"This is dangerous," Akame said with a frown.
If even the Revolutionary Army was pursuing power and wealth, overthrowing the Empire would only replace it with a new version of the same corruption.
All of Night Raid's efforts would be meaningless.
Seeing the heavy mood, Najenda took a deep breath.
"My decision is that Night Raid will not move. However, I won't stop any of you from making your own choices."
Lubbock was the first to object. "Why not? This is our best chance to topple the Empire!"
Najenda glared at him, her voice firm. "I've made my decision. If you want to go, you can. The enemy won't stop your freedom to choose."
""
Lubbock stared at Najenda in frustration, feeling as though he no longer recognized the leader he admired and secretly loved.
Clenching his fists until his nails dug into his palms, he rasped out, "Fine! If you won't go, I will!"
He turned to leave, his voice hoarse with anger.
"Sigh." Bulat sighed deeply.
"I'll go with him."
He couldn't let Lubbock go to his death alone.
As the two left, the remaining members turned their attention to Najenda.
Leone couldn't hold back. "Are we really going to do nothing?"
"This battle will kill many people, including civilians," Sheele said worriedly.
Najenda shook her head. "No."
She took a deep breath and said, "We have another option."
"Rei Ao and his trades."
Back at the Sawamura Residence
Thanks to Sayuri's efforts, Rei Ao and Eriri enjoyed a sumptuous dinner together.
In the kitchen, Rei Ao helped wash the dishes alongside Sayuri.
"Mrs. Sawamura, your cooking is excellent," Rei Ao complimented without hesitation.
Sayuri beamed. "Haha, I'm glad you liked it! I was worried the flavors might not suit your taste."
Her happiness was palpable; being praised for her cooking was always a delight.
But then Rei Ao suddenly asked a sharp question:
"Mrs. Sawamura, why haven't I seen Eriri's father in the house?"
""
Sayuri's hands paused, and her breath hitched almost imperceptibly.
Rei Ao's sharp observation didn't miss it, confirming his suspicion that something was off.
It wasn't that he wanted to pry unnecessarily.
It was just that he had encountered two other peculiar "mother" figures before: Yuriko Takagi and Mai's mother. Both were revealed to be "fake mothers."
Now, in the Sawamura household, he hadn't seen Eriri's father at all, nor had either of them mentioned him.
Sensing something amiss, he decided to probe while Eriri wasn't around.
Sayuri's response confirmed his suspicion.
Her expression turned somber. "Rei Ao-kun, this is a secret."
Another secret?
"You're not Eriri's mother, are you?" Rei Ao blurted out.
Crash!
The sound of a plate falling echoed through the kitchen.
Sayuri had dropped it.
She hurried to catch it but missed.
Instead, Rei Ao reached out swiftly, catching the plate.
However, in the process, his hand brushed against hers.
The brief contact made Sayuri's entire body shiver.
When their eyes met, Sayuri's knees went weak.
The atmosphere felt strange, but Sayuri couldn't bring herself to look away.
Especially as Rei Ao leaned in slightly and pressed her. "Am I right?"
"Um!"
His proximity made Sayuri's face flush red.
Staring into Rei Ao's eyes, Sayuri felt as though her body couldn't lie.
Even though it was a secret.
"I..."
Just as she was about to speak...
"BOOM!!!"
A deafening thunderclap roared across the sky.
"Mom, Rei Ao-kun, what are you two doing?"
Eriri's voice broke through the charged atmosphere.
She stood at the kitchen doorway, looking at the two with puzzled eyes.
"!!!"
Sayuri froze, clearly flustered, while Rei Ao remained calm.
He held up a plate in his hand and explained, "Mrs. Sawamura almost dropped a dish just now, so I helped catch it."
"Oh, oh."
Eriri nodded, then lightly scolded her mother, "Mom, be careful, okay? Don't trouble Rei Ao-kun."
"Oh..."
Sayuri's awkward and soft response made Eriri furrow her brows in confusion.
Normally, her mother would have teased her with a playful grin.
Could it be that she felt restrained because Rei Ao-kun was present?
Realizing her casual attitude might leave a poor impression on Rei Ao, especially when compared to the elegant competition in the chat group, Eriri panicked.
After learning about the group, Eriri had spent hours feeling down.
She had realized she liked Rei Ao.
But the boy she adored was already involved with other womenand not just romantically, but intimately as well.
A rational person might see Rei Ao as a playboy, but Eriri's slightly idealistic, love-struck mindset took over.
"Rei Ao's been corrupted by them; it's my job to purify him!"
