Rei Ao: "Oh, and to Megumi, Yumiko, and the rest of my peopleyou should consider it too."
Megumi Kato: "Why?"
Rei Ao: "People will die. A lot of them. I want you to witness and maybe even try. It could be a chance to grow."
Mai Sakurajima: "Killing... people?"
The chat grew quiet as names like Utaha Kasumigaoka and the others stilled.
For them, "killing" had always seemed distant and unreal.
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Isn't there... another way?"
Akame: "The Empire's corruption and darkness can only be cleansed with blood."
Rei Ao: "The choice is yours. I'll also be livestreaming the whole thing soon. Watch if you want."
Back in the palace, the puppet Emperor, inflamed by the Prime Minister's goading, grew indignant.
"Esdeath, I command you to gather your army at once to defend the Empire from the Revolutionary Army's threat!"
It was a direct imperial order, issued before numerous officials and nobles.
By all accounts, Esdeath should have obeyed.
Instead, she coldly smirked.
"The fate of the Empire has nothing to do with me. The only one who can command me now... is him."
The court was stunned.
"Him?!"
The minister's voice quivered with fear.
He had long suspected Esdeath was up to something. She had been ignoring summons from the Emperor since her return to the capital.
But now it was clearshe had a new master.
Was it Night Raid? The Revolutionary Army?
Cold sweat poured down the minister's back.
He wanted no part in crossing Esdeath, knowing it would mean a gruesome death.
Even with the Empire's hidden trump card, he was already plotting his escape.
At that moment, a voice echoed throughout the capital.
"From this day forth, the Empire shall fall. I am your new Emperor. Submit and thrive. Resist and perish."
Esdeath's eyes gleamed.
"He's here," she whispered with a smile.
High above the capital, atop a towering spire, several figures stood against the wind.
The chat group exploded with reactions to Rei Ao's broadcasted proclamation.
Frieren: "A war declaration?"
Rei Ao: "No, just an announcement."
Stella: "You sound so confident. Surely an Empire this vast has some secret weapons?"
Akame: "There are Teigu users, as well as Najenda's mention of 'Royal Arms' users."
Rei Ao: "More than that, the Empire's greatest trump cards are Esdeath and something called the Supreme Imperial Arm."
Frieren: "Esdeath? Didn't you already conquer her?"
Akame: "Supreme Imperial Arm? I've never heard of it."
Rei Ao: "It doesn't matter. It's nothing worth mentioning."
Chapter 142: Baptism in Blood
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Rei Ao, I have a question."
Rei Ao: "Go ahead."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Are you going to eliminate the Empire's soldiers or the Revolutionary Army?"
Mai Sakurajima: "What are you saying? Rei Ao isn't a devil."
Megumi Kato: "I believe Rei Ao knows what he's doing."
Rei Ao: "I don't plan to kill everyone indiscriminately."
Rei Ao: "I've made it very clearsubmit and thrive, resist and perish."
Rei Ao: "If they refuse to surrender, then killing them is justified."
Tohru: "Well said! That's exactly how the strong should act."
Saeko Busujima: "I agree with Rei Ao. If they've chosen to oppose us, it's either them or us."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "..."
For the first time, Yukino witnessed a side of Rei Ao beyond his usual flirtatious demeanora dominant, unyielding force.
It wasn't complicated. He acted because he had the strength to do so.
It was her first glimpse of the harsh reality of survival of the fittest in another world.
Ayame Yomogawa: "Rei Ao, they're coming out."
Looking down, they saw movement.
From atop the palace's high platform, the minister emerged. His expression was a mix of terror and severity as he looked down at Esdeath, who strode out from the palace, surrounded by layers of soldiers.
Behind her followed Imperial Arms users, Ministerial Arms users, and numerous troops converging on the scene.
Esdeath had defected.
It was an unimaginable betrayal.
"Kill her!"
The minister shrieked.
He was too cowardly to act himself but bold enough to bark orders.
"Oh? Perhaps you should worry about yourself first."
A chilling smirk crossed Rei Ao's face.
Whoosh!
Flames erupted, encircling the minister.
"What?!"
