The attack came suddenly and ended hastily.
Of the attackers, only Akame's younger sister, Kurome, was captured, while the rest were all eliminated. On their side, only Bulat sustained some minor injuries during his fight with Liver, which were not serious. It could be considered a great victory.
The Imperial Arms harvested after the battle made Najenda overjoyed.
However, after this attack, their hidden location was exposed, and everyone assumed they would have to move again.
"We're not hiding anymore!"
Just when everyone thought they would have to relocate again, Najenda unexpectedly declared with great confidence, "Next, we are preparing to counterattack the Imperial Capital!"
"Counterattack the Imperial Capital?"
Everyone, including Naruto, was very surprised by Najenda's decision. Leone couldn't help but ask, "BOSS, have you found a way to deal with that perverted woman, Esdeath?"
"No."
Najenda shook her head and said, "But the current situation cannot be delayed any longer."
"Why?" the others asked, confused.
"The situation is a bit complicated; it's hard to explain in a few words."
Najenda shook her head without explaining, then said in a deep voice, "Everyone, get ready. In at most one month, we will counterattack the Imperial Capital and execute Minister Honest!"
"Oh!~"
Although Najenda did not explain in front of everyone why she was eager to counterattack the Imperial Capital before finding a way to deal with Esdeath,
the members of Night Raid all chose to trust her, so after she made her decision, they immediately began to prepare for the counterattack on the Imperial Capital.
Of course, before preparing for the counterattack on the Imperial Capital, they still had to change locations first—
Night.
"Your Majesty—"
Najenda found Naruto, stared at him with complex eyes for a long time, then suddenly asked, "If you were to become the Emperor of the Empire again and continue to govern this country, could you make this country better?"
"???"
Naruto didn't expect Najenda to ask such a question. He was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said,
"I don't know, and I don't have confidence. However, as long as Honest is eliminated, no matter who becomes the Emperor, this country shouldn't be worse than it is now, right?"
Naruto naively thought so.
"That's not the case."
Najenda shook her head and said, "The Empire's decay is not solely due to the Minister. He merely accelerated the Empire's decline. Even if he is eliminated, if the existing order cannot be overthrown, the decaying Empire cannot be reborn."
"Then why not just overthrow it?"
After hearing Najenda's words, Naruto asked curiously, "Isn't that what you, the Revolutionary Army, are doing?"
"..."
Najenda felt a surge of speechlessness in her heart upon hearing Naruto's reply.
Does he really not understand the main point of my question just now? Moreover, the Empire is your family's property, yet you can so naturally say, "Then why not just overthrow it?" Do you truly have no attachment or reluctance whatsoever?
However, it was precisely Naruto's attitude that further solidified a certain choice in Najenda's heart.
Thinking this, Najenda's expression suddenly became serious. Then she looked at Naruto earnestly and said, "Your Majesty, please follow me to meet someone!"
"Alright."
Naruto agreed to Najenda's request without any hesitation and then asked curiously, "Who are you taking me to see?"
"It's a very special person."
Naruto's immediate agreement made Najenda unable to help but smile. She replied, "Perhaps he is also the one who can determine the future destiny of this country."
"Oh?"
Naruto was confused but didn't ask further. He just nodded lightly and said, "Oh."
"Oh, right."
Naruto suddenly thought of something and said to Najenda, "Can you lend me one of the Imperial Arms we captured earlier?"
After they defeated the previous attackers, they acquired many Imperial Arms, among which there was a very interesting one that gave Naruto some ideas. If successful, it might greatly increase the possibility of defeating Esdeath without relying on the so-called Supreme Imperial Arm, so he wanted to get that Imperial Arm to try it out.
"Imperial Arms?"
Najenda heard Naruto's request and stared at him in confusion for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes, you can pick whichever one you want. After all, thanks to you, we were able to avoid more casualties this time."
If Naruto hadn't discovered the 'invisible' Zanku at the beginning, this attack could have resulted in huge casualties, or even their complete annihilation.
However, Najenda was very curious about the strength Naruto suddenly displayed, so she couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, were you really just an ordinary person with no strength before?"
In just seven short days, Naruto grew from a frail Emperor to someone who could easily knock down Tatsumi and even defeat Imperial Arms users like Zanku and Kurome bare-handed.
Even though she had personally witnessed Naruto's helplessness under her and Leone's hands seven days ago, she still couldn't believe it. Or rather, precisely because she had seen Naruto's weakness with her own eyes, it made her even more unable to believe that the Naruto standing before her now was the same frail little Emperor from seven days ago.
"I was weak before because I didn't want to, and I didn't need to become strong."
Naruto answered seriously. Then, with a pure and proud smile, he said, "When I want to become strong, I can do it very easily, because I am a Supreme King!"
---
Imperial Capital, Imperial Palace.
"Father, Esdeath's subordinates are truly a bunch of good-for-nothings!"
A burly, dark-skinned young man sat casually in front of Minister Honest, saying mockingly, "They lost eight Imperial Arms users at once but couldn't even take down a single person from the assassin group. And they talk about forming a special police force; it's simply too embarrassing."
This young man, named Shura, was Honest's son. In his youth, he was a notorious bully in the Imperial Capital, with a cruel nature no less than his father's. He was also ferocious and lecherous, using his father's influence to rape and harm innocent girls everywhere.
As he grew older, he aimed to surpass his father, believing that being stronger than his father was the greatest 'filial piety.' He once traveled all over the world, visiting Western Kingdoms, Southern Islands, and Northern Frozen Lands, gathering a group of cruel subordinates along the way.
This time, he returned to the Imperial Capital, eager to show his father the results of his years of 'training,' but instead suffered a huge 'setback' from Esdeath.
