"I'd say I can whip up about one or two hundred Ice Knights at a time, but then I'd need to take a break to recover," Esdeath said, giving a rough estimate before turning to Hikari. "Why the sudden question?"
The so-called Ice Knights were actually a secret technique Esdeath had mastered: the "Ice Storm General." On the surface, it created a squad of tireless, deathless cavalry made of ice. But its real purpose was to store the energy of the "Demon's Extract" within them, enough to last several days.
When unleashed, that energy could trigger a massive blizzard, devastating enemies within a thousand-mile radius with bone-chilling cold. Weaker opponents might even freeze to death on the spot. In the original story, Esdeath had used this technique to conjure a blizzard that swept through half the Empire, dealing a crushing blow to the Revolutionary Army. It only stopped when her main body was killed by Akame, who had activated her "Yaksha" secret technique.
Of course, there was no need to unleash a blizzard here. That'd wipe out the Land of Demons' people before Moryo even got the chance.
"…Using the Ice Knights to take on that monster's 'Ghost Legion'?" Esdeath mused after hearing Uchiha Hikari's plan. "Worth a shot."
"But on one condition: I get to handle the monster's main body myself."
"Deal," Hikari agreed instantly.
She wasn't all that interested in Moryo. It was just a savage beast, bloodthirsty and chaotic, with no real value in taming. Better to let Esdeath use it as a warm-up to get a feel for fighting in the Naruto world.
Esdeath's strength was undeniable—easily super-kage level in the ninja world, and among the stronger ones at that. But the ninja world had tricks she'd never seen before: Hidan's "Death Possession Blood," the Scorpion's poison, Obito's "Kamui," or sealing techniques like the "Reaper Death Seal." Those were unpredictable moves that could catch even someone like her off guard, much like Akame's "Murasame" had.
So, Hikari figured she'd let Esdeath get some experience here first, then take her to the Hidden Rain Village. That place was probably crawling with the strongest fighters of this era, and the Six Paths of Pain should give Esdeath a fight she'd enjoy.
"By the way…" Hikari's mind sparked with a thought. "If Danzo's intel is legit, then Moryo's awakening probably has Obito and Black Zetsu's fingerprints all over it, right?"
If that was the case, then…
"Could the Akatsuki be lurking around the Land of Demons too?"
If so, things could get interesting.
---
Meanwhile, Miroku had finished explaining the current situation and began laying out her plan.
"Sealing that monster is the sacred duty of the priestesses of the Land of Demons. As this generation's priestess, it's my responsibility, and I've long been prepared for it. But my power is only effective at suppressing Moryo—it's not suited for direct combat. If a ninja gets close, I'm as good as dead.
So, I'm asking you all to escort me to Mount Sealing, about a hundred kilometers from the capital. There's an ancient array left by the previous priestesses, the perfect place to seal Moryo. It'll likely come after me, and when it does, I'll activate the array to seal it away again."
She paused, then continued, "If you accept this mission, I'll pay you a generous sum upfront, regardless of the outcome. If we succeed, you'll also earn the eternal friendship of the Land of Demons. You'll be welcomed as honored guests anytime you visit."
"I've got a question," Hikari said, looking up at Miroku on her throne. "I've heard you have the power of foresight, right?"
"…Yes," Miroku replied.
"Can you predict Moryo's movements?"
"I can, but it's fuzzy. Moryo's power comes from the same source as mine, so it interferes with my visions."
"That's enough."
Knowing Moryo's general location simplified things. Instead of waiting for it to show up like Miroku planned, they could take the fight to it. Even if, as Miroku said, Moryo couldn't be sealed or killed by conventional means, they could at least weaken it, giving Miroku an easier shot at sealing it.
In the original story, Miroku died during this sealing, passing the priestess role to Shion. But compared to a green little girl like Shion, Hikari was more interested in Miroku, a fully mature priestess who likely held a treasure trove of useful intel.
Meanwhile, Tsunade was swayed by the promise of a hefty paycheck and swore on her title as one of the Sannin to ensure Miroku's safety.
"Thank you," Miroku said, pausing. "One more thing: before I knew you two were here, I sent requests for aid to the five great nations. Teams from Konoha and Kumo are already on their way and should arrive soon. It's just a precaution, not a lack of faith in you, so please don't take offense."
"Of course," Hikari replied.
---
By now, it was getting late. Miroku arranged a lavish dinner, and afterward, Hikari's group was led to a side hall in the palace to rest up for tomorrow's mission.
Esdeath got to work creating her Ice Knights. Hikari watched curiously for a bit.
"So, how do these ice statues move? Do they have some kind of will?"
"Sort of," Esdeath explained. "It's mostly the Demon's Extract."
