"Susanoo... tell me Haruki's just making things up, right? He's lying, isn't he?!"
Najenda stared at her Teigu, trying to get an answer. But deep down, despite her words, part of her had already started to believe Haruki's claims.
"Susanoo, say something!"
She asked again and again—but there was no reply.
Confused, she turned to look at Susanoo... and what she saw shook her.
The usually calm and composed Teigu was trembling all over, violently. It was clear this wasn't any ordinary reaction.
What no one else knew was that from the moment Haruki appeared, Susanoo had already started shaking. But with everyone's attention focused on Haruki, no one had noticed until now.
"Go ahead, Susanoo. Tell her whether or not I was lying."
Haruki's calm voice cut through the silence. His gaze fell directly on Susanoo.
...
Bang!
"N-No... It can't be. You shouldn't even be alive! This isn't possible!"
The moment Haruki looked at him, Susanoo instinctively dropped to his knees, his voice shaking as he spoke.
Unlike other Teigu, Susanoo was humanoid, with a will and mind of his own. He had seen Haruki with his own eyes during the Empire's founding, and the impression had been unforgettable—more fear than reverence.
From the moment Haruki appeared, Susanoo felt that same overwhelming pressure—one he hadn't experienced in a thousand years. A deep-rooted fear overtook him, shaking him to his core.
He had heard his comrades say that the Security Minister's name, weapon, and appearance all matched Haruki's, but he had dismissed it. To him, it made sense that a powerful man like Haruki would have descendants—or that his legacy, like his weapons, might have been passed down.
But now, he realized he'd been completely wrong. The man before him wasn't Haruki's successor.
He was Haruki himself.
...
"No! That's impossible! You're clearly from Esdeath's tribe! How could you be the Imperial Advisor? You're making all this up—just like the Prime Minister, trying to control the emperor to do whatever you want!"
Najenda's voice trembled with desperation. Deep down, she already knew the truth, but she clung to her last hope, hurling the accusation at Haruki.
"Najenda, stop lying to yourself. Everything Lord Haruki said is true."
It wasn't Haruki who answered—but Susanoo himself.
"A thousand years ago, Lord Haruki was already recognized as the master of the Partas Clan. Back then, they didn't even have a name. Strictly speaking, Lord Haruki is the founding ancestor of what you now call the Partas Clan."
His words shattered Najenda's final illusion.
...
"Well then, Night Raid—what's your decision? Are you still siding with the Revolutionary Army? Think it over. If you walk away from them now, I'll let you live."
Haruki's voice was calm as he addressed the stunned members of Night Raid. As for the rest of the allied forces, he didn't even acknowledge them—he had never planned to let them go.
"Ah, sorry—but if what you're saying is true, that makes you some kind of thousand-year-old monster. I don't want to stick around with someone like that. Just thinking about it creeps me out!"
Leone was the first to break the silence, shrugging as she flashed a fearless grin.
"I still believe that if we fight with everything we've got, we can take you down. Nothing in this world is impossible."
"Ha! Old monster? You're the first to ever call me that. I'm a long-lived species—ageless and immortal. A mere thousand years is nothing to me. 'Old' will never apply."
Haruki didn't get angry at Leone's jab. He just explained it plainly, like stating a fact.
"What about the rest of you? Are you all really going to follow those rebels to the bitter end?"
His gaze swept across the remaining Night Raid members.
"I'll always stand with everyone."
Sheele replied without a second thought.
"Tch, same for me. My answer's no different from Sheele or Leone!"
Mine snorted and crossed her arms, outright rejecting Haruki's offer.
"Haruki—no matter who you are, I swear I'll kill you myself. I'll get justice for Bulat and Lubbock."
Tatsumi glared at Haruki, hatred burning in his eyes. He still hadn't come to terms with their deaths.
"Hmph. You? You think you can? What do you even have? Those two Teigu? Let me make this clear—the materials used to forge those Teigu came from beasts I killed with my own hands. Tyrant the Tyrant Dragon, and that unknown Super-Class Danger Beast that lived in the cloud layers over the Eastern Sea. Do you think you're stronger than the beasts themselves?"
Haruki wasn't nearly as courteous with Tatsumi as he had been with the women. His words cut sharply.
"Even so... I won't give up."
Tatsumi's voice didn't waver.
Haruki said nothing more. Beside him, Yuu also stayed silent. Back on the Ryuusen, Sayo had once pleaded on Tatsumi's behalf—only to get scolded by Haruki for it. She'd learned her lesson. This time, she didn't involve herself at all.
...
"Najenda, I have to say—your subordinates aren't half bad."
Though their responses didn't surprise him, Haruki still sounded a little impressed.
"Susanoo... is Haruki really that powerful? Is he truly unbeatable?"
Despite everything she'd seen—and despite Susanoo's earlier reaction—Najenda still couldn't bring herself to give up. She turned to him, holding on to one last shred of hope.
"Najenda, you've never seen Lord Haruki fight seriously. His strength is far beyond anything you could imagine. A thousand years ago... he single-handedly brought the entire Empire under control."
Susanoo answered solemnly. Even now, he was still trembling slightly from the moment Haruki had looked at him.
...
"No. I don't want to give up. I gave everything to the Revolutionary Army. No matter what, I have to try!"
Even now, Najenda refused to back down.