Voldemort didn't expect the Shogun to say such a thing.
"Oh? I don't recall seeing your name on Dumbledore's enemies list," Voldemort replied, testing the waters in this unfamiliar situation. In order to overthrow Dumbledore, Voldemort would even be willing to ally with giants, acromantulas, and Dementors. If Japanese wizards were willing to submit to him, he would agree to have a place for them by his side.
In Voldemort's mind, pure-blood wizards were above half-bloods, half-bloods were above Muggles, and Squibs occupied the lowest rung. As for Dementors, giants, and other magical creatures, from Voldemort's perspective, they were beings of another category. He considered them tools and would give them a separate territory away from Muggles once the mission was complete.
"I have no enmity with Dumbledore," the Shogun replied without changing her facial expression or tone of voice. She seemed to be stating a fact. "I just need to reclaim something from Hogwarts, and if I can eliminate some troublesome figures along the way, all the better."
Voldemort smiled again, thinking that he and the Shogun in front of him might form an alliance for mutual interests. He could leverage her and her influence.
With her help, he would come even closer to achieving his goals, bridging the gap between him and immortality.
Immortality was one of Voldemort's foremost desires. To achieve it, he embarked on the creation of Horcruxes. Unlike common dark wizards, who made only one, he decided to create seven Horcruxes to attain the greatest magical power. Currently, he had completed five and had leads on the other two.
Voldemort planned to carry out two more murders to complete the sixth and seventh Horcruxes. He had already decided that Nagini would be the container for the sixth, and for the seventh, Gryffindor's sword, one of the Four Founders' relics.
Voldemort was meticulous in his choice of objects that would become his Horcruxes. They couldn't be common objects. Slytherin's locket, Hufflepuff's cup, Ravenclaw's diadem had been turned into his Horcruxes, and Gryffindor's sword would be no exception.
Of course, to create the Horcruxes, he had to commit murders. Voldemort already had his targets in mind: Harry Potter and Dumbledore. What significant murders they would be! Voldemort couldn't imagine anyone more suitable than them to become Horcruxes.
That was what Voldemort aimed to achieve, and to do so, he planned to subjugate the Japanese wizards.
"So, as long as you swear loyalty to the great Lord Voldemort, I will leave you a place in the future magical world," Voldemort said, extending his "olive branch."
However, once Voldemort finished speaking, expressions of disgust appeared on the faces of the Shogun's followers by her side, and the Shogun herself shook her head.
"My relationship with you is only one of cooperation; there is no hierarchy between us," the Shogun said.
Voldemort's request had no chance of being accepted by the Shogun. This was due to customs in the Japanese magical world. The position of the Shogun, the Minister of Magic of Japan, must always be held by the most powerful wizard in Japan. Someone with mediocre abilities like Voldemort could never hold that position in Japan. Therefore, after defeating the previous Shogun, she naturally ascended to her position. And this also meant that it was impossible for her to submit to a wizard. The Shogunate would not tolerate having a weak Shogun, and if she decided to be beneath Voldemort, chaos would immediately ensue in the Shogunate.
Voldemort accepted this calmly. "Mediocre people can never understand the power of the strong; it's not their fault. Due to their limited understanding, they can't fathom the concept of power. That's why..."
"Avada Kedavra," Voldemort acted suddenly.
Without hesitation, he cast the killing curse at the Shogun. However, the sword the Shogun held in her hand struck the ground, and a suit of armor that stood as decoration in the hallway came to life and interposed itself between her and Voldemort, blocking the Killing Curse.
"Step back!"
"Get out of the way!"
Voldemort and the Shogun ordered their followers to stop and give them enough space. The Death Eaters and the Shogun's followers immediately complied, stowed their wands, and retreated to a safe distance.
Voldemort waved his hand and cast a spell directly at the Shogun, but she instantly vanished from the spot. The spell struck the wall of the safe house, causing it to explode and revealing the dark night sky outside.
In the next instant, the Shogun reappeared behind Voldemort. With a cold flash, the sword in her hand aimed for Voldemort's neck.
Voldemort quickly conjured a semi-transparent shield with a flick of his hand, blocking the strike and using the momentum to float outwards like a giant bird.
"I didn't expect your sword to be more than just decorative," Voldemort remarked. After decades of experience and combat with Muggle weapons, this was the first time a wizard had fought him in this manner.
He landed in the courtyard and pointed to the rock garden and pine trees, which came to life and lunged at the Shogun. The Shogun thrust her sword into the ground, and several suits of armor quickly emerged from the house, confronting the creatures controlled by Voldemort.
"If you wish to summon more, I'll be happy to accompany you at any time," the Shogun said without changing her tone of voice, despite the intense battle. Her eyes were beautiful but empty, and Voldemort couldn't detect any emotion in them.
"The spell I just used was just a small sample. I can perform ten thousand types of magic," Voldemort said with disdain. Waving his wand, a thin fire serpent emerged from it and headed toward the Shogun, while a similar fire serpent emerged from the pommel of the Shogun's sword, intertwining with Voldemort's fire serpent. Both serpents fought fiercely.
At that moment, the Death Eaters and followers were already outside the courtyard, eagerly awaiting the outcome of the duel.
Voldemort and the Shogun faced off for a brief moment, but ultimately Voldemort's magic proved slightly more powerful. The fire serpent created by the Shogun shattered, then violently collided with the Shogun's chest, causing a powerful explosion.
The shockwave from the explosion sent the Shogun flying through the hole in the wall into the interior of the house, leaving her fate unknown.
"Shogun!"
"He won! The great Lord Voldemort is truly admirable!"
"Stop!"
The Death Eaters and onlookers shouted, some in excitement and others in anxiety.
"Is that the extent of your spell power?" The Shogun's voice came from inside the house. The explosion had only caused a large hole in her armor, revealing her body underneath. Surprisingly, the Shogun's body was not flesh and blood but cold metal.
Voldemort was perplexed at the sight of the Shogun's exposed body and then burst into laughter. "I didn't expect you to be a 'Horcrux.' It's truly unexpected!"
Voldemort had a change of heart.
"You can be on my level, the great Lord Voldemort. You have the right to cooperate with me!"
The Shogun pondered for a moment, looking at the large crack in her armor, and finally nodded.
"Very well."