Dimensional Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

Behind them, the attack came with a sharp gust of wind, the kagune spear hurtling toward the two girls, poised to pierce them both.

In this critical moment, Kaguya flicked her thumb, and the long blade she held unsheathed in an instant. The dazzlingly sharp blade of Liuli sliced through the air, intercepting the oncoming kagune spear with a resounding clash.

A crisp "clang" echoed as the long blade collided with the kagune spear, sending sparks flying.

The katana spun through the air, knocked away, but the kagune spear also deflected slightly, narrowly missing Kaguya as it whizzed past her.

With a muffled "thud," the kagune spear impaled a massive tree, its trunk as thick as three people embracing it.

Kaguya wasted no time, swiftly scooping up the stunned Yoriko Kuroiwa in her arms and retreating rapidly.

Under the dim light, the attacker revealed himself. A figure of average build in dark clothing, his face obscured by a peculiar clown mask. From his arm extended a blood-red kagune, shaped into a menacing spear that shimmered with an eerie glow.

Upon seeing this kagune, Kaguya's eyes narrowed slightly. If she wasn't mistaken, this was the same as Yamori's kagune, identical to the one the "Gecko" once wielded. But Yamori was already dead. How could someone else possess his kagune?

Could this person be Yamori himself?

No, the build was completely wrong. Yamori had a burly, muscular frame resembling a small tank. This man was slender, even frail-looking by comparison.

And yet, the force behind the attack was shockingly strong. Kaguya had expected her Liuli to knock the spear aside, but instead, her blade was sent flying, while the attacker was barely affected. Even Yamori wouldn't have been capable of such power.

"Who are you?" Kaguya asked with a slight frown.

"Who am I?" The man in the clown mask lightly tapped his mask with his long, slender fingers and chuckled. "Can't you tell? I am the Clown, a messenger walking between light and darkness, the architect of wisdom and ingenuity."

His words made Kaguya's skin crawl, and she couldn't help but shudder. "That's disgusting. Are you some terminal case of Chuunibyou, or did you contract rabies and develop neurological issues?"

"Is that so?" The Clown stepped forward. "This world has already rotted, emitting a stench of death, war, terror, and sorrow. Only through transformation can it be saved."

"I'm not talking about that." Kaguya pinched her nose with a look of disdain. "I mean the way you're talking is so nauseating it's making me want to throw up."

"Who is he?" Yoriko cowered in Kaguya's arms, her face pale with fear.

"Probably an idiot." Kaguya thought for a moment, then tapped her on the head. "Something must be wrong up here for him to spout this nonsense."

"Oh." Yoriko nodded slightly, her face showing lingering fear at the eerie atmosphere.

"Unappreciated by the world," the Clown said, shaking his head. "I thought you might understand my convictions. It seems I was too optimistic. Quite troubling. But I do like women like you—strong personality, good looks. You meet all my standards."

"Spare me the nausea." Kaguya felt a wave of revulsion. "You're less appealing than a month-old sandwich rotting in the fridge. And yet, you dare boast. Do you even know your place?"

"Quite a sharp tongue," the Clown chuckled. "Let's see if it's still sharp after I pull out all your teeth."

"Let's see if you even have the ability," Kaguya retorted coldly.

Before the conversation ended, the Clown dashed forward in a flash, his kagune transforming into a sharp spear. With a swing of his arm, the spear tore through the air, whistling as it shot toward them.

Kaguya quickly pushed Yoriko aside, stomping her foot and leaping back. Her cheeks puffed out, and with a snap of her mouth, a fiery tongue erupted.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"

The flames expanded with the wind, transforming into a massive sea of fire in the blink of an eye, crashing violently into the Clown.

The scorching flames emitted an intense heat, causing even the surrounding ground to begin melting slightly.

Suddenly, Kaguya's eyes narrowed as she sensed something. Stomping her foot again, she leapt backward.

At that moment, a crimson spear pierced through the blazing wall of fire, shooting out like lightning toward Kaguya's chest.

