"What are you doing here?" Sharlia asked flatly, standing at the gate of the estate.
The girl named Sophie approached with a cheerful smile. "Sister Lia, what's this? You're not going to let us in?"
"When someone shows sudden kindness for no reason, it's probably not a good sign," Sharlia snorted. "Cut the pleasantries. Say what you came to say."
"Don't be so harsh," said the elegant girl Tiliah, walking over with a smile. "We're all sisters here—no need to be so distant."
"I said stop trying to cozy up to me," Sharlia grumbled, pushing Tiliah aside with a frown. "If you have nothing important to say, then leave. I'm closing the door."
Tiliah didn't get angry and simply clung back to Sharlia' arm with a smile. "They say Sharlia is generous and graceful—a lady admired by all. Surely she wouldn't fuss over something so trivial?"
"Exactly," Sophie chimed in, still smiling. "We came to apologize. What we did before was wrong, and we feel truly ashamed. Please forgive us, Sister. But a gentle, refined woman like you surely wouldn't stoop to hold grudges against shallow girls like us."
The usual bitter rivals, always exchanging barbed words, were suddenly here speaking sweetly. Sharlia felt a bit flattered, though she kept a straight face and snorted. "Who knows what you're really thinking?"
"Our admiration for you is as clear as the sun and moon," Tiliah said, raising three fingers solemnly.
"Fine," Sharlia said with a wave, trying to act magnanimous. "So, what did you come here for? You're not trying to cause trouble again, are you?"
Subconsciously, even Sharlia hadn't realized she already considered Kaguya's estate her own home.
"Of course not," Sophie said brightly, hugging Sharlia' arm. "We came to invite you to a flower-viewing party. Please grace us with your presence—we've all been eagerly looking forward to seeing you."
"Didn't you say before that I was a vulgar person?" Sharlia huffed.
"That's impossible!" Sophie laughed even more brightly. "That was just something I said in a moment of anger. Please don't take it to heart. If you don't mind, we'd be honored to have you. You're our special guest—we'll be waiting eagerly."
Though a bit younger than Sharlia, the two girls clearly knew how to talk—charming and persuasive, sweet-tongued and flattering. With "sister" this and "sister" that, it was as if their words were dipped in honey. Under this sugary assault, Sharlia' defenses gradually crumbled. Though she still spoke coldly, a smile had started to creep onto her lips.
Sophie and Tiliah exchanged a knowing glance, a hidden smirk in their eyes.
What an easy mark.
"What are you doing?"
Suddenly, a clear, pleasant voice rang out from afar, making Sharlia freeze. Sophie and Tiliah's expressions also changed instantly—they recognized that voice.
The silver-haired girl approaching from the distance was none other than Kaguya!
"Y-You're back!" Sharlia blurted in shock.
"What are you talking about that's got you so cheerful?" Kaguya's gaze casually swept over the two girls standing beside Sharlia.
Sophie and Tiliah's faces went pale, their smiles becoming forced.
"These two—Sophie and Tiliah—they're..." Sharlia hesitated for a moment. "They're my friends. They invited me to a flower-viewing party."
"A flower-viewing party?" Kaguya turned around. "You mean that so-called elegant gathering that's actually a den of gigolos and tramps?"
Hearing such blunt words, Sophie and Tiliah's smiles grew even more strained. They felt completely uncomfortable, unsure of what to do with their hands. They wanted to leave, but didn't dare. Beads of sweat formed on their foreheads.
Sharlia stood awkwardly to the side, trying to smile.
"Forget it," Kaguya waved her hand. "I won't interfere with your business—but don't bring back any bad habits, understood?"
"Yes, got it!" Sharlia nodded repeatedly.
After Kaguya's 'guidance', she had long since shed her old spoiled-princess temper—or at least, she kept it well-hidden around Kaguya. She was obedient and proper to the point that, if one didn't know her past, they might think she was a refined lady.
Which just goes to show—you should never trust a woman's demeanor too easily. It could very well be an act.
"And as for you two," Kaguya turned sharply, speaking without courtesy, "random riffraff aren't welcome here. You can leave."
"Yes! We're leaving right away!" Sophie and Tiliah practically fled in relief.
Watching the two girls scurry away, Kaguya turned back to Sharlia and asked, "Are you mad that I chased them off?"
Sharlia jumped in surprise and quickly said, "Of course not!"
But in her heart, she wondered—how did Kaguya know what she was thinking? Could she read minds?
"Don't think I don't know what's going on in that fish-brained head of yours," Kaguya said, tapping Sharlia lightly on the forehead. "Did you ever stop to think why they're being so nice to you?"
Why were they being so nice to her?
Sharlia, still holding her head, went momentarily blank.
"Master, you're back!"
As Kaguya stepped inside, Shirley quickly came to greet her with respectful enthusiasm.
Kaguya reached out to gently stroke her soft hair and smiled. "Sorry for making things hard on you while I was gone."
"It's nothing," Shirley said, her eyes glistening with emotion. "As long as you're back, that's all that matters."
"Hmph, so it's her who came back, huh?"
At that moment, a dainty, pretty girl floated down holding a frilly parasol.
Kaguya pointed at her curiously. "Who's that? A new maid?"
"Hey!" the girl fumed. "You're the maid! Your whole family are maids! I'm the great Ghost Princess Perona! From now on, you better call me 'Your Highness', got it?!"
