The meeting hall of Night Raid headquarters.
When Naruto and Akame arrived, the hall was already full of people.
Naruto scanned the room and found that besides the people he had seen during the day, there were two new faces he hadn't seen before, both of whom were women.
One was a loli in a pink dress, with pink hair and pupils, and the other was a purple-haired, purple-eyed, big-breasted glasses girl.
"Oh, Akame is here."
Najenda, sitting at the head of the table, saw Akame and Naruto enter, smiled and greeted Akame, then said to Naruto with a solemn expression, "Your Majesty, Admiral General Budo is dead!"
"Hmm!?"
Naruto's pupils constricted slightly when he heard Najenda's words, then he said in shock, "How is that possible? Did General Budo actually lose to Honest?!"
Although Naruto had not tested General Budo's strength, he could tell with his naked eye that General Budo was far stronger than Honest.
It was precisely because he clearly knew this that he sent General Budo to capture Honest, but he didn't expect General Budo to lose!
He couldn't imagine any reason why General Budo would lose to Honest.
"Admiral General Budo did lose, but not to the Minister—he lost to Esdeath," Najenda said with a solemn expression.
"Esdeath?"
When Naruto heard this name, the appearance and information about this person immediately appeared in his mind, and then he said in surprise, "Shouldn't she be fighting the barbarians in the north? Why is she in the Imperial Capital?"
Esdeath, another 'strongest' in the Empire, on par with Admiral General Budo, and she was on the side close to Minister Honest.
However, in Naruto's memory, she should be in the north resisting the barbarians at this time, so why would she suddenly return? And in Naruto's memory, Esdeath's strength should be slightly weaker than Admiral General Budo, so how could General Budo lose to her?
"I just received news that the barbarians in the north have been conquered by Esdeath."
Najenda said with a solemn expression, "Originally, everyone thought that even if Esdeath took action, it would take at least a year to defeat the barbarians in the north, but I didn't expect her to do it in just two months!
That woman has become even stronger than she was a few years ago!"
Najenda and Esdeath were once good friends, so she knew how powerful the other party was.
Because after Najenda joined the Revolutionary Army, she regarded Esdeath as an enemy that must be eliminated, so she once estimated the combat power needed to defeat Esdeath.
The final result was that Najenda believed that to kill Esdeath, it would require at least 50,000 elite soldiers,
And the combined efforts of at least ten Imperial Arms users, including Akame, to make it possible.
And that was Najenda's estimate based on her impression of Esdeath's strength a few years ago.
Today's Esdeath, whether in terms of leading troops or personal strength, is obviously stronger than a few years ago. Now, to deal with her, they must commit more and stronger combat power!
"Damn it!"
Najenda thought of this, couldn't help but pound the table heavily, and cursed in a low voice with an ugly expression, "Why does that bitch Esdeath have to stand on the Minister's side!"
"Originally, I didn't understand why the BOSS was so afraid of that woman."
At this moment, the pink-haired twin-tailed loli sitting next to Najenda suddenly spoke, and said in a solemn tone, "But after watching her fight Admiral General Budo from a distance this time, I finally understand why the BOSS fears her. That woman is simply a monster!"
This pink-haired twin-tailed loli's name is Mine. Her Imperial Arm is called Pumpkin, which is a gun-type Imperial Arm that can convert the user's mental energy into shockwaves.
During the Imperial Capital operation, she was responsible for finding an opportunity to assassinate Minister Honest, so she witnessed the entire battle between Esdeath and Admiral General Budo.
In her opinion, both of them were as strong as monsters; one could freely create ice, and the other could freely control lightning. Both were powerful monsters who could control natural power.
At first, Mine thought that Admiral General Budo, who could control lightning, was stronger.
But at the end of their battle, the woman named Esdeath actually used a move that could freeze space!
When she saw that scene, even though she was far away and was not affected by that move, it still gave her the illusion that all the blood in her body instantly stopped flowing.
