Dimensional Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

Kaguya quickly walked over to the stone pedestal. Her slender fingers rested on her chin as she studied the weathered inscriptions carved into the pedestal. Her dark brows furrowed slightly, as though she were pondering something deeply. After a while, she suddenly spoke. "How did it embed itself into the pedestal without a blade?"

If anyone had been there to witness this scene, they would have been completely dumbfounded.

If you thought Kaguya was studying the text, you would be entirely mistaken. The complicated, jagged inscriptions, which resembled random scribbles or ghostly marks, were utterly incomprehensible to her.

Even if she were to try, understanding them would be entirely impossible for her.

Instead, what intrigued Kaguya far more was how this sword, still sheathed, could have embedded itself into the pedestal. The pedestal appeared to be ancient and weathered, yet the point of entry where the sword met the stone was smooth and seamless, as though it had been cut by an incredibly sharp blade.

If Kaguya had to forcefully shove the sword into the pedestal along with its sheath, she could certainly accomplish such a feat. However, inserting the sheath so perfectly and seamlessly into the pedestal without damaging it? That would be far more difficult. In most cases, the sheath would have smashed the pedestal into pieces instead.

Still, Kaguya couldn't deny that the sword was aesthetically pleasing. Its streamlined, modern design and faintly technological aura made her feel an inexplicable attachment to it.

Without hesitation, Kaguya stepped forward, reached out her hand, and firmly grasped the sword's hilt. She then pulled upward with a sharp motion.

The sword didn't budge.

"Huh?"

Kaguya froze for a moment, momentarily stunned. This had never happened to her before. With the force she had just exerted, she could have crushed a boulder, and yet, this sword remained firmly lodged in place, as if it were part of the stone itself.

She tried again, pulling with all her might. Still, the sword didn't move even an inch.

What's going on here?

Kaguya frowned, growing increasingly doubtful. Was there truly a sword she couldn't draw? With her immense strength, it seemed absurd that she would be incapable of pulling out a simple weapon.

But after several attempts, no matter how much effort she put into it—even straining as though she were using every ounce of her power—the sword remained stubbornly immobile. It didn't so much as twitch, as though it were fused entirely with the pedestal.

Could this sword be… the legendary Sword in the Stone?

After her repeated failures to draw it, even Kaguya's usually composed demeanor began to crack. A hint of frustration and irritation flared within her. She wasn't about to accept that she couldn't succeed at such a task.

Kaguya extended both arms this time, clasping the hilt with both hands. She took a deep breath, calming herself, and then her eyes widened as a faint purple glow flickered within them. At the same time, an immense surge of energy erupted from her body, sending ripples of force outward. The energy condensed and swirled around her, forming tangible waves that distorted the air.

"Haaah!"

With a fierce shout, Kaguya channeled all of her power into her arms and pulled with everything she had.

And then—

"Huh?!"

To her astonishment, the sword came loose effortlessly. It slid free as though it weighed nothing at all. However, Kaguya, who had been exerting far too much force in anticipation of resistance, instantly lost her balance. She stumbled backward in a panic, retreating several unsteady steps before finally tripping and landing squarely on the ground.

"Ah! Ow, ow, ow!"

Kaguya groaned, her voice tinged with both pain and annoyance. Tears threatened to well up in her eyes as she reached back to rub her sore tailbone. The impact had been powerful enough to leave a large crater in the ground beneath her, a testament to how much force she had used. She couldn't believe it—after all her struggles, the sword that had seemed immovable a moment ago had been as light as a feather when she finally pulled it free.

To make matters worse, the protective energy field that usually surrounded her body, akin to an AT field, hadn't activated to soften the impact. This was highly unusual. While it didn't result in any real damage, the pain she felt was absolutely genuine.

Sitting there, Kaguya glanced at the sword in her hands with a mixture of frustration and curiosity. It was as though the sword had played a cruel trick on her.

When Kaguya saw the blade of the sword, she froze, involuntarily murmuring, "It's so beautiful."

The blade shimmered with a soft, azure light, rippling like flowing water and radiating a hazy brilliance. Its surface was embellished with countless delicate, unknown floral patterns, making it even more mesmerizing. Kaguya had seen countless weapons, from swords to blades, but something this stunning was a first for her.

It hardly resembled a weapon; rather, it looked more like an exquisite exhibit displayed in a museum.

[Congratulations, you've obtained the Celestial Meteorite. Achievement Points +20.]

The system's voice suddenly echoed in Kaguya's mind, causing her to blink in surprise.

What?

You're telling me this sword is the Celestial Meteorite?

