Your Excellency Is Strong, But My Art Style Is Above Yours!

This was his deputy, the minister's nominal ally, and the second-in-command of Anning Dao—Berik!

Though this man was foolish, his power was by no means insignificant. He was also famously afraid of death, having recruited an Imperial Arms user to protect him around the clock... Yet someone like that had his head cut off in the time it took to turn around!

Even the religious leader could not help shuddering. If the man before him wanted to kill him, it would probably take only an instant, wouldn't it?

Whether one was the Imperial Emperor, the chief minister, the leader of a religion, or the head of a rebel army, no matter how much territory one controlled or how many troops one commanded, once one's head was cut off, everything became nothing. A thousand schemes and calculations were worth less than a single slash!

—This was the unique deterrence wielded by the strong in a high-martial world!

"Alright, now you don't need to agonize over it or rack your brains trying to maintain a balance."

Iori spoke to him warmly. "Look, I chose for you. Aren't you going to thank me?"

"...Thank you."

The religious leader's eye twitched violently as he said dryly, "Now I truly have no choice... What does the Revolutionary Army intend for Anning Dao to do? If you want us to openly rebel, we are not sufficiently prepared in any regard. I will not send my followers to their deaths."

"Who said I was making you choose the Revolutionary Army?"

"But now that Berik is dead, the minister will definitely no longer be determined to keep control of Anning Dao. He will—"

"He'll go keep Berik company," Iori said after thinking for a moment. "Depending on my mood."

The religious leader: "..."

The handsome man's mind was somewhat sluggish. Reason told him that the man before him was a little insane, yet his instincts as a living creature made him unable to resist believing him.

There were rumors that he could read minds. While it was not quite that outrageous, he truly could distinguish truth from lies... And from beginning to end, Iori had treated him with complete frankness, straightforward to an absurd degree.

"Then what exactly are you... Don't tell me you're a faction all by yourself?"

The religious leader murmured, "You want to fight against the Empire with its thousand-year foundation and the Revolutionary Army backed by the people's rage?"

"Why not?

With my own two hands, I'll knock down the whole damn world!"

Hunting Target: Esdeath!

Killing Berik had not only left the religious leader with no choice, but had also given Iori an Imperial Arms:

Weirdly Weird · Adajus

It was a long-handled scythe-type Imperial Arms. Its curved blade, over a meter long, looked imposing, but it was difficult to handle in actual combat. Honestly, it was nowhere near as convenient as a spear or a heavy saber.

Its ability was also a mystery, because the Imperial Arms user protecting Berik had been Instant Killed by Iori before he could unleash a move... However, Iori noticed something interesting: this scythe had gathered an enormous amount of free spiritual particles, far exceeding that of other Imperial Arms.

He then tested it on Dangerous Species and discovered that its physical destructive power was average, but it came with a very subtle "curse" effect.

By subtle, he meant that the curse was extremely unstable. Sometimes it slowed the target's movements, sometimes it made wounds bleed without stopping, and sometimes it filled enemies with panic... Though there were many varieties, only one curse could take effect at a time, and it was completely random, impossible to control.

Iori also noticed that individuals with vigorous vitality had greater resistance to curses. This Imperial Arms basically had no special effect on Dangerous Species above level two.

If that was all it could do, Adajus would be little more than a useless trinket to Iori.

However, Iori instinctively felt that it was not so simple. Perhaps the unusual quantity of spiritual particles had piqued his interest, prompting him to study it seriously and in depth.

Then he discovered a very interesting phenomenon, one that perhaps only he in the entire world could perceive:

After this scythe killed a living being, it absorbed a certain amount of spiritual particles!

In the context of a fantasy world, it was probably similar to a demonic artifact that captured souls and spirits. It was not so exaggerated as to directly seize an entire soul, merely binding a small number of unconscious fragments and free spiritual particles.

It was precisely these spiritual particles that made the scythe's properties extremely complex, randomly inflicting curses upon whatever it struck.