"Admiral General Budo died in that space-freezing move!"
After Mine recounted the details of the battle between Esdeath and Admiral General Budo that she had witnessed to everyone present, she said with lingering fear, "That woman is absolutely not someone a normal person can deal with!"
"Freeze space!"
After listening to Mine's narration, everyone also showed shock.
If Esdeath's strength was truly as Mine said, then it had indeed exceeded the scope of normal people, and they could not think of any way to deal with that space-freezing move.
"This is not the worst."
Najenda took over the conversation and said in a deep voice, "After Esdeath defeated and killed Admiral General Budo, that bastard Honest immediately regained control of power, and then issued a kill order against us, claiming to eliminate our organization within a month.
But he concealed the fact that the Emperor was captured by us from everyone."
Saying that, she looked at Naruto again, gritted her teeth and said word by word, "That is to say, that guy never intended to rescue Your Majesty from our hands!"
Originally, Najenda thought that Naruto would be an important bargaining chip in their hands. Even if he couldn't make Honest surrender directly, he could at least make him wary and not dare to act rashly, but she didn't expect that bastard seemed not to care about the Emperor at all.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. The Minister needed the Emperor before—in addition to being wary of Admiral General Budo, he also needed the imperial bloodline to activate the Supreme Imperial Arm: Shikoutazer.
But now Admiral General Budo has been defeated by Esdeath, and that woman is the undisputed strongest. With her, even without the might of the Supreme Imperial Arm, Honest is equivalent to having the strongest combat power in the Empire, and without the restraint of Admiral General Budo, he has no scruples and no longer needs the Emperor at all.
In fact, Najenda believed that even if they sent the Emperor back now, Honest would not acknowledge him, and would not hesitate to kill the Emperor and replace him with a more easily controlled imposter.
Perhaps that guy has already sent assassins, ready to kill them and the Emperor together.
"Damn it!"
Najenda couldn't help but curse in a low voice when she thought of this situation.
She had been imagining things would get better when they captured the Emperor, but she didn't expect that in less than a day,
The situation was completely reversed!
"Actually—the situation might not be that bad."
At this moment, the pompadour-haired Brand suddenly spoke and said in a calm voice, "The Minister's decision not to rescue Your Majesty should be considered as completely pushing Your Majesty to his opposite side. And don't forget, Your Majesty's existence is the key to activating the true Supreme Power!"
Saying that, Bulat glanced at Naruto and then continued, "If Your Majesty can make up his mind and stand on our side, then all we have to do is help Your Majesty gain control of the Supreme Imperial Arm hidden in the Imperial Capital, and perhaps we can defeat that woman Esdeath."
"Of course, the prerequisite is that we must ensure that Your Majesty can stand on our side without reservation."
When everyone heard Bulat's words, their eyes lit up, and then they all looked at Naruto, with surprise in their eyes,
Doubt, and difficult indecision.
As Bulat said, if Naruto could stand on their side, and then they wholeheartedly helped Naruto find the Supreme Imperial Arm hidden in the Imperial Capital and helped him gain control, they would have the power to resist, or even defeat, Esdeath.
But doing so also carried a huge risk: if Naruto suddenly went back on his word, or even returned to the Minister's embrace, then they might never have any hope of turning the tables.
"You'll help us, right?"
At this moment, Akame suddenly spoke, looking at Naruto with sincere eyes and asking directly.
"If it's just to deal with Honest and Esdeath, I will help you, but—"
Naruto hesitated for a while and then continued, "If I am to stand on the side of the Revolutionary Army, I cannot guarantee it without having met them."
Although the contact was very short, Naruto could basically confirm that almost all the members of this organization called Night Raid were righteous people and could be trusted.
However, Naruto had not had any contact with the Revolutionary Army they served.
Even if he had heard Najenda talk about the great ideals of the Revolutionary Army, he would not make any guarantees before personally contacting them.
