"Najenda, long time no see..." Selene, with one hand on her hip and her face devoid of emotion, greeted Najenda.
"Boss, is she... the one they call Selene?" With a loud bang, Leone pushed herself away from Rasetsu Four's Juuten and landed next to Najenda, speaking in a low voice.
Leone looked up at the dazzling silver-white figure in front of her, momentarily dazed.
The woman who had just saved Honest had long, white hair flowing down to her waist, crimson diamond-shaped pupils that appeared casual yet deep, and facial features so exquisite they seemed sculpted like a doll.
Her exposed skin was as smooth and perfect as porcelain. Her figure was graceful, slender, and perfectly proportioned, every curve just right. Everything about her was flawless.
While there was an almost intoxicating allure to her, her entire being radiated a cold, domineering aura that made others instinctively keep their distance.
In the Imperial Calendar year 1015, was it her who saved me? I should have realized earlier... A high-ranking officer of the Empire, a female, with white hair... Apart from the Boss, it could only be Grand General Selene...
Selene, of course, had no idea what Leone was thinking. The slave girl who had once fled in a panic before her was a long-forgotten memory. In the years since, Selene had saved countless people in passing.
It's like asking someone to remember every loaf of bread they've ever eaten, she thought. Especially when that particular "loaf" had changed so much, from flat to mountainous…
Taking a deep breath, Najenda spoke gravely, "Grand General Selene, we—"
"Najenda, it's been years since we last met, back in the southern provinces..." Selene interrupted, her voice smooth but devoid of warmth.
Before Najenda could finish, another familiar voice chimed in. From the glowing purple portal behind Selene, Sebas, Elisa, and Esdeath stepped through one by one.
"Esdeath!" Seeing the war-hungry look on Esdeath's face, Najenda cursed silently. The battle maniac was here too.
"Hahaha... Grand General Selene, General Esdeath, you've arrived at just the right time. These traitors attempted to assassinate His Majesty!" Honest, who had nearly collapsed in fear, suddenly leaped up with newfound confidence. He marched forward, his face twisted with malice, and glared at the Night Raid members, his voice dripping with arrogance.
His whole body quivered, every fold of fat jiggling like a peacock in its moment of triumph.
Unaware that the young emperor was already dead, Honest still believed he was of use, thinking that he and Selene were still on the same side for now.
"Night Raid... Hmph, rest assured, I won't let you die so easily. I'll make sure you experience what it truly means to wish for death!" Honest's expression grew even more grotesque, his sadistic grin widening.
"Grand General Selene, please, you must... General, what are you doing..." Honest suddenly froze, a dreadful premonition creeping into his heart as he noticed Selene's lack of response.
His body stiffened, and with great difficulty, he turned his head to look at Selene. Her eyes, as deep as a bottomless abyss, held no warmth, no emotion, only a chilling indifference. It felt like she was gazing through him, seeing nothing but emptiness.
The sight sent a shiver down his spine, freezing him to his core.
"Hmph... It seems the esteemed Prime Minister has failed to grasp the situation," Selene chuckled softly, her gaze shifting from the wary Night Raid members to Honest.
"We still have some unresolved grievances, don't we? You've caused me no small amount of trouble. Now, it's time to... clear the field."
Clear the field?
In this context, those words were far from comforting. Especially considering Selene's tone, it was clear her intent was deadly.
Stumbling back, away from Selene, Honest pushed a nearby guard aside in desperation, stammering, "Juuten, Kyouk... save—"
Before he could finish, Selene raised a hand ever so slightly. "You've outlived your usefulness."
Space Severance.
Slice!
Four pitch-black lines flashed through the air.
Still in mid-stride, Honest hadn't even felt pain before his world spun. His face hit the ground, the earth cold against his cheek.
For a brief moment, Honest was too stunned to react. How dare she? Then, pain erupted in his limbs as they were severed, sending his body into convulsions and shock.