"Don't worry about it."
Honest said indifferently while eating a large piece of meat, "It's just a few worthless pieces of trash that were lost. As long as Esdeath is still around, it doesn't matter how many of those things die."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Shura wanted to retort, but recalling his crushing defeat after challenging Esdeath not long ago, he swallowed his words.
That woman's strength was indeed unbelievably formidable.
"Dorthea!~"
Seeing Shura stop talking, Honest looked at the beautiful young girl sitting quietly beside him and asked, "How are things going with what I asked you to do?"
"It's almost finished."
The girl named Dorthea smiled brightly and replied, "The blood cultivation is complete. It will be ready for modification in at most half a month."
"One month?"
Honest's face showed a satisfied smile upon hearing the girl's words. He nodded and said, "That's wonderful. Please make sure there are no mistakes. As long as the modification is completed, I will fulfill any request you have."
"Really?"
Dorthea's eyes lit up upon hearing Honest's words. She then licked her lips and said, "Then please give me ten more strong young men every day."
Don't misunderstand—the Imperial Arm this woman wields is called Blood Collection: Rapid Absorption. It allows her to absorb blood, like a vampire, for self-healing, boosting her own power, and even maintaining eternal youth. She wants young men for their blood.
Incidentally, this woman looks like a young girl, but in reality, she is an alchemist whose body has undergone countless modifications, and she is much, much older than she appears.
"No problem."
Honest agreed to Dorthea's request without hesitation. Compared to what he asked Dorthea to do, the lives of dozens of young men every day were simply insignificant.
Because the item he asked Dorthea to modify was precisely the strongest Imperial Arm collected by the Imperial family: The Supreme Throne.
Since the Emperor was lost, and Honest had no intention of bringing him back, he entrusted Dorthea, an experienced and highly skilled alchemist, with the modification of the Supreme Throne so that he could activate and control that Supreme Imperial Arm through other means.
If successful, he would possess the ultimate trump card, truly in his own hands.
---
Half a month later.
Naruto, accompanied by Najenda and her new weapon, the biological humanoid Imperial Arm Susanoo, rode the Super Danger Beast Almondo to a town located on the east side of the Imperial Capital.
Naruto was very curious about whom Najenda was taking him to meet here. He soon found out.
It was a man with a cross pattern on his forehead, very handsome, with a warm smile on his face that made people feel an unconscious sense of closeness.
"Reverend."
Upon seeing the man, Najenda greeted him respectfully, then said earnestly, "I've caused you trouble."
"There's no need for that, Najenda."
The man called Reverend waved his hand at Najenda, his smile growing even warmer, and said, "It's my honor to be able to help you."
After speaking, his gaze suddenly shifted toward Naruto.
Naruto instinctively met his gaze, feeling that the Reverend's deep eyes seemed to see through people's hearts, yet without causing any repulsion—it was very strange.
The Reverend met Naruto's gaze for a while, during which his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. Then he withdrew his gaze and looked back at Najenda.
Seeing this, Najenda immediately cast a gaze filled with inquiry and anticipation toward him.
Seeing this, the Reverend extended his hand to her and said, "Give me your hand, Najenda."
Upon hearing this, Najenda immediately offered her left hand to the Reverend.
The Reverend first supported Najenda's hand with his left hand, then used his right index finger to slowly wrote something on Najenda's palm—a Pure heart.
After feeling the characters the Reverend wrote on her palm, Najenda's pupils constricted slightly, then she immediately revealed a relieved and understanding smile. She then bowed deeply to the Reverend and said, "Thank you very much. I know what to do now."
Having said that, she suddenly turned to look at Naruto. Her eyes were no longer filled with worry or confusion, but only with determination.
Naruto's feeling was not wrong; this Reverend of the Path of Peace did indeed possess the ability to see into people's hearts. The reason Najenda brought him to see this Reverend was to ask him to use his ability to help her confirm Naruto's true inner thoughts.
The reason Najenda joined the Revolutionary Army was because the Empire had already decayed, and in her opinion, there was no longer any possibility of saving it. Moreover, the Revolutionary Army was the most disciplined among the many rebel forces within the Empire.
This doesn't mean the Revolutionary Army's discipline was truly excellent, but rather that it was a matter of picking the best of a bad lot. There were no other options, and no matter what choice was made, it couldn't be worse than the corrupt Empire.
However, ever since she came into contact with Naruto, Najenda's thoughts began to change. She started to feel that if Naruto could break free from the Minister's 'control' and become a true Emperor, perhaps the Empire could still be saved.
Especially after her recent visit to the Revolutionary Army headquarters, where she met the leader of the Revolutionary Army and saw that his desire for power had overshadowed his initial ideals, and that he made a decision she could not accept. Furthermore, upon her return, seeing Naruto again and noticing the changes in him solidified Najenda's conviction even more.
She brought Naruto to see this Reverend of the Path of Peace this time to use his ability to help her confirm Naruto's truest inner thoughts. The answer the Reverend finally gave also allowed Najenda to finally let go of her last guard against Naruto and make her final decision.
She was going to take a gamble, abandon the Revolutionary Army, and instead use her utmost strength to push Naruto back onto the throne. Then, together with him, she would try to save this decaying Empire.
"Najenda, you—"
Naruto felt a little unnerved by Najenda's gaze and couldn't help but ask, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's nothing."
Najenda shook her head, then smiled at him.
Half a month later.
Numerous rebel armies, armed forces, and the Revolutionary Army within the Empire, as if by agreement, simultaneously launched an attack on the Imperial Capital.
At the same time, the members of Night Raid, who had undergone arduous training for a month, also launched a counterattack toward the Imperial Capital under the leadership of Najenda!
---
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