Dimensional Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

With a crisp "clang," sparks flew.

Tatara's kagune collided with Kishou Arima's quinque spear, creating dazzling sparks from the impact.

The two separated instantly after the clash. Tatara retreated swiftly, and several crimson kagune tails suddenly emerged from his back, raining down on Kishou Arima like a storm.

Kishou Arima was not one to back down. Raising his arm, he revealed a dark barrel—the quinque Narukami. After a blinding flash, a burst of electricity erupted, colliding with the kagune in mid-air.

Boom!

The kagune and lightning clashed, producing a brilliant display of fireworks.

At that moment, the One-Eyed Owl, suddenly descended from above, her massive claws aiming to crush Kishou Arima. The ghoul investigator's figure tensed.

Seeing he was about to be struck, Arima twisted his body mid-air, swiftly retreating while raising his right hand. A spear materialized in his grasp—his quinque, IXA.

With a powerful swing—

A muffled "boom" echoed.

Amidst the flying sparks, Kishou Arima's spear blocked the One-Eyed Owl's attack. However, the immense force sent his body hurtling backward, slamming heavily into a wall.

Dust and debris filled the air, creating a thick cloud.

As the One-Eyed Owl prepared to press her advantage, a sudden flash of light burst forth from the dust cloud. A ball of electricity shot through the air, striking the Owl squarely—Narukami's lightning.

"Roar!"

The One-Eyed Owl let out a furious roar, her massive body sent flying. Her form crackled with electricity, emitting sharp, snapping sounds. Smoke curled from her charred body, and the air reeked of burnt flesh.

A figure dashed out from the cloud of smoke—it was Kishou Arima. But before he could attack, a shadow suddenly appeared to his left. A crimson kagune tail lashed toward him like a whip.

Boom!

Kishou Arima was struck and sent flying. He slammed into a wall with a loud crash, his throat convulsing as he spat out blood—clearly suffering from serious internal injuries.

"I didn't expect to find you at a CCG branch. Quite the surprise," Tatara said as he approached, his deep voice resonating. "I had planned to finish this quickly, but it seems I've been delayed longer than expected."

Kishou Arima stood up, casting a cold glance at the One-Eyed Owl nearby. "With just the two of you? You're not qualified."

"Is that so?" The One-Eyed Owl lumbered forward, her massive footsteps rumbling like thunder. Her single crimson eye locked onto Kishou Arima as she spoke. "Unfortunately for you, your subordinates have already failed. By now, they've likely been torn to pieces."

"They're not as weak as you imagine," Arima replied calmly. "Do you truly believe you can defeat me?"

"How arrogant."

Tatara and the One-Eyed Owl exchanged glances. In an instant, they both lunged forward, charging at Kishou Arima. Arima snorted coldly and charged to meet them head-on.

Moments later—

With a dull "thud," Kishou Arima was sent flying, his body crashing into a distant wall like a kite with its string cut. The impact shattered the wall, leaving cracks resembling a spider's web. Arima's body was battered and bloodied, with crimson liquid streaming continuously from his wounds.

"A human's physique is inherently weak. No matter how strong you are, you cannot escape the limitations of a human body," Tatara remarked grimly. His own body was also covered in wounds, some so deep they exposed bone, and even internal organs were faintly visible through the gashes.

These injuries were Kishou Arima's handiwork.

"Do you think you can defeat me?" Kishou Arima supported himself against the wall, standing up from the ground. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and spoke coldly.

As soon as he finished speaking, Arima lunged forward like an arrow shot from a bow.

However—

"Boom!" A deafening crash echoed.

Kishou Arima was sent flying once more, slamming heavily into the wall. This time, his condition was worse than before; his body was riddled with wounds, and even the glasses on his nose were shattered.

"You don't seem to be as powerful as you claim," Tatara said as he walked forward, his sinister gaze fixed on the gravely injured Arima.

But Tatara wasn't unscathed either. One of his arms was missing, with crimson blood gushing from the wound, exposing the stark white of his bones within.

"You're nothing more than a pack of barking beasts," Arima said icily, his sharp features as cold and unyielding as an iceberg. Staggering to his feet, he charged forward again.

A moment later—

Boom!

