Too Bad You're Not Her

As winter gave way to early spring, the harsh cold began to recede, and most of the snow had already melted. The melting snow gathered into small streams, flowing over smooth rocks, creating a pleasant tinkling sound.

Kurome gazed out the window and sighed softly. She didn't know why, but she had been feeling restless and depressed lately. Ever since Kaguya left, she felt uneasy, as if she had lost something. The image of that figure would occasionally float before her eyes.

She wondered how Kaguya was doing now.

Young girls, when first experiencing the stirrings of love, tend to be a bit melancholic.

Kurome walked slowly towards the training grounds. It was the only place where she could vent her frustrations and find some semblance of peace.

Suddenly, Kurome's delicate face froze as she noticed something. Her large, black-and-white eyes lit up instantly.

In the distance, a beautiful silver-haired girl was approaching. Her hair, like moonlight, flowed down her back, and her face was flawless, her figure perfectly curvaceous. It was Kaguya.

Kaguya waved at her, a slight smile on her fair face.

Kurome immediately ran over, throwing herself into Kaguya's arms, her arms instinctively wrapping around her.

"I'm back."

Before Kaguya could finish her sentence, a pair of soft lips pressed against hers, silencing her. Kaguya's body stiffened momentarily before she extended her white arms to embrace the black-haired girl, her hands wandering over her body.

The warmth of their bodies gradually increased, and a hint of intimacy filled the space between them.

After a long while, their lips parted, a thin strand of silver connecting them.

"Did you miss me?" Kaguya asked gently, stroking Kurome's smooth hair.

"Mm," Kurome nodded slightly but said nothing, only snuggling closer to her.

"I'm sorry for making you wait so long," Kaguya said apologetically.

"It's okay," Kurome replied softly, her slender body shifting slightly to find a more comfortable position.

"Do you know?" Kaguya said, gently holding her shoulder. "You're the person I love the most. No one can replace you in my heart."

"Mm," Kurome murmured softly, her expression still calm, with little emotion showing on her pale face. Seeing her expression, Kaguya suddenly found herself unsure of what to say next.

"I saw your sister," Kaguya hesitated before saying.

"Really?" Kurome's response was somewhat indifferent, not as enthusiastic as Kaguya had expected.

"Aren't you curious about how she's doing?" Kaguya asked, puzzled.

"No," Kurome pouted.

"Weren't you close to your sister?" Kaguya asked, even more confused.

"I don't want another rival," Kurome said flatly.

"Another rival?" Kaguya was even more puzzled, not understanding what Kurome meant.

"If possible, I wish you could belong to me alone. But…" Kurome murmured, her expression tinged with sadness.

"But what?" Kaguya asked.

Suddenly, Kurome pushed Kaguya away. Caught off guard, Kaguya stumbled back several steps before regaining her balance. As she looked up, a blade emitting a chilling aura was pressed against her neck.

"It's a pity you're not Her Highness, the Princess," Kurome's face was expressionless, her pink face devoid of emotion, her clear eyes devoid of any ripple.

"What are you talking about?" Kaguya's body froze, forcing a smile. "I don't understand what you mean."

"Don't bother pretending. No matter how well you disguise yourself, you're not her," Kurome said, slightly disappointed. "Originally, I wanted to…"

Since her disguise had been seen through, there was no point in continuing the charade. In a puff of white smoke, the silver-haired girl transformed into a pink-haired girl—Chelsea.

She had originally come to rescue Leone, only to find out halfway that Leone had already returned. But since she was there, she couldn't just turn back. With Kaguya absent, it was the perfect opportunity for her to make her move. If Kaguya had been present, Chelsea wouldn't have dared to infiltrate, as she had no confidence in fooling the one known as the strongest in the Empire.

Now was the best opportunity. She disguised herself as Kaguya, infiltrated the Princess's palace, and hoped to extract some useful information from Kurome. She had even decided that if the conditions allowed, she would kill Kurome, removing a potential enemy for the Revolutionary Army.

However, Chelsea never expected to be discovered before she could extract any information from Kurome.

"How did you know?" Chelsea had already resigned herself to her fate but was still curious to know how she had been found out. After all, her Imperial Arm was a cosmetics-type Imperial Arm, Gaea Foundation, which allowed the user to transform into anything they desired. It wasn't just limited to humans; it could even transform them into animals and other creatures.

Logically, it was a flawless disguise, so how could she be discovered so easily?

"Because you're not her," Kurome mumbled, her pink cheeks blushing slightly as if dusted with rouge.

She would never admit that Kaguya liked to kiss her by slipping her tongue into her mouth, nor would she admit that whenever Kaguya hugged her, her hands would sneak under her clothes to fondle her small breasts.

Far away, in the Empire's northwestern border, in Antara.

The army's banners filled the sky, with weapons glistening in the light. The massive force stretched as far as the eye could see, a dark, overwhelming tide surging endlessly forward, exuding a menacing aura.

At the sound of a deep, resonant horn, the soldiers charged forward like a tidal wave, quickly engulfing the two girls in a sea of humanity.

"Do you think this will really work?" Bolic asked nervously, turning to the man beside him. "It's said she once wiped out hundreds of thousands of soldiers single-handedly."

Even though they held a clear advantage, with their vast army encircling the two girls, Bolic couldn't shake the unease in his heart.

The man beside him was in his forties, large and burly, with a strong, square face and piercing eyes. He was the Revolutionary Army leader who had ordered the assassination of Leone, the one who had previously been lurking near Night Raid.

"Hmph," the man snorted coldly. "This is a city, with hundreds of thousands of civilians around. She wouldn't dare use that dangerous ability unless she wants to commit mass murder. If she did, her reputation would take a massive hit. And as long as she doesn't use that power, sooner or later, she'll be ours."