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🕑 Added 2025-08-08 17:01:30 +0000 UTCChapter 311: Ganged Up and Still Got Owned—Can You Even Play?
“Daidas…”
Esdeath’s expression darkened as she looked at one of her fallen Three Beast Warriors. She cared for her subordinates, and the Three Beasts—Daidas, Nyau, and Liver—were loyal, hardworking, and had earned their stripes. They didn’t deserve this end.
But such was the life of a soldier. Living on the edge of a blade, killing daily—getting killed in return wasn’t something to complain about.
“Budo… there’s definitely something off about him.”
Esdeath’s gaze shifted to Budo, her suspicions confirmed. In his prime, General Budo would’ve crushed Daidas without breaking a sweat. Daidas wouldn’t even have scratched him, let alone severed an arm. The Budo before her now was noticeably weaker.
Losing an arm was no small matter—not for Budo, not for anyone. It should’ve made the fight tougher for him, easing her worries about Nyau and Liver.
But in the next moment, Esdeath’s assumption crumbled.
Budo picked up his severed arm, casually pressed it to the wound, and—just like that—it reattached, looking as good as new.
“What the hell is that?!”
Esdeath was stunned, her mouth slightly agape. Even she, with all her power, could at best craft an ice prosthetic if her arm were cut off. Reattaching it like this? Impossible.
She wasn’t the only one floored. The remaining Three Beasts, Minister Ornest, and the young emperor stared, dumbfounded. Moments ago, they’d been ecstatic seeing Budo lose an arm.
Honestly, Daidas trading his life for Budo’s arm was a steal—Daidas probably never dreamed he’d pull that off.
But now, something even more unthinkable happened. Budo reattached his arm, and this was definitely not the work of his Teigu, Thunder God’s Wrath: Adramelech.
“Budo! What kind of monster are you now?!”
Ornest couldn’t wrap his head around it. Budo had been gone for what, a few days? And now he was like a different person, with abilities that didn’t add up.
“Die, Ornest.”
Budo didn’t bother explaining. He charged, lightning crackling around him. Nyau and Liver tried to block him, but it was a one-sided slaughter. The sparks dancing on Budo were relentless, and the two couldn’t hold him back.
They didn’t even dare to. They’d seen Budo one-punch Daidas, twisting his head clean off.
Nyau and Liver’s bodies weren’t as tough as Daidas’. Block him? With what, their faces?
As it looked like Budo was about to flatten Nyau and Liver with a single blow each, Esdeath couldn’t stand by. She abandoned Riku and rushed toward Budo, partly to protect Ornest and the emperor.
She hadn’t expected Ornest to be so useless. With a Teigu like Jewel Ornament: Erestone, designed to counter other Teigu, he should’ve handled Budo. What a disgrace!
“Don’t act like I’m not here.”
Riku’s mind stirred, and countless shadowy tendrils surged toward Esdeath, a terrifying mass of writhing darkness.
Esdeath halted, slashing her slender rapier to conjure a thick ice wall, blocking the shadowy tendrils.
But while the wall stopped the tendrils, it couldn’t stop Riku. He crashed through, shattering the ice with a boom and closing in on her.
Clang!
His flaming blade, Buro, swung down. Esdeath parried, but her rapier snapped clean in half.
Caught off guard, she reacted like the battle maniac she was. A thick ice shield formed in front of her, buying her time to pull back as Riku’s burning blade grazed her nose, the heat singeing her hair.
Esdeath steadied herself, staring at Riku, her excitement growing.
This was the feeling she craved—the thrill of dancing on the edge of life and death. This handsome man before her was a rare opponent who could ignite her passion.
“Looks like you need a weapon worthy of you.”
Riku tilted his head with a grin, twirling his blade. From the shadows, he drew another—a crimson Quinque weapon, Bloodsong. He had no shortage of blades.
In a classic anime trope, this would be the moment where Riku tosses Esdeath a sword for a “fair, just, and honorable” duel.
But nope, Riku wasn’t that guy. The two blades were for him to dual-wield, not for sharing.
Esdeath didn’t expect him to hand her a weapon either. She had her own solution. Tossing her broken rapier aside, she formed an ice sword in her hand.
With a wave of her hands, a storm of ice blades rained down on Riku—a true display of elemental mastery.
Liver, getting pummeled by Budo, watched with teary eyes. They both had “Stand-like” Teigu, so why was his Water Dragon Reliance: Black Marlin so pathetic?
But he was clever. Esdeath’s ice? He could use it. Melting it into water, he could wield Black Marlin’s power. As long as there was water, he could fight.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Riku spun his dual blades, showing off with a flurry of strikes, deflecting the ice blades like he was slicing bullets in a cyberpunk world. The ice wasn’t that fast.
“Panty shots, panty shots,” Riku taunted as he slashed, mocking her.
His antics only fueled Esdeath’s excitement. The stronger Riku proved, the more thrilled she became. She didn’t care about the Three Beasts anymore—when she was in the zone, nothing else mattered. She just wanted to fight a worthy foe.
Buzz!
Frost spread, turning the hall into a freezer. Esdeath’s power was insane—normal people would struggle to breathe in this chilling air, frozen solid.
And there was a normal person in the hall: the young emperor. Compared to everyone else, he was painfully ordinary, his only claim being his bloodline.
“Esdeath!”
Ornest, shielding the emperor, sensed something was wrong. The emperor was shivering from the cold. Ornest shouted, scooping him up and bolting. He needed to activate the Teigu Guardian Machine God: Supreme Throne to crush these rebels!
Esdeath ignored Ornest’s cries. The hall was rapidly encased in frost. Facing Riku, she knew she had to bring her A-game.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
But before she could attack, the Rakshasa Demons took a hit. No one noticed that among the scattered frost was a trace of Riku’s power.
The four Demons, locked in combat with Akame, were caught off guard. Frost hardened around their feet, locking them in place as ice blades shot from all directions. Unprepared, all four were hit.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The Demons scrambled to break free. Toge twisted like a noodle, dodging blades and flicking them away with his fingers.
Juten, the musclebound brute, shattered the ice with raw strength, tanking the blades. They pierced him, but none were fatal—his iron-like body was tough to kill.
But that made him Akame’s prime target. As he broke free, Akame rushed in, slicing him with One-Cut Killer: Murasame.