Kishou Arima was blasted backward like a cannonball, crashing into an electric pole with a thunderous sound that snapped it in half.

"Is he an idiot?" Eto Yoshimura, the One-Eyed Owl, sneered, her massive form exuding disdain. "How reckless."

"Probably," Tatara remarked coldly, his gaze fixed on the battered and bruised Arima in the distance. "The so-called White Reaper, Kishou Arima, is nothing more than this."

"Shall we kill him?" Eto asked, her enormous head tilting in curiosity.

"Kill him," Tatara said as he turned away, no longer sparing Arima a glance.

To him, no matter how formidable someone had been, if they lost, they were nothing but a dead man. And a dead man held no meaning for him.

Besides, Tatara needed to return and recover from his injuries. Although he seemed composed on the surface, his body had sustained severe damage. If not for the extraordinary regeneration of a ghoul, he might already be incapacitated. Even now, his strength was depleting rapidly.

The title "White Reaper" was not mere exaggeration. Even against two top-tier ghouls, Kishou Arima had managed to inflict serious wounds, proving his terrifying prowess.

"What a spectacular battle, though the latter half was somewhat clumsy," a melodious voice suddenly echoed.

"Who's there?" Tatara spun around abruptly.

Perched atop a streetlamp was a beautiful girl with long black hair. She gazed at him with an amused expression.

"Are you here to die as well?" The One-Eyed Owl tilted her enormous head curiously.

"Die?" Kaguya shook her head and chuckled softly. "That word doesn't exist in my dictionary. I have too many things left to do, so dying simply isn't an option. I'm afraid I must disappoint you."

Tatara ignored her words and asked coldly, "What did you mean by 'clumsy' just now?"

"Oh?" Kaguya widened her eyes in mock surprise. "Isn't it obvious? The first half wasn't bad, but your coordination in the second half was abysmal. The fight lost all its excitement. At this rate, the audience won't willingly buy tickets." She smirked playfully.

Tatara's eyes gradually narrowed, sharp as blades.

Kaguya's words were not aimless; they were deliberate, carrying an underlying implication. Tatara's reaction confirmed her suspicions.

It seemed the events depicted in the original manga were indeed accurate—that is…

At the same time, Kishou Arima stood up from the ground, removing his shattered glasses. An intangible aura radiated from him, overwhelming and powerful. Despite appearances, he seemed far less injured than expected.

"Oh?" Kaguya feigned surprise and said, "Still alive? As expected of the White Reaper. Even after being beaten for so long, you haven't died. Such resilience is truly rare among humans."

"Who are you?" Kishou Arima narrowed his eyes, straightened his posture, and turned his sharp gaze toward the black-haired girl in the distance, speaking coldly.

His chiseled face was as icy as a glacier, his narrow eyes brimming with a penetrating sharpness that seemed capable of seeing through a person's soul.

"Sorry to intrude," Kaguya said, sitting atop the streetlamp and waving at them with a radiant smile on her face. "I was just passing by and seem to have taken a wrong turn. You can just ignore me."

"Just passing by?" Tatara turned toward her, his sinister gaze fixed on Kaguya as he spoke in an unfriendly tone.

"May I cut her down?" Eto Yoshimura, the One-Eyed Owl, asked in a playful tone, tilting her massive head with childlike curiosity.

Even Kishou Arima's cold gaze shifted toward Kaguya, giving her the illusion of being surrounded.

However, if Kaguya remembered correctly, these three did seem to be in the same group. Not just them—even the upper echelons of the CCG had ties to the ghouls. This intricate and murky relationship was truly fascinating.

It seemed only the humans remained blissfully unaware of this truth.

Foolish humans, indeed.

"Oh, right," Kaguya suddenly remembered something, raising her index finger and wagging it side to side as she smiled faintly. "When asking someone else's name, you should first introduce yourself. Didn't your family teach you basic manners?"

"No, I don't plan to ask your name," Tatara said coldly, a glint of malice flashing in his eyes. "To me, the name of a dead person is meaningless."

"So what you're saying is..." Kaguya blinked her beautiful eyes and asked curiously, "You're planning to kill me?"

