Chapter 166: Killing Move! The Mahapadma That Freezes All Things!
"Grand Chariot!!!"
Wave drew the sword from his back and slammed it into the ground with a metallic clang, roaring with a ferocious expression.
Immediately after, a jet-black armor known as the Asura Incarnation was summoned, enveloping Wave's body.
This was the Teigu wielded by Wave—Carnage Incarnate: Grand Chariot.
Developed using Demon Armor: Incursio as the prototype, this armor-type Teigu surpassed Incursio in land performance alone. However, its drawback was the lack of invisibility capability.
Moreover, its explosive power fell short compared to Incursio, and most critically, this Teigu could not undergo adaptive evolution like Incursio.
"My apologies!"
Without wasting words, Wave charged directly toward Tsukushi at the other end of the arena.
They had gathered basic intelligence on the elite group the previous night. Tsukushi possessed a shooting-type Teigu and excelled in martial arts, rivaling even the Four Rakshasa Demons.
Thus, Wave intended to end the battle quickly—he absolutely could not allow his opponent to create distance!
Yet, in the next second, a gunshot abruptly rang out.
Bang!
"What?!"
Wave felt a sharp pain on his forehead—the helmet of Grand Chariot now bore a clear impact mark!
The powerful force of the bullet forced him to halt his movement.
He hadn't even seen his opponent raise the gun; the muzzle had been pointed at the ground. So how had the bullet struck?
As Wave grew wary and puzzled, another gunshot echoed.
This time, he saw it clearly.
In the blink of an eye, Tsukushi completed the motions of raising, aiming, firing, and lowering the gun—all at a speed so fast he would have missed it without careful observation.
Wave was astounded.
He had trained daily with weighted gear, priding himself on his speed, yet now he couldn't even dodge his opponent's shots!
He barely managed to shift his body, but the bullet struck another part of his armor.
This was a shooting technique Mahiro had taught Tsukushi, called the Invisible Bullet, originally from Hidan no Aria—the signature skill of Kinji Tohyama's elder brother, Kinichi Tohyama.
Simply put, its roots lay in the rapid-fire skills unique to cowboys during the Western frontier era.
"Dammit, are these assassination unit members monsters?!"
Gritting his teeth, Wave ignored the impact of the bullets and charged forward desperately.
Tsukushi, highly focused, remained silent, continuously firing.
Though her Teigu, Prometheus, was a revolver-style pistol, she unleashed a barrage akin to a submachine gun!
A rain of bullets assailed Wave, each shot landing unerringly on his body, sparking countless flashes of light against the dark armor surface.
"Grrrrrr!!!"
Shielding his head with his arms, Wave charged toward Tsukushi like a frenzied bull.
If he could just close the distance, victory would be his!
"Raaaaaah!!!!"
"Just as Lord Yotsuba predicted."
The moment he entered the close-range zone of less than three meters, Wave clearly caught these words from his opponent's mouth.
"What do you mean...?!"
Wave's pupils instantly contracted sharply. Through the gap between his arms, he saw Tsukushi, who had been firing with a single gun, suddenly pull out another pistol—completely black and seemingly forming a pair with the first one!
The dark muzzle was pointed directly at his forehead.
This pistol was the other Prometheus that Mahiro had created using alchemy.
Compared to the original Prometheus, this pistol couldn't perform split shots, but its bullet power was countless times greater than the original!
"Sorry about this, Mr. Wave."
Tsukushi showed an apologetic smile, then pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The gunshot rang out, the person fell.
Well, the person didn't actually die, just got shot in the forehead and sent flying, collapsing to the ground unconscious.
"First match winner—Assassination Unit!"
After Budo confirmed that Wave could no longer fight, the Little Emperor announced the result.
Esdeath's cold gaze fell upon the unconscious Wave. She had already begun thinking about how to discipline this incompetent subordinate.
Although Wave had indeed given his all in this fight, that was no excuse for this fool's failure!
The second match was between Nahashu and Mez of the Four Rakshasa Demons.
She was a dark-skinned woman wearing revealing clothing.
"Ha, what a coincidence! Let me see just how capable the elite chosen by that cheap father of mine is!"
Mez immediately put her hands on her hips and started boasting arrogantly.
However, her words made everyone present whisper among themselves.
"Who is Mez's father? Could it be Lord Yotsuba?"
"Idiot! Lord Yotsuba isn't married, he doesn't even have a wife or concubines. How could he have such a grown daughter!"
"What if she's an illegitimate child?"
The audience seats buzzed with discussion, and even the girls accompanying Mahiro all turned to look at him.
Although they trusted Mahiro, the problem was they were really curious! 1kds
"Why are you looking at me like that? If she were my daughter, do you think I would let her wander outside?"
Well, that did seem rather unlikely...
Lord Yotsuba was always gentle with girls, so how could he possibly let his own daughter wander outside?
Moreover, Cornelia and Seryu knew all too well just how difficult it was to conceive Lord Yotsuba's child.
Even now, their bellies showed no signs of movement...
"Are you Gozuki's daughter?"