Juten was injured, but it wasn’t deep—just a flesh wound. Yet his expression changed instantly.
With Murasame, a flesh wound was a death sentence.
Juten dropped, dead. The remaining Demons froze, reminded of Murasame’s terror. Its previous wielder, Gozuki, had been just as unstoppable with it.
“Esdeath?! What are you doing?!”
Suzuka, dodging blades and nursing cuts, glared at Esdeath, baffled. Was Esdeath rebelling too?!
Budo turning traitor was bad enough, but Esdeath too? What was wrong with the empire’s military?! At this rate, fighting was pointless—they should run!
Nyau and Liver, the remaining Three Beasts, were equally stunned. What the hell? Had General Esdeath flipped sides? Why didn’t she tell them?!
If she was rebelling, didn’t that mean Daidas died for nothing?!
The Three Beasts were fiercely loyal to Esdeath. If she was turning traitor, they’d follow without hesitation. There should’ve been some heads-up, right?
“It wasn’t me.”
Esdeath blinked, certain she hadn’t done it. Those ice blades weren’t under her control.
“Ahem, I might know a thing or two about ice manipulation myself,” Riku said, throwing up a playful gesture—not quite a “finger-pointing universe” vibe, but enough to tease. Compared to Esdeath’s Teigu Demon’s Extract, his ice-based Blood Demon Art was child’s play, only useful in small-scale fights.
“How is that possible?!”
Esdeath’s eyes widened in shock. This was a true “same-type Stand” moment!
“Sorry, I’m just that versatile. A jack-of-all-trades, master of none,” Riku said with a smirk. His mishmash of skills wasn’t refined, useless against top-tier foes but perfect for bullying weaker ones. The Rakshasa Demons were thrown into chaos, and Akame capitalized, taking out two in a flash.
After Juten fell, Toge was next. Akame, fed up with his long-range “rubber fruit” arm-stretching harassment, seized the moment with Riku’s help and beheaded him.
The remaining Demons, Mez and Suzuka, fought cautiously, terrified of Akame’s blade and wary of more ice attacks. They couldn’t pin her down.
Akame ignored them, breaking through their line to chase Ornest and the emperor.
“This…”
Mez and Suzuka exchanged glances, torn. Chase her? They didn’t dare. The four Demons couldn’t handle Akame together—now just the two of them? That was suicide.
The situation was grim. They had the numbers, yet they were getting crushed.
Boom!
The only one unfazed by Riku’s tricks was Budo. Seizing Nyau and Liver’s shock, he unleashed a brutal onslaught.
Nyau, in his Beast Summon state, was obliterated, collapsing as his Teigu Military Music Dream: Scream rolled away, barely clinging to life.
Only Liver, the oldest of the Three Beasts, remained. Using Esdeath’s melted ice, he manipulated water to entangle Budo, weakening his lightning and blocking attacks with water shields. Elemental Teigu had their perks.
“Run?!”
Suzuka looked at Mez. She wasn’t dying for a job, no matter how well it paid.
“Go!”
Mez gritted her teeth, deciding quickly. They’d already chosen not to chase Akame. Survival came first—revenge and duty could wait.
But as they tried to flee, Riku wasn’t letting them off. Shadows surged, enveloping the two Rakshasa Demon girls from the Imperial Fist Temple.
Riku and Esdeath worked in sync. Esdeath moved to save the last of her Three Beasts, while Riku pinned down the two Demons.
Liver was Esdeath’s personal recruit. A skilled general, he’d refused to bribe Ornest, landing him in prison. Ornest planned to make an example of him, but Esdeath bailed him out. Liver was loyal and capable, her right-hand man. With only him left, Esdeath had to save him. This time, Riku didn’t interfere.
Chapter 312: I, I, I, Dog-Legged I
For Budo, the sudden appearance of Esdeath was clearly not someone he could overpower, but he wasn’t afraid of her either—she couldn’t do much to him.
Several ice blades shot toward Budo, but he unleashed a surge of electricity, shattering them. No longer bothering to tangle with Liva or Esdeath, he jolted his body with a fierce burst of current, accelerating straight toward Minister Honest and the Little Emperor.
At this moment, Budo finally understood his earlier doubts. His Teigu, Thunder God’s Wrath: Adramelech, was clearly superior, yet when using electricity to enhance his body, his results paled compared to Riku’s. It was because the human body has limits!
But now—sorry, I’m done being human!
Budo charged forward, sparks and lightning trailing behind him, reveling in the sensation of surpassing human limits. This reckless, overloading power was something no human could fathom.
Esdeath didn’t stop him. She had already realized that, in this situation, even she couldn’t turn the tide.
“…”
Liva, who had been saved, looked ashamed. As Esdeath’s subordinate, not only had he failed to contribute, but he’d needed her to rescue him—a humiliation for him.
After being saved by Esdeath from Minister Honest, Liva had followed her loyally, becoming her most capable subordinate. His devotion to Esdeath was unshakable. Her charisma had completely won him over; if she told him to go east, he’d never go west. He’d die for her rather than be a burden, and now he felt he’d failed her trust.
“No need to chase, Liva. Your fight is over. Get ready—it’s time for a change of dynasty.”
Esdeath spoke, not blaming Liva for his shortcomings. Her gaze shifted back to Riku, her eyes blazing with battle lust. Since the situation was set, she had no more worries holding her back.
Without hesitation, Esdeath ordered Liva to regroup the troops. A commander who cherished her soldiers, she didn’t want them caught in this conflict. These elite warriors shouldn’t die in the empire’s internal power struggles.
With Minister Honest and the Little Emperor gone, the ensuing chaos was predictable. Countless ambitious schemers would emerge, each eager to claim the empire’s thousand-year legacy.
Esdeath had no interest in vying for the throne. She knew herself well—she wasn’t one to crave power. Becoming emperor would tie her down, and she’d hate it.
Normally, Esdeath loved strolling through the capital, chatting casually with shopkeepers, blending in with the people.
If she became emperor, that freedom would vanish. The emperor and ministers had too many responsibilities, and Esdeath only wanted to lead armies into battle. She had no desire to take on burdens she didn’t care for—she’d go crazy from the hassle.
Liva didn’t argue and immediately followed her orders. To him, Esdeath’s commands were absolute.
