บท 475: Bloody Slaughter
If AST's operatives could at least put up some resistance, the ordinary crew members aboard the airship had no means of fighting back whatsoever. Lacking manifest devices, they were no more capable than helpless chickens, and killing them would be as effortless as squashing ants.
Seeing the beautiful silver-haired girl appear aboard the airship, the crew immediately panicked. No enemy had ever infiltrated their airship before—and now it was a spirit.
How she had broken through the airship's powerful spatial barrier, no one could explain, but none of them had the time to dwell on it. The only thing on their minds was escape. But at twenty thousand meters high, where could they flee?
"Guard squad!" Captain Aizenk shouted furiously. "Get the guards here, now!"
But Kaguya had already begun her slaughter.
Her almond-shaped eyes curved into crescent moons, her flawless face beaming with a radiant smile as she advanced lightly and gracefully toward them, holding a projected Sword of Promised Victory.
At this point, the crew members had all pulled out their sidearms, not hesitating to fire at Kaguya, though the terrifying beauty before them seemed to embody death itself.
Ratatatata!
Bang bang bang!
The barrage of bullets burst from the guns, raining toward Kaguya.
But automatic rifles outfitted with manifest devices couldn't so much as scratch her, let alone these simple chemically powered guns. These weapons might be powerful against ordinary people, but to Kaguya, they were little more than playthings.
A sneer crossed Kaguya's lips as she gave a gentle step forward, instantly shooting forward like an arrow off the bow. Her fair arm lifted, wrist flexing as her sword traced fluid arcs, slicing the oncoming bullets into dust as if they were mere lumps of clay.
In the rapid succession of crisp sounds, sparks burst in every direction.
The crew gaped in shock, watching the silver-haired girl in the distance who seemed to move like a ghost through the hail of bullets, gracefully deflecting the shots. In an instant, she was upon them, her lips curving into a smile as her arm whipped through the air. A flash of cold light streaked past them like a shooting star.
Flesh and blood flew as arcs of crimson filled the air.
"Ahhhh!"
The screams cut off abruptly as several heads, along with severed limbs, were tossed high into the air. Blood sprayed skyward, erupting into a red mist that splattered onto the display screens, filling the air with the thick stench of iron.
Kaguya moved as a streak of light, tearing through the crew like a lion among sheep, her swift, flashing blade cutting them down effortlessly. With each sweep, fresh red blossoms bloomed across the deck.
Realizing that their guns had no effect and that they were being ruthlessly slaughtered, the crew's morale shattered. Panic-stricken, they scattered in every direction.
But Kaguya showed them no mercy, pursuing them relentlessly. These wretches had no chance of escape, and in a short time, they were nearly all dead.
"P-please, don't kill me," whimpered a portly crewman, falling to the floor and scooting backward. His back was against a wall; he had nowhere left to run. His face contorted in terror.
"Not kill you?" Kaguya tilted her head, offering a smile. "Alright, I won't kill you, if you can manage to do one little thing for me."
"R-really?" the crewman asked, incredulous.
"Of course," Kaguya said, her smile broadening as her sword hovered by his throat. "First, though, you'll need to complete one small task for me."
"O-okay," he stammered, feeling the cold, sharp blade pressing into his neck, making his hairs stand on end.
"It's quite simple," Kaguya said. "Just touch your elbow with your tongue, and I'll spare you."
The crewman froze, stammering, "T-that's impossible." Even a fool knew that no one could lick their own elbow; the human body simply couldn't do it.
"Exactly." Kaguya's face lit up with a radiant smile. "Which means sparing you is impossible as well."
The crewman's face twisted in terror as he opened his mouth to plead, but a cold flash had already sliced across his throat.
Blood sprayed outward as the man's head flew skyward, landing with a heavy thud on the ground. Blood spurted from his neck like a fountain.
"Foolish creature," Kaguya sneered. "Did you really think I'd spare you? Too naive." She swung a kick at the severed head, sending it crashing into the wall with a loud smash as it exploded like a rotten melon, scattering chunks of flesh and bone.
"How disgusting," Kaguya muttered, her face twisted in distaste.
At that moment, a clamor of footsteps echoed closer. The airship's guard squad had finally arrived. Yet, when they stepped into the control room, they froze at the sight before them.
The place was a blood-soaked wreckage, with crimson stains splattered across every surface. Severed limbs and chunks of flesh hung from the walls, illuminated by the crackling sparks of exposed wires. Bodies lay scattered across the floor, with pools of fresh blood slowly spreading.
"Sh-shit."
Even though the guard squad had been through grueling training, seasoned by brutal battlefields and unspeakable violence, they gasped, their spines crawling as the blood's sickening stench hit their noses. Several nearly retched at the sight.
Just then, a sweet, melodic voice cut through the silence, making them instinctively aim their weapons in its direction.
