"The Supreme Commander of the entire army... Commander of the 1st Army!"
Had this day finally come? It was somewhat expected, yet it arrived faster than anticipated.
Ever since King Austin began gathering these terrifying powerhouses from unknown sources, Virgil had foreseen what would happen today. Now, one after another, numerous powerful figures continued to emerge in the Nova Kingdom.
Stepping down to make way for the worthy was nothing more than an inevitability.
Virgil harbored no resentment. On the contrary, he felt a sudden wave of relief. After all, his own strength was too weak, yet his position sat high above a massive group of monstrously powerful individuals. The pressure had been truly suffocating.
And this was despite the Espada Legion being a force directly under the King's personal command.
"Virgil, do you have any objections?" Austin's expression was calm, but his aura was profoundly majestic and domineering, radiating the true character of an emperor.
"I have no objections, Your Majesty! The King is wise!" Virgil stepped out of the ranks and bowed respectfully.
When they heard Austin's announcement, the faces of all the summoned characters—including members of both the Espada and Night Raid—shifted, a kaleidoscope of expressions crossing their features.
Among them, some were still deeply dissatisfied with Esdeath taking the position of Marshal.
*Could a mere woman really stand above them?*
Meanwhile, the members of Night Raid were already frozen in shock and terror the moment they laid eyes on Esdeath. How on earth did this woman end up under the King's command?
Seeing the expressions on the Night Raid members' faces, Esdeath smiled faintly, thoroughly amused. An inscrutable glint flashed in her eyes.
She hadn't expected to encounter Night Raid and Najenda in a place like this either.
*How interesting!*
A flicker of delight danced in Esdeath's eyes before she quickly focused. With a solemn and noble expression, she stepped out of the ranks and stood right in the center of the red carpet beneath the throne steps.
"From this day forth, I, Esdeath, am the Supreme Commander of the Nova Kingdom!"
"If anyone has an objection, know this: as long as your strength surpasses mine, I will abdicate and hand over this position immediately!"
The cold and arrogant dominance of the Ice Queen erupted, and an incomparably powerful, terrifying aura instantly engulfed the entire hall!
The freezing, oppressive pressure weighed down on everyone present. Aside from Austin, every single person in the room was utterly shocked.
Because the woman standing before them, right beneath the steps of the King's throne, was simply too terrifying!
Even the Tier 6 powerhouses—Ulquiorra, Baraggan, and Starrk—felt a massive pressure and shuddered slightly. The strength of the woman in front of them was far beyond their own! Her power had reached a frightening level; she was not an existence they could handle in a one-on-one fight.
But if we are truly speaking of grievances, among the three, the Skeleton King Baraggan undoubtedly had the worst impression of Esdeath.
Starrk's nature was inherently lazy and disliked fighting, while Ulquiorra had no desire for power; he would unconditionally obey the King's orders and execute his duties flawlessly.
But Baraggan...
He was loyal to his master, King Austin, and would not question his decisions. Yet, a brat who hadn't even lived a century was now standing above his head?!
Baraggan, who had once ruled Hueco Mundo as its Emperor, could hardly stomach this! Just as he was about to step out of line, however, he abruptly stopped.
There was no other reason than the fact that after unleashing her aura to ensure no one dared oppose her, Esdeath turned around and walked up the stairs.
She gently took Austin's hand, bowing her head to plant a soft kiss upon it.
"Wait for me, I promise you!"
"It won't take long. I will absolutely tear this world to pieces for you."
"You will be the sole Emperor of this world!"
Her words were filled with a passionate, burning love for Austin, but they carried an undeniable, absolute confidence!
"I have always believed you could achieve it, Esdeath."
Austin caught Esdeath's open hand and replied with a warm smile.
Watching Austin's dominant and majestic demeanor soften into a gentle smile just for her, Esdeath's heart began to race. Suddenly, an uncontrollable urge washed over her—she wanted to pull Austin into a tight embrace right here on her frozen peak!
*Austin's smile is just too sweet!*
Esdeath's heart pounded faster, her breath catching for a moment. Ultimately, though, she forced the impulse down and returned a tender, beautiful smile.
...
Empress?
Forget it.
Baraggan silently took a step back and abandoned any notion of fighting.
He didn't want to be punished with cleaning the latrines again. Right now, everyone in the kingdom, from ninety-year-old elders to three-year-old toddlers, knew about that. If he ended up scrubbing toilets a second time, his reputation and prestige would be utterly shattered.
*Hmph, this old man doesn't care to bicker with women anyway!*
The meeting came to a close, and Austin dismissed the crowd. Orders were handed out to the group of summoned characters, and they departed one by one, followed by the ministers.
Before leaving, Harribel cast a lingering glance at Austin before walking away; she was heading to join her three subordinates.
