A gaping hole had been smashed through the wall of the minister's mansion. Dark clouds veiled the bright moonlight, leaving nothing but endless darkness beyond the breach-no, there were sounds prowling outside, too!
It was a low, almost mechanical rhythm, like the breathing of some predator gauging its killing distance in the dark. He was darkness, yet not entirely darkness. The crunch of crushed rubble came from outside the hole-slow, precise, each step making the halos of light inside the room tremble slightly.
Just then, a sinister wind swept through, and every light inside the minister's mansion went out at once!
The darkness outside seeped into the mansion, as though it had plunged into an abyss!
Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique-everything sank into an abyss of darkness. In that merciless dark, resistance was impossible!
Once cast, this Genjutsu created a dark environment that shut down the opponent's vision. Within it, only the caster and their teammates could see their surroundings and attack. It was a Genjutsu that induced visual hallucinations and stole every trace of light. In that dark world, descending like pitch-black silk, even powerful fighters could only be forced to reveal their positions.
Uzumaki Gamu had tinkered with this move out of boredom after training in Genjutsu. He had never had much opportunity to use it before, but now it finally had a purpose!
Of course, his enemies had no idea they were under a Genjutsu. They simply thought the lights had gone out!
Faced with this situation, the minister calmly took a bite of the roast leg of lamb in his hand-he was not so easily frightened!
The people in the Empire who wanted to assassinate him could line up from the gates of the Imperial Palace all the way to the gates of the Imperial Capital! There were far too many to count!
He had lost track of how many assassination attempts he had survived. This was nothing-his private guards would take care of the attackers!
"Protect the minister!" Sure enough, the minister's private guard captain had already led his men charging in to defend him!
The minister ordered, "Don't just stand there. Light the lamps! I'm still eating! This sort of entertainment makes the tastiest side dish!"
"Yes-aaargh!" The guard captain had barely answered before he let out a bloodcurdling scream.
"...What the hell?" The minister began to panic. His guard captain was no slouch, yet someone had killed him in an instant?
This assassin was no ordinary foe!
Alarmed, the minister immediately activated the Teigu he always wore on his head!
Jeweled Headdress [Ireston]-a jewel-type Teigu normally worn on the forehead. It was an anti-Teigu capable of destroying an opponent's Teigu. Once an enemy entered its range, it could destroy their Teigu at the cost of shattering its own gemstone. The damaged gemstone needed only a week to regenerate, but it could not be used until then.
As far as the minister knew, most powerful fighters in this world relied on Teigu in battle, and this assassin would be no exception.
In that case, he would use his lifesaving Teigu to destroy the enemy's Teigu. Then they would be unable to cause any more trouble!
Yet the scene the minister expected never came. Screams continued rising one after another, and someone finally noticed something wrong. "Wait, why won't the lamps light? I can't see the torches, either! Am I blind? Aaargh, stay away from me!"
That scream was the spark that shattered the guards' confidence. Panicking, they began stumbling around like headless flies!
That only made them die faster!
The minister cursed furiously, "You pack of idiots! What are you panicking for? Gather together and form a circle!"
But compared with his curses, the voice ringing through the darkness struck far deeper into the guards' hearts!
"I am vengeance!"
"Aah! Don't kill me!" Another bloodcurdling scream.
"I am the night!"
"Help! Mommy! I don't want to die!" That cry soon vanished into the darkness.
Those cries rose one after another, then vanished one after another-like a countdown to the end, hammering relentlessly at the hearts of the survivors!
The minister was no exception!
To reassure himself, he grabbed someone nearby and held them in front of him as a shield, then backed against the wall so he would not be the first to die!
But just then... the wall moved!
The once-solid wall softened, and a hand emerged, seizing the minister's shoulder. Suddenly, he could see again!
A bat! A pitch-black bat spread its wings behind the minister!
"I am Batman. Fear incarnate... ready to die?" A deep voice sounded beside the minister's ear. (Actually, he was speaking with phlegm in his throat.)
The minister instinctively tried to threaten and bargain, but the words became a howl before they left his lips-his right arm had been severed!
The agonizing pain made the minister howl uncontrollably. "Aaargh! Damn you, damn you! Damn you! I'll have you killed..." Where had he gone? After howling a couple of times, the minister realized that the bat had suddenly vanished!
The interior of his mansion was bright again-and had become a mountain of corpses in a sea of blood!
Every one of the minister's guards was dead, while all the maids who had been serving him had vanished without a trace!