In his heart, Esdeath was the ultimate victor. No one could defeat General Esdeath when she got serious!
Meanwhile, Riku had easily taken down Matou and Suzuka. These two girls were left alive for the Imperial Fist Temple, a tool for Riku to control and wield the temple’s influence.
As a unique force in this world, the Imperial Fist Temple was crucial to Riku. It was the only group capable of training people to fight Teigu users with just their physical prowess.
Their training methods and unique applications of Dangerous Species held significant research value.
Moreover, the temple’s methods were replicable, though they required some talent. Ordinary disciples weren’t as strong as the Rakshasa Four Demons, but they were far superior to regular people—a systematic cultivation path.
Riku wasn’t about to let such a method slip by. While it was less powerful than Teigu, it was immediately practical, unlike Teigu creation, which remained theoretical with no clear timeline for success.
“All done?”
After sending Liva off, Esdeath approached Riku, ever the honorable warrior, first asking if he’d finished his business.
“Done.”
Riku nodded, casually pulling the two defenseless girls into his Shadow Realm. He glanced at Esdeath, her excitement obvious—she clearly wanted to resume their unfinished fight.
“Good.”
Esdeath grinned, her smile growing wild.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Ice crystals formed around her as she swiftly closed in on Riku, thrusting an ice sword toward him.
Riku’s cybernetic components hummed to life. Staying in human form rather than revealing his true self, he swung his long blade, parrying Esdeath’s ice sword.
Esdeath’s ice sword, forged from her energy, was harder than any normal weapon, constantly reinforced by her power. Even as Bolo’s flames scorched the ice, she instantly replenished it.
Her ice sword wasn’t bound by fixed size or shape—it morphed at her whim.
Buzz!
The ice sword’s blade extended, stabbing toward Riku’s chest. So much for her “honor”—she wasn’t playing fair anymore.
Clang!
The ice struck Riku’s chest with a sharp ring, not the sound of a blade piercing flesh but of ice hitting a steel wall.
Esdeath felt a jolt of surprise—Riku’s body was full of shocks.
That brief moment of hesitation was enough for Riku to launch a fierce counterattack. One of his two blades blocked her sword while the other slashed at her neck, its cold edge glinting.
Esdeath reacted quickly, her sword morphing and thickening into a massive “ice stick” that pushed her out of Riku’s reach.
Crack!
Riku’s blade sliced through the ice stick, but Esdeath had already gained distance.
Her mastery of her Teigu, Demon’s Extract: Demon God Manifestation, was sublime—she wielded it with flair.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
The ice stick grew larger and longer, swinging toward Riku. The first casualty wasn’t Riku but the great hall itself. The massive stick smashed through support pillars, and the entire structure began to tremble.
Boom, boom, boom!
The hall collapsed under the strain. Riku flickered, instantly escaping the falling debris.
Falling objects were deceptively dangerous, almost mystical in their lethality. Even those who could shatter steel or boulders could be inexplicably crushed or injured by debris.
Take Suzuka, one of the Rakshasa Four Demons Riku had just pulled into the Shadow Realm—she’d been killed by falling debris. Even Rize Kamishiro from another world had been taken out by steel beams.
Riku reappeared outside in the plaza. Esdeath, unsurprisingly, wasn’t crushed or even scratched by the collapsing hall—she was too sharp for that.
She conjured an ice shield and formed a massive ice pillar beneath her feet, rising from the ruins.
Boom!
The ice pillar shot skyward, Esdeath standing atop it. Countless ice blades formed around her, firing toward Riku in the plaza. Her attacks were bold and unrestrained, as if she had infinite mana. While using a Teigu consumed stamina, Esdeath had devised a way to store and stockpile her “magic,” accumulating icy power constantly, making it seem limitless in battle.
Against ordinary foes, Esdeath didn’t need her stored power. Against extraordinary ones, she hadn’t met any—until Riku.
Her years of accumulated “magic” were vast, enabling her to face a million-strong army single-handedly. If she unleashed her full power, she could summon a blizzard to ravage half the empire—a survival challenge even for elite soldiers, let alone civilians. It was a force capable of wiping out nations.
Esdeath leaned into her bottomless mana, unleashing a saturation attack on Riku.
Ice swirled through the air, frost coated the ground, and ice pillars rose, smashing toward Riku. Countless spinning ice blades assaulted him relentlessly.
“Esdeath’s power is just too broken for this world,” Riku muttered, weaving through the attacks by flickering within his expanded shadows.
While dodging, he activated his Teigu, Thunder God’s Wrath: Adramelech, ready to hit back hard.
Lightning crackled around him as dark clouds gathered overhead. Thunderbolts rained down, targeting Esdeath, turning the plaza into a storm of lightning.
Esdeath, mortal flesh and all, couldn’t tank the lightning. She conjured ice pillars, leaping between them to dodge the strikes, occasionally raising massive ice shields to block a few.
Thunder God’s Wrath: Adramelech was just as overpowered, but Budo hadn’t developed a “battery” like Esdeath. If he had stored his electricity, he could unleash a “lightning storm” to rival her blizzard, matching her as a “natural disaster weapon” and living up to the title of the empire’s Twin Walls.
As Riku and Esdeath went all out, the imperial palace took the brunt, reduced to rubble. The thousand-year-old capital had never seen such destruction, and its citizens were gripped by panic.
The commotion was visible across the city, with lightning and ice clashing, damaging the estates of nobles near the palace, who fled in chaos.
Thunder and snow battled, and the people naturally thought of General Budo and General Esdeath. But why were they fighting in the palace, so recklessly? Where were His Majesty and Minister Honest? Why weren’t they stopping this?
The Little Emperor and Minister Honest, of course, couldn’t intervene—they were fighting for their lives.
Barely escaping the battlefield, they were pursued by Akame, with Budo hot on their heels. Minister Honest dove into an underground passage, the four of them racing through the palace’s secret tunnels—a hidden escape route Honest had prepared, unknown even to the Little Emperor.
Now, the Emperor knew, but he had no time to care. All he wanted was to survive.
Boom, boom, boom!
The sounds of thunder, the earth trembling from impacts, and buildings collapsing echoed from above. The Little Emperor’s heart shook. The thousand-year-old palace, destroyed? Why? What had happened to the empire?