"Aaahhhhhh!!!" In an instant, Honest's arms and legs were sliced clean off, leaving only his grotesquely large torso, from which blood poured profusely. His screams were like that of a slaughtered pig.
"Selene! Do you realize what you've done?! I am the Empire's Prime Minister! Military officers have no right to interfere with politics... You have no right to kill me! I demand to see the emperor!!! I demand to see—"
"Shut up."
Bang!
With a flick of her finger, a powerful shockwave shattered Honest's jaw, reducing much of the flesh and bone to fragments. Honest collapsed into unconsciousness, blood and filth pouring from his broken mouth.
As the stench of Honest's soiled body filled the air, Selene wrinkled her nose in disgust. She floated slightly above the ground, looking disdainfully at the palace guards who had been frozen in place.
"You should retreat. Staying will only get you killed," she ordered coldly.
It took a moment for the lead guard to snap out of his stupor. "Oh... yes, ma'am!" he stammered, not daring to ask why the Grand General had turned on the Prime Minister.
"We'll take the Prime Minister as well, and we'll find a medic to treat his wounds. We won't let him die," the guard hastily added as they hurriedly carried Honest away.
As the palace guards withdrew in an orderly fashion under Selene's command, the Revolutionary Army members were left standing in stunned silence, struggling to comprehend the Empire's sudden internal conflict.
Najenda hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Grand General Selene, have you decided to join the revolution now?"
Selene lightly placed a finger on her lower lip, speaking softly, "No, I don't intend to..."
"I told you, didn't I? This is merely clearing the field. Now... it's your turn."
With that, Selene slowly extended her right hand.
Simulation—Repulsion! Weakened version, wide-area, instant release!
"Watch out!" Najenda shouted in alarm, sensing what was coming.
Hum...
From an aerial view, a faint purple light spread out from Selene's hand, rapidly expanding like a fan, engulfing everything before her.
Boom!!!
The Revolutionary Army soldiers who had stormed the palace were caught in the terrifying purple glow.
It was as if death itself had descended upon them.
The immense repulsive force swept over the soldiers, turning them into nothing more than bundles of straw, their flesh and bones blown apart in an instant.
Blood, body parts, weapon fragments, and even pieces of broken Shingu scattered across the ground, crashing into the pulverized remains of the palace floor.
A grotesque tapestry of gore painted the area in front of Selene, the brutal remnants of the soldiers smeared across the ground like a macabre work of art.
"The ants have been swept away. Now, only the four Teigu users remain..."
Suddenly, "Die!"
Thud!
Leone had rushed in with a punch, but her fist stopped a mere centimeter from Selene's body.
Though nothing seemed to block her path, Leone couldn't break through the invisible force in front of Selene. It felt as if she were striking an immovable iron wall—unyielding, solid, and unshakable.
"Why is the gap between us so great?!"
Faced with Selene's cold, indifferent gaze, Leone's confidence crumbled. The sheer terror that emanated from Selene made every cell in Leone's body tremble.
In that moment, Leone understood why Najenda was so afraid of Selene.
"This feeling... it makes my soul shudder. She's... she's not human!"
Escape. I have to escape, or I'll die.
"Banshou Ten'in!"
"No! Must... cough..." Leone struggled, but it was too late.
"Leone, is it..." Selene's hand pulled Leone toward her with invisible force. Gripping Leone's throat tightly, Selene lifted her off the ground. "You... your eyes show recognition. Do we know each other? I don't remember you... Well, it doesn't matter. I'll give you a painless death."
With that, Selene squeezed, and Leone's body went limp, her legs dangling as she lost all strength and her breath ceased.
Selene gently placed Leone's lifeless body on the ground before pulling the Teigu, Lionelle, from her waist.
"Leone!" Najenda screamed. In a single encounter, the strongest close-combat fighter in Night Raid had fallen.
"Esdeath, Najenda is yours," Selene ordered.
"Selene, you—" Najenda began, her face pale, but before she could finish...
Boom!
