Dimensional Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

As Kurumi Tokisaki pulled the trigger, a crisp gunshot rang out, and the clock hands on Zafkiel began spinning rapidly counterclockwise. The scenery around them transformed at an astonishing speed: snow-covered winter melted into autumn leaves, which then gave way to the scorching heat of summer, and finally, the blooming vibrancy of spring. This cycle repeated again and again.

Time passed swiftly, and amidst the whirlwind of changing seasons, the group eventually found themselves in the city from ten years ago.

The cityscape of a decade earlier was vastly different from what it had become. The buildings were fewer, and towering skyscrapers were nowhere to be seen. The streets appeared older, imbued with the unique charm of that era. It was as though a faint layer of dust coated everything, like an old black-and-white photograph stored in an attic, evoking a bittersweet sense of nostalgia.

"Well, this should be the place." Kurumi gave a dramatic twirl of the pistol in her hand before stowing it away.

Kaguya had long been curious about where exactly Kurumi hid her firearms. That flintlock pistol was one thing, but the much larger musket? Not even the voluminous folds of her dress could conceal such a weapon.

Could it be… some kind of spatial storage?

As Kaguya pondered, lost in thought, Kotori Itsuka suddenly let out a startled cry. "This is it! This is my house!"

With tears welling in her eyes, Kotori sprinted toward the familiar building. She bit her lip, determined not to let her tears fall, though her mind was blank except for one burning desire—to reach the house and stop the tragedy from unfolding.

"Can the past really be changed?" Kaguya murmured, watching Kotori's retreating figure.

"No, it can't," Kurumi replied, her gaze distant and voice tinged with melancholy. "What's happening now has already happened. Our presence here is proof enough. No matter how much we try to change it, events will follow the same trajectory as before. Struggling against fate is futile because everything that's happening… has already happened."

Fatalism?

Kaguya was taken aback. She hadn't expected Kurumi to hold such a view. After all, in the original story, Kurumi's relentless pursuit of power and mass killings were all aimed at amassing enough spirit energy to activate her Twelfth Bullet, rewind time by thirty years, and prevent the initial spacequake that had killed 150 millions people.

Yet now, Kurumi's determination seemed to have waned, leaving Kaguya puzzled. Had something happened to shake her resolve?

Kurumi's sorrowful expression lasted only a moment before it vanished entirely, as if it had been nothing more than Kaguya's imagination.

Walking over, Kurumi wrapped her arms around Kaguya's, her voice soft. "It's thanks to you, my dear, that I've been able to escape my dark nightmares and live this life. Without you, I'd probably be dead by now."

"What are you talking about?" Kaguya asked, bewildered by Kurumi's words. She had never saved Kurumi, not even met her before now. How could she possibly have rescued her? Concerned, Kaguya placed a hand on Kurumi's forehead. "No fever… Did you take the wrong medicine?"

"Indeed, I must be lovesick," Kurumi replied playfully, taking Kaguya's hand and pressing it against her soft cheek. Her mischievous smile was both charming and seductive. "What kind of treatment does my dear Kaguya have in mind? I can hardly wait." Her fingers lightly traced Kaguya's palm, sending shivers down her spine.

"Stop messing around," Kaguya said with a cough, quickly withdrawing her hand.

Since that fateful night, Kurumi had become increasingly seductive, her captivating allure growing more pronounced. If not for the seriousness of their current situation, Kaguya might have succumbed to her desires right then and there.

Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light illuminated the distance, followed by a deafening explosion. Thick smoke and roaring flames shot skyward.

Kaguya and Kurumi exchanged a glance before racing toward the source of the commotion. Upon arrival, both froze.

The once serene residential area was now engulfed in a raging inferno. Flames consumed the buildings, spreading rapidly and uncontrollably. The crackling of fire was interspersed with the muffled thuds of exploding gas tanks. Everywhere they looked, the neighborhood had become a sea of fire.

Panic-stricken residents fled the flames, some wearing little more than their nightclothes. Screams of terror and wails of despair filled the air, creating a cacophony of chaos.

