"…You?"
Their eyes locked.
Esdeath raised an eyebrow, sizing up Uchiha Hikari with a hint of curiosity.
Her expression betrayed a touch of surprise.
After all…
Hikari looked far too young. Compared to Brand or even Akame and Tatsumi, she seemed almost dainty, her appearance closer to that of the naive young emperor. It was hard to believe, at first glance, that this girl could have killed General Budo and turned the capital upside down in just a few days.
On the other side, Hikari was studying Esdeath.
The general was taller and fiercer than she appeared in the anime.
Already statuesque, her cascade of blue hair nearly reached her calves. Her pale, cold face, piercing eyes, and the commanding aura that seemed to dominate everything around her made her stand out like a crane among chickens, even in the midst of an army.
But what really caught the eye was the dark red mark on her chest.
The sign of having consumed the "Demon's Extract: Manifestation of the Devil."
"This is gonna be a tough fight…"
Hikari had anticipated facing this war goddess the moment she arrived in the Akame ga Kill! world.
But now that the moment was here, she felt a faint flicker of nerves.
And…
A whole lot of excitement!
After all, chances to fight an opponent of this caliber were rare. As an Uchiha with the Mangekyō Sharingan, she was eager to test herself against the empire's strongest.
"Hoo…"
Hikari took a deep breath, her aura surging. Her dark hair whipped upward as an invisible wind swirled around her, pushing aside sand and debris in a spiraling gust—
Eight Gates Released Formation: Third Gate of Life, Open!
In that moment, her presence radiated a regal, overwhelming power, mirroring Esdeath's as if they were twin reflections.
"Oh?"
"Not bad."
Esdeath's eyes flickered with interest, and she gave a slight nod.
"Wanna do this here?" Hikari asked softly. "Or find a quieter spot?"
"Right here's fine."
Esdeath dismounted, handing the reins to an aide, then stretched her arms. "You lot, deal with the others. Leave this to me and her… The opponents I've faced lately have been too weak to satisfy me. I hope you can last a bit longer."
"That's my line."
The air fell silent.
Neither spoke again, only the fading sound of cavalry hooves retreating to the sides.
As an imperial general, Esdeath was patient with her subordinates. It was clear she didn't want her fight to endanger the soldiers loyal to her.
Hikari reached back and drew her Dragon Bone Blade.
Esdeath, at a deliberate pace, unsheathed the sword at her waist, then raised her arm slightly.
With that motion, a torrent of ice erupted around her, spreading rapidly… In mere moments, it formed a ring-shaped ice wall, thirty to forty meters high, sealing off everything within a few kilometers—leaving only Hikari in its center!
Most of Esdeath's cavalry had moved fast enough to escape the area, but some Revolutionary Army soldiers weren't so lucky, caught and frozen into human ice sculptures by the wall.
"…Let's go!"
Before her words even settled, Hikari and Esdeath vanished.
No…
More precisely, their figures split into two—one a fading afterimage, the other crossing a hundred meters in an instant, blades swinging!
Clang—!!!!
A piercing explosion rang out as waves of white energy burst outward, parting the air around them!
"?!"
Hikari and Esdeath both raised their brows, their eyes flashing with surprise. "So strong!"
"But…"
"Not enough!"
In the next moment, their figures became whirlwinds, moving faster than the blink of an eye, striking thousands of times in mere seconds. The Dragon Bone Blade and Esdeath's sword clashed repeatedly, each impact sparking bursts of light! Their interwoven sword energies carved deep, narrow trenches into the ground and sliced vacuum-like voids in the air!
Even a high-speed camera from the Dragon Ball world could only capture fragmented afterimages of this exchange!
After their final clash, both leaped back.
Esdeath raised her left arm, and with a flick, countless massive ice spikes formed in the air, shooting toward Hikari like a storm!
"Pale Giant Maw!"
Hikari formed a hand sign and exhaled sharply:
Fire Release: Majestic Flame Annihilation!!
A fireball like a meteor crashed down, colliding head-on with the ice spikes!
Boom—!!
The instant extreme cold met searing heat, a massive wave of fire mixed with scalding steam swept outward, turning a hundred-meter radius into a hazy gray fog!
Amid the chaos, a hundred-meter-tall sword aura slashed upward!
"Crescent Moon Sky Rush!"
In response, a dozens-meter-high, nearly one-meter-thick ice wall rose from the ground, blocking the path of the Crescent Moon Sky Rush.
The sword aura shattered the ice wall, which reformed and thickened just as quickly, absorbing the impact. By the time the Crescent Moon Sky Rush fizzled out, the ice wall bore a meters-deep gash, with shards scattering through the air like a blizzard blanketing the battlefield!!
…
A few kilometers away, atop a small hill, several massive flying Danger Beasts perched.
Below them stood Revolutionary Army leaders, including Najenda and Glenn, alongside a dozen Teigu users like Akame and Brand, all watching the clash between Hikari and Esdeath with stunned expressions.
"So strong!"
"We've heard Esdeath is the empire's mightiest general, but to think she's this powerful. Most Teigu users would get wiped out instantly against her. And that Uchiha Hikari girl is actually holding her own?"
