It was already the early hours of the morning.
A bright full moon hung high in the night sky.
Uchiha Hikari landed on the top of a tall tower, tossing Doteya aside before observing the battle between "Night Raid" and Budou from a distance.
It was clear as day…
"Night Raid" was on the back foot.
Budou's strength was formidable. Like Brand and Akame, he was among the elite few closest to Esdeath's level, and in some ways, even stronger than them. His Teigu, "Adramelech: Thunder God's Wrath," allowed him to fly, unleash long-range lightning strikes, and paralyze enemies, giving him a clear advantage over close-combat Teigu users.
Akame's "Murasame" could theoretically kill with a single cut, but she couldn't get close enough.
The same went for Hill and Leone.
Only Mine, with her "Pumpkin" cannon, could hit him from afar, but it was merely a distraction.
—In the original story, Mine defeated Budou only by embracing a do-or-die resolve, destroying Pumpkin entirely and falling into a vegetative state afterward. At this point, she lacked both the strength and determination to take him down, only managing to trade regular shots with him in a war of attrition.
In just a few moments, "Night Raid" had narrowly escaped disaster several times. Even their flying dragon Danger Beast had been struck by lightning bolts from above, nearly crashing to the ground.
Seeing the situation, Najenda decided to retreat.
But Budou pursued relentlessly, determined to wipe them out here and now.
As it happened…
Both sides were heading toward the tower where Uchiha Hikari stood.
Witnessing this, Hikari let out a soft sigh, then formed a hand sign with one hand. "Fire Release: Dragon Flame Technique!"
Chakra surged within her.
As she opened her mouth, a thin line of fire shot out, streaking through the night sky in a straight line, reaching Budou in an instant. He dodged to the side instinctively, then turned his head in slight surprise.
Najenda and the others, riding the dragon, also looked toward the tower's peak.
"…Miss Hikari?"
"…Black hair, red eyes. So, you're the one who killed the Minister?"
Under their collective gaze, Uchiha Hikari stood in her black coat, her fiery red eyes gleaming. Her long black hair billowed in the night wind, tinged with a faint crimson glow under the firelight. Though petite, she exuded the commanding presence and aura of a true powerhouse, making hearts skip a beat.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Song Technique!!"
Hikari unleashed another Fire Release.
This time, four fiery dragons burst from her mouth, soaring toward Budou from above, below, left, and right!
Realizing he couldn't dodge, Budou slammed his fists together, summoning the power of thunder to form a shield-like barrier woven from lightning!
With a deafening boom…
Flames and lightning collided in the sky.
The four fire dragons scattered into bursts of light, while Budou's lightning barrier shrank drastically, reduced to a thin layer covering his front.
"…Such power. No wonder you could kill Ornest," Budou said coldly, assessing her. "But in front of me, it's still not enough."
Hikari smirked. "Old man, you seem like a decent guy, so I'll give you some advice… Turn back now, and I might let you live."
She wasn't joking.
Among the Empire's higher-ups, General Budou was one of the more honorable ones, though stubbornly old-fashioned. If he could see reason, she didn't have to kill him.
Unfortunately…
Her words were taken as mockery.
"Arrogant!" Budou snapped, glaring. "I was only sparing you out of respect for talent. If you won't take the offer… prepare to die here!"
Facing the fuming Budou, Hikari sighed again, her eyes narrowing as black tomoe swirled into view.
"If you won't leave, then start thinking about your last words… Third Power: Susanoo!"
As her ocular powers surged, a dark red aura materialized in the air, forming a dense skeletal frame. Flesh and armor filled in rapidly, and within moments, a towering 40-meter figure stood above the tower, like a second monumental structure piercing the heavens.
Susanoo, Fourth Form!!
Aside from when she killed Ornest, this was the first time Hikari had used Susanoo in front of others in the Akame ga Kill! world.
At that moment, Budou and the "Night Raid" members stared wide-eyed, utterly stunned.
"What… is that?!"
"A mech-type Teigu?"
Under their shocked gazes, Hikari gripped her three-meter-long dragon bone sword, while Susanoo raised its dark red greatsword. The two figures, one small and one massive, stood under the night sky. After a brief moment of gathering strength, they leaped forward with a powerful step!
Crunch—
A few tiles on the tower's roof shattered under her step, falling as rubble to the ground below.
Hikari charged, sword in hand!
"Hundred-Eightfold… Crimson Flame Slash!!"
The dragon bone sword and the dark red greatsword swung in unison.
In a single breath, crimson sword energy tore through the night, sweeping forward like a tidal wave, leaving a hundreds-of-meters-long, dozens-of-meters-wide trail of fiery red in its wake. The intense heat distorted the surrounding air, creating rippling waves as if space itself were trembling!
Facing this awe-inspiring strike, Budou's pupils contracted. He vibrated his arms, expanding his lightning barrier to its maximum.
The next second…
The crimson sword energy crashed into the barrier, engulfing Budou's body in an instant. Blazing light scattered in all directions, raining down on the streets below like a meteor shower. Even miles away, the spectacle was unmistakable!
After dozens of seconds, the flames finally began to dissipate.
Budou reappeared in the sky, far more battered than before. Gasping for breath, his clothes and high topknot showed clear signs of scorching.
"Oh? You actually blocked that strike?" Hikari raised an eyebrow, a hint of approval in her expression. "But… how many more can you take?"