Sheltered and dreaming of surpassing his ancestors’ legacy, the Little Emperor was now waking from a dream—or rather, plunging into a nightmare. It was as if he’d been embracing a beautiful woman, only for her to transform into a grotesque, pus-oozing ghoul. No one could stay composed through that.
Clang!
The sharp sound of a blade being drawn snapped him back. His eyes widened as reality sharpened.
A beautiful girl with flowing hair approached, her expression calm as she aimed her blade at him, as if killing an ordinary person. The absurdity gripped the Emperor.
Am I… just an ordinary person? Is my life so worthless? Have I… truly done wrong?
Before he could process, Honest grabbed him, dodging the blade that grazed his nose.
“Seal!”
Unlike the sentimental Emperor, Honest acted decisively, activating his Teigu, Precious Stone Ornament: Erastone, once more.
This time, it worked. The gem shattered, sealing Akame’s Teigu, One-Cut Killer: Murasame.
Chapter 313: Time Barrier
With [Ichizan Hissatsu: Murasame] sealed, does it affect Akame? It seems like it does, but the impact isn’t too significant since Akame doesn’t heavily rely on [Ichizan Hissatsu: Murasame] to begin with.
Akame froze for a moment, not immediately registering that [Ichizan Hissatsu: Murasame] had been disabled. Once it sank in, she didn’t hesitate, charging straight at Minister Ornest.
Ornest was fast—shockingly agile for someone with his outward appearance. Akame’s slash missed as he effortlessly dodged, pulling away in the blink of an eye.
Akame’s expression grew serious. Ornest had already shown terrifying speed and reflexes when he pulled the young emperor away earlier. Now, she was certain: Devil’s intel wasn’t a joke. Minister Ornest’s strength was the real deal.
“Stay out of the way,” Ornest barked, shoving the young emperor aside to keep him out of the fight. He knew he couldn’t escape without dealing with his pursuers first.
“Minister!” The young emperor’s face was filled with panic as he looked at Ornest, his last lifeline in this chaos.
Truth be told, the young emperor hadn’t expected Ornest to have this kind of combat ability. The minister had hidden it so well. But at this point, there was no time to dwell on it.
“Get back!” Ornest roared with a ferocious expression, startling the emperor. Ornest had never shouted at him like that before.
He didn’t want to, but what choice did he have? Ornest had spotted Budo charging toward them, sparks and lightning crackling around him. Against Akame, Ornest wasn’t afraid—her intent to kill the emperor was clear, and he could handle a professional assassin like her. But Budo? That was a different story. Despite joining the rebellion, Budo had always been loyal to the empire. Ornest wasn’t sure if Budo would actually kill the emperor.
And right now, the young emperor was Ornest’s last trump card. The last thing he wanted was for Budo to persuade the emperor to surrender. The emperor himself held immense value.
“General Budo!” the young emperor called out, his voice trembling with even more panic as he saw Budo, shrouded in electric sparks. His expression was a mess of emotions. He never imagined things would spiral to this point, that he’d end up in such a dire situation. Everything had happened too quickly, too suddenly.
“The Rakshasa Four Demons, Esdeath, the Three Beasts—what are they doing?!” Ornest gritted his teeth, staring at Akame and Budo. He couldn’t wrap his head around it. Four elite Imperial Fist Temple masters plus four Teigu users, and they couldn’t stop three people? Two of them had even broken through to chase him down!
Eight elite fighters, held back by just one person?
Ornest could still hear the sounds of battle echoing from the ground above, fierce and unrelenting. The ground trembled with every booming clash, making him worry the tunnel might collapse.
“Forget about them. Worry about yourself, Ornest. Surrender now and keep some dignity,” Budo said bluntly, his eyes fixed on Ornest, not even glancing at the young emperor. Budo knew he didn’t have the authority to make promises about sparing the emperor’s life. If Riku decided to kill him, there’d be nothing Budo could do.
“Dignity? What dignity?” Ornest scoffed. Having basked in wealth and power, ruling the empire from the shadows, how could he possibly surrender? He knew what awaited him if he did—humiliation and judgment. No, he’d rather fight to the death.
“If you don’t want dignity, then you get none,” Budo replied coldly. Lightning crackled around him as he charged at Ornest without another word.
Zzt! Zzt!
The electric glow lit up the dark tunnel. Ornest’s teeth were practically grinding to dust. He couldn’t understand why his [Treasure Ornament: Irestone] had no effect on Budo. That question would probably haunt him to his grave.
Not that it mattered now. Even if [Treasure Ornament: Irestone] had worked, it was a one-use item that needed at least a week to recharge. Right now, it was nothing but a useless trinket.
Whoosh!
Ornest took a deep breath, summoning every ounce of his strength. Budo was wreathed in lightning, and Ornest knew he couldn’t afford a prolonged fight. He wasn’t immune to electricity, so he’d have to end it in one strike.
“Hundred Crack Fist!”
This was a secret technique of the Imperial Fist Temple, a move only true masters could wield. Ornest’s fists blurred, unleashing countless strikes in an instant, almost like the Pegasus Meteor Fist. Of course, its practical effect was nowhere near as impressive.
Budo, unfazed, met Ornest’s attack head-on. His style was pure brute force—no finesse, just overwhelming stats. His body practically buzzed with electric current, overloading everything.
But the one truly overwhelmed was Ornest. Despite his extraordinary physical resilience, far beyond that of an ordinary human, he couldn’t withstand the relentless shocks. His skin and muscles might hold up, but his internal organs were another story—they were taking serious damage.
Boom!
Ornest was sent flying, crashing into the tunnel wall and leaving a massive crater, cracks spiderwebbing outward.
“Minister!” the young emperor cried out, eyes wide with shock. The man he’d pinned all his hopes on had been taken down so easily.
What could he do? Budo’s name might as well be “No Martial Honor.” With [Treasure Ornament: Irestone] useless against him, Budo’s lightning-charged body had bulldozed Ornest’s mortal flesh. It was like picking on an honest man!
As Ornest slid down the wall, clearly out of the fight, the light faded from the young emperor’s eyes. He hadn’t even had time to activate the Supreme Teigu.
