The Moon Feather Princess

High above the moon, in the Lunar Capital.

Under the cover provided by Reisen, Yorihime, Toyohime, and Nura Rihyon, the Moon Rabbit Revolutionary Army had successfully retreated from the Lunar Capital. In the forest on the city's outskirts, Nura Rihyon cut down the last of the pursuing Lunar Defense Force soldiers and let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew... that should be the last of them. Setting an ambush here was definitely the right call," Nura Rihyon said, shaking the blood from his blade. After being among the first to retreat outside the city, he and Toyohime had organized a group of moon rabbits to set a trap in these woods, intercepting any pursuers. From the look of things, the plan had worked perfectly.

"They were just small fry. Most of the Lunar Defense Force's elite strength was drawn away by Yorihime; otherwise, we wouldn't have dealt with them so easily," Toyohime said slowly, standing nearby as she looked over the countless fallen soldiers. Her face was etched with worry as she gazed toward the skies over the distant Lunar Capital. There, the crisscrossing patterns of jutsu-shiki and barrages were clearly visible. Yorihime’s battle against the elite forces was still raging. It was only because of her diversion that the moon rabbits' evacuation had gone so smoothly.

"Things are mostly settled here. Let's go help Lady Yorihime," Nura Rihyon suggested bluntly. Toyohime, however, immediately threw a bucket of cold water on his enthusiasm.

"Yorihime's current battle is not something we can interfere in. If we go, we'll only be a hindrance."

"Ugh... but... we can't just leave a comrade like that..."

"Heh, you've already decided we're comrades after such a short time? You're not bad for a Yokai brat from the surface. But for now, save your breath. Our only option is to settle the moon rabbits and wait for the arrival of Master Eirin and Lady Uka. Don't worry, have faith in Yorihime. She can handle it..." Toyohime said calmly. Hearing her words, Nura Rihyon paused for a moment before letting out a frustrated breath.

"Sigh... fine. I suppose that's all we can do. moon rabbits, we—" Nura Rihyon turned around, intending to speak to the rabbits who had participated in the ambush, only to find their behavior extremely strange.

Every single moon rabbit stood frozen in place, staring blankly toward the Lunar Capital. Their weapons lay forgotten on the ground, and their expressions were unnervingly vacant.

"Hey... what's wrong with you all?"

Just as Nura Rihyon was about to ask more, the moon rabbits suddenly opened their mouths. In a toneless, emotionless chant, they began to whisper in unison.

"It is coming... it is almost here..."

"Within that purifying light... to walk the world once more..."

"You shall rule us again... never to depart..."

"You shall destroy every trace left by a despicable history... everything..."

"Descend..."

Watching the bizarre behavior of the moon rabbits, Nura Rihyon’s head was filled with questions. He looked toward Toyohime for an explanation, only to see that her face had turned deathly pale.

"Lady Toyohime... what is happening?"

"Descend... destroy... could it be..." Witnessing the abnormal phenomenon among the moon rabbits, Toyohime—who, as a former intelligence official, knew many of the city's secrets—immediately felt a dire premonition.

Looking toward the sky over the distant Lunar Capital, Toyohime instantly activated her communication device to contact Yorihime.

In the skies above the Lunar Capital, Yorihime hovered in mid-air, panting heavily. Her expression was grim as she scanned the elite Lunar Defense Force soldiers surrounding her, finally locking her gaze onto a woman with short white hair and a single wing.

"Heh, I didn't expect even you to show up in the end, Lady Sagume. I recall you were relegated to a civil service position?"

"It couldn't be helped. I didn't intend to intervene, but you've caused far too much of a disturbance. The Great Sage personally gave me the order," Kishin Sagume said slowly as she floated in the air. Her arrival had pushed Yorihime’s already difficult battle into a truly desperate state.

"Lady Sagume, I advise you not to treat us as enemies right now. The Great Sage may not have explained the situation clearly to you. The Purification Fleet has been completely wiped out, and the surface armies are on their way. The fall of the Lunar Capital is imminent," Yorihime tried to persuade Sagume, but the other woman did not believe her.