Looking at the intricate weapon in front of her, Kaguya was momentarily dazed. Are you kidding me?

Could it be that a sword had been hidden inside the meteorite all along, and when the meteorite shattered, the weapon was revealed?

The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed—unless, of course, the meteorite itself had some kind of transformation ability.

As her gaze drifted over the sword, she suddenly noticed a lily petal-shaped design engraved on the blade. It gave the sword an ethereal elegance, adding a touch of softness to its already intricate design. However, amidst the sword's overall appearance, the petal stood out, almost incongruous. Without thinking, Kaguya extended a finger and gently traced the petal's surface.

The moment her fingertip touched the petal, a blinding light erupted from the sword. Even Kaguya couldn't help but raise her hand to shield her eyes from the dazzling glow.

When the light finally dissipated, Kaguya was left stunned.

The sword in her hand was gone, replaced by a longbow over two meters in length.

The bow was pitch black, with a sleek, streamlined design. Its body, made of a metallic alloy, was both polished and sharp, exuding an aura of modern sophistication. The instant Kaguya laid eyes on it, she was captivated—it was love at first sight. Beside her left hand, an arrow quiver had also appeared. The quiver, equally black and angular in design, was imbued with a high-tech aesthetic.

What puzzled Kaguya, however, was that the quiver only contained three arrows. By conventional logic, a quiver should hold as many arrows as possible, but this one defied expectation.

That wasn't even the most surprising part. What shocked Kaguya the most was that, at some point, her clothes had also changed.

Her previously casual T-shirt had vanished without a trace, replaced by a black cropped jacket over a white blouse, paired with black suspenders. Meanwhile, her canvas jeans had transformed into a black pleated mini-skirt, and a single black stocking now adorned her left leg.

What's going on here?

Could this not just be a weapon, but an entire set of equipment?

While Kaguya did adore the bow, it was undeniably enormous—far taller than she was—and she imagined it might be cumbersome to handle. Still, since it could transform once, she guessed it might have the ability to return to its original form as well.

Sure enough, on an inconspicuous part of the bow, Kaguya spotted a small, delicate flower petal design.

She pressed her finger against it, and in another flash of radiant light, the bow reverted to its original sword form.

A single thought floated through Kaguya's mind: I've hit the jackpot.

Kaguya extended her arm and casually swung the sword. In an instant, a radiant, shimmering beam of light shot forth from the blade, tearing through the air like a flash of lightning.

Boom!

A deafening explosion followed, and a surveillance tower in the distance was sliced cleanly in half. The upper portion collapsed heavily to the ground with a thunderous crash, sending debris flying and dust clouds rolling into the air.

When the dust gradually settled, the surveillance tower was no longer in sight. All that remained were half-destroyed ruins and a chaotic mess of rubble scattered across the ground.

"It seems to be quite remarkable. What should I name you?" Kaguya murmured to herself, lightly running her fingers across the sharp blade. Feeling its edge, a faint smile curved her lips. "I'll call you Liuli."

This was the first proper weapon Kaguya had ever owned. Previously, most of her weapons had been manifestations of her Mirror Flower, Water Moon ability, and her Kusanagi Sword had been destroyed long ago. While the replicas she created with her ability were often incredibly powerful—sometimes even surpassing the originals—they were ultimately temporary. These weapons were sustained by Kaguya's chakra, meaning they constantly drained her energy.

Although the chakra cost wasn't particularly high, maintaining them for long periods still resulted in unnecessary wastage.

Unfortunately, Liuli appeared to have some kind of seal placed upon it, which the system's analysis confirmed. Because of the seal, the weapon couldn't unleash its full power, and many of its abilities were locked.

However, one thing was certain—this sword was no ordinary blade. The existence of a seal itself was proof of that. A mere, mundane weapon wouldn't warrant such a complex seal. Only exceptionally powerful tools required such precautions.

Even in its current, sealed state, Kaguya was already satisfied with Liuli's power. At the very least, it rivaled the Kusanagi Sword—no, it likely far exceeded it. In terms of sharpness alone, the Kusanagi Sword couldn't compare. However, Kaguya couldn't help but wonder how the weapon would perform in its bow form.

Before she could test it, distant sounds interrupted her thoughts—the rumble of engines, shrill alarm sirens, and the chaotic echo of hurried footsteps. All were rapidly approaching her location.

Annoyed at being interrupted, Kaguya furrowed her brows slightly and turned to look toward the commotion. In the distance, a large human military force was advancing toward Cochlea. The group consisted not only of numerous investigators but also tanks, armored vehicles, and helicopters, all moving in unison with a tremendous display of force.