That was the beauty of the decapitation plan. In a typical rebellion, even if the rebels reached the capital, they’d be stuck besieging it from the outside. The emperor would have plenty of time to activate the Supreme Teigu and wipe out all opposition. But now, caught off guard, the emperor hadn’t had a chance to use it. It was like holding a royal flush but being unable to play it. The young emperor’s frustration was palpable.
The empire’s bloodline was supposed to ensure the Supreme Teigu’s activation, giving the royal family a safety net. But even that hadn’t saved the previous emperor from Ornest’s schemes, nor the royal family from being wiped out.
“What do we do with this guy?” Akame asked, standing beside the young emperor as she looked to Budo.
She felt her contribution to the mission had been limited, so she didn’t think it was her place to decide the emperor’s fate. She wanted the opinion of the one who’d done the heavy lifting.
“Let Lord Devil decide,” Budo replied simply. He walked over to Ornest, plucking the [Treasure Ornament: Irestone] from the unconscious minister’s head. He knew Riku was collecting Teigu—his own had already been taken.
“Then let’s go,” Akame said, glancing at the young emperor. She felt no pity for the boy. Ornest was the mastermind, but the emperor was at least an accomplice. He didn’t deserve mercy.
“General Budo…” The young emperor looked at Budo, his eyes pleading, though he wasn’t sure what he was begging for—maybe a chance to be spared?
Budo ignored him, hoisting the unconscious Ornest over his shoulder and turning to leave without a word.
The young emperor lowered his head in silence, walking obediently under Akame’s watch. He now understood that the man fighting Esdeath above was likely the leader of this group, the one Budo now served.
Esdeath…
The thought of General Esdeath sparked a final glimmer of hope in the emperor’s heart. The battle above was still raging. Esdeath hadn’t lost yet—she was still fighting!
The fight was indeed ongoing, but it was nearing its end. In terms of “magic” prowess, Riku had already proven himself a match for Esdeath.
Due to the difference between lightning and ice, and their respective resistances, Esdeath was at a disadvantage. Riku wasn’t fazed by ice—he could control it himself. Esdeath, on the other hand, had no defense against lightning.
The battle-hardened Esdeath had never fought a fight like this. She looked utterly disheveled. She loved combat, but not this kind. She couldn’t outmatch Riku’s “spells,” and she was outclassed in speed and strength too. She was at a complete disadvantage.
Esdeath couldn’t believe it: Riku was using his Teigu as recklessly as she did, as if he’d prepped an endless energy supply.
The truth was simpler. Riku was just going all out. He’d fully mastered [Thunder God’s Wrath: Adramelech], pushing it to its limits. It wasn’t the Teigu demanding from him—he was demanding everything from the Teigu, flipping their roles entirely.
“I enslave my Teigu. You’re enslaved by yours. How can you compete with me?” Riku snapped his fingers, and thunder roared, striking Esdeath’s ice shield.
Esdeath glared at him, her eyes blazing with fighting spirit. Her mind raced as she pushed [Demon’s Extract: Demon God Manifestation] to its limits, searching for a new ability to turn the tide.
“Aaah!”
A spark of inspiration hit her, and Esdeath seized it.
A surge of icy power erupted, its freezing aura threatening to halt everything in its path. And it did—everything froze, even time itself.
In that fleeting moment of genius, Esdeath had done it. She froze time, pausing the world like a still frame.
Without hesitation, she extended an ice pillar beneath her feet, bringing her right beside Riku. She swung her sword, aiming straight for his eyes.
She’d already tested Riku’s durability—he was tough to crack. But even the strongest armor has weak points. Esdeath refused to believe Riku was an unbreakable fortress.
Shnk!
Her gamble paid off. Riku’s eyes weren’t as sturdy as the rest of him. His prosthetic, blood-infused eye was designed for versatility, not durability.
Esdeath’s full-force strike pierced his eye, knocking him to the ground. She channeled the icy aura from her sword into his body, aiming to destroy him from within.
Time resumed flowing after about five seconds. Describing a frozen moment in “seconds” might sound odd, but it felt like roughly five seconds had passed.
“Wow, that’s a surprising ability,” Riku said, grinning as if nothing had happened, despite the ice sword lodged in his eye. He looked at Esdeath, who was inches away, completely unfazed.
“I didn’t quite catch that. Can you do it again?” he asked cheekily, as if he wasn’t impaled.
In truth, during those five seconds of frozen time, Riku could move freely. Using his “Sandevistan” overdrive, he’d broken through the time freeze. But instead of acting, he’d analyzed the phenomenon, though he couldn’t fully unravel its mystery in just five seconds. It felt… familiar.
“Sandevistan” accelerated his body’s internal processes, making him move far faster than others. Esdeath’s time freeze, on the other hand, slowed the external world to a near standstill, like creating a Kekkai—a barrier that allowed “time manipulation,” similar to Kiritsugu Emiya’s research.
Within a “time manipulation” barrier, time could be halted by isolating a specific space from the world’s natural “time flow.” The larger the space, the harder it was to maintain, and the more mana it consumed. The world’s natural “correction” also interfered more with larger barriers.
Kiritsugu’s Inherent Time Control shrank the barrier to his own body, limiting the time adjustment to a few seconds to minimize the world’s interference, achieving an effect similar to “Sandevistan.”
Esdeath’s time freeze felt to Riku like she’d used her immense ice element to form a “Time Barrier,” halting everything within it.
In that space, anyone who could accelerate their own flow—like Riku—could move freely, unaffected by the freeze.
Chapter 314: The Esdeath Teigu Factory
Riku desperately wanted Esdeath to use her “time freeze” ability again so he could study it closely. He wielded ice-based powers himself, and if he could grasp the method, he might be able to replicate it.
Unfortunately, Esdeath couldn’t comply. Her “time freeze” ability clearly took a massive toll on her. It was similar to Solid Time Control, which came with significant drawbacks.
After using Solid Time Control, returning to normal time flow caused a compressive shock, putting immense strain on the body. It couldn’t be used frequently. Even Sandevistan, with its specialized training, had similar limits—users couldn’t activate it too often.
Esdeath’s ability had its own restrictions. Even for her, she could only sustain those fleeting five seconds once a day.
Crack.
With a surge of strength, Riku stood tall, the ice sword still lodged in his eye. He forced himself up, his head slamming into the sword’s guard, the sheer force knocking it from Esdeath’s grip. She stumbled back, shocked.