"This fire…" Kaguya frowned, extending her hand. A flicker of flame was drawn to her palm, as if pulled by an invisible force. After examining it briefly, she said, "It contains traces of spirit energy. Just as I suspected."

Her gaze shifted to the edge of the inferno, where she spotted Kotori. The girl was precariously close to being swallowed by the advancing flames. Without hesitation, Kaguya pushed off the ground, her body transforming into a streak of light as she darted toward Kotori. In an instant, she was by her side.

Kotori was slumped on the ground, her eyes vacant and face devoid of expression. It was as if her spirit had been utterly crushed.

"What happened?" Kaguya asked, guilt gnawing at her. She shouldn't have let Kotori out of her sight. This was a major oversight.

But Kotori didn't respond. She seemed oblivious to Kaguya's presence, her hollow gaze fixed on the inferno before her. The house that had once stood there was now entirely consumed by flames, its walls reduced to rubble. It was a scene of utter devastation.

No ordinary human could have survived such destruction. Even if the fire didn't claim them, the collapsing structure surely would.

Was this Kotori's home?

Kaguya wondered.

Then, she noticed something strange. Her sharp senses picked up a faint presence amidst the blaze. Narrowing her eyes, Kaguya activated her Star Eyes ability to pierce through the smoke and flames.

What she saw left her stunned.

***

The raging flames roared skyward, burning even more fiercely as the winds howled. The blistering heat was suffocating, and amidst the licking tongues of fire, a small and familiar figure appeared, flickering in and out of view.

Kaguya's eyes sharpened, her brow knitting together involuntarily as her Starry Eyes pierced through the thick smoke, revealing the person obscured within.

She had pink twin-tails tied with black-and-red ribbons, alabaster skin so delicate it seemed as if a single touch could bruise it, and features as exquisite as porcelain: brows arched like a painting, gleaming eyes, and a petite figure with smooth, white legs exposed beneath her outfit. Though still young, her delicate beauty already hinted at a budding allure that would blossom with time.

Yet what shocked Kaguya was not her adorable face but her icy, detached demeanor. There was not a trace of youthful innocence on her face; instead, her cold gaze was devoid of any emotion.

Kaguya's astonishment deepened as she realized how strikingly similar this girl—no, this loli—was to someone she already knew. It was uncanny how much she resembled the Kotori Itsuka who now sat dazed nearby.

Although younger and noticeably less mature, the little girl's face, features, and even hairstyle were nearly identical to Kotori's, as if someone had taken the older girl and shrunk her down to a smaller scale.

If Kaguya hadn't pieced it together by now, she'd be a fool. The tiny figure before her could only be Kotori Itsuka—or, more precisely, Kotori Itsuka from ten years ago.

Kaguya cast a glance at the stunned Kotori sitting not far away, her expression filled with disbelief. With a soft sigh, Kaguya realized the truth had come to light.

The perpetrator of this horrific tragedy ten years ago was none other than Kotori herself. The girl who had unwittingly caused this catastrophe. However, how a young Kotori came to possess spirit energy and why it drove her into such a berserk state remained mysteries Kaguya wasn't presently concerned about.

Suddenly, the younger Kotori seemed to sense Kaguya's gaze and turned toward her. Her cold, emotionless eyes fixed on Kaguya for a brief moment before she extended her arm. A massive axe materialized in her hand.

Without warning, the diminutive Kotori lunged at Kaguya, moving with incredible speed. She was like a streak of crimson fire, hurtling toward her target with a fierce momentum.

The sight of the small, four- or five-year-old girl, barely reaching a meter tall, charging at her with such ferocity struck Kaguya as almost comical. She couldn't help but feel an urge to laugh at the absurdity, comparing the tiny Kotori to her older self—like the difference between a pocket edition and the original.

However, one thing had clearly not changed in ten years: Kotori's chest. Despite the passage of time, it was still the same. Kaguya mused that even if there had been some development, it was negligible—like an inverted teacup or a small hill, just barely enough to fit in one hand.

In the blink of an eye, the younger Kotori reached Kaguya. With a swift motion, she swung her oversized axe—far taller than herself—toward Kaguya, flames roaring alongside it.