Compared to the other girls, Nahashu remained calmer. After observing Mez briefly, she reached this conclusion.
"Oh! You actually guessed it! And you didn't even consider Mahiro!"
"Of course. You bear no resemblance to Lord Yotsuba whatsoever, and you're not qualified to be Lord Yotsuba's daughter, you small fry."
"Ha, you dare say that! Then let me see if your skills match your sharp tongue!"
Boom!
Despite being barefoot, she shattered the floor tiles with a single step, charging toward Nahashu like an arrow.
"Hmph, small fry."
Seeing that her opponent was unarmed, Nahashu didn't draw her sword either, instead charging forward in the same manner.
Their figures instantly intertwined, fists and feet clashing as they countered each other's moves.
Seizing a rare opening, Nahashu attempted to imitate Mahiro's move by trying to grip Mez's face with one hand.
But the moment he made contact, a slippery sensation instantly spread across his palm, causing his hand to slide right off Mez's face.
Unnoticed by anyone, she had loosened her horseshoe-shaped hair accessory, letting her platinum-blonde shoulder-length hair fall loosely around her.
"Fooool!"
Mez swiftly pivoted, stomped hard on the ground, and spun around in an oddly fluid motion, turning her back toward Nahashu.
With a sharp whistling sound, she unleashed a whip-like kick.
Crack—
The strike seemed to break the sound barrier, producing a deafening blast like a gunshot.
Though Nahashu blocked with his arms, the delicate yet forceful impact of her foot slammed into his forearms, sending him stumbling backward.
Not letting up, Mez pressed her advantage and closed in again!
"Heheh, this is my signature move! My sweat is special—it acts as a lubricant, specifically designed to counter Teigu users like you!"
As she rained down a torrent of blows, Mez proudly explained her ability.
Unnoticed by her, however, Nahashu—still defending—curved his lips into a subtle smirk.
Tap!
Suddenly, Mez realized her fist had struck empty air. Nahashu had somehow created nearly a meter of distance between them while simultaneously crouching low, poised like a leopard ready to pounce. In one fluid motion, he drew the longsword at his waist!
Shiiing—
The blade left its sheath in a flash of white light, and the flat of the sword smacked hard against Mez's abdomen.
"Guh—ack!"
Mez's eyes widened in shock. An intense, gut-wrenching pain radiated through her organs, nearly making her vomit up her breakfast.
The force behind that strike was on a completely different level from before!
Had this guy been toying with me all along?! Hiding his real strength?!
Damn bastard!!!
But no matter how much she cursed inwardly, it was already too late—the outcome was decided.
With just one blow, she was sent flying off the arena platform.
"Hmph. Just a slippery small fry."
Nahashu snorted coldly toward the fallen Mez, sheathed his Water Dragon Sword, and returned to the Assassination Squad's side.
"The winner of the second match is still the Assassination Unit!"
At the Little Emperor's announcement, Mez—still lying on the ground—shivered faintly. She lifted her head and glanced toward Esdeath, only to find the general staring back at her with icy-cold eyes.
"Eeek!!"
This is it… I'm really done for…
The third match was between Kurome and Nyau, but Nyau lost even faster.
Though Nyau was indeed a Teigu user, the performance of his Teigu, Military Music Dream: Scream, was far outclassed by Kurome's March of the Dead: Yatsufusa.
Yatsufusa, which allowed its user to manipulate corpses, naturally countered Nyau's flute-type Teigu that manipulated listeners' emotions. Throughout the match, Nyau was tormented by the reanimated corpses of various Danger Beasts.
Even when he resorted to his secret technique, Advent of Fierce God, transforming from the petite form into the brawny gorilla, he still couldn't turn the tables.
The gap in their abilities was simply too vast—in raw power alone, he was no match for the elite and Super Danger Beasts under Kurome's control.
The subsequent matches—Cornelia vs. Suzuka, Gin vs. Liver, and Poney vs. Ibara—were even more one-sided.
Due to the limited space, Liver's water-controlling Teigu was rendered useless. In close combat, he was completely suppressed by Gin's Almighty Five Sights, not to mention Gin's layered earth-manipulating armor as additional support.
As for Cornelia, she outright sent Suzuka into a state of ecstasy on the spot!
Cornelia was utterly shocked, especially when she saw Suzuka lying on the ground, twitching, her face flushed as she mumbled things like, "More, please..."
It was the first time she had ever encountered such a perverted creature.
A masochist... truly terrifying.
However, among these six matches, the only loss was on Poney's side.
The reason wasn't that Poney couldn't defeat Ibara, but rather that Ibara was nearly beaten to death by Poney.
This happened because Ibara had provoked and insulted Mahiro at the start, enraging Poney.
If General Budo hadn't intervened in time, Ibara's head would likely have been smashed open by Poney's full-force kick.
After all, the power unleashed by the modified pants and the beast-girl form of the King of Beasts Transformation was absolutely terrifying.
It could probably kick a top-tier Danger Beast to death without any issue.
Because of this, Poney was severely scolded by Nahashu. The usually stubborn fool was, for once, reduced to tears and hid behind Mahiro, sobbing.
