Fifteen minutes earlier.
After three hours of coordination and preparation, most of the Revolutionary Army's sleeper agents in the capital had mobilized. They gathered at the entrance to the secret passage leading from the city outskirts to the Imperial Palace, following Najenda's orders.
Upon hearing Najenda's daring ambush plan, the core members of Night Raid unanimously agreed… with one exception: Mine had voiced her opposition earlier. But for everyone else, both within Night Raid and the Revolutionary Army, the risk was tempting.
The reason? Even if it cost them their lives, the gamble was worth taking!
Though the Empire's reputation was in tatters among the populace, as long as the upper echelons of the Empire—figures like Selene, Esdeath, and Budo—remained unchallenged, the Revolutionary Army's chances of victory were slim. They simply had no one who could match those powerhouses.
But now, with Esdeath away at war and Selene seemingly leaning toward neutrality, the political landscape was ripe for their strike. Many Imperial factions had chosen to remain neutral, creating the perfect environment for their decapitation strike.
If they could assassinate the Emperor and Prime Minister Honest, the revolution would be half-won. The remaining challenge would simply be negotiating with regional powers to restore order.
In a hotel basement near the secret tunnel entrance, food and supplies had been cleared out and replaced with an arsenal of weapons, ammunition, and explosives. Hundreds of Revolutionary Army agents gathered in the underground warehouse, ready for battle.
"Comrades! Our long-standing wish is about to come true today!" Najenda stood at the center of the warehouse, delivering her final motivational speech.
"For this moment, many of our comrades fell just before dawn."
"It's a shame they can't stand alongside us now... but it's alright. Their spirits remain with us, watching over our fight!"
"Today, our years of struggle will finally bear fruit! Above us lies the palace of a corrupt Emperor and a wicked minister! This will be our final battle!"
"Comrades, for our fallen friends! For our families suffering under tyranny! For all those who wish to survive—fight with everything you have!!"
"..."
Though there were no loud roars of enthusiasm, the Revolutionary Army soldiers stood tall, fists clenched to their chests, their faces solemn, eyes burning with resolve.
Najenda clenched her own fist, bringing it to her chest in a formal salute, her expression serious and confident as she addressed them: "Our fate is in this one battle. If we succeed, we live together. If we fail... we die together."
...
Inside the Imperial Palace.
"Even with all these layers of walls, the palace is still packed with watchtowers. These so-called 'important figures' are truly terrified of death..." Mine muttered, perched atop one of the palace's sentry towers, dressed in a palace guard's uniform.
She raised her sniper rifle, [Pumpkin], peering through the high-powered scope toward one of the grand, gilded palaces below. Inside, the increasingly rotund Honest was munching on greasy chunks of meat with one hand while lazily resting his head on the other, ogling the dancing girls across from him.
At Honest's side, the young Emperor was reading a report that Honest had specifically chosen for him. "Minister, is the Empire really that stable? I keep hearing news of General Esdeath's victories, but... why haven't the rebellions stopped? Is it because I'm not fit to rule?"
"Hm? Your Majesty, who told you such things?" Honest was momentarily caught off guard by the Emperor's words.
"No one told me. I thought of it myself. And... what was all that noise two nights ago? It seemed quite loud," the Emperor asked, putting down the report.
"Ahaha... as expected of Your Majesty. You're finally maturing," Honest said after a brief hesitation, quickly masking his shock with a wide smile. "I have no doubt you'll soon become as wise and powerful as your father!"
Hearing Honest's flattery, the Emperor's troubled expression disappeared, replaced by a gleeful smile. "Really? I'll be able to match Father? That makes me very happy."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Under your reign, the Empire will surely prosper," Honest said, his twisted smile widening. But beneath that laughter, his heart was filled with murderous intent.
It seemed the young Emperor was beginning to form his own opinions. If power were to be restored to him, neither Budo nor Selene would spare Honest's life. He needed a plan…
Ah, that's it! The Emperor is growing up—it's time for him to marry! Once he experiences the pleasures of women and leaves an heir, I can simply replace him. Then I'll remain Prime Minister!
