"Charge with me!"
The blue-haired girl, clad in a sharp military uniform, wore an arrogant smile as she led her army at high speed, storming toward the noble territory ahead.
Behind her, countless well-equipped soldiers bore fanatical expressions, charging as if completely devoid of the fear of death.
In contrast, their opponents—the nobles holed up inside the castle—already had beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolling down their foreheads.
"Hold the line! Do not let them break through under any circumstances!"
Heh!
Seeing such futile resistance, the girl in the white military uniform merely let out a cold snort. A massive ice cone manifested before her, aimed directly at the castle, and smashed forward.
City walls, especially those in the Northern Country, were famous for their sturdy defense. Beyond hardened stone, the Northern Region's Enchanted Ice served as a formidable barrier.
Even within the Imperial Army, only the most elite could breach such a wall head-on. Yet, the girl in the military uniform shattered it with ease!
Naturally, along with the castle, the dignity and lives of those nobles were crushed as well!
The girl and her fanatical army immediately rushed through the breach in the wall, entering the city to prepare the final assault against the remaining defenders.
"To all of you: surrender and live!"
The local noble had already perished beneath the ice cone. The girl in the military uniform had displayed such overwhelming strength that she immediately exerted a crushing pressure on the defenders before her.
It was precisely under these circumstances that she shouted her command...
Human nature was such that if faced with a powerhouse and no chance of escape, the remaining soldiers would surely fight to the death, even if they were no match. But if there were a possibility of survival, they would absolutely grasp at that last remaining straw.
What the girl in the military uniform needed to do was offer that final straw.
As soon as she spoke, the fear in the eyes of nearly all the defenders vanished, replaced by a sense of relief—relief that the opponent was not someone who slaughtered everyone, and relief that they could continue to live.
Clang! Thud!
One weapon after another was tossed to the ground by the defenders. Immediately afterward, they struck the trademark pose of the Gallic Rooster...
Raising both hands high in cheer!
The General's mercy was a debt they could never repay!
Watching this scene, the smile on the girl's face grew wider.
"Another town brought under the rule of Lady Imperator. This makes thirteen, doesn't it? I wonder how things are going on Lady Hysilens's side..."
—
Nearly a month had passed since Esdeath was transformed into a Chrysos Heir by Cerydra.
After a month of Rest and Recuperation, Cerydra finally issued the order to attack to the army under her command.
"Dux Gladiorum, you shall lead one hundred thousand troops to attack the west. Seize all noble territories within the Northern Country along the way!"
"Alptraum, you shall lead one hundred thousand troops to attack the east. Your objective is the same as the Dux Gladiorum's: seize all Northern noble territories with the utmost speed!"
Through this period of recovery, Imperator had amassed an army of over 250,000. Consequently, she divided them into two forces of one hundred thousand, ordering Hysilens and Cerydra—her most trusted subordinates—to strike East and West to secure the Northern Country as quickly as possible.
Cerydra herself led the remaining fifty thousand troops, taking the Prince of the Northern Tribe, Numa Seika, with her to attack the North. However, compared to the other two, it was not practical for Cerydra's detachment to move too far.
Because of the ocean in the North, there was no need to travel a great distance. Furthermore, since the Prince Numa Seika had to remain in her hands, Cerydra had issued her orders accordingly.
"By your command!"
Dux Gladiorum and Alptraum immediately performed a Knight's salute, ready to launch the offensive according to Imperator's orders at any moment.
"Remember, however, that our current army is still too small. After breaching enemy cities, do not kill the enemy soldiers excessively. Prioritize eliminating the nobles, and then proceed with recruitment and training."
Even after a period of Recruiting and training troops and utilizing the Prince's name, Cerydra had only managed to gather an army of 250,000. This was not even as many as Esdeath had buried alive in the original story.
That ruthless woman had buried a full 400,000 people!
As a ruler, Cerydra could ruthlessly issue orders for annihilation, but that did not mean Cerydra was bloodthirsty.
On the contrary, Cerydra did not particularly enjoy meaningless slaughter.
In Honkai: Star Rail, Cerydra had done many things, some of which were controversial, but the core issue of everything lay in whether it was worth it!
As long as a subordinate's strength was great enough, Cerydra could tolerate their insolence, because they were worth it.
By the same logic, because the Authority of Law was worth it, Cerydra could unhesitatingly sacrifice five hundred Chrysos Heirs to complete the trial!
Now, in the world of Akame ga Kill!, Cerydra wanted to establish her own Northern Empire. To do so, she had to possess land and population, and increase the army's strength on that foundation.
Killing ordinary soldiers held no meaning for Cerydra. After all, the vast majority of soldiers were just doing a job for money or to get a meal; those truly loyal to the nobles were only a core group.
By killing only those people, she could strengthen herself while diminishing the enemy's power. If she killed too many soldiers, it would surely drive the remaining nobles to fight to the death and might even cause a mutiny within her own army.
Only a Sovereign's Army has the chance to win the world; a Brutal Army never will!
As the previous orders from Lady Imperator echoed in Esdeath's mind, her gaze immediately became clear, constantly reminding herself not to kill indiscriminately.
Esdeath moved quickly. In one month, she was able to take over a dozen cities. Only a few large cities remained in the East; for a Chrysos Heir like her, they posed no threat at all.
Hysilens's side was the same. Although the Northern Country covered a vast territory, the year-round cold was not suitable for development, and they had encountered almost no Imperial Arms or Shingu.
"Once the entire North is unified, the remaining enemy should be The Empire, right? I wonder what kind of strength those Teigu Users possess. Will they be able to entertain me?"
For the current Esdeath, almost all battles could be described as "crushing weaklings." Personally, she could not experience the joy of battle at all.
If an Imperial Teigu User could appear at this time to slightly satisfy her desire for combat, how wonderful would that be!
The moment this thought occurred to Esdeath, a yellow Laser shot up from the other side of the mountain, soaring toward the end of the sky and immediately catching everyone's attention.
Esdeath immediately furrowed her brows. Unlike ordinary people, after becoming a Chrysos Heir, she possessed special abilities and could naturally sense the threat coming from afar...
That light piercing the heavens in the distance is enough to make my body tremble!
At the thought that her desires were about to be satisfied, Esdeath lowered her head, her lips curling into a wide grin.
"I don't know who you are, but you'd better not disappoint me!"
"Otherwise, I won't let you die easily!"
★ ★ ★