"Ha, I really don't get it—why are you all so hung up on the Revolutionary Army? I could understand if it were just about revolution itself, but why stick with those people?"
Haruki looked down at the Night Raid members, puzzled by their decision.
"Because the Revolutionary Army genuinely fights for the people. I believe the only way to make this country better is by following them."
Najenda replied firmly, admiration for the Revolutionary Army evident in her voice.
"Oh? So that's what you think... They sure did a great job painting themselves as noble heroes."
Haruki smirked.
"Alright then, Najenda, how about a little wager? If your so-called allied commanders and generals are truly devoted to the people, then they should be willing to disband their armies and let the young emperor continue ruling the nation. If they do that, I won't interfere, and I'll even spare the hundreds of thousands of rebel soldiers gathered here. So tell me—will your noble, selfless leaders agree to that?"
He spoke playfully, as though he already knew the answer.
"Hmph! That's impossible! Sacrificing a few lives for the happiness of the people is worth it. Even if you really are the Imperial Advisor, we won't give up. The Empire needs a fresh, capable ruler!"
Before anyone else could speak, one of the coalition leaders blurted out. By now, none of them were willing to abandon the ground they'd gained. These power-hungry men had waited years for the chance to storm the capital—there was no way they'd let go now.
Even though Haruki's identity had stunned them, a millennium had passed. No one truly remembered how terrifying he once was. They compared him to today's strongest, foolishly believing that with nearly 200,000 soldiers, they could bring him down by sheer numbers if necessary.
"You—"
Before the man could finish his sentence, a massive golden greatsword plummeted from the sky and crushed him where he stood.
"Trash. What disgusts me most is your fake, righteous masks. You're just a bunch of greedy schemers playing at being idealists. Don't act like you care about ruling for the people—you just want the throne for yourselves.
Don't think you're important. In my eyes, you're ants. And no matter how many ants there are, they'll never land a scratch on me."
Haruki's voice echoed from above, brimming with contempt, disdain, and overwhelming force.
"I've said it before—the Revolutionary Army is nothing but a pack of hypocrites. And now, I see nothing's changed. You still refuse to face the truth. Fine. I'll show you with your own eyes."
After finishing off the coalition commander, Haruki glanced toward the stunned members of Night Raid.
...
"Swish, swish, swish...!"
Suddenly, several long flags fell from the sky, planting themselves in the ground in front of Night Raid. They arranged themselves into a pattern no one could quite understand.
"Huh? What the hell is that?"
Everyone, aside from the women standing beside Haruki, looked on in confusion. In this world, things like formations and arrays were unheard of.
Then something even stranger happened.
The flags began to glow faintly, and slowly, a massive light screen appeared in midair. What caught everyone off guard the most—
Was that images had started playing across the screen.
"You're kidding, right? This can't be real."
"No way. You must have faked this!"
"Is this... real?"
As the footage continued, the expressions of the Night Raid members grew increasingly grim. The scenes unfolding before them were hard to believe.
Indeed, what Haruki had revealed was a recording from earlier, showing the coalition forces' soldiers engaged in rampant burning, killing, and looting. The Night Raid members were stunned—they had been risking their lives for the coalition, only to discover such atrocities, all while remaining completely unaware.
"Boss, Leone, everyone... I advise you to stop resisting my brother. It's pointless. The footage is genuine. Just step outside and see for yourselves. Supporting such a hypocritical coalition is meaningless; you'd only be throwing your lives away!"
Hearing the disbelief in their voices, Akame spoke up, trying to persuade them. After spending years together, she had developed a bond with them.
"Damn it! We've been kept in the dark like fools all this time!"
Leone slammed her fist into the ground, furious. She couldn't deny it—such events couldn't be fabricated. Seeing it with her own eyes confirmed the truth.
"Haruki, if you're truly the Imperial Advisor, why did you stand by and let the Prime Minister plunge the empire into chaos? Why didn't you intervene? Can't you see how much the people are suffering? Don't you have any compassion?"
Najenda, disheartened by the footage, questioned Haruki. Despite her disappointment in the coalition, she remained steadfast in her pursuit of peace.
"Ha, why should I intervene? I have no interest in politics. The empire wasn't something I built a thousand years ago. If it weren't for Nina and my disdain for the coalition, I wouldn't have appeared now.
As for the people, why should I care so much? As long as those around me are well, that's enough. A good life is something one must strive for. Why should the incompetent live well? Over the years, I've seen more deaths than the empire's population. If I were as compassionate as you, I'd have worried myself to death."
Haruki replied nonchalantly to Najenda's words.
"Then what do you plan to do moving forward?"
Najenda asked, somewhat disheartened. From his words, she realized Haruki adhered to a survival-of-the-fittest philosophy, much like Esdeath. She had little hope of persuading him.
"As I said, I have no interest in the empire. The little emperor will remain on the throne. Of course, if you're interested, I can let you take the Prime Minister's place."
Haruki spoke indifferently. Even for Nina's sake, he couldn't abandon the little emperor—after all, he was Nina's only blood relative.
As for Najenda, while he wasn't particularly interested in her, her genuine concern for the people made him willing to give her a chance.
"Are you serious?"
Najenda asked.
The footage had indeed made her lose faith in the Revolutionary Army. How could such an army govern the country effectively? Now, hearing Haruki's proposal, her eyes lit up.