"Damn it..." the minister said through gritted teeth. Although he did not understand what had happened, one thing was certain... he had been spared!
Having narrowly survived, the minister did not rant and rave. Instead, he first tried to stop the bleeding. After finding something to cover the wound, he immediately shouted for help.
But he waited a while and no one came. Blood kept pouring from his severed arm as though it would never stop. If no one came to help stop it, he would soon bleed to death!
He had no choice. Though this method had its advantages and drawbacks, it was better than dying outright! Steeling himself, the minister picked up a torch from the floor-one the guards had brought in-and burned his wound with its flame!
Well, the very common method of turning an open wound into a burn! High heat denatured the proteins in the blood vessel walls and surrounding tissue, forming an eschar that sealed the wound and prevented blood from escaping. (Stopping bleeding with burns is like drinking poison to quench your thirst-it trades tissue death for time, and time may not be on your side. Unless your choice is between "die immediately" and "possibly die," always choose direct pressure. Well, ordinary people are unlikely to face this situation anyway. If you really experience uncontrollable bleeding, please call 120 or 110 promptly.)
Though he howled with pain, the minister did not stop. Soon, the bleeding ceased!
The minister had a sturdy constitution. Despite everything he had suffered, he could still move. He slowly stood, left his dining room, and entered the courtyard, shouting, "Where the hell is everyone? Damn it, it's so quiet I can hear mosquitoes! Are they really all dead? Ugh..." Though terrified by the situation, his desire to survive drove him onward. He checked several rooms... was there really no one left?
No, there were still people. Quite a few had died right where they stood.
Had everyone in his residence been wiped out within minutes?
What kind of monster is this? The minister swallowed hard, desperately trying to think of somewhere he could go to be safe.
Just then, hurried footsteps approached from the distance. A small force of several dozen men arrived outside the minister's mansion, and a gruff voice called in, "Minister Honest, are you all right?"
Hearing that gruff voice, the minister's tense heart relaxed a little. He knew that voice-it belonged to Oka, captain of the Imperial Capital Guard!
The minister immediately shouted, "Oka! Get over here!"
"Yes, sir!" Hearing the call, Oka immediately led his men into the minister's mansion. Upon seeing the carnage inside, he ordered his subordinates to search the mansion for survivors and enemies alike, stationed guards around the minister, and sent men to fetch a doctor.
Once he had made those arrangements, he immediately approached the minister and asked respectfully, "I arrived too late! Please punish me, my lord!"
"It wasn't your fault! Get me a doctor first!" He was nearly dead; the minister had no energy to scold anyone.
"Yes, sir! ...Let me take you to your bedroom to rest first!" Oka was an experienced warrior. A quick look told him that although the minister's injury was serious, it would not be fatal if treated properly. The most important things now were to let the minister rest and learn exactly what had happened from him!
"...All right. I'll leave everything to you!" He had eaten little to begin with, leaving him short on strength, and the heavy blood loss had drained most of his remaining energy. Those vigorous shouts earlier had been fueled entirely by adrenaline!
With permission granted, Oka immediately took the minister back to his bedroom to rest!
Soon, Oka's subordinates arrived with a doctor, who began treating the minister!
During the treatment, Oka also learned what had happened from the minister. He immediately dispatched men to conduct a citywide manhunt!
The formerly quiet city suddenly erupted into turmoil!
The Imperial Palace could not possibly miss such a disturbance. Before long, the Little Emperor arrived at the minister's mansion, accompanied by palace guards!
The Little Emperor hurried to the minister's bedside and said anxiously, "My dear minister! What happened to you?!" His voice carried a sob, with a certain feeling of... a cat shedding crocodile tears over a mouse, or Zhuge mourning Zhou Lang?
Well, after all, the minister's miserable condition was the work of the "Little Emperor" standing before him.
Of course, the minister knew nothing of that!
Seeing the Little Emperor rush over from the Imperial Palace in such a panic warmed the minister's heart a little. All the kindness he usually showed the Little Emperor had meant something. Now that trouble had struck, the other party truly cared about him!
Wow... there was a certain Fan Wei charm to this~ (Uzumaki Gamu: See that? He's still thanking us~ Minister: Thanks a lot~)
Faced with the Little Emperor's concern, the minister said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I... am out of immediate danger!"
"But... your arm... Someone come here!" the Little Emperor shouted. "Who is in charge of this incident?"
Oka immediately hurried over and knelt before the Little Emperor, saying respectfully, "I am, Your Majesty!"
