บท 235: Do Your Best And Leave The Rest To Fate
"Going back?" Kurome asked, surprised, looking at Kaguya. "Aren't we going to seize this chance to eliminate the enemy?"
"It seems the noise over there has stopped, indicating the battle is probably over," Kaguya said, glancing at the distant forest, then at Sheele, whom she cradled in her arms. "Besides, with these two in tow, it's unlikely we'll be able to fight."
Although Kurome wasn't entirely sure what "soy sauce bottles" referred to, she understood the general idea. Her delicate face fell, showing her disappointment; she had hoped for a fierce battle.
At that moment, Seryu, bound tightly like a package, struggled and shouted angrily, "What kind of Imperial Princess colludes with Night Raid? You claim to fight for everyone, but you're just a big liar."
Bothered by the noise, Kurome frowned and approached Seryu, delivering a hand chop to the back of her head with a resounding "thud," silencing the noise instantly.
Kurome, already in a foul mood, found Seryu's noise unbearable, turning her into a target for venting her frustration.
Kaguya watched, beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead, wondering if Kurome had struck Seryu too hard and possibly killed her.
Since the battles between the Minister's forces and Night Raid were nearing conclusion, Kaguya decided not to proceed further, realizing any targets would likely have already fled. With two burdens—one severely injured and the other attempting to escape—Kaguya chose to head back.
Especially concerning was Sheele, who, although stabilized by Kaguya's treatment and out of immediate danger, remained unconscious and weak, needing rest and unable to endure prolonged exertion or travel.
Despite not capturing both the Minister's forces and Night Raid in one fell swoop, there was still a silver lining. Both sides had suffered significant losses in the skirmish and would require time to recuperate.
This development cleared the rear flank, allowing Kaguya to focus on the impending battle against the Northern Tribes.
Kaguya was not overly concerned about this threat. Despite their apparent strength, the Northern Tribes' capabilities were limited. In the original storyline, the strongest general, Esdeath, subdued them in a short time. Under her overwhelming assault, the tribes were powerless to resist.
Esdeath even went on to bury 400,000 of them alive, nearly annihilating the Northern Tribes entirely.
Kaguya's real concern wasn't defeating the tribes but rather that, while repelling them, the Minister's forces and Night Raid might exploit the situation, which worried her most.
In her delirium, Sheele felt her mind clouded, lost in a fog. Her body seemed numb, unable to move even a finger or speak, unable to open her mouth.
Am I already dead?
This thought surfaced in her mind before her consciousness faded, plunging her back into darkness.
Time passed, and in her hazy state, Sheele vaguely sensed a slender figure moving in front of her, checking her over. Not only that, but the figure removed her clothes, their warm hands gliding over her skin, even squeezing her breasts.
The strange and unfamiliar sensations made her uncomfortable, like a jolt of electricity coursing through her, both tingling and slightly pleasant.
She wanted to resist but was powerless, yet thankfully, the feeling didn't last long before the figure left. This cycle repeated numerous times.
Standing beside the bed, Kaguya scratched her silver hair, troubled, muttering to herself, "Could I have remembered wrong? But it shouldn't be; I'm sure it's like this."
Over a month had passed, and while Sheele's wounds and internal injuries had healed completely, she remained comatose with no sign of waking, much to Kaguya's vexation.
Kaguya tried various methods, including full-body massages and stimulation therapy, but all were ineffective, yielding little response.
Could Sheele's brain have been damaged by excessive blood loss, leaving her in a vegetative state?
"If so, it would be such a pity for such a beautiful girl," Kaguya thought, looking at the naked girl on the bed.
Gently covering her with a down duvet, Kaguya turned to leave, intending to summon the three sisters to care for her. She had done everything possible; the rest was up to fate. If Sheele couldn't wake, she could only blame her ill fortune.
Unbeknownst to Kaguya, as she turned away, the purple-haired girl's long lashes quivered slightly.
As for Seryu, she had no such luxury, confined to a dim dungeon for two days without food.
The dungeon lay in an inconspicuous corner of the palace's northwest, initially intended for disciplining errant maids. It was deep, spanning five levels and about ten meters down, shrouded in darkness and dampness, with a persistent chill but relatively clean due to years of disuse.
The dungeon floor was laid with hard basalt, and the cells forged of steel, solid and durable, with bars as thick as an arm, impervious to swords. An escape was near impossible for ordinary prisoners, requiring significant effort even for the highly skilled. Such a dungeon could only be afforded by noble families.
Seryu, the first occupant since Kaguya moved in, had her Teigu removed and all her guns dismantled by Kaguya, leaving her an ordinary girl.
After two days without sustenance, she lay on the ground, clutching her growling stomach, weak and dispirited.
The sound of crisp footsteps echoed through the silent dungeon. Listening to the approaching steps, Seryu rose swiftly, gripping the iron bars with an excited expression, her hunger consuming her.
Yet, when she saw the stunning silver-haired girl emerge into the flickering torchlight, her face turned ashen.
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