"Hahaha, Your Majesty, since you're so concerned, let me tell you about the situation from two nights ago. A group of rebels called Night Raid caused a disturbance, but fortunately, they were suppressed. To prevent future attacks, I've established a special organization to deal with them..."
Honest rose from his seat and continued, "I've named this organization 'The Wild Hunt' and appointed my son, Syura, as its leader."
"Your son, Minister? He must be a pillar of the Empire, then. Let's proceed with that," the Emperor replied, readily agreeing without a second thought upon hearing that Syura would lead.
"Hahaha... Thank you, Your Majesty. Syura, come in and express your gratitude!"
At Honest's call, six people entered—four men and two women.
Leading them was a man with dark skin and white hair, tied in a long braid at the back like a tail. But it wasn't his skin or hair that stood out the most.
The most striking feature about him was the pair of intersecting scars that covered his entire face, giving him a wild and savage appearance.
"Your Majesty, this is my son, Syura," Honest said proudly, resting a hand on Syura's shoulder.
"Hmm, a fine-looking young man... Oh, it's almost 6 o'clock. Minister, I'll leave the rest to you. I trust you'll handle everything," the Emperor said, standing up and placing his hat on his head before leaving the palace.
"Thank you, Your Majesty..." Honest said, feigning sincerity as he watched the Emperor depart, surrounded by his guards.
"Dad, you're so disgustingly fake," Syura scoffed, hands on his hips, clearly unimpressed.
"Brat! Watch your mouth. Now, tell me, how do you plan to deal with Night Raid?" Honest retorted, resuming his feast on a massive chunk of meat.
"Hmph, how else? We'll just kill them. I've got the ability. Let me introduce you to my team..." Syura said as he casually sat down across from Honest and gestured toward the five people behind him.
The Wild Hunt consisted of people Syura had recruited during his travels around the world—kindred spirits, or more accurately, partners in crime.
As he spoke, Syura pulled out a grayish-white cube and tossed it in the air, a smug smile on his face. "With this, no matter how Night Raid tries to escape, they're finished!"
The cube was the Imperial Arm [Shambhala], a spatial manipulation weapon that allowed Syura to instantly transport himself or others to any location.
As long as he had it, Syura was confident he could even take on legends like Selene, the Empire's strongest general. Even if he couldn't defeat her, he'd at least survive.
"Well then, Dad, I can't wait any longer. I heard there are some beauties in Night Rai—"
Just as Syura was about to finish his sentence and catch [Shambhala] in his hand...
Boom—!
Shhhp—!
A blinding orange beam shot out of nowhere, piercing through Syura's hand just as he was about to grip [Shambhala].
Splurt!
In the next instant, Syura's entire arm was severed, and blood gushed out like a fountain, splattering both him and Honest.
Everyone, including Honest, froze in shock. This was the Imperial Palace! What was going on with the explosions?
Moments later, a barrage of explosions erupted, followed by Syura's gut-wrenching screams. It took only three seconds for the once-luxurious palace to collapse into rubble, with dust and debris clouding the air. Several palace guards were buried under the ruins.
Bang!
From beneath the rubble, a hulking figure emerged, lifting Honest in his arms. It was Sten of the Four Rakshasa Demons, along with the other three demons who had protected Honest in the nick of time.
As the dust settled, Syura's five subordinates from the Wild Hunt managed to crawl out from the debris. Being Imperial Arm users, they weren't so easily killed by mere rubble.
"Useless fools!" Honest snarled, his face dark and seething with rage, though it was unclear whether he was cursing the palace guards or his son.
"Kill Honest!!"
"For the Revolutionary Army!"
Suddenly, from all directions, a swarm of Revolutionary Army soldiers in black cloaks rushed at Honest, brandishing weapons and shouting their battle cries.
"Rebels! You treacherous scum—Huh?" Just as Honest began to curse them, his eyes caught a glimpse of silver amid the chaos.
Instantly, his teeth clenched with a grinding sound, his face twisted with fury as his muscles tensed, trembling from rage. "Najenda!"