At the same moment, Kaguya's lips curled into a faint smile, and her fair hand reached out.

Clang.

With an almost inaudible sound, the blazing axe was stopped in its tracks, caught between two of Kaguya's slender fingers.

For the first time, a hint of confusion flickered across the younger Kotori's icy face. She didn't seem to understand why her attack had been blocked so easily.

To ordinary humans, a spirit was an overwhelmingly powerful and terrifying force capable of devastating destruction. The lives claimed by spirits numbered in the billions. Yet to Kaguya, they were inconsequential. Even the spirits of ten years later posed no threat to her, let alone this younger, nascent version of Kotori.

Judging from her unsteady energy, Kotori had only recently acquired her spirit powers and lacked control over them. Her ferocity was more bark than bite, like a paper tiger. In fact, an ordinary AST unit could probably subdue her.

The younger Kotori gritted her teeth, straining to wrest her axe free from Kaguya's grasp. She used every ounce of her strength, but the weapon remained immovable, as if fused to Kaguya's fingers.

Finally, her expression turned to frustration. Letting out a sharp, childish cry, a powerful surge of energy erupted from her small body. Fiery flames burst forth, rapidly forming an overwhelming storm of blue fire. The intense heat caused nearby streetlights to melt into molten metal.

The flames coalesced into a searing blue fireball that hurtled toward Kaguya.

Boom!

With a muffled explosion, heat waves and flames engulfed the area, soaring into the sky. The temperature was so intense that even steel would have vaporized under such conditions.

Yet when the flames subsided, the figure standing before the younger Kotori remained unscathed. Kaguya was smiling gently, her appearance utterly unharmed—not even her clothes were singed. This left the small Kotori momentarily stunned.

Before she could recover, Kaguya's figure flickered and vanished.

The younger Kotori blinked in confusion. Before she could react, a hand appeared behind her, forming a knife-hand that struck her on the back of her neck.

Thud.

With a dull sound, the younger Kotori's eyes went blank, and her small body went limp, collapsing into Kaguya's arms.

Looking at the doll-like face in her arms, Kaguya couldn't help but sigh at the bitter irony. The one responsible for the tragedy that took Kotori's family was, in the end, Kotori herself. This was a revelation even Kaguya hadn't expected. While the origins of Kotori's spirit powers remained unclear, it was undeniable that the fire was her doing.

Carrying the unconscious loli, Kaguya approached the present-day Kotori. The latter's vacant gaze slowly regained focus as she saw Kaguya, but her expression grew conflicted when her eyes landed on the younger version of herself.

"How… how can this be?" Kotori's voice trembled as her eyes reddened. She bit her lip, desperately trying to hold back her tears. "How could it turn out like this?"

Kaguya wanted to offer some comfort but couldn't find the right words. Finally, she could only manage a soft, "My condolences."

"How can this be? How can this be?" Kotori muttered repeatedly, her dazed eyes reflecting the devastation around her as she collapsed to the ground. "This isn't real. It's not true. It's all fake. This has to be fake."

Holding the smaller version of Kotori in her arms, Kaguya looked at the girl before her with a mix of pity and helplessness.

After all, this tragedy had occurred ten years ago. Because of it, Kotori became an orphan, a child left without a home. If not for Ratatoskr taking her in, she might have still been wandering the streets—or worse, dead. For a decade, she had been haunted by that night, her every thought consumed by the need for vengeance. It wasn't just revenge; it was her pillar of strength, the reason she endured all the hardships life threw her way. Without it, she might have crumbled long ago.

Now, with the truth laid bare, Kotori was struggling to come to terms with it. The realization that she had been the one to kill her own parents—even if it had been in an unconscious state—was a blow too severe to bear.

"My condolences," Kaguya said softly, sighing.

"No, no, it's not like that!" Kotori suddenly turned her head toward Kaguya. A spark of red light flashed in her eyes, her expression tinged with a manic desperation. "It's you! You're the one behind all this! This isn't real! It's all an illusion—a lie!"

Kaguya frowned slightly, noting the instability in Kotori's mental state. The shock had been so overwhelming that her emotions had spiraled out of control, leaving her unhinged.