Bathed in the cold glow of the lights, the guards saw a silver-haired girl whose delicate face curved into a gentle, dazzling smile.
"Just a bunch of weaklings, not even enough to get me warmed up," Kaguya scoffed with disdain, flicking her arm. Blood splattered off her sword in crimson droplets, leaving dark red stains on the floor. "With that kind of skill, you dared to show your face? I don't know what Westcott was thinking, sending such useless fools."
Glancing around at the bloody remains and corpses surrounding her, Kaguya moved forward, seeking any survivors in the airship.
Meanwhile, Captain Aizenk had lost all his former bravado. Curled up in a dark corner of the control room, his body shook uncontrollably, beads of cold sweat running down his forehead as he held his breath, nervously scanning the shadows around him, feeling as if his heart might leap out of his chest.
Had any crew seen him now, they would have been stunned—how had their once-powerful captain turned into such a frightened wreck?
However, Captain Aizenk should count himself lucky; Kaguya had already killed all the crew aboard, so no one would witness his miserable state.
Regret gnawed at Aizenk now. This mission was originally just meant to keep Kaguya occupied, but he had insisted on taking matters into his own hands, issuing attack orders without consulting the board. He figured that with the new weapons, he could wipe out the spirits in one stroke, making his position on the board more secure, possibly even securing a promotion.
Clearly, he had been foolish. If Westcott himself could have defeated the spirits, why hadn't he done so? And if the tech truly surpassed spirit power, Westcott wouldn't be so obsessed with capturing it for himself.
After the earlier battle, the lights had been damaged, leaving the control room in pitch darkness, broken only by the occasional flicker of short-circuiting wires and the crackling sound of electricity.
"She should be gone by now, right?" Aizenk whispered to himself, looking around the dark room. But he was too paralyzed to crawl out from under the table. Just as he was mustering the courage to emerge, a soft voice suddenly cut through the silence, sending a chill through his veins.
"Found you~ I've found you~"
Aizenk's pupils shrank, his face going deathly pale, his limbs icy, his heart pounding painfully. He felt something warm and wet drip onto his face, and when he shakily wiped it and brought his hand up to the flickering light, he saw it was red—fresh blood. Aizenk's eyes widened in horror.
"It took me a lot of effort to find you, Captain Aizenk," the ethereal voice drifted closer, sounding both distant and disturbingly near.
Aizenk's face turned ashen, drained of all color as he clutched his pistol with such force the grip began to bend under his hands.
"I wonder…how should I kill you?" the voice mused. "Or perhaps… you'd like to choose? Don't worry, I won't let you die easily. I'll let you savor every second of being tortured; who knows, you might even come to enjoy it."
In terror, Aizenk's mind nearly shut down under the oppressive aura. A feeling welled up in his stomach, and with a sudden bang, he went completely still, eyes rolling back, body spasming briefly before collapsing, dead.
"You dared to try a sneak attack on me? You've got guts—seems I'll have to teach you a lesson...eh?"
Noticing something, Kaguya's face froze in confusion as she stepped forward, delivering a sharp kick to the table. With a tremendous crash, the table shattered, revealing Captain Aizenk sprawled on the floor.
But something was off—Aizenk's eyes were wide open, bloodshot, and yet vacant, with no light in them. His body lay limp and lifeless.
Kaguya nudged him with her foot, then again, noting with irritation, "Did he…die of fright?"
But his empty eyes, dilated pupils, and lifeless body showed all the signs. He was indeed dead, beyond any doubt.
Kaguya, who had seen all manners of death, had never encountered one quite like this. Few had ever died simply from fear of her, and he was the first captain who had. To die of fright—how absurd.
She had intended to toy with him first, seeing as he'd insisted on throwing himself at death's door. Dying this way felt like a waste.
With a tinge of regret, she thought, I wanted to toy with him more. But he was too fragile and died so easily. What a disappointment.
Though the airship hadn't sustained catastrophic damage, its crew had all been slaughtered. Blood and severed limbs littered the deck, while chunks of mangled flesh and brain matter made the sight unsightly.
The ship looked powerful and intimidating, ideal as a base of operations, much like Kotori's vessel, which served as a mobile command platform. But after considering the bloody mess and lingering stench, Kaguya ultimately dismissed the idea.
Kaguya herself wasn't one to be affected by gore or fear. After all, she had slain many and feared neither spirits nor ghosts. If they couldn't face her in life, they certainly couldn't after death.
But bringing Tohka and Yoshino aboard this grisly scene was probably unwise, especially with Yoshino's timid nature. She could easily be traumatized.
Regret briefly crossed her mind as she thought, I should've thrown them overboard instead. At least that way, the airship would still be usable.
And so, in a thunderous explosion, the airship—once one of DEM's finest, outfitted with exceptional equipment and weaponry—was reduced to a blazing fireball. It disintegrated into countless fragments, plummeting from the sky like a stunning, if fleeting, meteor shower.
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