Tearing off the cloak bearing Night Raid's insignia, Najenda drew her silver, double-bladed bow and aimed it directly at Honest, shouting, "Honest! Your time has come!!"
Behind Najenda stood the elite members of Night Raid, including Leone and Lubbock, all ready for battle. Among them, a man carrying a large scythe was particularly striking.
"Thank you, Holimaca, for your sect's support. We don't have time for formal thanks, but let's focus on taking down Honest first," Najenda said.
"Don't worry, Najenda... General. Our sect, Path of Peace, keeps its promises. We hope you'll keep yours too..." Holimaca, with his raspy voice, wielded his scythe and charged into the thick of the palace guards. Blood spattered everywhere as he swiftly cut through the enemies, pushing forward toward Honest's retreating figure.
"Leone, Lubbock, with allies fighting so fiercely, we, as the hosts, cannot afford to lag behind!" Najenda called out.
"Yes!" Leone and Lubbock, their eyes gleaming with battle intent, charged in after Holimaca.
Bang!
Clang, clang!
Leone's beast-like claws swept through the guards in front of her, hitting a broad area with immense power. In one sweeping attack, she sent three guards, along with their shields, flying into the air.
Lubbock's enemies fared even worse. His [Cross Tail] threads sliced through the palace guards with such precision that not even a full corpse was left.
With three Imperial Arm users and nearly a dozen Shingu users among their ranks, the palace guards' defensive line crumbled in the blink of an eye.
"Kill—!!" The revolutionary soldiers, inspired by Night Raid's onslaught, charged with even greater fervor.
Seeing his guards fall one after another, Honest felt a cold dread creeping into his heart as he realized the full weight of his situation.
"Damn it! Hold them off! I don't care what it costs—I'll reward anyone who stops them!" Honest yelled frantically.
After ordering the Four Rakshasa Demons and the Wild Hunt to cover him, Honest had no intention of staying to fight. Without hesitation, he turned and bolted toward the Emperor's chambers.
"Budo, you old fool! Where are your Imperial Guard? How could they let rebels into the palace without noticing... And that damn Holimaca—so much for all the favors we gave his Path of Peace sect! Traitors, all of them!"
Cursing as he ran, Honest's thoughts were a whirlwind of panic and anger.
Hum!
Najenda's sharp eyes locked onto Honest's plump, fleeing figure. With swift precision, she raised her silver bow once again, her fingers pulling the string taut as energy surged through it.
"Shining Arrow!"
As she released the string, the air itself seemed to halt for a moment. Then, with a powerful swish, a gleaming arrow of light shot forth from her bow, ripping through the air toward Honest. The blast of air left behind a deep scar in the palace floor as debris scattered around.
Hum—!
Just before the arrow could pierce Honest, a thick arm swung down, smashing into the arrow with brute force. The massive arm belonged to Sten of the Four Rakshasa Demons. The sound of metal grinding against energy rang out as the light arrow collided with his forearm guards. Blood sprayed everywhere as his arm split open, flesh tearing apart, revealing raw muscle and bone.
However, Sten had successfully stopped the arrow.
"Rakshasa Demons, huh? My arrows aren't so easily broken..." Najenda muttered, her eyes narrowing as she continued to close in on Honest.
Najenda's new Imperial Arm, [L'Arc Qui Ne Faut], was a bow-type Teigu. Once a target was locked on and within range, the arrows of light it fired would relentlessly pursue the target until they struck.
Although she had passed on [Pumpkin] to Mine and had lost [Susanoo] to Selene earlier, the Revolutionary Army had the resources to procure her a new Teigu with ease.
"Honest-sama, be careful!" Sten's comrade, Mez, called out.
Just as Sten had smashed the light arrow, it began to reform, gathering light particles back together.
"What?!"
Hearing Mez's warning, Honest turned around just in time to see a golden light flash before his eyes. Instinctively, he pulled a nearby guard in front of him to shield himself.
Thud!
The reformed light arrow pierced through the guard, shredding his body to pieces as blood splattered everywhere, but Honest managed to avoid taking a direct hit.
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