That evening, many residents of the capital's western suburbs witnessed an extraordinary sight.
A black-haired girl with crimson eyes soared through the dim night sky, her stance commanding as if riding an invisible blade. Behind her, a swarm of swords trailed like stars orbiting the moon. Though the empire had no legends of "sword immortals," everyone who saw this was struck with awe.
Well… except for the rabbit-eared songstress dangling awkwardly from the girl's hand, who looked wildly out of place.
"…What is that?"
"Did someone just fly through the sky?"
Passersby stopped to gawk.
At the entrance of a bookstore in the capital, Lubbock, disguised as its owner, stared slack-jawed at the distant figure. "Is that… Miss Hikari?"
The purple-haired, bespectacled Hill beside him nodded. "Looks like it."
"Boss mentioned that the one who took down Syura in the central empire might've been Miss Hikari," Lubbock said. "If that's true, she's likely got Syura's Teigu, 'Shambhala,' so her being here makes sense. But this sword-control ability? No idea where that came from—Brand never mentioned it."
"Miss Hikari's methods are… terrifyingly powerful," Hill murmured.
Lubbock's expression turned serious. "She's heading toward Minister Honest's estate, isn't she?"
Honest was Night Raid's ultimate assassination target. His residence was heavily guarded, and with the imperial palace nearby, any commotion could draw the palace guards' attention, making things messy.
"Hill, I'm going to follow her. You find a way to contact Boss and Brand, fast!" Lubbock said urgently. "The capital's about to get chaotic tonight!"
"Got it."
Lubbock shuttered the bookstore, and he and Hill split up to act.
Similar scenes played out across the capital. The Revolutionary Army wasn't the only group with spies here—city guards, the Temple of the Imperial Fist, Honest's private soldiers, even sentries atop the palace walls noticed the figure streaking through the sky.
Uchiha Hikari saw the various figures below, watching her.
She didn't care.
Following the map's directions and Cosmia's guidance, she located Honest's estate among the cluster of noble mansions. A large number of armed soldiers were already gathered in the courtyard.
"Who dares wreak havoc above the capital?!"
"Get down here, or we'll cut you down!"
"Loose arrows! Shoot her down!"
These soldiers were far better equipped and trained than the city guard. Soon, a barrage of arrows launched from the courtyard, slicing through the air with sharp whistles toward Hikari.
It was like a torrential downpour of steel.
Facing this onslaught, Hikari raised a hand. A Blood Jade Barrier formed, stopping the arrows thirty or forty meters away. As they clattered against it and fell, she unleashed another ability—Word Spirit: Heaven and Earth as a Furnace. A translucent veil enveloped a hundred-meter radius, and the steel arrows melted midair, reforming into swords, spears, and halberds. Under her Sword Command, they gathered around her, forming a layered sword array behind and beside her.
It was as if an iron throne unfurled in the sky.
"Nice arrows," Hikari said coolly. "Now… take them back."
With a flick of her wrist, a massive magnetic field surged. The swords shot forth in a storm far fiercer than the arrows, raining down on the soldiers below.
One volley left the courtyard littered with casualties.
Yet, some soldiers proved resilient, wielding blades and spears to shatter the falling swords. They directed others to drag out ballistae and cannons from storage, loading massive bolts and shells, cranking the mechanisms with force.
These weapons were far deadlier than standard arrows.
But it didn't matter.
Hikari's Blood Jade Barrier, stronger than the Four Flames Formation, could withstand even a Tailed Beast Bomb, let alone conventional artillery. The metal in the bolts and shells melted under Heaven and Earth as a Furnace, forming more weapons that bombarded the estate, crushing the soldiers' defenses.
Amid the chaos, a tall man stood out. Wielding a pale silver spear, he expertly shattered every sword that came near. With a flourish, he slammed the spear into the ground.
"…A Teigu?" Hikari mused, narrowing her eyes.
As if confirming her thought, a blinding silver-white light erupted from the spear, cracking the floor beneath.
"Judgment Spear: Corona, unleash!" the man roared.
An invisible field expanded, multiplying gravity dozens of times over, enveloping a hundred-meter radius. The soldiers in the estate collapsed, unable to bear the weight, dropping their weapons and falling to their knees.
Even Hikari, floating in the air, felt the crushing pressure. The broadsword beneath her held for a few seconds before shattering into fragments.
Under such intense gravity, she could still fly with her Flight Technique, but it would strain her body heavily. Instead, she landed smoothly, channeling chakra and Ki to counter the weight on her shoulders.
As for Cosmia… the poor witch-songstress was sprawled on the ground, unable to move.