Without her power sustaining it, the ice sword melted into a puddle, and Riku’s wound healed in the blink of an eye.
“What are you?”
Esdeath stared, her mind a jumbled mess. She’d driven a sword through his brain, and he acted like it was nothing. How was she supposed to fight this?!
By comparison, Budo’s arm regeneration seemed trivial. A severed arm was one thing—having your brain pierced was on another level. No one could’ve predicted this.
Moreover, Budo’s ability likely came from this guy. In Esdeath’s memory, Budo never had such powers before, or at least never showed them.
“Calling me a monster is a bit rude, don’t you think?”
Riku smiled, but his expression sent a chill down Esdeath’s spine.
All her life, she’d never known fear, always chasing strength, craving battle. But today, she’d truly met a ghost.
“You might want to call me… the Perfect Ultimate Lifeform.”
Riku spouted nonsense with a straight face. It was amusing to see someone as lofty as Esdeath, usually so composed, looking utterly baffled and out of her depth.
“What kind of Teigu is this…?”
Even Esdeath couldn’t escape her ingrained assumptions, defaulting to the idea that his power must come from a Teigu.
“Want to know? Want to have this kind of power?”
Riku narrowed his eyes, extending an olive branch. For Esdeath, this was undeniably tempting.
This woman was a pure battle maniac, raised from childhood on the belief that “only the strong survive.”
Born in the northern borderlands, she was the daughter of the chief of the Partas Clan, a tribe that hunted Dangerous Species. From a young age, Esdeath battled the heavens and the earth, displaying extraordinary combat and physical talent. The Dangerous Species of the north were no match for her.
After her family and tribe were slaughtered by invading foreigners, her conviction grew stronger: only the strong could live, only the strong could do as they pleased. To live freely, you had to keep getting stronger.
Honestly, there was nothing wrong with that mindset, especially in chaotic times. Without strength, you were just prey for others to slaughter.
“So, what’s the price?”
Esdeath looked at Riku, realizing one thing clearly: compared to him, she was at a disadvantage.
Her attacks couldn’t break his defenses. Even when she did, he shrugged it off, his wounds healing instantly. Even a destroyed brain didn’t faze him.
Riku’s existence shattered her understanding. They weren’t on the same level. He was toying with her, fighting with ease, clearly not going all out. If he got serious, she’d have no chance.
“The price? Work for me, naturally.”
Riku spoke, and for some reason, he felt like Gul’dan, always being asked, “What’s the price?” Maybe that’s just what happens when you offer power to others. Power always comes with a cost—it’s a universal truth.
Most people get that there’s no such thing as unconditional love or a free lunch. If someone offers you something, especially proactively, there’s always a catch.
Of course, with so many people out there, some are blinded by greed—and they usually end up paying dearly.
“Work for you? Like Budo?”
Esdeath’s ice sword reformed in her hand. She pieced it together: Budo must’ve accepted this man’s power, gaining the ability to regenerate his arm.
“Exactly. Like Budo.”
Riku nodded. No point hiding it—he was always upfront, keeping things transparent.
“You want me to be your dog?”
Esdeath laughed. As the ultimate sadistic queen, the idea of being controlled, her life in someone else’s hands, was worse than death.
“The victor is king, and the loser? They become the dog. Or maybe being my dog is a mercy for the defeated.”
Riku shook his head, unsurprised by her reaction. Taming this woman was never going to be easy.
“Mercy for the defeated? I’ve never needed anyone’s mercy! It’s always others kneeling, begging me for mercy! It’s always others playing the dog for me!”
Esdeath’s aura surged with icy cold, her expression turning manic. Even as enemies, she admired Riku’s boldness, but that didn’t mean she’d submit!
Several massive Ice Knights formed around her, crafted from the “magic” she stockpiled daily.
Each Ice Knight was formidable, capable of tearing through elite soldiers like a one-man army—a perfect minion-killer.
Beyond their individual strength, Esdeath could detonate their stored energy together, unleashing a climate catastrophe that could engulf half the empire.
“Let’s see how you plan to rule this country!”
At this moment, Esdeath had completely lost it. Normally, she seemed composed, even charming, with a strong following in the empire. But when she snapped, she threw everything aside.
Her soldiers, the empire’s citizens—none of it mattered now. Her kindness toward them was merely the charity of the strong.
Now, Esdeath wanted only to unleash her full power, to release a blizzard with everything she had. Even if she couldn’t defeat Riku, she’d make things hell for him. If she won, they wouldn’t get off easy either!
As the ultimate sadistic queen, she didn’t just crush her enemies’ bodies—she broke their minds, too. She was a master of torture, knowing exactly what people feared and valued most.
In her eyes, Riku and his revolutionary allies, those aiming to topple the Minister and the empire, cared most about power—about controlling this nation.
Maybe they didn’t truly care about the nation’s welfare or the people’s safety.
But they definitely didn’t want to inherit a broken empire, half-buried in a blizzard, with its population slashed in half.
The more they didn’t want it, the more Esdeath would make it happen. That was her rebellion. Even if she fell, the empire would forever bear her shadow, the endless snow a testament to her existence!
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Esdeath’s expression grew wild as she detonated countless Ice Knights. The raging ice crystals began spreading outward.
“What a lunatic.”
Lightning crackled around Riku as demonic wings sprouted from his back. He soared into the air, raising his hands as a surge of shadows poured from him, forming a massive curtain that blotted out the sky. The curtain unfurled, enveloping the entire palace grounds.
Esdeath’s Ice Knights exploded, but the terrifying ice crystals were contained within Riku’s shadow curtain, unable to spread further.
Even so, the small amount that escaped was enough to blanket the capital in snow. The temperature plummeted by twenty or thirty degrees, water freezing over.
This sudden weather shift caught the capital’s residents off guard. In a season not meant for cold, no one was prepared, and many would likely perish.
This was just a fraction of the power. If Esdeath had unleashed it fully, halving the empire’s population wouldn’t be an exaggeration—it’d be an ice age.
At the epicenter, within the shadow curtain, the palace grounds became a frozen wasteland. Palaces and walls were coated in thick ice, the ground layered with frost, the entire world seemingly sealed in ice.
“Talk about overkill. Gotta say it again—you’re way too broken for this world.”