He toppled to the ground in terror, his flabby body trembling as he sat within the ring of fire.
He couldn't comprehend where this mysterious fire had come from.
Meanwhile, Rei Ao crossed his arms and turned to the women behind him.
"Anyone carrying a weapon is the enemy. Handle it as you see fit. Sui, Shizue, and Kurono , you don't need to act."
This was meant as a trial for Yumiko and the others.
If the stronger allies intervened, the purpose would be lost.
Najenda reacted first.
"Night Raid, follow mecharge!"
She leapt from the tower, with Leone and the other members of Night Raid following closely behind.
As for Mai and the others, Rei Ao transported them directly to the battlefield.
He gave only one instruction:
"Kill or don't killit's up to you. I won't interfere."
"Enemies incoming!"
As soon as they landed, they found themselves surrounded by Imperial soldiers.
Among the group, Ayame Yomogawa and Kajika, who had prior experience in killing during the Kabaneri conflict, were the first to react.
Without hesitation, they unleashed their abilities.
Scales formed over their bodies as they transformed.
Ayame summoned her unique spiritual weapon: an ice bow.
Whoosh!
Arrows flew, exploding into icy shards that impaled dozens of soldiers in an instant.
Kajika wielded her unique short blade, "Red Flame," dashing through the enemy lines with flames roaring around him, cutting down one foe after another.
For Mai and the others, who had never taken a life, the gruesome scene paralyzed them.
The smell of blood, the sight of intestines spilling outit was overwhelming.
Yumiko turned pale and began to gag.
"Do we really have to kill... humans?"
Saya Takagi muttered, her face ashen.
She had no issue killing zombies, but taking a human life was entirely different.
Mai, Yumiko, and the rest were similarly frozen in fear.
Their hesitation didn't go unnoticed.
An enemy soldier shouted, "They don't have Imperial Arms!"
A wave of soldiers charged toward them, sensing an easy victory.
Meanwhile, Akame and the others faced tougher opponents.
The newly formed "Jaegers" squadron had already engaged.
Akame's opponent was their leader, Wave, wielding the Imperial Arm "Grand Chariot."
Leone faced Bols, with his Imperial Arm "Rubicante."
Mine, Sheele, and Chelsea found themselves up against Seryu, who wielded the monstrous "Hekatonkheires."
Saeko went head-to-head with Dr. Stylish, who controlled corpses using "Glorious Hands of God: Perfector."
Ayame and Kajika targeted Run, who flew through the battlefield using the Imperial Arm "Mastema."
Rei Ao stood atop the tower, overlooking the chaos below.
A faint smirk appeared as he muttered to himself:
"Let the trial begin."
Soldiers aren't fools.
The battles happening elsewhere were far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Thus, adhering to the philosophy of "bullying the weak and avoiding the strong," they set their sights on Mai and her group, who seemed easier targets.
Regardless of their weakness, killing any one of them would count as an achievement.
Who knows? They might even be rewarded after the warperhaps even elevated to minor nobility, granting them a life of luxury and indulgence.
That's how most of them thought.
From the bottom to the top, the Empire had rotted to its core.
"Be careful, they're coming!"
Yuriko Takagi raised her unique spiritual weapona sci-fi-styled handgunand warned the others.
"Heh! This one's mine!"
A heavily armored soldier wielding a massive axe charged at Saya Takagi.
"!!!"
Saya's eyes widened in terror. On instinct, she enveloped her arm with dragon scales in an attempt to block the strike.
But before the axe could land, a spear whizzed through the air.
Thud!
The armored soldier flew backward, blood gushing from his chest as he crashed into several others like a bowling ball.
The spear had come from Rei Miyamoto.
The tip of her spear swirled with wind-elemental power.
She glanced back coldly at Saya.
"Don't just stand there. If you can't handle it, maybe you should stay a flower vase waiting to be filled."
She then turned away and charged into the fray.
Saya stood frozen, staring at Rei's retreating figure.
Esdeath leaped from below, landing gracefully beside Rei Ao atop the tower.
She glanced at Mai and the others, her sharp eyes assessing their hesitation.
"The people you brought don't seem ready to kill."
