"Ah!"
"No—!"
Screams and the sound of burning flesh echoed continuously from outside Haruki's mansion, sending chills down the spines of the maids hiding within. Yet strangely, those terrifying sounds also gave them a small sense of reassurance.
"Hehe! Sister, look at that. This is the behavior of the Revolutionary Army you insisted on joining—leaving me and Brother behind for them. I don't see anything righteous or noble about them at all!"
Haruki and the women were still in their usual spot, calmly observing the chaos unfolding in the city. Kurome grinned as she spoke, her tone laced with unmistakable mockery.
Akame's expression was cold and dark, like a sheet of frost had settled over her face.
"Those bastards... I won't forgive them."
She clenched her teeth, seething with rage.
After entering the city, the allied forces didn't launch a full-scale assault on the Royal Palace as expected. Instead, they split off groups of soldiers to loot the city's wealth. Judging by how eagerly they fought each other for it, it seemed they were terrified someone else might grab more than them.
At first, if they'd only targeted the corrupt aristocrats, it might've been tolerable. But the situation quickly spiraled out of control. The allied army was poorly disciplined to begin with, and with so many of them packed into the city, those who couldn't find anything to steal from the noble districts turned their attention to the common people.
And it didn't stop at robbery. Home invasions, murders, rapes—even assaults on women in broad daylight—spread like wildfire.
Many of the Imperial Capital's citizens had once eagerly awaited the arrival of the Revolutionary Army, hoping for liberation. What they got instead was a mob of brutes worse than bandits—pillaging, violating, and killing without restraint.
The Empire may have been corrupt, but at least people had managed to survive. Now, the coalition had truly cut off their last hopes.
Naturally, in the frenzy of looting, Haruki's grand estate was one of the first targets. Even if most of the coalition soldiers came from rural backwaters or barbarian lands, it was obvious to them—such a luxurious mansion had to be overflowing with gold and beautiful women. They charged the estate without a second thought.
But what they didn't know was that Haruki's mansion was protected by the Sun-Devouring Grand Formation, personally set up by Haruki himself. It had been running continuously, and for those who approached with clear malice, the formation didn't even need manual activation. Without Haruki or the girls lifting a finger, the array responded on its own.
Golden beams of light shot out in rapid succession.
Anyone directly struck didn't even have time to scream before they disintegrated into ash. Those who were merely grazed didn't fare much better—they were instantly charred, reduced to smoking hunks of roasted flesh.
That was the terrifying scene that had played out at the beginning of this chapter.
Just moments ago, over a thousand soldiers had charged toward Haruki's estate with the frenzy of looters at the Old Summer Palace. But after a single wave of counterattack, nothing remained outside but scorched corpses and ashes drifting in the wind.
With that one strike, it was clear—no idiot would dare approach again anytime soon.
While part of the allied forces ransacked the city in a frenzy of murder and pillage, the majority of the troops—along with the Teigu users of Night Raid—wasted no time. The moment they entered the city, they headed straight for the Royal Palace. Everyone believed that once the Prime Minister and the young emperor were taken, the Empire would be finished.
Tragically, Night Raid still had no idea what the allied forces were doing to the civilians in the city.
As hinted in the original story, aside from Najenda, the Revolutionary Army had never intended to let Night Raid survive. Under orders from headquarters, they had carried out countless assassinations. Whether the missions were justified or not, they had long become figures feared by the people. And given the Revolutionaries' own dark record, someone would have to take the blame. Naturally, Night Raid made for the perfect scapegoats.
The only reason they hadn't been discarded yet was because their strength was still needed for the upcoming fight.
Just as Najenda had predicted, Great General Budo had been guarding the Royal Palace from the start.
When the allied troops arrived at the gates of the palace, Budo didn't waste time listening to their diplomatic posturing. He immediately led the Imperial Capital Guard into a fierce battle with them...
The Budo family had always sworn to protect the royal bloodline. To Budo, the Empire was the rightful ruler—always had been. The Revolutionary Army's high-minded speeches meant nothing to him. If they wanted the palace, they'd have to take it by force.
The allied commanders understood this well and ordered their armies to attack.
Though the Imperial Guard numbered only around twenty thousand, dwarfed by the vast allied forces, their training was the finest in the Empire. Under Budo's command, the allied forces couldn't gain an inch.
"Great General Budo, can't you see the Empire is finished? What's the point of resisting now?"
Najenda tried to reason with him as the battle raged.
"Hmph! And who are you to say that, you treasonous scum? Don't underestimate the Empire! It will never fall—and you will never be its conquerors!"
Budo replied with unwavering resolve. He was, after all, one of the few who knew Haruki's true identity.
Then, without waiting for a response, Budo struck.
Summoning the full might of his Teigu, Thunder God's Rage: Adramelech, lightning burst around him. His body floated into the air, enveloped in electric arcs—like a thunder god descending from the heavens, radiating absolute authority.
"Advent of the Thunder Emperor!"
He roared. Dark thunderclouds rapidly gathered over the battlefield.
Boom! Boom!
With a chorus of terrified screams from the allied troops, bolt after bolt of lightning tore down from the heavens, ripping through their ranks.
Budo hadn't earned his title as one of the Empire's two strongest warriors for nothing. Maybe he was no match for the women at Haruki's side, but compared to anyone else in this world, he was terrifying.
With that one strike alone, over a thousand soldiers were annihilated.