"The captain is so mean! I just wanted to teach that bastard a lesson for Lord Yotsuba!"
Nahashu, of course, understood her intentions, which was why his gaze toward the Four Rakshasa Demons grew particularly hostile.
Even though Mez provocatively met his glare.
"You've lost five out of six matches, Esdeath. Do you still plan to continue? Why not just admit defeat? There's no shame in it."
"Heh, admit defeat? That word doesn't exist in my vocabulary."
Esdeath slowly rose to her feet, a defiant smile curling at the corners of her lips.
"The final match between you and me is the main event of the day, isn't it?"
"Fine. Since you're so eager to lose again, I'll grant your wish."
Their eyes clashed fiercely. Even from a distance, the intensity of their auras was enough to freeze the air, making it heavy and suffocating.
Though they were friends, the atmosphere between them felt like a life-or-death grudge.
Such was the strange nature of his relationship with Esdeath.
"Ahem! In that case, the seventh and final match will be between the leaders of both sides—General Esdeath and Minister Yotsuba! Both combatants, take your positions!"
At the Little Emperor's announcement, Esdeath and Mahiro stepped onto opposite sides of the arena simultaneously.
The empire's youngest minister and the empire's youngest general were about to face off!
Every spectator held their breath, unable to tear their eyes away from the confrontation between Mahiro and Esdeath.
Though Esdeath's presence was undeniably formidable, Minister Yotsuba's appearance and aura were in no way inferior to hers!
Yet, in the very next moment, something shocking happened.
Suddenly, Esdeath pressed her hand against the ground. With an earth-shaking roar, massive, thick ice walls abruptly erupted around the arena, enclosing it like a prison cage!
"Truly worthy of my master, able to freeze ice so effortlessly even without water," Liver marveled.
In contrast, his own Teigu would be nearly useless without a water source.
"What's the meaning of this? Planning a death duel with me?" Feeling the chilling cold enveloping him and gazing at the towering ice walls, Mahiro asked with keen interest.
"Exactly."
Esdeath smiled faintly, her azure eyes fixed intently on Mahiro.
"A simple victory or defeat, a fight where one just falls off the arena is too dull. After all these years of defeats, I've finally gained the confidence to wash away the humiliation you've brought me. Today, I will definitely defeat you."
"Then I'm looking forward to it."
With Mahiro's grin, their battle began.
Several girls watched the opaque, thick ice walls with deep concern. Though they couldn't see inside, the tremors and explosive noises made it clear just how intense the fight within was.
Hailstones as massive as meteors raining from the sky, roaring blizzards and snowstorms, and occasional ice shards flying out from the walls—all indicated that Esdeath was fighting with all her might.
Such power even made General Budo furrow his brow.
If he wanted to intervene in this battle, he would likely have no choice but to use his Thunder God's Rage: Adramelech. And even then, stopping the two might prove difficult.
Thinking this, Budo turned his gaze to the excited Little Emperor.
If necessary, he would have to prioritize protecting the Little Emperor above all else...
"Muspelheim!"
Mahiro's voice suddenly rang out from within the walls. Immediately after, the air above the arena began to distort—a visual illusion caused by the clash of extreme cold and extreme heat.
The sky twisted under the scorching intensity, and the searing heat spread to the ice walls. The frigid, eternally frozen walls began to show signs of melting and cracking!
What terrifying heat!!!
Feeling the scorching wind blowing toward them, the spectators were astounded.
Bols, wearing his mask, was especially terrified!
This far surpassed the firepower of his Purgatory's Invitation: Rubicante!
"Haha, Mahiro, I knew you'd use this move!"
Esdeath's wild laughter followed, then another shout:
"Let me show you the move I developed just for you—
—Freeze everything! Mahapadma!!!"
An extreme, bone-chilling cold erupted from Esdeath's body.
The pervasive icy chill instantly enveloped all things, freezing everything equally from the inside out.
Molecules ceased their motion, particles stopped interacting, as if the entire world had been put on pause.
The varied expressions on the faces of the spectators outside froze in place.
In this frozen space-time where all things were immobilized, only Esdeath could move.
She once again drew that familiar collar from her ample bosom, step by step approaching Mahiro.
At this moment, her greatest dream was no longer to defeat Mahiro—she clearly understood the gap between them. Her only wish now was to fasten this collar around his neck!
Even for just a moment, she wanted to make this man completely submit beneath her feet!
That's why she had created this technique, even though she could maintain it for only a very brief time!
"Hehe... Let me see how you'll avoid it this time."
The corners of Esdeath's lips gradually curved upward as she looked at the motionless Mahiro, her heart filled with extreme delight that even made her footsteps become somewhat more cheerful.
Yet just as the collar was about to lock around Mahiro's neck...
Suddenly, those tightly closed eyes actually opened!
"What?!!"
Esdeath was startled.
Not only had he opened his eyes, but a faint smile had also appeared at the corners of his mouth.
Simultaneously, those eyes began to radiate a crimson light, within which emerged the pattern of a pentagram magic circle!
And Mahiro slowly opened his mouth to speak:
"Surprised? General Esdeath."