"I do not know the status of the Purification Fleet, but I can see your status quite clearly... Lady Watatsuki no Yorihime," Sagume said calmly. Although she had previously voiced some optimism regarding the fleet, she did not truly believe in her heart that they could be defeated and annihilated.

Seeing that she couldn't sway Sagume, Yorihime felt a surge of unease. Just as she was about to think of another strategy, Toyohime's voice crackled through the communicator in her ear.

"What..."

After hearing Toyohime's words, Yorihime froze in shock. Sagume noticed that something was wrong and was about to speak when Yorihime suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Run! Get out of the Lunar Capital now! Otherwise, it'll be too late!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Yorihime immediately empowered herself with the strength of the Wind God and bolted toward the city's edge. Several surrounding soldiers flew to intercept her.

"Amaterasu..."

Yorihime whispered, drawing upon a sliver of Amaterasu's divine power. An intense light radiated from her body, shining as brightly as the sun. This blinding glare was so powerful that even the helmets of the elite guards couldn't block it. Stunned and blinded, they stopped in their tracks, allowing Yorihime to continue her high-speed flight out of the city.

Seeing this, Sagume immediately flapped her single wing and gave chase. The guards who had recovered their sight followed closely behind, though they were already being left in the dust by Yorihime and Sagume.

Yorihime flew through the sky, and at that moment, the Lunar Capital below began to undergo a violent change. The ground began to heave, and a low, rumbling roar echoed from deep beneath the surface. The tremors knocked items off tables and sent gravel dancing across the streets.

'A moonquake?' many of the lunarians living in the city wondered in confusion. While moonquakes were rare in the Lunar Capital, they were not unheard of.

However, the truth was far more terrifying. This was not a moonquake; it was the result of the explosive release of primordial power from the Lunar Ruins beneath the city.

The earthquake affecting the entire Lunar Capital grew more violent. High-rise buildings collapsed amidst the intense shaking, and lunarians screamed as they fled in all directions, seeking shelter. Looking down at the city, Sagume’s mouth hung open in shock.

"This... what is this?"

"Don't stop!" Yorihime shouted from ahead, warning Sagume. Seeing the devastation, Sagume instinctively accelerated, and she and Yorihime managed to burst out of the city's boundaries at the very last second.

BOOM!!

In an earth-shattering roar, the ground of the Lunar Capital was torn asunder. A blinding, silver-white light erupted from the rift. In a mere instant, the entire Lunar Capital was swallowed by a massive wave of white light surging from underground. This City of purity, home to countless advanced technologies, was reduced to nothingness in the blink of an eye. The vast number of lunarians and the grand, elegant architecture were completely annihilated within that white radiance.

From the start of the tremors to the eruption of light, the entire Lunar Capital was destroyed in less than ten seconds. Since the time Tsukuyomi first led the lunarians to the moon, the capital that had accumulated centuries of history had completely vanished under the might of an ancient extraterrestrial god.

The brilliant white light was so intense that every living being in the Lunar Secret Realm was forced to close their eyes. When the light finally faded, what remained was a desolate, post-apocalyptic scene.

Where the Lunar Capital had once stood, the massive city had vanished entirely, replaced by a colossal crater the size of the city itself. In the center of this super-crater, a massive figure was slowly rising.

It stood two to three hundred meters tall—a giant, semi-beastial body covered in pure white fur. Behind a beautiful female face was a long mane of white hair. Large rabbit ears stood tall on its head, and its two arms ended in beast-like claws. Countless ornate golden moon decorations adorned its body, and ethereal ribbons swirled around it. Woven from brilliant light, a long, belted dress patterned with stars and the moon draped over the massive female form. Four giant wings extended from its back, beating slowly.

Under the influence of Chang'e's power, Reisen's body had expanded and transformed into this mysterious and beautiful form.

The Moon Feather Princess, carrying the power of Chang'e, had descended, looking down upon all creation with cold indifference.