't we just catch her with the capture net?"

"We did, but…" The girl hesitated. "When we went to check, she was already gone."

"When did she vanish?" the captain asked, her expression growing more serious.

"Just now," replied the girl.

The captain's face darkened, her brows furrowing. "Continue the search. Report to HQ that the spirit escaped."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Meanwhile, Kaguya was leisurely strolling down a street below. Due to the spatial quake alarms, the streets were deserted, with people hiding in underground shelters, leaving the road silent and empty.

"Somewhere to get food would be nice," Kaguya murmured, patting her stomach. She wouldn't starve even if she didn't eat, thanks to her innate energy, but her body, out of habit, still felt hunger.

"Stop!"

A voice rang out from behind her, and she turned to find a pretty girl with short silver hair and wearing the AST's standard equipment, holding an automatic rifle aimed straight at Kaguya.

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