Even if he no longer wanted to be the Emperor.
"You guy!"
The blonde, buxom woman named Leone suddenly rushed to Naruto, grabbed his collar, lifted him up, and then stared at him angrily, questioning, "At a time like this, you're still referring to yourself as 'I'? Are you still clinging to the Emperor's power?"
Not only Leone, but everyone present, except Akame, more or less had this view.
Slap!~
Naruto didn't explain, but raised his hand and slapped Leone's hand, making her release his collar, then looked at Najenda and said seriously, "I am responsible for the citizens of this country."
When Najenda heard Naruto's words, her pupils constricted slightly. Then she stared at him with complicated eyes for a while before nodding gently and saying, "I understand."
"Hmph!~"
Leone, however, rubbed the back of her hand, stared at Naruto with surprised and uncertain eyes for a while, then turned her head away unhappily, no longer looking at him.
"Next..."
Najenda's left hand was on the table, her index finger lightly tapping the tabletop. After a moment of silence, she said in a serious voice, "Abandon this stronghold, and all members will withdraw deep into the mountains in the rear. We will remain silent for now and also hone our strength.
I need to go to the Revolutionary Army headquarters to discuss the next course of action with the leader, and also to find some reinforcements."
"It's decided!"
After Najenda finished speaking, she stood up and came to Naruto, saying, "Your Majesty, you will have to endure some hardship during this period, acting with Akame and the others."
Originally, Najenda planned to take Naruto to the Revolutionary Army headquarters and let the leader decide how to deal with him.
But after hearing Naruto say, "I am responsible for the citizens of this country," she suddenly changed her mind.
Naruto didn't speak, just nodded, indicating agreement.
Next.
Najenda once again left in a hurry on the Super Danger Beast, Almondo. The remaining people also followed her arrangements, abandoned this stronghold, and withdrew deep into the mountains in the rear.
---
Imperial Capital, Imperial Palace.
After Esdeath defeated Admiral General Budo, Imperial Minister Honest grandly moved into the Imperial Palace, calling it that he would replace Admiral General Budo and protect the Emperor's safety—although the Emperor was no longer in the Imperial Palace at this time, not many people knew about this, and those who did know dared not say anything.
"Hahahahaha!"
Honest sat swaggering in the Emperor's seat, eating meat in big bites, and laughing as he said to Esdeath, who was sitting below, "Esdeath, from now on, you are the highest authority in the Empire besides me. I can give you the greatest authority; you just need to eliminate that assassin organization that tried to kidnap the Emperor in the shortest possible time!"
"No problem."
Esdeath smiled slightly, then thought for a moment and said, "I heard that the assassins of the Night Raid assassin group are all Imperial Arms users, so I will also gather all the Imperial Arms users in the Imperial Army and form a special unit."
"As you wish."
Honest waved his hand indifferently, then said, "If there is a need, I can also give you the Imperial Arms collected by the royal family."
"No need."
Esdeath shook her head and said, "The use of Imperial Arms also requires conditions. I'm not interested in waiting for those novices to slowly grow. It's enough to just find skilled Imperial Arms users to wield them."
Imperial Arms are not ordinary weapons, and each has unique characteristics. Users often need to match the characteristics of the Imperial Arm in some aspect of their way of thinking, temperament, or strengths to control and unleash its power. Those whose temperament does not match the Imperial Arm not only cannot unleash its true power, but if they force its use, it will harm them, or even be fatal.
For example, Esdeath's Imperial Arm, Demon's Extract, was left vacant for a thousand years from its creation until it found Esdeath, a perfectly compatible user who could fully control it.
It is precisely because of this characteristic of Imperial Arms that the number of users is greatly limited.
"Alright then."
Honest nodded, then showed a greedy and struggling smile and said loudly, "Then, let us now enjoy this supreme power!"
Desire and slaughter, from this moment on, run wild!
---
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