Chapter 173: The Shikoutazer
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The walls on both sides were inlaid with beads that emitted a faint light. The stairs descended continuously, and the passage was short and narrow, giving off a very oppressive feeling.
After walking for a few minutes, a light appeared ahead. Aoki stepped through the exit, and the view suddenly expanded.
He looked up.
A massive cave appeared before him, over 200 meters tall, with signs of human excavation evident on the surrounding rock walls.
In the center of the cave stood a towering figure over 200 meters tall, its majestic face stern, a blue cloak flowing behind it, and its arms crossed over its chest as it looked down on the surroundings.
"Found it!" A look of admiration appeared on Aoki's face.
This was the original and strongest imperial weapon, the pinnacle of imperial craftsmanship—the national guardian weapon, the Shikoutazer!
Mine had once used all her mental strength to push the Roman Artillery: Pumpkin
to its limits, yet it was still no match for a single casual attack from the Shikoutazer.
Esdeath's strength came from how incredibly powerful she was, raising the upper limits of demon essence.
The Shikoutazer itself was invincible in terms of performance.
Anyone who could control it had the power to destroy the world.
In the original story, the young emperor had decimated half of the imperial capital with a massive bombing, nearly breaking the morale of the revolutionary army.
And that wasn't even the full extent of the Shikoutazer's abilities.
Judging by its appearance, it was clear that the Shikoutazer wasn't just a long-range turret; it was likely also highly adept at close combat.
After observing it for a while, Aoki spread his bat-like wings and flew toward the Shikoutazer.
He circled around the massive figure, inspecting it carefully. He found that, perhaps due to its enormous size, the Shikoutazer wasn't particularly intricately designed.
But that was good news for him.
Aoki gently stroked the cold exterior of the Shikoutazer.
It felt like metal, but with a slight difference.
He had just tried to establish a connection with it, but the Shikoutazer gave no response.
Notably, he couldn't leave a spatial mark on it either.
In other words, to some degree, this enormous being was alive! At least, it had the traits of something living.
"Well, now it's time to capture the little emperor," Aoki said to himself before leaving a spatial mark and turning to exit the cave.
The last time he'd scouted the palace, he found four suspicious areas: one was Honest's residence, another was the treasure house, and the other two were likely the little emperor's bedrooms.
Of course, as the emperor, it was expected that he had more than one bedroom in the palace.
Given recent events, there was a high possibility that the little emperor had relocated.
Still, Aoki intended to investigate.
After all, what if the emperor was being stubborn and stayed in his old room?
However, he would need to proceed cautiously. It could very well be a trap.
In an instant, Aoki's figure flashed, and he reached his destination, quietly surveying the area.
There were even more guards here than before.
Could the little emperor really still be here?
Boom!
A sudden blue bolt of lightning struck, leaving a large crater in the ground, the surrounding area charred black.
Aoki's figure appeared nearby, fully exposed to the guards' view.
"Assassin!"
"There's an assassin!"
"The assassin has appeared!"
"Everyone, stay alert!"
The guards quickly mobilized, surrounding Aoki.
From their ranks, a tall blond man with gauntlets stepped forward.
"How dare you show up."
Budo's face was cold, arcs of blue electricity dancing around his arms. His violent aura rolled forth like a god descending upon the earth.
"So, it was a trap after all," Aoki noted, scanning the area. "Where's Esdeath?"
He had been detected the moment he arrived. Only someone like Esdeath could have orchestrated such a quick response.
Click. Click. Click.
The sound of crisp footsteps echoed as a woman with long blue hair and stunning beauty slowly emerged, followed by three others.
The guards slowly retreated, widening the encirclement, but a few men stayed close.
Aoki glanced around and remarked, "Quite the spectacle!"
Behind Esdeath stood her three Beast Warriors, all of whom were imperial weapon users.
The others present must be masters hidden within the palace. Including Esdeath and Budo, there were more than ten imperial weapon users gathered here!
"Fancy seeing you again" Esdeath's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Aoki asked, "Have you thought about my offer?"
Esdeath smiled, ignoring the people around her. "If you manage to survive today, I might consider it!"
Aoki's eyes narrowed. "Do you really think you can kill me?"
"That's right," Esdeath replied. "If you don't have any hidden tricks, you'll likely die here today!"
Aoki became contemplative.
To kill him, they would need to control his ability to travel through space.
Could Syura have returned with Shambhala?
But Aoki had already checked, and there was no sign of Syura among the imperial weapon users here.
Perhaps hiding?
No, something was off.
If they had Shambhala, they would've acted already. There was no reason to wait.
So, what were they waiting for?
They knew he could use "space Shuttle" to escape at any moment, yet they hadn't made a move.
That meant they were waiting for something—something that required time.
Esdeath had confidently said he might die, and knowing her, she wasn't bluffing.
In conclusion, there was a power within the palace capable of killing him, but it needed time to prepare.
The pieces began to fall into place in Aoki's mind.
The little emperor likely wasn't in the palace anymore.
After what happened to Honest, Budo and his forces wouldn't risk the emperor's safety by keeping him here.
But Esdeath believed there was a power that could kill him.
She had seen his regenerative abilities, and not many things could give her that level of confidence!
The answer was becoming clear.
"Is the little emperor planning to use the Shikoutazer?" Aoki mused.
Though it was just a guess, he was more than 80% certain it was correct.
The Shikoutazer was a weapon meant to protect the empire in times of great crisis.
By killing ministers and threatening the emperor's life, Aoki had created the perfect conditions for its use.
Considering the little emperor's loyalty to Honest, this course of action made even more sense.
But no—there had to be more to it.
While the Shikoutazer was powerful, it couldn't prevent Aoki from using his "space shuttle" ability to escape.
They also needed a force that could restrain "space travel."
Could it be Esdeath's "Mahapadma"?
Their plan had potential, no doubt.
The Shikoutazer's attack would likely be far more terrifying than any super-dangerous species.
But it was still just a possibility.
Since Aoki suspected a trap, he remained vigilant against Esdeath's "Mahapadma."
While his "Transparent World" couldn't fully track Esdeath's movements, it could still detect when she activated her ability.
Of course, now that Aoki had unraveled their plan, he had no intention of giving them the opportunity to execute it.
Aoki raised his hand.
One crucial detail had emerged from their plan—the little emperor was planning to use the Shikoutazer.
In that case, there was no need to waste any more time here.
Esdeath suddenly sensed something, and her eyes flickered with realization.
No!
It was too late!
"Mahapadma..." she began, hastily launching her ultimate move.
But the next moment—
"Soul Shock!" Aoki commanded in his mind.
Invisible waves surged outward from him in all directions.
Boom!
Esdeath felt as though her head had been struck by a sledgehammer. Her mind went blank, and the "Mahapadma" she had been preparing abruptly halted.
Budo staggered, blood seeping from all his orifices.
The three Beast Warriors and the other imperial weapon users collapsed, their eyes rolling back as they fell unconscious to the ground.
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And also:
Imperial weapon = Teigu
Teigu = Imperial weapon