"Hmph," Tatara snorted. In a single instant, he lunged forward like a bolt of lightning, charging straight at Kaguya.

"What a fool," Eto Yoshimura said with a hint of mockery. "Does he really think that'll work against her? How amusing."

In the blink of an eye, Tatara had already reached Kaguya. A crimson kagune tail extended from his back, sweeping toward her like a whip.

Boom!

With a loud crash, the streetlamp was cut clean in half, falling to the ground with a heavy thud. The bulb shattered into fragments with a sharp "pop."

"Hmm?"

Tatara felt no sensation of hitting his target. Looking up, he saw a slender figure leaping into the air, her mist-like long hair swaying gently in the wind.

"I underestimated you," Tatara said coldly. "But this is as far as you go."

As soon as he finished speaking, crimson beams shot out from the kagune on his back, resembling a barrage of bullets aimed at the figure in the air.

"Since when can kagune attack from range?" Kaguya dodged the incoming assault, loudly complaining, "Hey, isn't this cheating?"

"Unfortunately, there's no such rule," Tatara replied icily. "Now, die."

With those words, the kagune tails morphed into sharp spikes, tearing through the air as they shot toward her.

"Die?" Kaguya chuckled softly, still airborne. "I'm sorry, Tatara-san, but I have no plans to die today. So I'll have to decline your kind offer." As she spoke, she extended her fair hand.

With a crisp "snap," she snapped her fingers.

"Water Style: Water Formation Wall."

As soon as she finished speaking, a wall of water, resembling ocean waves, suddenly materialized around Kaguya, enveloping her in what looked like a massive sphere of water.

Tatara's kagune struck the water wall with great force, but the wall was unexpectedly solid. The rapidly swirling water deflected the spear-like kagune with a resounding "clang," sending it flying away.

"What is this?"

Not only Tatara, but also Eto Yoshimura and Kishou Arima, wore expressions of surprise. None of them had ever seen such a technique before, and it was incomprehensible to them how water could be manipulated in such a way. It wasn't a natural phenomenon, nor did it resemble any known technology. What exactly was this strange ability?

If ghouls couldn't comprehend it and even Arima, with his scientific understanding, was at a loss, then surely it wasn't based on any conventional science. They couldn't fathom how it worked, which made it all the more unnerving.

The water came as quickly as it went. In the blink of an eye, the torrent disappeared without a trace, leaving only wet ground as evidence that it hadn't been an illusion.

Kaguya landed lightly on the ground, her toes gently touching down. She blinked playfully and teased, "You all seem... surprised."

Tatara's gaze grew sharp, while Kishou Arima seemed deep in thought.

As for Eto Yoshimura—

"I—I—I, Eto Yoshimura, demand to know what that was!" she exclaimed, stomping one of her massive feet in frustration.

"10,000 yen," Kaguya said with a warm smile. "For 10,000 yen, I'll tell you. And not just that—I'll even teach you how to use it, guaranteed. If you don't learn, I'll refund you in full."

Teaching them ninjutsu? She could easily make something up to fool them. With this brilliant plan forming in her mind, Kaguya's eyes sparkled, as though she had just stumbled upon a lucrative business opportunity.

However—

"No money," Eto Yoshimura bluntly declared.

"What? No money?" Kaguya's cheerful expression froze.

"How could you not have money?" she protested. "You're part of such a big organization, and you're so powerful. How can you not have money?"

"Why does being powerful mean we have to have money?" Eto Yoshimura tilted her head and replied, "Strength isn't the same as wealth."

"Uh..."

The argument seemed logical, and Kaguya found herself momentarily at a loss for words.

"What about you?" Kaguya turned her attention to Tatara, who stood nearby.

Tatara's expression instantly darkened, his icy gaze as sharp as knives as he glared at Kaguya.

This kind of trivial question wasn't something he felt was worth answering.

Yet Kaguya, unfazed, maintained her cheerful demeanor, seemingly unaffected by the chilling killing intent emanating from Tatara.

You must be joking. The number of people who had died at Kaguya's hands was in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. How could she possibly be intimidated by someone glaring at her? Staring wouldn't kill anyone, after all.

Oh, wait—if it were the Uchiha clan, they actually could kill with their stares.

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