Chapitre 495: The Appearance of the Spirit
A streak of light shot upward like a rainbow, speeding toward the silver-haired girl in the air. At that moment, the silver-haired girl had her back turned, fiddling with her weapon, seemingly unaware of the impending danger. Due to injecting too much magical energy earlier, while her Territory had initially demonstrated an impressive defense and range, it had caused an overload in the Realizer unit, leading to the automatic shutdown of her Territory.
If she were hit now, the consequences would be disastrous.
The people on the ground clearly realized this and couldn't help but cry out in alarm.
But just as the shot was about to hit Kaguya, she suddenly turned around, a smirk of disdain forming on her lips. She casually waved her hand, effortlessly catching the oncoming projectile. Opening her palm, she revealed a sniper rifle bullet nestled in her hand.
The onlookers below were utterly stunned, and even Jessica's face twisted in disbelief.
She had caught a bullet from an anti-materiel sniper rifle with her bare hand!
Some observant individuals noticed that Kaguya hadn't simply caught the bullet with her hand—she had used her Territory, condensed onto her palm, to stop the bullet. This was far more shocking than the action itself.
It meant that Kaguya's control over her Territory had reached an unimaginable level. Even with her main Territory shut down, she had used the backup system to form a small, palm-sized Territory to catch the bullet. This backup was only designed to protect the core components of the Realizer unit and was far too small to block enemy attacks.
What was even more terrifying was Kaguya's incredible perception. Not everyone could track a bullet's trajectory mid-flight, especially not hundreds of meters in the air. Nor could just anyone react fast enough to intercept it.
The silver-haired girl slowly descended to the ground, landing in front of Jessica. She casually rolled the bullet between her fingers, and after a few squeezes, opened her hand, letting the crushed metal fragments fall to the ground.
Jessica's expression darkened, her eyes flashing with anger as she suppressed the fury rising inside her. "What, are you trying to provoke me, you ignorant little girl?"
"Quite the opposite," Kaguya smiled, her eyes narrowing. "You're the one provoking me, you arrogant, ignorant bitch."
"Bitch?" Jessica sneered, glaring at Kaguya. "All you have going for you is a pretty face. What's there to be so proud of?"
"Looks like someone needs a lesson," Kaguya's eyes glinted with cold intent.
No sooner had the words left her lips than Kaguya's figure vanished.
Caught off guard, Jessica gasped and hastily activated her Territory, but the attack was already upon her.
Boom!
A loud crash echoed as Kaguya's punch collided with Jessica's hastily erected Territory, sending her flying over ten meters before she finally skidded to a stop. Thankfully, her Territory had mitigated most of the impact, so she wasn't severely injured.
"Is that all you've got?" Jessica mocked, trying to maintain her composure, though a cold sweat had already begun to form on her back. Had she not reacted in time, she could have been seriously hurt. The force behind Kaguya's punch had left her secretly alarmed.
"Is that so?" Kaguya's smile widened.
Suddenly, Jessica had a sinking feeling. Before she could react, a cracking sound echoed from behind her—the unmistakable noise of something breaking. Her pupils shrank in fear as she realized her Realizer unit was malfunctioning.
In that moment, Kaguya appeared before Jessica again. Her arm shot out like lightning, delivering a powerful punch straight to Jessica's abdomen.
Jessica, caught completely off guard, attempted to block, but it was too late. Her soft midsection took the full force of the blow before she could even react. Her protective Territory failed to activate in time.
A mouthful of crimson blood sprayed out, forming a mist in the air. Jessica was launched into the air like a kite with a broken string before crashing heavily to the ground, rolling several times before coming to a halt.
The onlookers were utterly dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events. What shocked them even more was that this silver-haired girl, who had only recently begun using a Realizer unit, possessed such overwhelming power. Jessica, known for her formidable strength within the AST, couldn't even withstand a few moves from her.
Jessica struggled to lift herself with her arms, her abdomen wracked with pain as if a knife had been twisted inside. She coughed up another mouthful of blood mixed with bile.
This was only because Kaguya had held back. If she hadn't, Jessica would've been dead after just one punch.
"I thought I could have some fun," Kaguya said as she walked over, looking down at Jessica with disdain. "But you turned out to be disappointingly weak. So much for being a 'captain.' No wonder DEM didn't want you and dumped you here with the AST."
Jessica gritted her teeth, her face contorted with anger as she glared up at Kaguya. "You... I'll—"
Before she could finish, Kaguya's foot came down on her face, silencing her.
Smiling wickedly, Kaguya twisted her foot, grinding it into Jessica's cheek. "What's that? Didn't think you were also a masochist. How fitting for a woman who tried to kill someone without preparing to die herself. Pathetic."
The surrounding area fell silent. The AST members watching had all subconsciously stepped back, clearly intimidated by Kaguya's display. They had initially thought she was merely a beautiful girl with impressive talent—someone who would likely grow into a strong fighter. But that was supposed to happen in the future. Even those who believed she was a genius never expected her to easily defeat someone as powerful as Jessica.
Now, they were beginning to realize that the seemingly fragile silver-haired girl had a much sharper and more dangerous side than they had anticipated.
Noticing the frightened and confused looks from those around her, Kaguya chuckled softly and lifted her leg. But before Jessica could even struggle to get up, Kaguya delivered a swift kick to her abdomen.
With a dull thud, Jessica was sent flying again, flipping several times in the air like a ragdoll before crashing hard into a wall.
"A pathetic mutt like you dares to bark in front of me?" Kaguya scoffed. "If you're a defeated dog, then act like one."