Riku marveled at the scene within the shadow curtain. The power of Demon’s Extract: Demon God Manifestation was absurd, largely because Esdeath had developed it so well. Many Teigu had immense potential, but not every user could unlock it.
Teigu elevated their users, and users, in turn, elevated their Teigu.
Boom!
Within the shadow curtain, Riku descended from the sky, slashing down with his blade. Esdeath barely blocked, her massive ice shield splintering under his strike.
Beneath the shattered shield, Esdeath fearlessly met his attack with her ice sword.
But this time, her ice sword couldn’t stop Riku’s flame-wreathed blade, Bolo. It sliced into her shoulder. She conjured ice armor at the last second, but it couldn’t stop the blade’s descent.
Riku had partially unleashed his true form, while Esdeath, having burned through her reserves in her outburst, was running low on energy. The tables had turned—she couldn’t even fight him head-on anymore and was swiftly cut down.
“You really aren’t human… just a monster in human skin.”
Looking at Riku—wings spread, horns sprouting, like a demon god—Esdeath was convinced of her theory.
“That’s rude.”
Riku was momentarily speechless. Without hesitation, he injected a drop of his blood into Esdeath, forcibly turning her into a ghoul servant.
It wasn’t that he wanted a crazy subordinate. He needed to preserve Demon’s Extract: Demon God Manifestation. Esdeath had consumed the entire Teigu—Riku had no idea how to extract it, so he’d have to experiment.
He wondered if, since Demon’s Extract was made from a Super Dangerous Species’ blood, drawing Esdeath’s blood might work. Perhaps the Teigu’s essence was blood replacement?
If so, keeping Esdeath alive was critical. Like Rize Kamishiro, who served as a source of ghoul organs, Esdeath could become a supplier of Demon’s Extract blood—potentially allowing mass production of the Teigu.
As a ghoul, Esdeath could theoretically regenerate her blood as long as Riku’s ghoul king blood remained in her. Even if her other blood was drained, she’d be fine.
For most ghouls, their blood was only useful for blood-based techniques. But not every ghoul had special blood abilities, and someone like Esdeath, with naturally potent blood, was a rare treasure.
Riku pulled the ghoulified Esdeath into the Shadow Realm and turned his attention to the raging ice crystals trapped in the shadow curtain.
The problem was, if he dropped the curtain, the crystals would still spread. The palace grounds weren’t enough to contain their terrifying power.
Even Esdeath herself couldn’t handle this. She’d stored this magic bit by bit over time, and now, having unleashed it all at once, reining it back in was beyond her.
“It’s like containing a massive nuke—no, this is way scarier than a nuke.”
Riku clicked his tongue. The energy in these ice crystals, if released, would dwarf a nuke’s range. It might not destroy buildings as thoroughly, but its lethality to humans was unmatched. He was holding half the empire’s lives in his hands.
Chapter 315: The Empire’s Done For
“Let’s move the whole thing.”
After some thought, Riku decided to shift the entire area shrouded by the Shadow Curtain into the Shadow Realm.
Compared to the vast expanse of the empire, the current scope of the Shadow Realm was tiny. Unleashing that kind of energy inside it would have a massive impact—existing settlements would be obliterated, and the budding city would plunge straight into an ice age.
But Riku could manipulate the Shadow Realm freely. As its master, containing the energy’s spread was well within his power. Once inside the Shadow Realm, he called the shots.
Buzz!
Riku began relocating the entire palace area. To those outside, the palace was now engulfed in a terrifying shadow, like a giant black bowl had been slapped over it. No one could tell what was happening inside.
This left the Night Raid crew, who were preparing to storm the palace to help, completely dumbfounded. The sudden change caught them off guard.
“Esdeath… was she defeated?” Najenda’s face was a mix of shock and disbelief. She knew the sudden drop in temperature was Esdeath’s doing, and now this Shadow Curtain had swallowed up the burst of power she’d unleashed.
“Boss, what do we do now?” The Night Raid members turned to Najenda, waiting for their leader’s call. They trusted her not out of fear or because of her status, but because her wisdom had earned their respect.
Under her command, they’d never lost a member or faced a true life-or-death crisis. Najenda had proven her capability time and again.
“We wait. There’s nothing we can do,” she admitted reluctantly, her mind clear despite the frustration. They were close enough to witness the war erupting at the palace. Harsh as it sounded, if they went in, they’d likely just be cannon fodder.
They’d seen the terrifying energy burst from afar. Even the faint spillover had caused unnatural weather shifts across the capital. Without the Shadow Curtain, the consequences would’ve been unimaginable. Najenda felt a chill just thinking about it.
They couldn’t afford to interfere or try breaking the Shadow Curtain. In fact, they had to hope it held, because none of them could stop the catastrophe that would follow if it broke.
Najenda also realized she’d underestimated Esdeath—and Budo. Teigu like [Demon’s Extract: Demon God Manifestation] and [Thunder God’s Wrath: Adramelech] were practically a death sentence for ordinary people.
“Akame’s still in there…” Hill, clutching her giant scissor Teigu, looked worried. The battle they’d just witnessed was too horrifying. Akame was only human—could she really survive something like that?
Thunder roaring, frost swirling—Riku and Esdeath’s “magic duel” didn’t even look like a fight between humans.
Hill’s concern was understandable. What could Akame do in a battle like that?
“Akame…” Najenda bit her lip, sharing the worry but knowing they had no choice but to trust in her survival.
Meanwhile, Akame was in a state of confusion. She and Budo, escorting the young emperor, had just been about to return to the surface when they found the tunnel they’d come through completely sealed.
“It’s Lord Devil’s power,” Budo said, recognizing Riku’s Shadow Curtain. He wasn’t in a rush. Devil likely didn’t need their help, and going up might just hold him back.
“So cold!” The young emperor shivered. The temperature in the tunnel had dropped significantly. Akame and Budo were unfazed, but the emperor, far weaker than them, was struggling.
“Deal with it,” Budo said bluntly. It wasn’t cold enough to kill him anytime soon.
“O-okay…” The emperor trembled but didn’t dare complain. In his heart, he clung to his last hope, praying General Esdeath would win. She was his final lifeline.
The young emperor didn’t know Esdeath’s true nature. He thought she was a loyal vassal, fighting for her life against the enemy, just like Minister Ornest had.