However, the scythe had no soul-nurturing effect. It merely stored them and could not allow the spiritual energy within to grow on its own, so the spiritual particles continuously dissipated over time.

Once a certain type of spiritual particle had completely dispersed, the corresponding category of curse would also disappear. In theory, if it went too long without harvesting new soul fragments, it would become an ordinary but relatively sturdy scythe.

The world of Akame ga Kill! basically had no cultivation methods involving the soul or spirit. Since ancient times, probably no one had known this weapon's true ability. They only thought its properties were unfathomable, which was why it had been given the name "Weirdly Weird."

Though it was not particularly useful, it could barely be considered an unexpected gain. Iori stored it away, intending either to grant it to a subordinate in the future or use it as a "dry battery" in an emergency.

He had considered developing the scythe's abilities further. After all, the performance of an Imperial Arms depended on its user, and he was undoubtedly the person in the entire world best suited for Adajus.

But upon reflection, Iori already had a Zanpakuto. Did that not have far greater potential than this bargain-bin Bleach scythe?

Rather than spend effort developing an Imperial Arms, he would be better off chatting with his blade spirit now and then and digging into his Zanpakuto's potential.

After all, Iori had only recently achieved Shikai and had comprehended merely three techniques. Perhaps he could advance even further.

During the Anning Dao trip, Iori had nominally subdued the religious leader, but he knew that forcing someone like him through sheer strength was not enough to make him truly follow. He was also willing to spend more effort on the man.

Unlike Imperial Arms users such as Will and Seryu, the religious leader did not possess much combat power, but he was an outstanding management talent. Moreover, among the powerful figures in this world, few truly cared about the people's livelihood and future development.

Compared to the minister, who had ability but used it all to satisfy his personal desires, and the Revolutionary Army, which borrowed troops from foreign tribes, the religious leader's thinking could absolutely be called farsighted.

Even if Iori could pacify the world like the First Emperor once had, he was destined to be unable to devote vast amounts of energy and time to governing the nation. That was why he needed people like Nadjeta and the religious leader to share the burden.

If Esdeath's personality were not so distinctive and she were not so difficult to subdue, having her lead troops and intimidate the four corners would actually have been a good choice.

After returning from Anning Dao, Iori continued his campaign of "killing corrupt officials and crushing local tyrants" across the land. Throughout this process, he combined favor with intimidation, and the Rakshasa Two Ghosts and the five Imperial Arms users grew increasingly convinced by him. Hot-blooded youths like Will, especially after realizing that Iori was seeking benefits for the common people, came to admire him from the bottom of their hearts.

Boros, who had originally been uneasy, also discovered that Iori was merely forceful in style. His character and temperament were both quite good, far beyond his previous superior. With his wife and daughter now in a safe area as well, he cast aside his concerns and wholeheartedly followed Iori.

There was no need to mention Seryu and Lan. Only Mr. Fashion still held reservations, but Iori had never placed much hope in winning over a research fanatic like him, so he did not care much—people like that were destined to be partners, not subordinates.

Those samurai had also deeply experienced the vastness of the great territory and the deep foundations accumulated by the Empire over a thousand years. Iori did not think that merely because he had taught them, they would obey him unconditionally forever. Every time they confiscated an estate, he set aside a portion of the wealth as their reward.

How could ronin from an island nation have ever seen anything like this? They were all deeply grateful to Iori. Since many of them originally had neither homes nor livelihoods, they decided that rather than return to their island nation, they might as well follow Iori and settle in the Empire.

After several trips back and forth, Iori's force, which had originally been forcibly cobbled together, became increasingly united. It now looked quite respectable, though it had yet to experience a proper large-scale battle to test its combat strength.

However, they would soon have that opportunity. Since the Rakshasa Four Ghosts had failed to return for so long, Minister Honest had realized that the assassination plan had failed. Iori and Syura were not as easy to deal with as he had imagined, and had clearly exceeded his control.