On their uniforms and the sides of the vehicles, the unmistakable CCG emblem was prominently displayed.

Lightly tapping her toes against the ground, Kaguya's figure lifted into the air. With an almost weightless grace, she landed atop the walls of Cochlea, her movements resembling those of a fleeting phantom. In the past, she might have taken an interest in such a force, perhaps even toying with them for amusement. But now, her priorities had shifted—she had no intention of wasting her time on such insignificant nuisances.

Just as Kaguya turned to leave, a shadowy figure appeared before her, blocking her path. Startled, she paused and looked at the figure more closely, her expression briefly flickering with surprise.

The man standing in her way wore glasses and had white hair. His face was sharply chiseled, his angular features like those of a marble sculpture. Sword-like brows slanted toward his temples, and his narrow, dark eyes glinted with a predatory sharpness, like the piercing gaze of a hawk in the dead of night. Though he stood casually, his posture exuded an intimidating aura that was cold and commanding.

"So," the white-haired man said softly, carrying a suitcase in one hand, "planning to run away?"

"Run away?" Kaguya chuckled lightly, the corners of her lips curling in amusement. "I don't have the habit of running away. But if CCG is making such a big show of it, I suppose I should consider it an honor."

"Surrender now," the white-haired man said coldly. "Surrounded as you are, there's no escape. Instead of fighting to the death, you might as well lay down your weapon. I can guarantee your safety."

"Guarantee my safety?" Kaguya's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Are you a complete retard? After what I've shown, do you seriously think you have the means to stop me? If this isn't blind arrogance, it's outright stupidity."

"If you refuse to cooperate," the white-haired man said calmly, "then I have no choice but to take action." As he spoke, his fingers pressed a button on the suitcase he carried. In a flash of white light, a long spear materialized in his hand—it was his quinque.

At the same time, CCG's military forces arrived in full strength. Soldiers quickly surrounded the area, sealing off a perimeter of several hundred meters. The troops held their submachine guns tightly, the metallic sound of chambers being loaded ringing out as they aimed directly at the masked, silver-haired girl in the center, fingers poised to pull the triggers at any moment.

Among the forces were a few familiar faces: Yukinori Shinohara and Iwao Kuroiwa. Both had sustained severe injuries in their previous encounter, but to everyone's surprise, they had recovered and returned to action in such a short amount of time—a testament to the miracles of modern medicine.

Kaguya ignored the white-haired man and instead turned her gaze toward Shinohara and Kuroiwa, chuckling softly. "You all got here so quickly—what a surprise. Especially the two of you. I didn't expect you to make it all the way here. Truly impressive."

These words were clearly directed at Shinohara and Kuroiwa.

Hearing Kaguya's remarks, Shinohara's expression became somewhat awkward, and his face turned slightly red with embarrassment. After all, during their previous operation, they had been utterly humiliated. Despite their combined efforts, they had been utterly defeated without even knowing how it happened. To make matters worse, their opponent hadn't even been serious.

...

At that moment, the white-haired man launched an attack. He pushed off with his foot, shooting forward like an arrow released from a bowstring. In the blink of an eye, he was directly in front of Kaguya, moving as fast as a flash of white lightning. His speed was astonishing, completely on par with top-tier ghoul combatants.

The gleaming spear in his hand struck out like a venomous snake, its tip thrusting toward Kaguya's pale neck in a flash of cold light.

At the critical moment, Kaguya lightly tapped her foot, her body darting backward in retreat, narrowly evading the strike. At the same time, she extended a single slender finger and tapped it against the spear.

Clang!

The crisp sound of metal echoed through the air.

The white-haired man's heart sank in shock. He felt a tremendous force reverberate through his weapon, nearly causing him to lose his grip. His spear had been deflected by a single finger.

Years of combat experience allowed him to remain composed despite his astonishment. Without hesitation, he raised his right hand, revealing a jet-black cannon barrel embedded in his arm. Sparks of electricity danced at the muzzle as they rapidly condensed into a powerful charge.

Bang!

With a soft explosion, a streak of white lightning shot out, blazing through the air toward Kaguya, who was still suspended mid-air.

The white-haired man's sharp eyes locked onto the silver-haired girl wearing the fox mask. No matter how fast she was, there was no way she could outpace lightning. And in mid-air, with no surface to push off from, she had nowhere to dodge.

But the next second, the sight before him caused his pupils to contract.

The silver-haired girl lazily waved her hand—and the streak of lightning was effortlessly deflected, sent careening off into the distance.

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