"You are? Oh~~ the captain of the Imperial Capital Guard... Oka, correct?" the Little Emperor said after a moment's thought.
Oka immediately answered, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
The Little Emperor demanded, "Speak. What progress have you made?"
Oka answered, "Yes... I have ordered the Imperial Capital Guard to conduct a citywide manhunt!"
"Oh~ have you found any clues, then?" the Little Emperor continued.
Oka swallowed and said, "Well... the investigation is still underway!"
"Useless trash! My most trusted minister, the backbone of the Empire, was attacked by an assassin! Never mind that you failed to arrive in time-you can't even find a clue about the attacker? What use are you? Guards, drag him outside and behead him!"
At those words, not only Oka but even the minister panicked. Had the Little Emperor taken the wrong medicine? He was ordering an execution just like that?
The minister hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, Oka was not particularly late, and he handled everything as well as possible. Surely there's no need to behead him?" Oka was one of his trusted men. The minister could not possibly watch him die!
"But... you've been injured so badly, and these useless servants haven't found a thing! It breaks my heart!" the Little Emperor said tearfully. "If they can't even protect the emperor's most important minister, the most vital backbone of our nation, what use is such worthless trash?"
Hearing that, the minister was deeply moved, but still refused. I know you're doing this for my sake, but I can't personally have my trusted man beheaded! Even if he's only cannon-fodder material, I still can't actually kill him!
So the minister pleaded for Oka. "Your Majesty, Oka is not incompetent. Please give him some time. He will certainly bring the assassin to justice!"
Oka hurriedly begged as well, "I am at fault! I deserve death! But please spare me this once, Your Majesty! I will find the culprit and bring them to justice as quickly as possible!"
"...Very well. Since the minister has pleaded for you... but you don't have a single clue. How long will this investigation take?" the Little Emperor said, lowering his head in thought-as though debating how to execute Oka!
Seeing this, the minister quickly gave Oka a look. Now was not the time to pursue the culprit. First, he needed to keep this cannon-fodder confidant alive!
Oka caught his meaning. "We do! We do have clues! We actually found something just now, but I wasn't certain, so I didn't mention it!"
"Oh~~ let's hear it, then~" the Little Emperor teased.
"It was Night Raid! Night Raid! They attacked the minister!" Oka said. The minister's hint had been to pin it on Night Raid. They were rebels anyway, so blaming them could not go wrong!
So, who exactly were these people from Night Raid?
They were an assassin group renowned throughout the Imperial Capital, whose true identity was a secret unit established by the Revolutionary Army to overthrow the Imperial Capital's rule. Their headquarters lay in the mountains ten kilometers north of the Imperial Capital. Their usual work consisted mainly of accepting commissions from the capital's residents to eliminate corrupt officials and villains. They also fought the Empire's Teigu users and collected Teigu, with the ultimate objective of assassinating the root of the Empire's corruption-the minister.
The minister was their target to begin with, so there was nothing wrong with pinning the blame on them. Besides, the minister already suspected that Night Raid had tried to kill him... why? Well, the assassin had called himself Batman... and didn't bats fit Night Raid perfectly?
After hearing Oka's explanation, the Little Emperor said, "Oh~ that assassin group that murders good people in the Imperial Capital?" (Naturally, in the Empire's official account, Night Raid were the villains.)
"That's right! It was them!" Oka said firmly.
"Good. Since you're so certain, follow that lead! However... there is a time limit!" the Little Emperor said sternly. "If you haven't captured the Night Raid members on the wanted posters within three days... you can figure out what you should do yourself!"
"..." Sweat ran down Oka's cheeks. What could he do except die?
The pressure left Oka struggling to speak!
Just then, a girl standing not far from Oka suddenly said, "We will fulfill Your Majesty's orders! Justice will prevail!"
The Little Emperor asked curiously, "Who are you?"
The girl said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I am Oka's disciple and a member of the guard. My name is Seryu!"
"Oh~~ understood..." After nodding in acknowledgment, the Little Emperor looked at Oka. "Oka, your resolve seems weaker than your disciple's. How can you serve as guard captain like this?"
"...Yes, Your Majesty! I will complete the mission and capture the culprit who injured the minister!" Oka could only grit his teeth and accept the task!
"Mm... time is short. Begin at once!" The Little Emperor waved the two of them away!
Oka dared not say anything more. He immediately took his subordinates and went off to investigate!