Inside the King's palace, only Rem and Ram remained by the throne to serve Austin and Esdeath. Oh, and little Nelliel, who was currently snuggled up in Austin's lap.
"General Virgil, you must assist Esdeath from now on," Austin instructed.
"Yes, my King," Virgil replied, placing a hand over his heart in a respectful salute.
*Assisting the future queen, is it?*
He had also been shaken by the terrifying and majestic aura Esdeath had displayed earlier; he knew the new Supreme Commander's strength was overwhelming. Furthermore, she shared an excellent relationship with Austin, which pleased Virgil well enough.
However, what Austin pulled out next left him completely shocked and awestruck.
"This is a Knight Training Manual. General Virgil, you can assist Esdeath while simultaneously raising a Knight Order of your own!"
"This manual is priceless, do not lose it. Anyone who trains under it will gain terrifying power."
"A human can break through up to Tier 8 at most, and a Tier 5 is already equivalent to a Navy Admiral."
"Uncle Virgil, do you understand what I mean?!"
From the system storage, Austin produced a golden book emblazoned with the image of a golden knight riding a pegasus.
A Tier 8 item from the Diamond-level summoning pool! A legendary knight training manual capable of breeding powerhouses up to Tier 8!
That represented the pinnacle of combat power from another world. A Tier 8 Legendary Knight could single-handedly tear through this pirate world! It could rightfully be called a devastating, cataclysmic natural disaster.
In Austin's view, even producing a Sky Knight capable of reaching Tier 5 would be excellent. The system's response aligned with this: due to insufficient energy resources, breeding a Tier 6 Knight was highly improbable.
But if he handed it to Virgil to study, mass-producing Bronze and Silver Knights would still be a walk in the park.
"Your Majesty, this old minister swears he will not disappoint you!"
Virgil had never imagined that Austin would bestow such a frightening cultivation method upon him. Moreover, hearing the definitive ranking of these powerhouses made the old man's blood boil.
With this method, perhaps even at his advanced age, he could break through his limits! Just as the King said, he could become a Tier 5 powerhouse—an Admiral-level force!
Clutching the book to his chest with sheer joy, Virgil excused himself.
"Austin~"
Once the outsiders had completely cleared out, Esdeath immediately scooped up Nelliel from Austin's lap, tossed her aside, slid into her place, and wrapped her arms tightly around Austin's neck.
Unable to restrain herself any longer, she leaned in and kissed him deeply.
*Here we go again!*
*Another powerful and dominant rival has appeared!*
Standing off to the side, Rem and Ram's cute eyes widened in surprise, their cheeks puffing up like pufferfish.
"Austin, what did you mean by 'Tiers' earlier?"
After a long moment, the two parted. Esdeath licked her lips, leaving behind a sweet fragrance, and offered a gentle, beautiful smile.
Austin smiled back, explaining, "It's the power classification of this world and countless others."
"Esdeath, your strength is currently at the peak of Tier 6."
"Right now, you hold the highest rank in the Nova Kingdom. Ulquiorra is a beginner Tier 6, Starrk is a mid-Tier 6, and Baraggan is slightly weaker than Starrk."
"So that's how it is," Esdeath murmured, enlightened by Austin's explanation.
Rem and Ram, hearing this for the first time, also wore expressions of astonishment.
"This is for you. It might be of use," Austin said after a moment of thought, retrieving ten Pure Soul Crystals from his storage and handing them to Esdeath.
Perhaps with these, Esdeath would soon break through to Tier 7, becoming the very first Tier 7 powerhouse in this world!
> [Pure and Holy Soul Crystal]
> Quality: Diamond
> Effect: A soul-nourishing crystal that enhances the quality of the user's soul, possessing potent soul-shaping and mending properties!
> Description: A crystallization of a pure and holy soul from another world—a treasure capable of drawing the envy of the gods themselves!
This item was vastly more precious than a standard pure soul crystal core. When refined through systematic application, it could directly elevate one's soul quality.
And what were the benefits of improving soul quality?
It boiled down to accelerating cultivation speed, sharpening comprehension, amplifying willpower, raising spiritual resistance, and so on...
Some bottlenecks were notoriously high; your physical power might meet the criteria, but if your soul was still too raw, you would find yourself perpetually stuck, unable to make any progress!
With these ten pure and holy soul crystals, combined with the sheer intensity of Esdeath's love for him, Austin believed she would achieve a massive breakthrough in no time.
He was highly anticipating it—the birth of the Nova Kingdom's first true Tier 7 powerhouse!
Taking the ten soul crystals Austin handed over, Esdeath began to examine them. The crystals emitted a dazzling radiance, shrouded in a mesmerizing, three-colored halo. Though only the size of a coin, each piece contained an incredibly pure aura.