As she spoke, the dragon bone sword and dark red greatsword swung down again!
"Hundred-Eightfold… Heavy Cannon Slash!!"
This time, Budou didn't dare meet it head-on. He manipulated electromagnetic forces to soar into the distant sky.
Hikari drew her "Moonlit Dance" from her back, now wielding a sword in each hand. Aiming at the full moon, she slashed repeatedly!
"Two Heavens as One… Full Moon Slash!"
With fluid, graceful movements, sword energy erupted from both blades, transforming into a dozen crescent-shaped arcs that soared into the night, weaving a vast, intricate net of deadly strikes. It looked almost beautiful, but beneath the surface lay overwhelming killing intent.
Budou dodged desperately but was gradually enveloped by the barrage of sword energy. His lightning barrier shattered and reformed multiple times, but he was running out of steam.
Finally…
Budou halted in midair, crossing his arms and raising them high. "Stubborn brat, witness the true power of 'Thunder God's Wrath'… Secret Technique: Thunder Emperor's Summoning!"
Lightning surged!
A powerful aura erupted from Budou, forming a deep purple lightning pillar that pierced the heavens, scattering clouds and sword energy alike. Countless blue-violet arcs slithered like snakes, converging into a massive orb of light.
"…It's over!!"
Budou hurled the orb downward!
Hikari took a deep breath, overlapping her dragon bone sword and the dark red greatsword, then unleashed her strongest strike of the night!
"Hundred-Eightfold… Crescent Moon Heavenly Rush!"
A hundred-meter-tall crescent reappeared, radiating boundless light and heat! Almost the instant it left the blade, it streaked dozens of meters and collided with Budou's "Thunder Emperor's Summoning"!
BOOM—!!!!
In a flash, a blinding light burst forth like a sun, dimming even the full moon!
Smoke and dust filled the sky!!
Explosions roared like a thousand cannons!!
A massive shockwave, carrying milky-white air currents, radiated outward, pulverizing everything in its path! Terrifying light and heat swept through like a category-12 storm, leveling houses and streets within hundreds of meters and spreading across dozens of kilometers!
Windows shattered in a continuous cacophony, and entire swaths of trees and earth were uprooted!
For dozens of seconds, a chaotic force field dominated the area, grinding stone and trees into dust. The flying debris alone caused significant damage to the Imperial troops on the ground!
Finally…
The thick smoke began to clear.
A hemispherical crater had formed in the ground, stretching miles in a radial pattern. Even the palace walls, miles away, were partially damaged, some sections reduced to rubble.
From the perspective of the Imperial soldiers below, General Budou's figure was nowhere to be seen.
Only the dark red Susanoo remained, standing tall in the sky, gazing down with divine majesty.
"The General… he…"
Lost?
"It's over."
Hikari stood atop Susanoo's head, her cold gaze sweeping over the conflicted faces of the Imperial soldiers below. She slowly closed her eyes, retracting the chakra enveloping her.
Beside her, the slightly damaged "Thunder God's Wrath" floated under the control of her Word Spirit: Sword Command. Perhaps due to the battle's toll, it looked dull, like ordinary armor.
Truth be told…
Budou might now be the strongest opponent Hikari had ever faced.
—No longer Xia Mi from the Dragon Raja world, but General Budou from Akame ga Kill!.
Yet, even with power nearing that of a god, he could only fall before her Sharingan, which held true divine might.
"Still not leaving?"
Hikari flew closer, addressing the stunned "Night Raid" members.
Snapping out of their daze, Najenda and the others studied Hikari with newfound awe, then signaled Lubbock, who was hiding nearby, to retreat together.
Along the way, Hikari picked up Cosmia and Doteya.
"…Who are these two?" Najenda asked quietly, glancing at them.
"Spoils of war," Hikari replied succinctly.
"…Got it."
…
That night, the Empire lost both its chief minister and its top general.
From the next day onward, the Imperial court descended into chaos. Without his right-hand men, the young Emperor sat on his throne like a lost child, overwhelmed by the reports piling up before him.
For the citizens of the capital, it was a disaster.
Well… not much worse than usual.
Under Ornest's rule, life was already tough, especially for those tied to conscientious officials. Some quietly sighed in relief, grateful to avoid assassination.
For the rebel armies across the land…
This was a golden opportunity to march on the capital.
Though the capital was still guarded by a large Imperial force, without leadership, their defeat was only a matter of time.
As a former Imperial general, Najenda quickly grasped the situation. She sent detailed intelligence to headquarters, then, with Akame and Brand, approached Hikari. Bowing humbly, she expressed her gratitude:
"Miss Hikari, we can't thank you enough. Without your help, it would've taken us months to breach the capital…"
After some formalities, Najenda cautiously asked, "Miss Hikari, is there anything you want? If so, we'll do everything we can to make it happen."
Though Hikari had previously mentioned only wanting "spoils of war," and the Revolutionary Army had agreed, that was based on the assumption that her strength was roughly on par with Brand's.
But after displaying power far beyond an average Teigu user—possibly rivaling Esdeath's—the Revolutionary Army couldn't afford to take her lightly.
Najenda had included a detailed account of the battle with Budou in her report.
Though headquarters hadn't yet responded, as a high-ranking member, she had the authority to make promises to Hikari.
And Hikari…
Did have a request.
"I want a Teigu," she said, holding up one finger. "Not just any—'The Complete Book of the World.'"
(Chapter End)