"Heh, you didn't see the scene when General Budo fell. Miss Hikari hasn't even gone all out yet," Leone said, glancing at the non-Night Raid Teigu users before turning to Najenda. "Boss, when do we jump in to help?"
"…Let's wait a bit."
Najenda shook her head.
Earlier that day, she had brought Hikari to meet Glenn and discuss plans for dealing with Esdeath.
The Revolutionary Army's strategy was to have over a dozen Teigu users gang up on Esdeath to wear her down and create an opening, then let Hikari deliver the decisive blow. But Hikari shot that plan down.
She wanted to face Esdeath one-on-one.
It made sense.
In front of Esdeath, most Teigu users—except maybe Brand and Akame—would just be fodder.
Hikari deliberately wanted to keep Brand out of this fight. He was her "ticket" to this world, and if he died, her plans to explore the Akame ga Kill! world would go up in smoke.
As for Akame, without using Murasame's trump card, she could only trade blows with Esdeath briefly, barely making a dent.
Still…
Hikari had warned them about Esdeath's "Mahapadma," the ability to freeze time and space.
It was the one move she truly feared. If it came to that, someone might need to step in and buy her time.
Just stalling wouldn't be too hard. Brand, Akame, and even the biological Teigu Susanoo could manage it.
—Assuming, of course, Mahapadma didn't freeze everyone kilometers away, which Hikari wasn't entirely sure about.
"Don't worry," Najenda said, clenching her fist with conviction. "We'll win."
…
Back in the battlefield, amid swirling ice shards, Hikari gripped her four-meter-long Dragon Bone Blade, facing Esdeath from dozens of meters away.
Their earlier clash was just a warm-up for both. And that brief exchange confirmed a few things—
Esdeath's physical prowess was incredible.
Her speed matched Hikari's, and her strength surpassed it.
Her ice manipulation was far beyond typical Naruto elemental techniques, with near-instant casting. Conjuring a dozens-meter ice wall seemed like a casual basic attack for her.
"What's your name?" Esdeath suddenly asked. "Is that blade your Teigu? That sword aura earlier was impressive. Got any other tricks?"
"Uchiha. Hikari."
Hikari introduced herself.
"Hikari… I'll remember that."
Esdeath's eyes glinted, her gaze like she was eyeing a feast, a faint smirk curling her lips. "Your moves so far are decent, but they're not enough to kill General Budo. Show me what you're really made of."
"As you wish."
Hikari's eyes narrowed, then widened.
The three tomoe in her pupils spun, morphing into a pinwheel pattern:
Susanoo!
As her aura flared, a dark red skeletal giant materialized, its chakra forming flesh and armor. The nearly forty-meter-tall figure towered over the battlefield, almost surpassing Esdeath's ice walls.
"?"
Even Esdeath raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised.
Hikari raised her greatsword. "Hundred-Eight Fold… Cross Slash!"
One horizontal.
One vertical!
As Hikari swung her blade, "Crimson Flame Slash" and "Heavy Cannon Slash" merged into a cross-shaped red sword aura, tearing through the air toward the war goddess!
The sword aura dragged fiery sonic cones behind it, the deafening sonic boom lagging a beat behind as it reached their ears!
This Cross Slash was even more fearsome than the strike that killed General Budo. If he were here, he'd likely be cut down again!
But Esdeath showed no trace of panic. She clapped her hands, her power surging wildly. In an instant, a massive ice pillar—over twenty meters wide and a hundred meters tall—erupted beneath her, launching her skyward!
To an onlooker, the pillar seemed to pierce the heavens!
Even the fourth-stage Susanoo looked slightly small before it.
Boom—!!
The Cross Slash hit the ice pillar, its immense force making the structure wobble precariously.
Esdeath, atop the pillar, leaped high and snapped her fingers.
In the frigid air, an ice meteor even larger than the pillar formed in a split second. With a wave of her hand, it plummeted toward the Susanoo below with a whistling roar. "Meet a death worthy of you, Uchiha Hikari!"
"…The Akame ga Kill! version of Planetary Devastation?"
Hikari squinted, gripping the Dragon Bone Blade tightly.
Her Susanoo mirrored her, clutching its dark red greatsword, black flames—Amaterasu—blazing along the blade!
After a deep breath, Hikari drove her Susanoo forward with a powerful step, leaping upward while slashing in a perfect semicircle toward the sky!
"Hundred-Eight Fold: Star Hammer Slash! And… Crescent Moon Sky Rush!!!"
The dark red greatsword and Dragon Bone Blade swung as one.
Their sword auras merged into a massive, solidified blade shadow, enveloping both giant weapons, tracing a perfect arc as it struck the meteor above!
In that moment, it was like ten thousand cannons firing at once!!
From within the Susanoo's head, Hikari could see countless ripples distorting the air. The ground within a kilometer shattered in concentric waves, stone fragments shooting skyward!
An invisible force field enveloped the frozen battlefield, crushing, tearing, and shaking everything in its grasp! It was like a dense, inescapable net!
With a sound like a crashing waterfall, the slash split the giant meteor clean in half!
As the meteor cracked and black flames consumed the ice, Hikari piloted her Susanoo with her flight technique, soaring straight toward the falling Esdeath!
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