Esdeath gripped the crystals tightly, feeling a sudden warmth surge through her. She leaned into the majestic room's atmosphere, pulling Austin into a fierce, unyielding embrace.
"Austin~ Thank you!"
Esdeath could clearly feel how immensely beneficial these crystals would be for her. She was deeply moved and overjoyed that Austin would gift her something so incredibly valuable.
Looking up into Austin's eyes, she found them as gentle as pooling water. *What a wonderfully good man you are, Austin.*
She couldn't help but want to devour him entirely! Highly satisfied with Austin's treatment of her, the Ice Queen made up her mind.
*Tonight, I am taking Austin down!*
"Uh... You're welcome," Austin managed to choke out with great difficulty, feeling as though he had just taken a massive bite out of a frozen snow lotus on a mountain peak.
The avalanche of her affection was so immense it nearly buried him, causing him to exhale a breath of both relief and pleasant exhaustion.
"Ah! Damn you, Esdeath!"
Nelliel, who had been tossed away earlier, ran back in a fit of rage. She lunged to bite Esdeath's beautiful hand, but Esdeath instantly coated her skin in a layer of ice. Nelliel ended up biting down hard on solid frost.
"Ow~ wooo! Austin! Esdeath is bullying me!"
Clutching her aching teeth, Nelliel's eyes welled with tears as she loudly complained to Austin.
"Haha, alright, Nelliel. Tonight, I'll give Esdeath a thorough lesson on your behalf!" Austin laughed, scooping Nelliel into his arms and gently patting her small head.
Given his own constitution, he could easily contend with Esdeath for ten days and ten nights without breaking a sweat. He just wasn't sure if Esdeath's physical stamina would hold up.
*Hmm, not bad at all.*
Only through constant exchange and deep communication between top-tier powerhouses could they rapidly and effectively improve their strength! Besides, Esdeath had been looking forward to this for a very long time and was growing impatient.
Night fell.
Harribel, who hadn't seen Austin in a long time, arrived at his bedroom. There, she witnessed Austin conducting a "training review" with Rem and Ram.
The two little maids had finally granted their wishes. Austin was giving them a late-night evaluation.
Having followed Austin for so long, they occasionally received pointers from him regarding their cultivation. Rem's strength had increased significantly, reaching the mid-Tier 3 peak. Meanwhile, Ram, who had recovered her Oni horn, now possessed a formidable mid-Tier 5 peak strength!
After a rigorous training session and imparting his guidance to the two sisters, Rem and Ram were left exhausted and panting. With a faint flush coating their cute faces, they bowed slightly to Harribel and quietly exited the bedroom.
Only Harribel and Austin remained.
*This is purely a cultivation manual guide, don't overthink it!*
Seating himself on a luxurious sofa, Austin pulled up his pants slightly to get more comfortable.
"Master Austin works so hard day and night, yet he still finds the time to personally guide the head maids in their cultivation," Harribel said, her tone level but a subtle shift mirroring in her eyes.
She hadn't spoken with Austin in quite a while. Why hadn't he called for her? Though she appeared calm and indifferent on the surface, did he not realize she had already begun to miss him?
"Come here. It's been a while, and I've missed you too, Harribel~"
Austin gestured. Without a moment's hesitation, Harribel stepped forward and allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace. Lowering her head slightly to accept his kiss, she let out a soft murmur, her eyes gently fluttering shut.
A moment later, as silver threads parted, Harribel's wheat-toned cheeks flushed a deep crimson.
"Oh? I haven't seen you in a while, and your strength has already broken past the baseline of Tier 6?" Austin noted in surprise.
> [Tier Harribel]
> Rank: High-Rank Vasto Lorde Peak (Tier 6 Beginner Level)
> Race: Hollow, Arrancar
> Attributes: devouring evolution, cascade, water manipulation
> Abilities: Cero, Sonido, Hierro...
> Weapon: Zanpakutō · Tiburón
> Comprehensive Evaluation: Another queen is born. Perhaps you can nurture her to become the true Queen of Hueco Mundo!
Reading the stat panel, Austin clicked his tongue twice in admiration. Nurturing Harribel to become the Queen of Hueco Mundo? That was a stellar idea, and highly feasible.
"Yes... Some of the soul crystal cores you gave me last time hadn't been fully digested."
"After fighting alongside you last time, I absorbed a great deal. Once the two forces complemented each other and were completely integrated, I experienced a breakthrough."
Harribel explained everything step-by-step, her face growing redder the more she spoke.
"Well then, let's see the results! This King will personally test your current limits and help solidify your newfound power!"
Austin grinned. Then, remembering something, he added, "By the way, I've used our Soul Link to tell Esdeath to hold off for now."
"Let's clash swords once more!"
And so, a terrifying battle between Tier 6 powerhouses commenced in the dead of night!