"A gravity-manipulating Teigu, huh?" Hikari muttered. "Interesting."
She wanted it.
The man smirked. "Hmph. The power of the Judgment Spear isn't something petty criminals like you can withstand."
As he spoke, he maintained his stance, drawing a short gun from his coat with his free hand. "If you thought you could harm Lord Honest, you'll pay the price. This ends here—"
Before he could finish, Hikari met his gaze.
"Tsukuyomi."
One look, and he froze, expression blank. The oppressive gravity vanished.
Then…
"Amaterasu!"
With her second glance, black flames erupted across the man's body. He collapsed in terror, reduced to a charred corpse in moments.
Clang.
The Judgment Spear fell to the ground. Hikari walked over and picked it up.
Her earlier Tsukuyomi had already let her scan the memories of this man, Vitra. "A spear-type Teigu made from the super-dangerous beast, Great Rock Serpent," she noted. It could manipulate gravity, theoretically up to hundreds of times normal, but it drained immense stamina and immobilized the user while active. That's why Vitra had tried to finish her with the short gun.
"Not bad. Much better than Moonlit Dance," Hikari remarked.
Of the forty-eight Teigu, fewer than a third could pose a real threat to her. The Judgment Spear's capabilities ranked among the top, comparable to those held by Night Raid.
Hikari stored the spear in her sealing scroll, then removed Shambhala and Moonlit Dance from her wrist and waist, adding them to the scroll as well. She listed them in the chat group's shop before heading deeper into the estate.
Vitra was Honest's confidant. His memories showed a conversation with the minister just minutes ago, so Hikari didn't need to search far. She soon arrived at the small building where Honest resided and pushed open the door.
The interior was dimly lit.
With her Sharingan active, Hikari moved through the corridor, past the living room, and stopped at a room resembling a tavern. A tea table held a flickering oil lamp, illuminating two opened bottles of red wine and a half-filled glass, as if someone had just been drinking.
"He escaped?" Hikari narrowed her eyes, scanning the room.
As she stepped toward the table, a faint breath sounded.
A small figure burst from a nearby wine cabinet, charging at her with ferocious speed. At the same time, the wall to her right exploded, revealing a fat, pig-like figure with the agility of a monkey, swinging a fist at her.
The former was Dotya, the alchemist who'd fled from the central city. The latter was Honest himself.
A faint crack echoed.
"Gem Ornament: Irreston."
The ceiling above and floor below Hikari split open simultaneously. From above, a volley of massive bolts rained down. Below, a bottomless pit revealed gleaming blades and the hissing of venomous snakes.
A five-layered trap.
This was a meticulously designed deathtrap. Honest was one of the empire's top hand-to-hand fighters, rivaling Brand and Akame. Dotya, an alchemist with a modified body, was just as deadly. Together, they could take down any Night Raid member in an instant.
With the Teigu-disrupting Gem Ornament active, even Brand, Akame, or General Budo would struggle to escape unscathed. A single second's delay would mean being pierced by bolts from above and swallowed by the pit below, where blades and snakes awaited. The smooth iron walls of the nearly hundred-meter-deep pit made climbing out nearly impossible.
Only someone like Esdeath, fused with her Teigu and overwhelmingly powerful, could survive this ambush.
But…
"Word Spirit: Land of Purity."
Hikari crossed her arms, hovering in midair. A powerful repulsive field pushed Honest and Dotya back. With a flash, she raised her right hand, fingers spread, catching Honest's fist and twisting it sharply.
Crack!
His wrist contorted like twisted dough, bones and flesh mangled in an instant. He screamed like a slaughtered pig.
Before he could react, Hikari kicked out, shattering his left kneecap with her toe. A spinning aerial kick followed, sending him crashing through the back wall, collapsing it entirely.
As she finished, Hikari rose into the air. Crimson flames coalesced around her, forming the second stage of Susanoo. The Blood Jade Barrier expanded simultaneously, and a black sun emerged behind her, its light banishing the surrounding darkness—Word Spirit: Black Sun.
Finally, her Dragonbone Blade extended into a three-meter greatsword.
With all her abilities unveiled, Hikari tilted her head, gazing calmly at Honest as he struggled to rise. "Surprised?"
"?"
Honest was dumbfounded.
Susanoo, Blood Jade Barrier, Word Spirit: Black Sun—none of these were in Dotya's reports. Nor was her Flight Technique. Hikari hadn't used any of these against Syura.
And the Dragonbone Blade…
"That's impossible! Why hasn't your Teigu been destroyed?!" Honest stammered.
Hikari's lips curved into a faint smile, her eyes blazing like fire. "What if… it's not a Teigu at all?"
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