Iori's actions had also caused panic among many provincial governors and lords. During this period, more than ten regional powerholders had sent letters of inquiry. All of them were powerful frontier officials, and when they collectively made trouble, even Honest had to consider their opinions.

If he allowed Iori to continue causing havoc, these people would certainly believe it was Honest's instruction, that he was using this sharp blade to eliminate them one by one—indeed, Honest had benefited from it.

The minister had a guilty conscience, while the regional powerholders were also somewhat frightened:

They really had communicated with the Revolutionary Army in secret, and there was a certain degree of mutual understanding between their upper ranks!

They would not go so far as to fully support the Revolutionary Army, but at a critical moment, they could certainly remain idle and watch how events unfolded...

Distrust filled the space between the minister and the regional powerholders. If he could not "put righteousness before family" and kill Syura and Iori at a time like this, Honest would lose the support of many people. That was very important to him.

Coupled with Night Raid's recent rampage in the Imperial Capital and the loss of his bodyguards, the Rakshasa Four Ghosts, the deeply insecure minister made a decision:

Recall Esdeath, who was fighting foreign tribes in the northern borderlands!

"Excellent!"

The minister did not know that while he was contacting Esdeath, someone had openly entered his study, skillfully opened the hidden compartment, and found the secret letter within. After reading its contents, he could not help clapping in delight.

Just what I needed!

He quickly returned to his troops, called Boros, Lan, and Seryu—his three most loyal followers—to accompany him, then had Will temporarily lead the force and station them there until they returned.

Where did he take them next?

The answer was Night Raid's headquarters!

A rising star of the Imperial Army, bringing his Imperial Arms user subordinates to visit the most elite force among the rebels, and not a single person raised an objection~

"In the middle of the night... What are you doing? Are these people your subordinates?"

Nadjeta, awakened in the dead of night by the signal, came out with her trusted fighters to meet the enemy. Yet when she saw an old acquaintance, her astonishment was mixed with a trace of irritation at being woken up.

"I hope you have a legitimate reason."

"The autumn air is crisp, the perfect season for hunting. I have come specifically to invite the general to hunt together in the northern borderlands."

"Hunting?"

Nadjeta was somewhat confused, but she could guess that there was an implication behind it.

"What is the prey?"

"The Empire's northern Great Wall, its strongest Imperial Arms user—"

Iori grinned. "The Ice Queen, Esdeath!"

"But she commands an army in the field... Do you have intelligence telling you when she will be alone?"

Nadjeta sucked in a breath. "If all of Night Raid joins forces with your elite troops, then perhaps—"

"Not enough. No matter how many ordinary Imperial Arms users there are, it won't be enough. You may have a few capable fighters, but you cannot be the protagonists of this battle."

"...Then why did you call us?" Nadjeta frowned tightly.

Iori merely smiled. "Because even the most thrilling story needs an audience to become a legend!"

Have You Seen My True Strength?

Esdeath came from the northern warrior tribes. As a barbarian with no foundation whatsoever, she had become a general at sixteen or seventeen. Now, at only twenty years old, her status in the military system was second only to General Budo, and she commanded one of the most elite border armies.

There was no other reason she had achieved so much. She was simply incomparably powerful!

Whether in physical ability, fighting technique, or combat instinct, Esdeath had reached the absolute pinnacle. Even without relying on an Imperial Arms, she was a first-rate expert. With sheer force of presence—physical force—she could tame Dangerous Species that were theoretically impossible to tame.

And as an Imperial Arms user, she was also one of the few great figures who had completely mastered her Imperial Arms, broken through its limits, and evolved it into an entirely new realm!

She firmly believed in the jungle law of the survival of the fittest, so she took every battle extremely seriously and was difficult to scheme against.

All those factors combined to create this world's ceiling of combat power.

If she had a single weakness, it was that she became too absorbed in battle and could easily get carried away when she encountered a powerful opponent—battle maniacs were all like that.

Though in theory Imperial General Budoh and she were Imperial Arms users of the same level, honestly, there was indeed a gap between them in terms of presence and threat.