To her, those women were nothing but cunning foxes, and Rei Ao was her radiant moonlight.
Determined, Eriri resolved to showcase her own charm and "reclaim" Rei Ao.
"Should I act more reserved?" she thought to herself, quickly excusing herself to change into a more elegant and appealing outfit.
As Eriri left, Sayuri heaved a sigh of relief.
She was terrified that Eriri might have noticed her odd behavior.
The kitchen was no longer a safe haven.
Sayuri came to a conclusion: Rei Ao's charisma was too strong for her to resist. If she stayed any longer, she might reveal her secret.
Hurriedly finishing the dishes, Sayuri turned to Rei Ao.
"Rei Ao-kun, I'm feeling a bit tired. You should rest early too."
Leaving those words behind, she quickly retreated.
Rei Ao didn't stop her.
Even though she hadn't answered his question, her expression and body language had already confirmed his suspicions:
Sayuri wasn't Eriri's biological mother.
"By rights, Eriri should have a diplomat father, so where did things go wrong?"
He couldn't piece together the full story yet, but he filed the mystery away for another time.
Peering out at the stormy weather through the window, Rei Ao made his way to the guest room Eriri had prepared.
No sooner had he sat down on the bed than a flurry of notifications appeared:
[Ding! Akame has sent a trade request!]
[Ding! Mine has sent a trade request!]
[Ding! Sheele has sent a trade request!]
[Ding! Najenda has sent a trade request!]
[Ding! Leone has sent a trade request!]
[Ding! Chelsea has sent a trade request!]
Six identical requests came from Night Raid members.
[Trade Objective: Overthrow the Empire!]
[Ding! Please specify the trade terms!]
In the same instant, Najenda posted a message in the Akame world group:
Najenda: "@Rei Ao, remember our previous discussions?"
Rei Ao: "Of course."
Najenda: "The Revolutionary Army has launched its final assault on the Empire. I hope you'll help overthrow it."
Najenda: "In return, Night Raid will pledge itself to you, and you'll become the new Emperor of the Empire."
Rei Ao: "Oh? No objections from the rest of Night Raid?"
Akame: "None."
Mine: "Um, just a tiny objection... Does it have to be a... physical trade?"
Leone: "Seriously, Mine? Are you still hesitating at this point?"
Mine: "I'm not hesitating! It's just that I've never even been in a relationship before, and suddenly becoming someone's... property... feels weird."
Akame: "Don't worry. Rei Ao will make it enjoyable."
Mine: "Akame, what the heck are you talking about?! I don't want it to be enjoyable!"
Sheele: "Mine, think of it this way."
Mine: "What way?"
Sheele: "Rei Ao saved your life. Do you hate him?"
Mine: "Well... no, I don't hate him. It's just... he's such a shameless flirt."
Rei Ao: "That's called being a man."
Mine: ""
Sheele: "If you don't hate him, why not try liking him? Then it'll feel more like a relationship."
Mine: ""
Chelsea: "I can't believe my first major mission with Night Raid is something like this."
Rei Ao: "Since you're all ready, let's begin the trade!"
~~~
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Chapter 141: Annexing the Empire? Inviting people to join the fun!
Outside Night Raid's base, members of the team watched as figures began to appear one after another.
Leading them was Rei Ao, flanked by an unexpectedly large group.
Behind him stood thirteen individuals with whom he had already been intimateexcept Esdeathand three more who hadn't yet crossed that line: Shizue Izawa, Velzard, and Velgrynd.
Shizue smiled gently. "Rei Ao-kun, I can lend a hand too."
Velgrynd crossed her arms with a disdainful smirk. "This planet doesn't even have a single calamity-level life form. Why not just burn it all down at once?"
Her evaluation of this world was scathingpathetic weaklings, not even a "Demon Lord" level threat among them.
Rei Ao's expression flickered when he saw Velzard and Velgrynd but quickly steadied. "Velgrynd, please don't scare them."
Night Raid's members visibly tensed.
Burn the planet down? That was far beyond anything they had anticipated.
Their goal was simply to overthrow the Empire's rule and free its people from oppression, not to annihilate the entire world.
Velgrynd scoffed, raising her head proudly. "I thought this world might offer some fun, but it's just full of weaklings."
Velzard nodded in agreement, though with less hostility. "This planet is indeed pathetically frail."
Rei Ao sighed, shaking his head. "I didn't expect the two of you to show up."
If either of them made a move, the Empire, the Revolutionary Army, and even the invading races would be reduced to ashes in an instant. There would be no game left to play.
For now, Rei Ao had other plansprimarily to give some of his companions like Yumiko a taste of blood and conflict to toughen them up.