Esdeath's ice-blue figure shot forward like a bolt of lightning, grabbing Najenda by the throat and slamming her into the ground.
With her cold voice laced with excitement, Esdeath pinned Najenda to the ground, her grip firm on her throat. "Najenda, come on, fight me! Let's see how strong you've become!"
Esdeath had been waiting eagerly for this moment ever since Selene gave her the order. As a battle maniac, the chance to face off against Najenda was an opportunity she had longed for.
Najenda, despite being slammed into the ground and feeling her body ache all over, reacted quickly. Using her strong core muscles, she flipped back up and immediately retaliated, thrusting her Teigu, L'Arc Qui Ne Faut, at Esdeath, the silver bow glowing with power.
The arrow from L'Arc Qui Ne Faut shot out, but Esdeath merely smirked, her body covered by a thin layer of ice armor that blocked the attack. Without hesitation, Esdeath unleashed a swift kick toward Najenda.
Najenda raised her bow to block, but she had severely underestimated Esdeath's brute strength.
"Damn it, how is Esdeath's physical power this monstrous?!" Najenda gritted her teeth as she felt her arms buckle under the force of the kick.
Screech!
The bend in Najenda's bow was almost at a breaking point as it strained against Esdeath's relentless kick. Finally, with a deafening crash, Najenda was sent flying backward, tumbling across the palace grounds, her bow clattering beside her.
"Get up! This fight isn't over," Esdeath growled, pursuing her prey.
Standing by Leone's lifeless body, Selene calmly issued orders. "Sebas, Alyssa, clean up. Leave no survivors."
"Yes, my lady!" Sebas and Alyssa responded in unison.
They immediately turned their attention to the scattered remains of the Revolutionary Army soldiers, moving swiftly to eliminate any remaining threats.
Selene's eyes flicked over to the side, where Four Rakshasa Demons—Ibara, Sten, Suzuka, and Mez—stood with looks of shock and uncertainty. They, too, had frozen at the sight of Selene's raw power.
"Mez, take the other three and guard Honest. Make sure he stays alive. I have plans for him."
"A-ah, yes, ma'am!" Mez quickly gathered her companions, and they hurried away from the scene without question. Even thinking about revenge for Honest now seemed suicidal. Better to live and follow orders than be reckless.
Once they were gone, Selene's gaze turned to the remaining group—Syura's Wild Hunt.
Syura's band of followers was standing tensely, knowing full well they were now at the mercy of the most powerful woman in the Empire.
"Who among you is Dorothea?" Selene asked.
A small figure, barely taller than a child, nervously stepped forward. "I-I am Dorothea, Grand General," she stammered, her voice trembling.
"Come here," Selene commanded.
Dorothea slowly walked forward, her tiny body trembling with fear. She had seen what happened to her companions, and she had no intention of following them into oblivion.
As soon as Dorothea was close enough, Selene extended her hand. The ground behind Dorothea began to crack and shift.
Void Claw!
Selene's hand glowed with a deep purple energy, and behind Dorothea, the massive, spectral claw formed in the air. It lashed out with terrifying speed, targeting the remaining members of Wild Hunt—Izou, Cosmia, Enshin, and Champ.
"No! Wait! Grand General, we surrender! We can—" Izou tried to plead, but it was too late.
The spectral claw gripped all four of them in its terrible grasp, lifting them off the ground. Their bodies twisted unnaturally, bones snapping, blood spraying in all directions.
Their screams filled the air for only a moment before their bodies were crushed into a grotesque mixture of bone and gore, falling to the ground as nothing more than a mutilated pile of flesh.
"I have no use for those like you," Selene said coldly, lowering her hand.
Dorothea, having narrowly avoided her companions' fate, stood in stunned silence. She was spared, but the message was clear: her life was worth nothing to Selene unless she proved otherwise.
Just as Selene was about to turn her attention elsewhere, a flicker of purple light appeared before her. A torn Teigu, Shambhala, began to glow, and a figure materialized from the remnants of the portal.
"Who dares attack me?!"