Lubbock was in shock. "Hey, hey, how are we supposed to fight this?"
Leone suggested, "Maybe we should split up and run?"
Sheele added, "But what about Mine?"
Mine, feeling guilty, said, "I'm sorry, everyone. It's my fault you're all in danger."
Najenda also looked grim. Facing Budo meant losses were inevitable, even if they tried to escape. If that happened, what would have been the point of their rescue mission?
She called out to Akame, "Akame, is there any way to make a deal with Rei Ao to cover our retreat?"
The best scenario would be for Rei Ao to step in and help them escape.
Akame silently initiated a trade request.
[Ding! Akame has sent a trade request!]
[Trade Content]: Cover their retreat.
[Ding! Please select trade terms!]
Rei Ao, a little disappointed, shook his head. "You're not choosing to fight first?"
He had hoped for a bit of action. Nevertheless, he chose the final trade terms available from Akame and quickly received the confirmation.
[Ding! Trade started!]
[Trade Partner]: Akame.
[Trade Content]: Cover their retreat.
[Trade Terms]: Body usage rights for one time.
[Duration]: 3 hours.
Standing nearby, Mai looked at Rei Ao with a strange expression. She suspected Rei Ao had done this on purpose, but... she couldn't find any reason to object. Budo seemed powerful, and she didn't want Rei Ao to take unnecessary risks. However, she had misunderstood—Budo wasn't that strong in Rei Ao's eyes.
[Target]: Budo.
[Level]: 15.
[Abilities]: None.
[Possession]: "Adramelech: The Demon's Wrath."
Budo's true strength came from his Teigu, though even that wasn't particularly impressive to Rei Ao.
Meanwhile, thousands of soldiers, holding torches, surrounded the forest, illuminating the area as they advanced.
Budo sneered, "I'll give you one last chance to surrender."
"Surrender?" Leone scoffed. "We'd just get beheaded anyway. Let's fight them!"
Mine, gritting her teeth, muttered, "I'm so sorry, everyone. This is all my fault."
"Heh, no need for fighting," Rei Ao said casually.
"You should thank Akame."
As he spoke, thin tendrils of cold air began to escape from his mouth.
"Hmm?"
Budo's gaze locked onto him, but before he could react, a torrent of freezing cold erupted forth.
"A-Esdeath?!"
The sheer intensity of the cold made Budo think of Esdeath, but before he could make any moves, the cold wave surged forward, engulfing not just him but the thousands of soldiers around them.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Najenda and the others shivered as the temperature plummeted.
In the blink of an eye, Budo and all the surrounding enemies had been turned into ice sculptures, their bodies encased in crystalline frost. The entire forest for miles around was frozen solid.
"It wasn't Esdeath?!"
Najenda was in shock. Hadn't Rei Ao just demonstrated his ability to transform into a fire dragon? Now, he was displaying ice powers that rivaled Esdeath's. How was this possible?
Rei Ao, accompanied by Mai and the others, approached the frozen scene.
"I've fulfilled the deal to cover your retreat, so stop wasting time and head back to your base."
Najenda snapped out of her shock, but she was still wary, eyeing the frozen Budo.
"Budo won't let us leave that easily," she said cautiously. In her experience, not even Esdeath's ice could kill Budo outright.
Unfortunately for her, it wasn't Esdeath who attacked—it was Rei Ao.
With a smile, Rei Ao raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
One by one, the ice statues began to shatter into fragments. In front of their eyes, the frozen soldiers, and even Budo, crumbled into dust.
Najenda's face displayed disbelief for the first time.
"Budo... is dead?"
Her voice trembled as she spoke. There was no way the shattered remains could form back into a human.
Gulp.
Lubbock and the others swallowed hard. Leone could hardly believe it. "He wiped out all of them… just like that!"
"Who are you?" Mine stared in awe at Rei Ao's side profile. This man, who had saved her, possessed such terrifying strength that it made her heart race. Budo, a general whose power was feared throughout the Empire, didn't even get a chance to speak before he was obliterated.
"The obstacle is gone. Now leave; don't waste my time."
Rei Ao clearly had more important things to attend to.
Akame, mistaking his impatience for a desire to quickly claim his trade reward, hoisted Kurome onto her back and urged, "We should go now."
Najenda, regaining her composure, gave Rei Ao a respectful glance before addressing her team.
"Let's return to the base."
~~~
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