Though Kaguya had held back, ensuring Jessica wouldn't die from the injuries, she would undoubtedly be bedridden in a hospital for several months. After all, Jessica had dared to ambush Kaguya—did she really think Kaguya would tolerate being bullied without retaliation?
Kaguya wasn't some masochist, nor did she have any tolerance for such antics.
If it weren't for her dislike of trouble, Kaguya would have killed her on the spot—it simply wasn't worth the hassle.
Especially since, to Kaguya, Jessica wasn't even particularly attractive
It truly is a world that values appearance, isn't it?
Despite that, Kaguya found herself somewhat intrigued by the Realizer unit. While it was a low-tier model, it still provided a significant boost to magical power. The device was remarkably easy to use, offering precise control over magical energy with minimal consumption. Its main drawback, however, was that it couldn't handle too much of Kaguya's power, often leading to overloads and potential system crashes.
To Kaguya, the Realizer unit felt more like an amusing toy rather than a serious weapon.
But for those around her, the situation was far more alarming.
"H-How scary..." Mikie Okamine placed her small hands on her chest and stammered timidly.
Kaguya raised an eyebrow and turned toward her. "Scary? What's so scary?"
Mikie Okamine quickly waved her hands nervously, forcing a smile. "N-No, nothing at all."
"If you don't tell me, I'll have to hit you," Kaguya playfully raised her fist, pretending to threaten her.
"Ah! Don't hit me!" Mikie Okamine panicked and quickly blurted, "I meant… Your expression earlier, it was really scary!"
"Scary?"
Just as Kaguya was about to tease her further, a long-haired beauty with a ponytail approached them at a brisk pace. She had a strikingly beautiful face with a sharp, commanding air about her. It was none other than Ryouko Kusakabe, the squad leader of the AST and Kaguya's direct superior.
"What happened here?" Ryouko glanced at the unconscious Jessica slumped against the wall and asked sternly.
"Well," Kaguya walked over, smiling innocently, "Jessica and I were sparring, but her Realizer unit malfunctioned and exploded. She got injured and passed out. We were just about to take her to the hospital, isn't that right, Mikie?"
Kaguya spouted her fabricated explanation with a straight face, then gave Mikie Okamine a knowing look.
"Y-Yes, that's right!" Mikie Okamine quickly nodded in agreement. "I saw it happen too."
Ryouko frowned slightly, skeptical. "Is that really what happened?"
Before Kaguya could respond, Jessica's two underlings came running over.
"No, the Captain was—" The slightly chubby girl began to speak, but as her eyes met Kaguya's smiling yet cold gaze, a chill ran down her spine, and she suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
"What do you mean 'no'?" Ryouko asked, her tone sharp. "Did something else happen here?"
"N-Nothing at all," the skinny girl behind the chubby one, being more perceptive, saw the glint in Kaguya's eyes and immediately switched sides. "The Captain's Realizer unit malfunctioned, and that's why this happened."
"Then hurry up and take Captain Jessica to the medical bay," Ryouko ordered sternly, her expression serious.
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" they responded, quickly carrying Jessica away.
As Kaguya watched them retreat, she noticed the faint, almost hidden smirk on Ryouko's lips.
Kaguya chuckled softly. "Ryoko, you're not as honest as you pretend to be. You were just watching the show, weren't you?" she thought. The rivalry between Ryoko and Jessica was well-known, and seeing her competitor get taken down must have been a delight for her, even if she tried to hide it.
Suddenly, a piercing alarm echoed through the air.
"Spacequake!" Ryouko, ever the experienced combatant, immediately snapped to attention. "All units, prepare for Level 1 combat! Get ready to engage at any moment!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The AST members quickly sprang into action, donning their Realizer units in a well-practiced, orderly manner, clearly accustomed to responding to spirit appearances.
Kaguya frowned slightly, turning her gaze toward the distant horizon. Far in the sky, she could sense a massive spatial disturbance, even large enough to surprise her. At the same time, a strong spirit energy radiated from the area, spreading in all directions.
Kaguya approached Ryouko with a smile. "Commander, may I join the mission?"
Ryouko gave her a long, thoughtful look before nodding. "Fine. Get ready for battle."
"Thank you." Kaguya grinned.
By the time Kaguya and the AST team arrived at the site of the spatial quake, they found a massive crater, hundreds of meters wide, as if a meteor had struck. The surrounding buildings had been flattened, leaving behind nothing but ruins and desolation. The destruction was a clear sign of the Spacequake's impact.
"Report, Captain! We've completed the search. All civilians were evacuated to shelters in time, so there are no casualties," one of the AST members reported with a salute.
"Good," Ryouko nodded, then asked, "What about the spirit? Any signs of it?"
"We haven't located the spirit yet," the member replied. "There's too much residual spirit energy in the area, disrupting the tracking instruments. We haven't pinpointed its exact location."
"Order the entire team to start a full-scale search," Ryoko commanded firmly.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Unbeknownst to the others, Kaguya had quietly disappeared from the group.
In a dark, secluded corner, a beautiful girl stood alone.
Her long black and purple hair cascaded down her back, her brows elegant and delicate. Her dreamy purple eyes shimmered with an otherworldly allure, and her fair skin looked smooth and flawless. She was adorned in an ornate, purple gown, the semi-transparent hem of her dress swaying gently in the breeze, adding to her ethereal charm
Suddenly, her brow furrowed, and she raised her giant sword, pointing it toward the shadows. "Who's there? Show yourself!" she demanded, her voice sharp.
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone