Chapter 153: The Four Rakshasa Demon's
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"Who are you?"
The four guards surrounded Aoki, their gazes serious and wary.
Aoki glanced at them.
Clad in full body armor, their auras were heavy and dangerous. These were no ordinary soldiers.
"The Palace Guards?" Aoki muttered under his breath.
Without wasting words, Aoki extended eight whips from behind him.
Snap!
With a flick of the whips, the four guards were flung backward, crashing into the wall and falling unconscious on impact.
Though powerful, they were nowhere near Aoki's level.
Aoki strode forward, swinging the whips casually.
Boom!
The gate shattered into pieces, revealing a vast room beyond.
The ground beneath his feet appeared to be a series of cylindrical stones arranged together, while the surrounding walls were composed of scattered square blocks.
In the center of the room stood a high platform with two trapezoidal stone pillars—one tall and thick, the other shorter and thinner.
Aoki's figure flashed as he appeared on the platform, gazing down.
To his left, near the shorter stone pillar, was a circular device. He recognized it as the activation mechanism for the Supreme Throne.
Aoki pressed it experimentally.
Nothing happened.
"As expected," Aoki murmured. "Without the right bloodline, the Shikoutazer cannot be activated."
He stood in silence, pondering.
So, where exactly was the Shikoutazer hidden?
The Shikoutazer was more than 200 meters tall—something that large couldn't be hidden easily.
Could it be that, like a demon-possessed artifact, it would fly out automatically upon activation?
No, that didn't seem right.
The ministers and the alchemist from the Southern Kingdom had made some modifications to the Shikoutazer. The original structure must still exist somewhere.
Was it hidden beneath this palace?
The sound of footsteps interrupted Aoki's thoughts. He glanced up.
A group of people entered the room.
At the forefront was a tall, middle-aged man with short blond hair, wearing enormous gauntlets on his arms.
It was the Imperial General, Budo.
Before Esdeath's rise to fame, Budo had held the title of the Empire's strongest warrior.
Even now, he and Esdeath were known as the two most powerful figures in the Empire.
However, in truth, there was a noticeable gap between his strength and that of Esdeath.
In the Empire, civil officials were led by ministers, while the military officials were headed by generals.
Honest and Budo were the Emperor's closest advisors, deeply trusted by the throne.
But Budo was different from the corrupt minister, Honest.
Many upright officials had managed to escape persecution because of Budo's protection.
Budo was a stubborn man, unwavering in his loyalty to the Empire and the Emperor. Though he knew of the corruption within the government, he followed ancestral teachings that dictated military leaders should not interfere in politics. He never involved himself in those matters, instead using his power to safeguard conscientious officials.
However, Budo had finally reached his limit. He resolved to personally root out the causes of the Empire's decline, including Honest, after crushing the rebels.
Unfortunately, that moment never came.
Budo was fatally wounded and later killed by Mine, who had exhausted her own strength in the process.
Aoki's gaze lingered on Budo for a moment before shifting to the group behind him.
Budo had not come alone. He had brought a significant number of soldiers.
Like the earlier guards, these soldiers were clad in full armor, exuding a heavy and dangerous aura.
The Palace Guards—Budo's personal elite troops. They were the only force comparable to Esdeath's soldiers.
"You dare cause trouble in the palace and harm my soldiers? Are you prepared to face the consequences?" Budo's voice was stern, his expression grim as he clenched his fist. Lightning sparked from his gauntlets, crackling ominously.
Aoki's eyes narrowed as they settled on the gauntlets adorning Budo's arms.
an Teigu capable of controlling lightning. It could not only be used for ranged attacks but could also form a Thunder Armor with powerful paralyzing effects, making Budo a formidable opponent in melee combat.
This is also one of the imperial tools he desires.
However, Budo's strength is formidable, and he has so many guards with him.
This battle won't be easy. The key point is that he's not here to kill anyone.
"General Budo, we'll see each other again soon!" Aoki smiled as his figure flickered, vanishing and appearing directly outside the palace.
"Don't run!"
Budo's expression froze as he slammed his fists together.
Boom!
Two bolts of lightning struck down, but Aoki's figure had already disappeared.
"Shambhala?"
Bud frowned, muttering to himself, "No, I don't see any markings. It can't be Shambhala."
As the great general of the empire, he was fully aware of the powers of all the imperial weapons. But if it wasn't Shambhala, what kind of ability did Aoki just use?
In an inconspicuous corner of the palace, Aoki's figure reappeared. His body expanded rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a guard wearing full body armor.
He had no intention of leaving.
How could he return empty-handed without acquiring anything? Even if he couldn't find the Shikoutazer, he could still try to locate the Little Emperor.
If he wanted to activate the Shikoutazer, both were essential.
Aoki strolled leisurely through the palace halls. Although some people cast suspicious glances in his direction, no one stepped forward to question him.
However, the palace was enormous.
For a moment, he had no idea where to begin his search for the Little Emperor. He wandered through the palace aimlessly, like a headless fly.
"Stop! Who gave you permission to come here?"
Suddenly, a loud voice echoed behind him.
Aoki frowned slightly and halted, turning to face the source of the voice.
Four figures came into view.
Two men and two women.
Both men were shirtless, and one of the women—a dark-skinned blonde-haired girl—wore only a piece of undergarment.
All four of them radiated an unusual aura.
It didn't feel human.
"The Four Rakshasa Demons? So, is Minister Honest nearby?" Aoki's expression revealed a hint of surprise.
The blue-haired man pointed at Aoki and barked, "Why are the Royal Guards here? Don't you know this area is off-limits?"
"I wandered here by mistake," Aoki replied calmly.
"Oh, a mistake, was it? Well then—"
Before the blue-haired man could finish his sentence, his figure flashed and appeared right in front of Aoki.
"Then go to hell!" he sneered, aiming a punch at Aoki's head.
Boom!
A dull thud echoed as their fists collided.
The blonde-haired girl crossed her arms and remarked, "Hey, Ibara, he's one of Budo's guards. If you kill him, that'll be a real hassle, won't it?"
The burly bearded man gazed curiously at ibara's back. "Something's off!"
"Ugh!" ibara's face flushed red as he strained, using all his strength to break free from Aoki's grasp. Eventually, he retreated to stand with his companions, frowning deeply.
"You're definitely not a guard. Who are you?" ibara asked, his eyes narrowing.
"I was planning to look for the Little Emperor, but I didn't expect to meet you four instead. Well, before the main course, it's always good to have a few snacks to whet the appetite," Aoki said with a grin.
The armor on Aoki's body gradually disappeared, revealing a pale young man with plum-red eyes. He looked at the four opponents with amusement.
The Four Rakshasa Demons, the top experts of the Imperial Fist Temple and the minister's private soldiers, were considered the pinnacle of strength among non-imperial beings in this world.
For years, they had been consuming dangerous species, which had caused mutations in their bodies, granting them complete control over their physical forms.
This could be one way to gain the bloodline of dangerous species.
Not only could it serve as material for upgrades, but it also seemed valuable for research.
These beings were truly precious monsters.
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T/N: There is a Patreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early chapters.
Patreon link:- Patreon.com/ANelite
And also:
Imperial weapon = Teigu
Teigu = Imperial weapon