A Perverted Feeling

Esdeath moved like a streak of light, and in a flash, she was right in front of Kaguya. With a swift swing of her arm, her sharp blade slashed through the air, leaving trails of afterimages as it slashed toward Kaguya.

Kaguya's eyes narrowed. Esdeath's speed was already impressive before, but now it had increased to the point of creating afterimages.

Kaguya quickly stepped back, narrowly avoiding Esdeath's slash. Just as she prepared to turn around, she heard a whooshing sound beside her, and her pupils contracted.

A flash of cold light streaked by.

A piece of black and red cloth fluttered in the air before spinning and falling to the ground, stained with spots of blood. It was the sleeve of Kaguya's black and red Gothic short dress.

"Be careful," Esdeath said, her eyes fixed on Kaguya, her lips curving into a slightly excited smile. The setback she experienced earlier had not discouraged her; instead, it ignited her fighting spirit like a roaring fire.

Kaguya glanced at the small cut on her arm, her eyes narrowing. It wasn't the blade that had injured her; it was ice. With each slash, Esdeath unleashed arcs of icy blades. These ice blades were incredibly sharp, nearly indistinguishable from a real blade, and they traveled faster and farther due to their projectile nature.

Suddenly, countless ice shards floated around Esdeath, hovering in the air and glinting coldly. With a wave of her arm, the ice shards shot toward Kaguya like a shower of blossoms.

Kaguya sighed softly, her face showing helplessness. She had intended to conserve chakra for future battles, but it seemed that was no longer possible.

Raising her alabaster arm, Kaguya's eyes focused intensely. A massive repulsive force erupted from her snow-white palm, like an invisible shockwave. The ice shards disintegrated into dust before they could reach her.

The repulsive force continued unabated, tearing through trees and shattering rocks, leaving a trail of devastation and raising clouds of dust.

Seeing the invisible force charging toward her like lightning, Esdeath's light blue eyes narrowed. With a swift wave of her arm, a massive ice wall rose from the ground to shield her. The ice wall was solid and several meters thick, reflecting a gentle light under the moon.

It was this ice wall that had previously shielded her from Kaguya's Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack. Although it hadn't fully absorbed the impact, it had mitigated a significant portion of the damage. Otherwise, Esdeath would have suffered more than just minor injuries.

With a thunderous crash, the repulsive force collided with the ice wall, causing the earth to tremble and ice shards to scatter.

Cracks spread across the tall ice wall under the pressure of the repulsive force. As the cracks widened, the ice wall finally collapsed with a sharp crack, sending large chunks of ice flying through the air and crashing heavily to the ground, raising clouds of dust.

Despite their hardness, the ice blocks were still only ice and proved ineffective against the repulsive force.

Suddenly, a dark shadow burst from the dust, charging toward Kaguya with lightning speed. Before it reached her, a flash of cold light shot from the figure's hand, slicing toward Kaguya's fair neck.

As the blade neared Kaguya, ready to cleave her in two, a shadow appeared in front of Kaguya at the critical moment.

Clang!

A metallic clang echoed as the sharp blade was deflected. A black sphere materialized before Kaguya, enveloping her completely. The black sphere that blocked the attack was none other than Kaguya's Truth-Seeking Ball.

"You managed to block it," the dark figure revealed its true form under the moonlight—Esdeath.

Esdeath's attack had been her fastest, and with the cover of dust, she had been confident of victory. She hadn't expected Kaguya to block it at the last moment.

"It's nothing," Kaguya smiled slightly. "I just have good eyesight." Her clear eyes sparkled like starry nebulae.

To others, Esdeath's rapid sneak attack might have been deadly, but for Kaguya, it posed no threat. Her keen perception allowed her to see even the fastest movements as if in slow motion.

"Very impressive, Your Highness. Your strength exceeds my expectations," Esdeath's eyes sparkled as she watched Kaguya, seemingly delighted rather than angry. Her cheeks flushed with a hint of pink. "I am more and more impressed with you."

"Thank you for the compliment," Kaguya replied with a faint smile. "Shall we continue?"

"Of course," Esdeath's cheeks were slightly flushed. "It feels wonderful to duel someone so evenly matched."

Really? I don't feel it at all, or maybe only a sadist like you would find this thrilling. Kaguya couldn't help but remark internally.

"Next," Esdeath's light blue eyes narrowed, a smile playing on her lips. "I will use my ultimate technique."

"General Esdeath—"

A crisp voice rang out from afar, breaking the tense atmosphere.

A handsome blond-haired youth ran over from a distance, bowing and saying, "General Esdeath, Night Raid—"

Before he could finish, a booted foot kicked him hard in the face, twisting his handsome features and sending a spray of bloody saliva flying.

"I told you not to disturb me during a battle," Esdeath glared at the blond youth at her feet, her light blue eyes exuding danger and killing intent that seemed almost tangible.

"I'm sorry," the blond youth quickly scrambled up, clutching his face in terror.

"Forget it. The interruption spoiled my mood," Esdeath snorted, turning to Kaguya with a gentle smile. "Apologies, but we'll have to continue this another time. I have other matters to attend to."