After Oka left, the Little Emperor asked with concern, "Is there still any way to heal your arm?"
"Unfortunately, Your Majesty, the doctor just said... my arm was burned down to the bone. It can no longer be reattached!" Sorrow seeped into the minister's words. Whatever else, that had been his arm. How could he not grieve its loss?
"Ah... what a terrible shame!" A trace of gloating seeped into the Little Emperor's words. Heh, don't grieve yet. In a few days, you'll lose another limb!
Still immersed in grief, the minister failed to hear the Little Emperor's gloating. Seeing his sorrowful expression, he immediately comforted him. "It's all right, Your Majesty. Our nation has advanced technology and can make bionic mechanical arms. The Technology Bureau has already begun customizing one for me. Before long, I should have a new arm!"
The Little Emperor nodded in agreement. "Oh! That really is wonderful news!" You might as well order all four limbs now, so they won't run out of time making them later~
After a moment's thought, the minister asked a question he had wanted to raise earlier. "Your Majesty, was it necessary to give Oka that life-or-death order?"
The Little Emperor asked in return, "Of course! If he can't even protect the minister I most love (to torment), what value does a captain of the Imperial Capital Guard like that have?"
It's good that you're thinking of me! But I can't kill my own people! "Oka is known as 'Ghost Oka' and is feared by many criminals. Such an excellent servant should not be discarded lightly!" the minister urged.
"...I didn't see anything particularly excellent about him. Besides, with your abilities, you should soon find a replacement... oh, right. I heard you have an outstanding son studying abroad? Why not have him return and become captain of the Imperial Capital Guard?" the Little Emperor suggested.
That sounds good, but whether he takes the job makes no difference to me! The position of Imperial Capital Guard captain was too insignificant for the minister to value. Still, the emperor really was looking out for him. (Uzumaki Gamu: His son is a bastard, too. We have to lure him back and catch them all in one net!) The minister could hardly refuse the Little Emperor!
At this point, the conversation could go no further. The minister could only hope that Oka managed to capture a member of Night Raid!
The Little Emperor said, "It's getting late. You've suffered such a serious injury; you should rest... however, your residence is no longer safe. Would you like to recuperate in my Imperial Palace?"
"Well... thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. However, this assassin is exceptionally dangerous and may be capable of infiltrating the Imperial Palace. My presence there would divide the guards' strength and put Your Majesty in danger, so... I should simply remain at my own residence!" What a loyal, righteous minister... naturally, those were all excuses!
As mentioned before, the minister controlled the Little Emperor through deception. He could not let the Little Emperor discover his dealings with his faction! If he moved into the palace, how would he communicate with them? Once the Little Emperor noticed something wrong, the consequences would be difficult to handle... he could not simply kill him, could he? The emperor had no children yet! If he died without an heir, military power alone would determine who led the Empire. Then... whether the minister could keep his position would be uncertain!
"Your loyalty is unparalleled! I shall grant you the highest reward!" the Little Emperor praised. "However, you are weak at present. We can discuss rewards later. For now, recover properly... you may leave your work to your subordinates, or make the decisions yourself. There's no need to come ask me again!"
"Well... thank you for your concern, Your Majesty!" The minister did not want to give General Budo an excuse to move against him, but for now, he had no other choice. If the Little Emperor learned things he should not know, matters would become troublesome!
"All right, rest well. I shall leave now!" With that, the Little Emperor departed!
After the Little Emperor left, the minister let out a small sigh of relief. Everything was finally dealt with. If they had kept talking, he would not have lasted! Exhausted, hungry, and sleepy, the minister had stayed awake through sheer willpower!
Now, he could finally sleep... no, before sleeping, the minister still had something to do!
He had one of Oka's subordinates write a letter, then sent that subordinate urgently to the North-where General Esdeath was stationed!
The man was to deliver the letter to Esdeath and ask her to send a few people back to protect him! The minister valued his life dearly. Though he had seemed fearless earlier, it had all been an act. Without powerful fighters guarding him, he was terrified!
Esdeath still had to suppress the rebellion in the North and could not return yet, so he could only ask for a few of her subordinates to come back and protect him!
I hope they return as soon as possible! With that, drowsiness enveloped the minister, and he fell into a deep sleep!
Meanwhile, seated in his carriage, the Little Emperor revealed his true face. It had been hinted at discreetly before, but now it could be stated outright-this Little Emperor was, of course, Uzumaki Gamu in disguise using the Transformation Technique!
Before you continue