Unsteadily, Kotori stood up, her lips trembling as a trace of crimson flickered in her irises. Her voice cracked as she yelled, "How dare you toy with me like this! I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you!"

Suddenly, a violent burst of energy erupted from her body. The power of a spirit surged outward like a tidal wave, enveloping the area in a blaze of searing flames that radiated from her form. The heat intensified the roaring inferno, transforming the surroundings into a sea of fire that consumed everything in its path.

The temperature soared. The ground beneath them began to melt, and nearby buildings, already ablaze, collapsed under the relentless assault of the flames.

As the spirit energy surged, Kotori's astral dress materialized on her body, and in her hands appeared the massive axe—her angel—that had been wielded earlier by her younger self.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you!" Kotori screamed, her mind clearly clouded by madness. "This is all your fault! All of you! You're the reason this happened! You deserve to die!"

With that, she raised her blazing axe and charged at Kaguya with ferocious intent.

"It's not your fault," Kaguya said quietly, her tone carrying an air of finality. "But this needs to end."

As Kotori swung her weapon with all her might, Kaguya raised her hand.

Clang.

The fiery axe came to an abrupt halt as Kaguya caught it with her bare hand. With a slight squeeze, a sharp cracking sound echoed through the air. The once-intimidating weapon shattered into countless fragments.

Kotori's pupils contracted in shock as an overwhelming sense of danger emanated from the silver-haired girl standing before her. Though her thoughts were clouded, her instincts were razor-sharp, screaming at her to retreat.

But just as Kotori began to step back, a delicate hand darted toward her with lightning speed. The next moment, five fingers closed around her delicate neck, cutting off her movements entirely.

"Ugh… urgh…" Kotori gasped, clawing desperately at Kaguya's arm, her body engulfed in blazing flames as if she had become a living furnace. The intense heat would have incinerated any ordinary person.

However, Kaguya, fortified by her powerful Bloodline Limit abilities, remained unscathed. To her, the flames were little more than a warm breeze.

Kaguya's gaze hardened as she raised her other hand, forming it into a blade. In a swift, precise motion, she delivered a knife-hand strike to Kotori's neck. Kotori's body shuddered, the spirit energy dissipating as she fell unconscious. Before she could hit the ground, Kaguya caught her, cradling the girl in her arms.

Holding two versions of Kotori—one large and one small—Kaguya couldn't help but sigh in exasperation. "Wrongly accused again. Why does trouble keep finding me?"

"Ah, what's this?"

A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. Turning her head, Kaguya saw Kurumi standing beside her, peering curiously at the unconscious Kotori. "Well, this is a surprise," Kurumi said with a teasing smile. "I didn't expect the truth to be this. What an unexpected turn of events."

"She's struggling to accept it," Kaguya said, sighing again. "If I'd known it would turn out this way, I wouldn't have agreed to come back here."

"Ara, Ara, what a soft heart you have, darling," Kurumi teased, her eyes gleaming mischievously. "No wonder so many lovely girls are drawn to you. And I must say, you work fast! Just a few minutes, and you've already subdued them both. Impressive."

"How can you joke at a time like this?" Kaguya replied, her voice tinged with exasperation.

"Why wouldn't I?" Kurumi said with a playful snort. "They're not my concern, so why should I care about their fates?"

Before Kaguya could respond, a faint sound reached her ears. It was a soft, barely audible cry for help—a voice nearly drowned out by the roaring flames.

Kaguya's brows furrowed as she handed both versions of Kotori to Kurumi. "Look after them for me," she said.

"Off to save someone?" Kurumi asked, tilting her head.

"Yes," Kaguya replied.

"In this inferno? They're probably already dead," Kurumi said, her tone indifferent.

"I'll save as many as I can."

With that, Kaguya turned and strode into the raging sea of fire. Before long, her figure disappeared into the blazing inferno.

Kurumi watched Kaguya's silhouette vanish into the flames, a flicker of emotion crossing her face. A moment later, she smiled—a genuine, radiant smile that softened her usual air of cunning.

"I really did choose the right person," she murmured.

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