"I'm hungry. I'm going to get something to eat," Kaguya replied, completely ignoring her, and walked into the room.
"Hey, idiot! Moron! Didn't you hear me?!" Perona shouted, waving her fists in frustration.
"Huh?" Kaguya turned back with mock surprise. "You're still here?"
"Aaaaah! You're driving me crazy!"
...
Although Kaguya had been gone for a long time, under Shirley's careful upkeep, the palace remained just as it was before she left. The furnishings in her bedroom were largely unchanged—fresh and elegant. Even the novels she loved to read were still placed exactly as she had left them.
But Kaguya didn't pay attention to any of that. What she cared about now was the grand gift package granted by the system.
Previously, she had received a gift pack as a reward from the system, but didn't have time to open it. Now that she had the chance, Kaguya couldn't help but feel curious about what was inside.
Logically, the later the gift pack, the higher its value, with rarer items and more powerful abilities. And this was supposedly the last major gift before completing her mission. It shouldn't be anything mediocre.
"Would you like to open the gift pack?"
"Open it!"
"Congratulations! You've obtained the advanced ability of Mirror Flower, Water Moon!"
Advanced ability?
Kaguya was momentarily stunned. What was that?
The first stage of Mirror Flower, Water Moon allowed her to project imitation versions of items. These fakes had decent power but very low durability—essentially single-use tools.
The second stage enabled her to project replicas nearly identical to the original, with matching abilities and strength. At this level, the power was considerable—Kaguya had once projected both Excalibur and Caliburn, to impressive effect.
"The advanced ability of Mirror Flower, Water Moon not only allows projection of real-world items, but also enables projection of imagined items and abilities. It can materialize imagined objects and environments, connecting one's will with the world to reshape it according to one's imagination."
Kaguya froze.
That kind of power?
Wasn't that a bit too overpowered?
It would be one thing if it were just an enhanced replication skill. But this—this was on an entirely different level. It wasn't just a quantitative upgrade—it was a qualitative leap!
Replication was limited to existing objects or abilities. No matter how strong, there was a cap. But to materialize imagination itself? That meant creating anything one could think of. In simple terms: whatever one wished for, would become reality.
That was the ultimate dream in every person's heart.
Every time someone made a wish, this concept came up more than any other.
But even in a high-tier world, such a power would rank among the most supreme. How could Kaguya receive it so easily?
It didn't seem logical.
As she continued reading, realization dawned on her face.
Of course, this power wasn't without restrictions. Any ability came at a cost—especially one this potent.
And the cost of this ability was enormous chakra and massive mental strength. Even for someone like Kaguya, using it would be extremely difficult. At most, she could only alter a very small area around her.
Moreover, due to her insufficient power, using this ability came with severe side effects—leaving her in a state of extreme weakness afterward. During that time, her strength would drastically plummet.
It seemed reshaping the world wasn't so simple after all.
Kaguya couldn't help but sigh.
This must be the difference between a low-tier and high-tier world. Lower worlds revolved around brute power, while higher ones revolved around laws. Laws governed the function of everything and upheld the stability of the world. To tamper with the world's foundational laws was no easy feat.
Boom—!
Just then, a thunderous explosion echoed from the distance. Even the ground and nearby buildings began to tremble.
Kaguya raised an eyebrow and walked over to the window. She pushed it open and looked into the distance.
Far off on the horizon, a crimson pillar of light soared into the sky. Towering and imposing, it twisted violently like a writhing serpent, each spasm triggering an earth-shaking rumble.
"Looks like those old geezers are finally getting desperate," Kaguya said coldly, staring at the pillar of light.
This was the Four Red Yang Formation she had set up earlier.
The Four Red Yang Formation had superb defensive capabilities. Even Kaguya herself would need considerable effort to break through it. Its defensive strength was unquestionable—but if it was supposed to trap the Five Elders, even Kaguya didn't believe that. Their strength was far beyond what outsiders perceived.
The fact that the formation was already trembling so violently said it all.
At this rate, it wouldn't last much longer. But to Kaguya, the time it had bought was more than enough.
Meanwhile, rumors and damaging news about the World Government continued spreading wildly. Although both the World Government and the Navy tried desperately to suppress them, the recently defeated Navy was already struggling.
What was worse, many of the negative reports weren't baseless rumors—they came with credible evidence. Incidents like Ohara and White Town were traced back to the World Government's machinations. Whether through manipulation, incitement, or hidden agendas, the World Government's credibility had plummeted.
At the same time, rebel groups emerged, seeking to overthrow the World Government and establish a new world order.
But to Kaguya, these were nothing more than wolves in sheep's clothing—using the chaos as an excuse to expand their own power.
"Master, are you really going to just ignore them?" Monet asked hesitantly.
Kaguya rose and walked to the window, hands clasped behind her back. "The world is already in the palm of my hand. To me, it's nothing more than a prize in a pouch—I can take it whenever I wish. Those people are just petty pests. With a flick of my wrist, they'll be reduced to dust. The real enemy… isn't them."
"The real enemy?" Monet echoed in confusion.
Boom—!
A deafening explosion tore through the sky, shattering the morning calm. Bathed in the gentle glow of dawn, the towering light pillar in Mariejois collapsed—crumbling to dust.
Kaguya watched the distant spectacle. A faint smile curled her lips.
"The show is about to begin."
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