The Demon's Extract, derived from a super-dangerous beast, carried a faint residual will. When infused into the ice constructs, it gave the Ice Knights the ability to act on their own, attacking and destroying anything in sight. Esdeath could also imprint simple commands into them, letting her control their actions or even distinguish friend from foe based on specific markers. But at their core, they were still puppets—mindless, unable to process complex instructions.
"Got it," Hikari said, nodding.
The Ice Knights had their limits, it seemed. Maybe someday she'd take Esdeath to the Land of Snow or track down a survivor of the Mizunotsume clan to see if they could combine the Demon's Extract with ninja techniques for something new.
---
The night passed quietly.
The next morning, as Hikari stepped out of her room, she was greeted by rows of white, ice-carved cavalry standing in formation outside. Even motionless, they radiated a chilling, deadly aura.
"Not bad, pretty impressive," Hikari said, walking up to one and tapping its chest. It felt solid, surprisingly sturdy.
As she did, the Ice Knight instinctively swung its sword. Hikari caught the blade between her thumb and forefinger, gauging its strength. "These guys are at least chunin-level in taijutsu, right?"
Creating nearly two hundred elite, immortal chunin-level fighters overnight? That alone was enough to shake the ninja world with a taste of the *Akame ga Kill* world's power.
As the Ice Knight tried to move again, and others nearby stirred, a cold voice rang out: "Don't move."
The knights froze, one still holding its sword aloft. Hikari stepped back and glanced over to see Esdeath, dressed in her blue battle attire, stepping out of the room. She looked a bit tired.
"How's your strength holding up?" Hikari asked.
"About seventy percent recovered," Esdeath said. "Enough to fight."
"Good." Hikari pulled a small pouch of Senzu Beans from her pocket and handed it over. "You know these, right? The beans I gave you and Donghai Yunlong before. Use them if you need to, but go easy—my stock's running low."
*Low, meaning less than two hundred.*
Esdeath didn't know about the Cat Sage, though. To her, a miraculous item like the Senzu Beans being in short supply made sense. Her expression flickered with surprise as she took the pouch.
"…For that monster, one bean would be enough," she said.
"It's not just for the mission," Hikari said with a grin. "Think of it as a gift between friends."
"Friends… huh?" Esdeath's eyes softened, and she tucked the beans away.
"Alright, let's grab Eri and the others for breakfast."
After eating and chatting briefly with Miroku, they got word that the ninja teams from the great nations had arrived. Moments later, two squads with headbands were ushered into the hall.
The Konoha team was led by Kakashi, followed by Hayate Gekko, Genma Shiranui, and a Hyuga clan member. The Kumo team, sporting their village's headbands, was led by a woman with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail—Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki.
Kumo was probably the most lenient village when it came to their Jinchuriki. Both Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, and Yugito were treated as elite jonin, trusted to lead missions solo. Bee had even fought alongside the Fourth Raikage, Ay, during the Third Ninja War, clashing with Minato Namikaze before he became Hokage. No other village gave their Jinchuriki that kind of freedom.
As soon as Kakashi saw them, his expression turned to shock. "Lady Tsunade? And… Lady Hikari? What are you two doing here?!"
"Lady Hikari?" The Hyuga ninja, the only one whose name Hikari didn't know, studied her curiously. "So you're the Uchiha ancestor everyone talks about? You look so… young."
He seemed about to activate his Byakugan to take a closer look.
*Hmph!*
With a sharp grunt, Hikari's icy glare stopped him cold, her arms crossed. "A warning: don't try using your Byakugan on me. I'll take it as a hostile act. If you want to walk out of here alive, behave."
The Byakugan's x-ray vision was a touchy subject. If this Hyuga were a woman, Hikari might've let it slide, but a guy trying to peek at her—even just to check her chakra—was a serious overstep. Sparing him on the spot was already her showing restraint.
Kakashi quickly stepped in, apologizing profusely.
Meanwhile, the Kumo team, who didn't know Hikari, stood nearby, whispering among themselves. Though their voices were low, Eri, with her dragon-hybrid senses, picked up every word and jotted them down in her notebook for Hikari to read.
As expected, their chatter was about Tsunade and Hikari—two unexpected guests not mentioned in Kumo's intel. Hikari, a "mysterious Konoha ninja," especially piqued their curiosity. Eri and Kikyo, dressed in priestess robes, were mistaken for Miroku's kin.
Moments later, Miroku, also in priestess robes, entered with Endo Sakumo. "Everyone's here," she said. "I'd love to host you properly, but time's short. This morning, I received a carrier pigeon report: Moryo has awakened. It's already razed several towns near Ogutani Castle overnight and will likely reach the capital soon. Please, we need to move quickly."
"No problem," Hikari said.
The group made quick preparations and set out. Hikari created a shadow clone to join Esdeath and her Ice Knights, heading toward the location Miroku predicted Moryo would appear. Her real body, along with Eri and Kikyo, stayed with Miroku, moving toward Mount Sealing, over a hundred kilometers away.