At the critical moment, Kaguya snapped her fingers with a crisp "pop."

"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"

A stone wall suddenly rose from the ground, standing firmly between her and the incoming attack.

A deafening "bang" echoed.

The kagune spear slammed into the stone wall, causing the rock to shatter and debris to scatter as smoke and dust filled the air.

When the dust settled, the stone wall revealed a large crater in its center, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading outward. However, it had not been completely breached.

Meanwhile, the Clown performed a somersault, lightly tapping his foot to the ground and landing gracefully. Although he had broken through the wall of fire, the intense heat had clearly taken its toll. His clothes were partially burned away, exposing charred and blackened skin that emitted a heavy smell of scorched flesh.

An ordinary person would have already perished, but as a ghoul with extraordinary regenerative abilities, he seemed to recover within moments. His burnt skin had already begun to peel away, revealing new flesh beneath.

"Oh? What's this? I've never seen anything so interesting before," the Clown exclaimed in surprise, seemingly indifferent to his injuries. With excitement in his voice, he added, "This is incredible! The world really has such fun things to offer. I'm growing more and more interested in you."

"Apologies," Kaguya said coldly. "I have no interest in idiots with a terminal case of Chuunibyou."

"Don't be so cold," the Clown replied with a grin. "If you marry me and stay by my side, you can have whatever you want. Even the entire world can be yours. We can do all sorts of fun things together. How about it? Think it over."

"I'm not into perverts, thanks," Kaguya retorted icily.

"What a pity," the Clown said with a shrug. "But if you won't be my wife, I'll just have to find someone else. Hmm... how about you?"

Before his words had fully landed, the Clown shot forward like a bolt of lightning, moving at blinding speed. His target was none other than Yoriko, standing a short distance away.

Kaguya glanced back and nearly cursed aloud. Was this girl an idiot?

At some point, Yoriko had sneaked closer to get a better view, intending to enjoy the fight as an audience member. But seriously—this was a battle, not a performance!

Yoriko's face turned pale with terror. Her thoughts didn't have time to catch up as she spun around and bolted, but her small frame and short legs couldn't move fast enough.

The Clown reached her in an instant, raising his kagune-formed spear high. With a vicious swing, the spear hurtled toward her.

Just as the spear was about to pierce Yoriko, a figure appeared in front of the Clown—it was Kaguya.

A crimson flash of light streaked through the air.

Droplets of blood sprayed out.

With a light step, Kaguya floated back down gracefully, cradling a terrified Yoriko in her arms.

As Yoriko realized she was safe, she timidly lowered the arms shielding her head. But her eyes widened in shock when she saw Kaguya's arm. "You're... you're bleeding!" she exclaimed.

A long gash ran along Kaguya's arm, fresh blood seeping out. The wound stood out starkly against her flawless, radiant skin.

Kaguya had been caught off guard and grazed by the Clown's kagune spear while protecting Yoriko.

"Shut up!" Kaguya barked at her. "This is all your fault!"

"S-sorry," Yoriko stammered, nervously waving her hands and forcing out an awkward laugh.

"Despicable," Kaguya said coldly, furrowing her brows as she turned her gaze back to the Clown.

"To achieve a goal, any means is justifiable. There's no such thing as despicable or righteous," the Clown replied, his mask glinting eerily in the moonlight. "Besides, my target is... you."

"You're not even close," Kaguya stated firmly, positioning herself protectively in front of Yoriko.

"I really like your personality," the Clown said, a twisted grin forming beneath his mask. "I wonder what you'll look like when you break."

"You're just a toad dreaming of eating swan meat," Kaguya sneered, raising her arm as her voice turned sharp. "I see someone forgot their rabies shot."

"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"

The Clown's instincts screamed danger. His heart skipped a beat as he swiftly retreated.

Suddenly, the ground beneath the Clown trembled violently. Countless trees erupted from the earth, growing rapidly into towering giants. At the same time, vines shot out from the trees like living serpents, racing toward the Clown with lightning speed.