Ornest’s refusal to surrender, choosing to fight Budo to the death, had nearly brought the emperor to tears. That was true loyalty to the empire, far better than those treacherous rebels! And now, Esdeath, still “fighting for the empire,” was placed in the same “loyal vassal” category in his mind.
“Should we find another exit?” Akame asked Budo seriously. Who knew how long this fight would last? They couldn’t just stay in the tunnel for days.
“No need. Don’t worry, Lord Devil’s already finished,” Budo said, waving it off. He’d just received a message from Devil. Sure enough, as he spoke, shadows surged around them, and Riku’s figure emerged.
“Oh, so that’s why. This guy’s still alive,” Riku said, spotting the still-breathing Ornest. No wonder he hadn’t gotten any experience points.
When Budo took out Daidara and Nyau of the Three Beasts, Riku had received experience points. It made no sense that Ornest, a master of the Imperial Fist Temple and possibly stronger than Daidara or Nyau, hadn’t given any.
Riku glanced at his experience bar—it was almost full, which surprised him. He hadn’t taken out that many enemies. Was it his imagination, or did Budo’s kills grant more experience than his own? Maybe because the gap in strength between Budo and his foes wasn’t as wide?
Checking the records, Riku confirmed it. Budo’s kills—Daidara and Nyau—gave more experience than Riku’s kill of Seleu Ubiquitas. Even with the Blood Servant Contract cutting experience to 50%, Budo’s kills were worth more. Was it because the contract inherently granted more for servant kills?
It couldn’t be that Nyau and Daidara were stronger than Seleu’s [Beast Transformation: Hundred-Armed Giant]. They were all Teigu users, roughly on par. Daidara’s skill was mediocre at best—hardly a match for Seleu’s Teigu.
Riku, who’d blood-fused [Twin Axes: Belvaac], knew it was inferior to [Beast Transformation: Hundred-Armed Giant], even in his hands. He was stunned he hadn’t noticed earlier that servant kills yielded more experience.
Sure, he’d occasionally gotten small bits of experience from his servants’ kills, but they were so minor—single digits—that he’d brushed them off. Now he realized that if he’d killed those weak foes himself, he wouldn’t have gotten any experience, let alone 50% of it.
Hiss…
Riku looked at Budo like he’d discovered a new continent. Had he just found a way to farm experience?
“Lord Devil?” Budo asked, confused by the stare. Had he done something wrong?
“Nothing. Let’s get out of here,” Riku said, snapping back to normal. With a wave of his hand, shadows enveloped Akame, Budo, Ornest, and the young emperor.
When they reappeared, they were outside the palace, right beside Najenda, Leone, and the rest of the Night Raid crew.
Their sudden appearance startled Najenda and the others, but they’d seen Riku’s tricks before and quickly caught on.
“Akame!” Najenda, Mine, and the others breathed a sigh of relief seeing Akame unharmed. Night Raid had a tight-knit vibe—everyone saw each other as comrades. If someone was in trouble, they’d do whatever they could to help.
But the relief was short-lived. Najenda’s expression turned to shock when she saw Ornest and the young emperor. Her face froze, unsure what to feel.
“Tch-tch-tch…” Najenda was so stunned she couldn’t speak. Her heart raced with joy. Was it really over, just like that?
The surprise was so sudden she wondered if she was dreaming or under some weird Teigu’s influence.
Brand was equally shocked. Though he’d been a low-ranking officer in the empire, he was a named Teigu user and familiar with Ornest and the emperor. His former superior, Liva of the Three Beasts, had been a general leading his own army. Brand, one of Liva’s top officers, had seen the capital’s splendor alongside him.
“Ornest, you bastard!” Brand’s gaze locked onto Ornest. It was because of him that Liva had been sent back to the capital, sparking Brand’s rebellion against the empire before he fled from the Teigu users hunting him.
Ornest had ruined everything for him. But in doing so, he’d also opened Brand’s eyes to the empire’s corruption. Liva becoming one of the Three Beasts was unexpected, but Brand blamed Ornest for that too. None of this should’ve happened.
“Don’t rush to kill him. He’ll face the judgment he deserves,” Riku said with a smile, stopping the impulsive Brand. Since Ornest was still alive, they’d make use of him. He and the emperor would face the guillotine together.
Of course, Budo would do the killing—Riku wasn’t about to waste experience points. It’d also give him more data to test his theory.
“Is that… the palace?” The young emperor stared blankly at the “black bowl” in the distance, dumbfounded. That was definitely the palace’s direction.
His palace, the seat of a thousand-year dynasty, had been reduced to this? What was this giant black bowl? What was it doing to his palace?
The emperor stood there, lost, but no one was going to explain it to him.
“The Revolutionary Army can move north now. Budo will help you take control of the military and government. Resistance should be minimal,” Riku said.
His words hit everyone differently. The young emperor’s expression was dazed, finally realizing the empire might fall under his rule.
It was clear now that Esdeath, his last hope, had been defeated—possibly even reduced to ashes.
“The empire… is finished,” the emperor muttered.
Riku shook his head. “Not the empire. No one’s changing the system. It’s just your royal family that’s done. The empire’s structure doesn’t have to change.”
He corrected the emperor’s wording. The empire had stood for a millennium. While the royal family was toppled, the system itself didn’t need to go. Moving straight to a republic might be too big a leap. The people, and even the officials, might not adapt. Without the right mindset, a new system would just be an empire in disguise—a hollow change.
The emperor didn’t know how to respond. To him, it made no difference. With his family overthrown, the empire’s survival meant nothing. To him, it was all over.
Crack.
Riku knocked the emperor out with a casual strike and pulled him into the Shadow Realm. The boy’s bloodline was still useful—a key to activating the [Guardian Machine God: Supreme Throne]. It was worth studying.
While Riku could blood-fuse the [Guardian Machine God:奧 Supreme Throne] to use it himself, the bloodline-binding mechanism was intriguing. It could be applied to future Teigu, ensuring only specific bloodlines could wield them. That’d keep Teigu from spreading across the empire or falling into enemy hands. Of course, it could also create millennium-spanning noble houses, tied to the nation’s fate—a risk rulers might not accept.
But for Riku, it was perfect. A system where he decided who could use a Teigu was right up his alley. It was all about control.
(Chapter End)