Esdeath's tone carried mild disdain, as she found no interest in the weak soldiers below.
Rei Ao shrugged casually.
"They're not born warriors or soldiersjust ordinary people who happened to gain power."
"But I trust they'll find their own path."
These words sent a shiver through Megumi Kato and the others, who were watching the livestream from the chat group.
His faith in them warmed their hearts.
Mai and Megumi Kato exchanged glances, both nodding slightly.
They activated their abilities, vanishing from everyone's sight.
Moments later
"Urgh!!!"
Soldiers began collapsing one after another, their throats slashed.
Mai and Megumi Kato had taken their first lives.
Their hearts raced, and dizziness threatened to overtake them, but they steadied themselves.
"They're enemies," they told themselves. "Just like killing the dangerous beasts from before."
This thought helped them push through the discomfort.
Yuriko Takagi fired her Pure Soul Gun, taking down another soldier.
"Saya."
Hearing her mother's call, Saya brought out her Inherent Device: Transformation Cube, which morphed into a Gatling gun.
She adjusted her glasses with newfound resolve.
"Mother, don't underestimate me."
Transforming into her fire-spirit form, she channeled fire-elemental power into the Gatling gun and pressed the trigger.
Ratatatatatatatata!!!
A hail of bullets erupted, lighting up the battlefield as she decimated waves of enemies.
For a moment, her valiant figure shone with unparalleled brilliance.
Sonoko Machida, meanwhile, took a deep breath and approached Yumiko, who was still gagging. She gently patted her back.
"Yumiko, are you alright? If it's too much, you can"
Before she could finish, Yumiko raised a hand to interrupt her.
"No."
Yumiko stood, her gaze locking onto Rei Ao atop the tower, determination burning in her eyes.
"I'm not someone who gives up that easily."
Black-and-white ceremonial robes materialized around her as she raised her hand, condensing light into a laser.
Her eyes focused on a soldier who had slipped past Mai and Megumi's attacks.
"Zing!"
The laser shot out, piercing through the soldier and melting his armor.
Sonoko pursed her lips at the sight.
"If even the younger ones are pushing forward, I can't stay idle."
With a flourish, she summoned wind-elemental blades, slicing through multiple soldiers in a series of violent, precise strikes.
Esdeath, observing the transformation of the once-terrified group, couldn't hide her surprise.
"Looks like you'll need to take back your earlier statement," Rei Ao said with a faint smile, his eyes never leaving the battlefield.
Esdeath turned to him, her gaze sharp.
"Indeed. They seem to be changing for you."
She could sense ittheir desire to improve, driven by their connection to Rei Ao.
"That's right," he said, watching as each of them began adapting to the rhythm of battle.
"I'll have to reward them properly for this."
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
Flower vases may be beautiful and delicate, but Rei Ao preferred ones that could endure.
Strong flower vases could handle more than just decorationthey could provide practical support when needed.
And they could handle a stronger touch.
After all, in the end, the one who benefited most was him.
~~~
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Chapter 143: Shikoutazer, One Punch
Rei Ao's perspective on "flower vases" wasn't limited to Mai and her group.
It extended to others in the chat group as well.
The blood-soaked chaos in the imperial capital continued to stream live for all to see.
Stella: "Tch so many people are dying!"
Frieren: "This is war."
Mabel: "Ugh what's so good about all this fighting and killing?"
The chat group was quieter than usual.
Those engaged in battle focused on survival, while the rest watched the broadcast in stunned silence.
Snow filled Yukino's heart.
The scenes of carnage on her screen were like a high-definition action movie, except that it was all real.
Knowing that this was a real world where lives were being taken left her hands and feet icy cold, her head spinning with faint nausea.
Uncomfortable, she temporarily left the live stream.
Needing to talk, she stood, opened her door, and walked to Mabel's guest room.
"Yukino? What are you doing here?"
"Keep me company."
"Huh? Don't tell me you're scared?"
""
"M-Megumi"
Watching Megumi effortlessly take lives on the battlefield, Hiromi Kato finally understood why her sister had so gravely asked if she could accept the realities of a world filled with supernatural forces.
