Chapter 167: Conquering Esdeath
"?"
"Surprised? Or shocked?"
"..."
Even someone like Esdeath couldn't help but feel astonished when faced with this grinning man before her.
This was a brand new technique she had recently developed—an ice power capable of freezing even space-time itself, yet it had no effect on him?!
But soon, Esdeath's thoughts came to a complete standstill.
Mahiro slightly parted his lips and uttered the words she was most familiar with—
"Freeze, Mahapadma."
His voice was so light, light enough to vanish in an instant.
But what vanished along with it was the technique Esdeath had unleashed—her Mahapadma was actually being overwritten in reverse!
Like a barrier, an ultimate icy power enveloped everything, and in that moment, her world ceased to flow!
"Quite a dangerous move indeed. If I hadn't injected the new Enhancement Drug a couple of days ago, I might have actually been defeated," Mahiro murmured casually while taking the collar and chain from Esdeath's hands.
He had to admit, this woman was truly a deserving combat genius.
Even after he had unleashed "Muspelheim," a technique of extreme heat, it still ended up frozen—even the flames were frozen solid!
Fortunately, the Tyrant's evolutionary factor became his final trump card, allowing him to adapt to this freezing power.
Just like Tatsumi when he donned the demonic armor in the comics.
"But the winner takes all. Since you're so fond of putting collars on others, let me give you a taste of your own medicine."
Mahiro's lips curled into a mischievous smile.
At the same time, click! The collar originally intended for him was fastened around Esdeath's neck, with the other end of the chain held firmly in Mahiro's hand.
Moments later, the power of Mahapadma dissipated.
Time resumed its flow.
But what collapsed along with it were the towering ice walls that had stood proudly around them, crumbling to nothing in an instant.
The extreme cold current transformed into a storm that swept toward the spectator stands.
Yet the spectators above paid no mind to the cold, their eyes wide with shock as they stared at the arena.
The duel between Esdeath and Mahiro had concluded.
But to everyone's astonishment, that sadistic queen, the undefeated General Esdeath, actually had a collar around her neck!
And by the looks of it, it was Mahiro himself who had put it on!
"Ah, as expected, is Minister Yotsuba Esdeath-sama's natural counter? He always manages to get the better of her," Nyau muttered under his breath.
Since their first duel several years ago, even though Esdeath had improved each time, she had always ended up defeated.
Even this time, when Esdeath had developed such an absurd technique that could even be said to surpass the category of Teigu.
In the end, she still lost to Mahiro, even getting collared in the process.
"The... the winner is the Chief of the Secret Police Force, Yotsuba Mahiro...."
The development was so bizarre and shocking that even the Little Emperor sitting high up in the stands couldn't help but stare in stunned silence.
"Release me!"
Clatter!
A struggling sound came from the chains, and for the first time, a seductive blush appeared on Esdeath's cold, pale face.
This woman seemed to be feeling shy.
It was understandable, after all. Usually, she was the one putting collars on others, training them like pets.
But this was the first time someone had put a collar on her!
"Hey, hey, wait a moment. Didn't we agree? If you lost, your mind and body would belong entirely to me, and I could do anything I wanted. Could it be that General Esdeath is going back on her word?"
Hearing this, Esdeath immediately stopped struggling.
Her ice-blue eyes stared at him intently, with a deep, unwilling resentment swirling in their depths.
But—
The weak perish, the strong survive.
This was the law of survival she had learned from her father since childhood.
She had lost, so she was weak. Precisely because she was too weak, she had to accept any punishment from her opponent. No matter what was done to her, she had no right to resist.
Thinking this, Esdeath seemed to have come to terms with it and slowly released her grip on the chains.
"...So, what does Minister Yotsuba plan to do with me? Kill me? Use me as a breeding tool? Or hang me up and humiliate me?"
Esdeath stared straight into Mahiro's eyes, which had returned to their black color, and a playful smile gradually curled at the corners of her lips.
"What's all this talk about killing? There's no deep-seated hatred between us, why would I kill you? Besides, such a beautiful woman—wouldn't it be a shame if she died?"
"So it's the latter, then?"
In response to Mahiro's teasing and condescending tone, Esdeath showed no reaction, as if this woman had no concept of bashfulness.
Instead, she chuckled along with him.
"Tsk, you woman…"
Provoked by this, Mahiro grew somewhat flustered and angry. He stepped forward, grabbed Esdeath's wrist, and restrained her completely.
"Can't hold back anymore? Planning to do it right here?"