"You two should focus on the dangerous creatures scattered across this world. Feel free to take them out. This planet is at your disposal in that regard."
Velgrynd's interest was piqued. "Well, as weak as they are, some might make decent appetizers."
Velzard raised a slender finger and pointed at Tohru. "Bring her with us."
"!!!"
Tohru flinched at the sudden mention of her name.
She had remained silent since arriving, overwhelmed by the pressure radiating from Velzard and Velgrynddragons far more powerful than even her father.
"Rei Ao~" Tohru looked to Rei Ao with pitiful eyes, silently pleading for help.
But Rei Ao simply chuckled. "Tohru, you're all dragons. Spending time with them will do you good."
He had already blessed Tohru, strengthening her abilities.
[Name]: Tohru
[Level]: 50
[Abilities]: "Flame Dragon", "Dragon Magic", "Rei Ao's Blessing", "Inherent Device: Dragon King"
The Dragon King armament was a massive sword whose weight could be adjusted at will.
Seeing no escape, Tohru reluctantly approached Velzard and Velgrynd.
The two dragons placed their hands on her shoulders, their contrasting expressions of amusement and menace making Tohru's scales crawl.
Velgrynd smirked wickedly. "Sneaky little dragon, let's have a nice, long chat."
"Aaaah!"
With a flash, the three dragons vanished.
Rei Ao turned to Najenda. "When will the Revolutionary Army and the foreign forces reach the capital?"
Najenda answered, "In about three hours."
Rei Ao nodded, then turned to Yumiko and the others.
For someone like Saeko, what was coming posed little challenge. But for newcomers like Megumi Kato, it was a different story.
"Are you all mentally prepared?"
Prepared for what?
To kill.
The group's expressions wavered.
Yumiko took a deep breath and spoke first. "The Empire's rule is a scourge on its people. Taking action to eliminate it isn't that just justice?"
Rei Ao nodded approvingly. "That's a good mindset."
"But there's no need to force yourselves. Even if you just stand aside and observe, that's perfectly fine."
Sonoko Machida hesitated. "Rei Ao-kun you wouldn't mind us just being ornamental?"
Rei Ao's smile turned mischievous. "What's wrong with ornaments? At least I can use them to arrange flowers."
"???"
The implication behind his words dawned on them instantly, and their faces flushed red.
The tension in the air eased, and Rei Ao gazed toward the distant horizon.
"Since the Revolutionary Army won't arrive for a few hours, let's prepare a little surprise for them."
The Capital.
Inside the Imperial Palace's main hall.
The morbidly obese Prime Minister trembled with rage, his flabby body jiggling as he glared at Esdeath, who stood proudly before him.
"Esdeath, the Emperor has ordered you to lead the army against the Revolutionary Army. Why are you defying this command?!"
The minister was panicking.
News of the Revolutionary Army's million-strong forces had spread throughout the capital, throwing the populace into turmoil.
With General Budo dead, only Esdeath had the strength and authority to counter the Revolutionary Army.
But when the young Emperor issued the order, Esdeath had refused to mobilize her forces.
She not only ignored the command but also issued her own strict order for her troops to remain inactive.
Esdeath's soldiers were fiercely loyal to her alone; without her command, even orders from the Prime Minister or Emperor were meaningless.
The minister feared the worstthat Esdeath might stage a rebellion.
If that happened, their only remaining option would be to use the Empire's last hidden trump card.
[Ding! Trade Initiated!]
[Trade Target]: Mine
[Trade Details]: Overthrow the Empire
[Trade Terms]: "Roman Artillery: Pumpkin," one-time bodily trade rights
[Stay Duration]: 3 hours
This was immediately followed by six similar transaction alerts in the main group chat, causing an uproar.
Ayame Yomogawa: "Six trades at once?!"
Frieren: "Overthrowing the Empire... it seems a war to topple the ruling power has begun."
Stella: "What's going on, Akame?"
Akame: "The Revolutionary Army is launching an all-out assault on the Empire. However, they've allied with foreign forces, and Night Raid cannot stand idly by."
Frieren: "Abandoning the self for the greater good?"
Akame: "Not just that. Rei Ao will become the new Emperor of the Empire."
Sui: "Huh?"
Megumi Kato: "Emperor?"
Stella: "Are you selling the country out to him or something?!"
Rei Ao: "Selling out? That's a bit much. I just want to try the title for fun. The actual governance will still be left to people from their world."
Rei Ao: "Anyway, stop overthinking it. This deal is interesting. Anyone want to come and watch?"
