Capítulo 344: The Prelude to War
"Calm down, General," a soldier standing nearby said urgently. "Although the Imperial Guard rejected our offer, we still have Night Raid on our side. We need not fear them. Besides, the Imperial Guard is still far away. They won't reach us anytime soon. By the time they arrive, we will have already concluded our battle."
Hearing this, General Simon's anger began to subside. "Where is the Imperial Guard now?"
"They are still quite a distance away, about—"
The soldier's report was interrupted as another soldier rushed in, shouting, "General! Bad news!"
"You idiot!" General Simon's anger flared up again as he grabbed the soldier by the collar. "What is it?"
The soldier trembled and stammered, "The Im-Imperial Guard... they've appeared!"
"What?!" General Simon couldn't believe his ears. "What did you say?"
"The Imperial Guard is now less than five miles away," the soldier stuttered.
"Impossible! You just said—"
Before General Simon could finish, a deep, resonant horn blast echoed from outside. The general's eyes widened in shock as he pushed the soldier aside and rushed out of the tent. His eyes fixed on the horizon, his pupils contracted in disbelief.
There, in the distant sky, a massive army appeared, their armor gleaming in the dim light. They held long swords, and a fiery red cape billowed behind each soldier. Their formation was impeccable, their expressions solemn. The rhythmic pounding of war drums filled the air as they marched swiftly toward the Revolutionary Army's territory.
This was the Princess's Imperial Guard.
"How is this possible?" General Simon's face twisted with shock and disbelief.
The Imperial Guard was supposed to be far away, yet here they were, appearing out of nowhere, without any warning.
In the midst of the Imperial Guard, a silver-haired girl rode a snow-white warhorse. Her exquisite face radiated a killing intent that blended with the Guard's murderous aura. With a wave of her hand, the Imperial Guard moved as one, like a river of steel, surging toward the Revolutionary Army's stronghold.
The curtain of war had officially been drawn.
...
Facing the overwhelming assault of the Imperial Guard, the Revolutionary Army was caught off guard. They had not anticipated the Imperial Guard's sudden appearance and had made no preparations to defend themselves. In their panic, they barely mounted any effective resistance.
The Imperial Guard's advance was unstoppable, crushing the Revolutionary Army like dry weeds. As the Revolutionary Army teetered on the brink of collapse, Night Raid finally appeared. Their timely arrival helped stabilize the crumbling Revolutionary Army, preventing a complete rout.
However, the members of Night Raid were too few in number, and the Imperial Guard had its share of formidable fighters, including Kurome, Sayo, Ieyasu, and others. Thus, Night Raid lacked the ability to turn the tide of battle.
The Revolutionary Army was doomed to defeat.
With a dull thud, Najenda sent a soldier flying with a punch, breathing heavily as sweat dripped down her face.
The sheer strength of the Imperial Guard's onslaught exceeded her expectations. They were well-trained and exceptionally powerful, far beyond what the Revolutionary Army could contend with. She turned her gaze toward the distant figure of a stunningly beautiful girl riding a white warhorse. The Revolutionary Army was retreating under the relentless assault, on the verge of total collapse.
It seemed there was only one option left.
Najenda's eyes fixed on the silver-haired girl in the distance, a look of determination crossing her face.
"Susanoo," Najenda called out in a low voice.
Susanoo, her Imperial Arms, immediately understood her intentions and broke free from the battlefield, moving to her side. As her Imperial Arms, Susanoo didn't need Najenda to explain; he already knew her plan.
Together, Najenda and Susanoo dashed toward Kaguya like arrows loosed from a bowstring.
Along the way, the Imperial Guard quickly formed human barriers to block their path, but despite their rigorous training, they were no match for the Imperial Arms. In the blink of an eye, Najenda and Susanoo reached Kaguya.
Najenda's mechanical arm whirred as it launched a powerful punch toward Kaguya. At the same time, Susanoo gripped his spear tightly and thrust it at Kaguya with all his might.
As the two of them attacked with lightning speed, a faint smile played on Kaguya's beautiful face. Her expression was one of amused disdain.
"Trying to capture the leader first? How naive."
Kaguya raised her snow-white hand and, with a gentle wave, unleashed a powerful repulsive force from her palm.
"Boom!"
Najenda, along with her metal fist, was blasted away by the immense force, crashing to the ground like a kite with a broken string. Against such overwhelming power, Najenda had no chance to resist.
Susanoo, however, surprised Kaguya. In the instant the repulsive force was unleashed, he planted his spear into the ground, using the friction to resist the force. His battle instincts were impressive.
"Not bad," Kaguya said with a faint smile. "You do have some skill."
As Kaguya spoke, Susanoo suddenly stomped on the ground, causing it to crumble beneath him. He used the recoil to launch himself at Kaguya with lightning speed.
But instead of dodging, Kaguya extended her delicate hand and lightly chuckled. "Attacking while someone is speaking is rather rude, you know."
"What?"
Susanoo's pupils contracted in shock.
The silver-haired girl before him had stopped his spear with just two fingers.
Gritting his teeth, Susanoo roared and poured all his strength into his arms, but to his astonishment, the spear didn't budge an inch. No matter how much force he applied, he couldn't pull it free.
"But if this is all you have," Kaguya said, a playful smile curving her lips, "it's far from enough."
In the next instant, Kaguya pivoted on her left foot, her silver hair swirling around her. Her foot, clad in a black shoe, struck Susanoo's abdomen like a bolt of lightning.
"Thud!"
Blood sprayed into the air.
In a blur of motion, Susanoo was sent flying, his body twisted like a rag doll as he was thrown high into the air before crashing heavily to the ground. He rolled several times before slamming into a boulder, which finally stopped his momentum, leaving a long trench carved into the earth.
"Najenda," Kaguya said, turning her gaze to the woman struggling to her feet in the distance. She smiled lightly. "I suggest you surrender. You're no match for me."
"We won't know that until we try," Najenda replied, coughing up blood as she spoke.
"To be honest, I admire you," Kaguya said, her smile gentle yet tinged with regret. "But I'm sorry, I don't trust you."
"Don't trust us?" Najenda stood up, staring at Kaguya with steely resolve. "And what about you? Can you guarantee you won't become the next tyrant?"
"What if I promised that I wouldn't?" Kaguya asked, her smile becoming more mischievous.
Najenda hesitated for a moment before lifting her gaze. "I still wouldn't believe you."
"Then it can't be helped," Kaguya sighed, her radiant smile returning. "It seems I'll have to teach you a lesson."
As soon as the words left her lips, Kaguya turned and delivered a palm strike directly to Susanoo, who had launched a surprise attack.
"Crash!"
With the sound of cracking bones, Susanoo was once again sent flying, this time with several broken ribs. He slammed into a massive boulder in the distance, shattering it into pieces under the tremendous impact.
They were no match for Kaguya. They couldn't even touch the hem of her clothes. The disparity in strength was too vast, leaving them with no hope of victory.
"It seems we have no choice but to use that," Najenda murmured, her eyes hardening with resolve.
Suddenly, golden light erupted from Najenda's body, swirling around her. At the same time, Susanoo also began to emit a brilliant golden glow.
A black halo appeared behind Susanoo as he stood bathed in the golden light. His hair turned from black to white, and his attire transformed dramatically. The most striking change was the magatama (comma-shaped bead) at his chest, now glowing with a radiant golden hue.
Kaguya blinked in surprise, her beautiful eyes widening slightly. "Could this be Evil Soul (Magatama) Manifestation?"
The battle was far from over.
Status de energia semanal
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