However, while Esdeath was powerful, she had not transcended all limits. There was still a possibility of defeating her. Otherwise, Nadjeta would not have seriously considered how to assassinate her.

Her Imperial Arms, Demon God Manifestation, excelled tremendously at large-scale destruction. At full output, it could even affect the weather. Its power could not be understated. It completely ignored human-wave tactics; even an army of one hundred thousand would be crushed by it!

Ordinary Imperial Arms users were no different from fodder before her.

But when facing truly powerful opponents, she could not utterly overwhelm them. If multiple top-tier Imperial Arms users besieged her, they would have a chance to defeat her as long as their tactics were proper.

For example, Bulat and Akame from Night Raid, Susanoo, the biological Imperial Arms from Revolutionary Army headquarters, and General Budoh of the Empire—none of them were opponents Esdeath could swiftly defeat. Against some, she would have to give everything she had to win.

When Nadjeta had fled the Empire, Esdeath had pursued her. In the end, Nadjeta and her two subordinates, three Imperial Arms users in total, had been easily defeated. Even Nadjeta, who was quite strong herself, had to sacrifice an arm to survive under her subordinates' desperate protection. Her combat power had been greatly reduced ever since.

She had a very direct impression of Esdeath's strength. In her original plan, the Revolutionary Army would have needed to gather tens of thousands of troops along with elite Imperial Arms users like Night Raid to defeat Esdeath—and that was still a conservative estimate.

Considering that Esdeath herself was also an army commander who controlled what was perhaps the most elite Imperial Army still in existence, one could imagine the difficulty of killing her on the battlefield...

When Iori proposed this "hunt," Nadjeta's first reaction was to seize the chance and go all in!

If Iori's intelligence was accurate and they could intercept Esdeath after she left her army, then the Revolutionary Army could not possibly let this opportunity pass.

As long as they prepared enough experts and caught her off guard, even Esdeath...

But Iori had proposed a one-on-one duel with Esdeath. That greatly surprised Nadjeta—one could even say it shocked her.

Are you out of your mind? The female general's eyes were filled with suspicion.

"I never knew you were such an idealistic... hot-blooded person."

Though she did not understand, Nadjeta still agreed to join this hunt with Night Raid in order to seize the opportunity.

In her view, though Iori was certainly strong, he could not possibly be Esdeath's match. Once he realized the gap in their strength, he would naturally abandon a warrior's pride and choose a "righteous group beating" instead!

Iori's three Imperial Arms users, all of Night Raid, the Far Eastern samurai, and the elite fighters sent by the Revolutionary Army—such a powerful force, deployed against an Esdeath who was alone or accompanied by only a few subordinates, still had a decent chance of victory.

At present, Iori had transported them all to the northern borderlands using Shangri-La. Everyone was dressed warmly, camping along Esdeath's inevitable route as they waited for the Ice Queen's arrival.

During these days of waiting, Nadjeta kept trying to persuade Iori to change his mind.

"Hecatoncheires—Seryu's dog—and Bulat will lead the assault. Leone will fill any gaps, Mine and Boros will provide long-range fire support, Lan will scout from the sky, and the others will assist with restraint. You and Akame will deliver the fatal blow at the critical moment!"

Nadjeta truly was an experienced military commander. In such a short time, she had already figured out Boros and the others' abilities and arranged tactics accordingly.

It had to be admitted that if they used her strategy, their chances of victory would truly be high. Probably no one in the entire world of Akame ga Kill! could contend with such a powerful and carefully targeted lineup.

"With that strange movement technique of yours and Akame's Murasame, you definitely have a great chance!"

"True," Iori nodded, "but I have a plan with even greater odds of success."

"...You still refuse to give up."

Nadjeta could not understand. "You specifically waited until she left her army to ambush her. Wasn't that so you could gang up on her? If you wanted a one-on-one duel, why not just challenge her at the start? She definitely wouldn't refuse!"