"Fascinating. I never imagined such powers existed in this world," the Clown said, his voice brimming with excitement. "But mere twigs and leaves won't defeat me."

His arm swelled grotesquely, with crimson kagune surging from his body and coalescing into a massive fist.

The Clown swung his arm mightily, sending countless punches through the air.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Amidst the shower of splinters, the Clown's kagune spear swept through the vines, smashing them to pieces.

"Pathetic! Utterly pathetic!" the Clown bellowed with laughter, shattering another tree with a single punch.

"Is that so?" Kaguya's lips curled into a smirk. Raising her arm, she extended her fingers and clenched them into a fist.

"Banshō Ten'in."

The Clown's pupils contracted as his body suddenly froze. An invisible force seized him, yanking him irresistibly toward Kaguya. In the blink of an eye, he was pulled directly in front of her.

Kaguya stretched out her arm, and with a sharp "clang," the distant katana flew up from the ground, spinning through the air before landing firmly in her hand.

"Die!"

With a low shout, Kaguya thrust the katana into the Clown's chest like lightning.

Splurt!

Scarlet blood sprayed from the wound.

The Clown was impaled by the katana.

"What is this?" The Clown gripped the sharp blade embedded in his chest with both hands and raised his head with difficulty, speaking in a strained voice.

Scarlet blood trickled from the corners of his mouth behind the mask.

"No harm in telling you since you're about to die," Kaguya said coldly. "This is one of my abilities. Now, just die in peace." As she spoke, she withdrew her arm and simultaneously delivered a fierce kick to his chest.

Bang!

The Clown flew backward and slammed heavily into a streetlamp with a resounding crash, snapping it in half.

"That was amazing!" Yoriko's eyes sparkled with admiration as she exclaimed in awe.

Kaguya strode over to her and flicked her on the forehead, scolding, "Amazing, my ass!"

"Ouch! That hurts!" Yoriko crouched down, clutching her head in pain.

"Things have been so chaotic lately. Ever since the attack on the CCG, all sorts of freaks and monsters have been crawling out," Kaguya muttered as she walked toward the Clown. "I don't even know where this fool came from—truly annoying."

But when Kaguya reached the spot, she froze. The Clown, who should have been lying there, was gone. Only a pool of blood remained on the ground.

"He escaped?"

Kaguya frowned. She had intended to unmask him and see his true face but hadn't expected him to slip away.

This was already the third time such a pest had managed to escape her grasp, and her irritation boiled over. Ghouls like him were exceptionally tough to kill—even with his heart pierced, he somehow managed to survive.

Rubbing her chin with her delicate fingers, she thought, Next time, I'll make sure these pests are reduced to ash completely. Truly, these pests were even more resilient than cockroaches—creatures that seemed born for the sewers.

"Um..."

A timid, soft voice sounded from behind.

Kaguya turned around to see Yoriko, who looked apologetic. "What now?" Kaguya asked irritably.

"You're hurt pretty badly. How about coming to my house so I can help bandage you up? You got injured saving me. If I don't do something, I'll feel really guilty," Yoriko said ingratiatingly. "Plus, I'm really good at it—everyone who's tried says so!"

Kaguya's forehead creased with dark lines. "Why do you sound so much like a hostess at a night club?"

"Aw, don't tease me!" Yoriko whined, playfully punching Kaguya's arm as she swayed back and forth. "I'm a proper high school girl, not a bad kid!"

"What kind of 'good kid' strolls around late at night?" Kaguya jabbed Yoriko's arm with her finger. "Also, could you take your hand off my arm?"

"Oh, sorry!" Yoriko quickly withdrew her hand upon realizing she had placed it over Kaguya's wound. In her haste, she stumbled backward, and in a panic, grabbed at Kaguya's arm again.

"Hey! You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Kaguya pinched Yoriko's soft cheek, stretching it into a silly shape as she glared at her. "Totally on purpose, right?"

"No! I wasn't!" Yoriko protested, her words muffled and slurred.

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