Esdeath's smile was like a poppy flower, bewitching and enchanting, as if she were teasing... no, she was outright challenging Mahiro.
"I really can't hold back, but definitely not here!"
Mahiro grinned, intending to teach this arrogant woman a lesson.
A red light flashed in his eyes, and the teleportation circle of the Dimensional Formation: Shambhala appeared beneath his feet.
As a dim purple light enveloped them, the two instantly vanished from the spot.
This abrupt and inconclusive turn of events left not only the Little Emperor full of questions but also the spectators and members of both factions staring at each other in stunned silence.
What in the world was going on?
"General Budo, where did General Esdeath and Minister Yotsuba go?"
The Little Emperor posed this soul-searching question to her loyal guard.
Unfortunately, even General Budo had no idea.
...
...
"Oh? This should be the place where you trained those little girls a few years ago, right?"
Esdeath looked at the dense forest around them, the three wooden cabins standing behind, and listened to the murmuring sound of a nearby stream.
This place held deep impressions for her, as it was where she had suffered her second defeat at the hands of Mahiro.
"What did you bring me here for?" she asked with keen interest.
"For what? Of course it's to teach a lesson to you, this wretched woman!"
With a clatter, Mahiro tugged the chain, the sudden force causing Esdeath to stumble off-balance, falling directly toward Mahiro.
It was precisely because of this stumble that Mahiro seized the opportunity to capture her cherry-red lips.
Esdeath's azure eyes widened instantly, her body involuntarily stiffening as a subtle emotion sprouted from the depths of her heart.
It was strange.
This sensation felt somewhat ticklish and uncomfortable, yet also deeply pleasurable, making her wish she could tear out her own restless heart.
But breathing in the scorching masculine aura enveloping her inexplicably brought her immense comfort and a slight intoxication.
Like a cat that had secretly eaten silver vine.
After all, Mahiro was the first man in her life to be this intimate with her.
And the first to make her feel this way.
Even though she had originally intended to take the initiative, she found herself without a shred of strength in her body.
After a long while, their lips parted.
Esdeath panted lightly, her pale complexion now tinged with a cherry-blossom pink.
Yet even so, Esdeath refused to back down, saying:
"Is this all you're going to do?"
"Hah, who do you think you're looking down on?"
Mahiro chuckled softly, a glint flashing in his pupils as Esdeath's military uniform instantly turned to dust.
Scooping her up by the bend of her knees and lifting her curvaceous figure, Mahiro strode directly into the wooden cabin where he had most often stayed in the past.
The wooden door closed, and soon faint movements could be heard from inside the cabin.
"Ah...!"
"...Is this... all you've got... huh?!"
"Step aside! This time I'm on top!"
The battle between the two was intense.
Esdeath's combat prowess was particularly astonishing; perhaps unwilling to lose to Mahiro, she persisted without yielding even now, despite her body feeling sore and weak.
Even gritting her teeth and groaning, she held on stubbornly.
Not to mention when she flipped over, taking the dominant position and looking down at Mahiro beneath her, she appeared utterly triumphant.
It was as if she had conquered him—one could only imagine how exhilarated Esdeath felt inside.
She seemed to have found another way to conquer Mahiro!
Her azure hair cascaded over them, swaying gently, while her slender waist glistened with a fine layer of sweat, shimmering enticingly.
Even though she was quickly defeated, an expression of extreme pleasure spread across her lovely face.
Pleasurable times are always fleeting, and soon it was the next day.
Bright sunlight streamed into the room through the window.
Mahiro slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself lying on the floor.
To be precise, the bed frame had collapsed onto the floor, and he was lying on top of it.
The battle had been too intense, and coupled with years of neglect, although he had used magic to clean the room before the fight, the overburdened wooden bed ultimately met its end during the struggle.
To put it plainly, the bed broke from their activities.
The once tidy wooden cabin was now littered with traces of their battle.
At this moment, Esdeath had already sat up, the thin sheet immediately slipping down, exposing her voluptuous curves to the air.
Her doll-like pale, cool-toned skin was completely exposed to his view, her ice-blue long hair cascading down to cover her body, creating a hazy beauty.
A sliver of light seeped through the gap in the cabin's curtains, outlining Esdeath's standing form with a golden rim.
As the curtains trembled slightly, the light on her flickered between dim and bright.
As if deliberately displaying her beauty to him, Esdeath stretched her waist by the window like a blooming flower.
The faint red marks on her bare skin added a touch of fragility and broken beauty to her current appearance.
"Why do you look so satisfied? Weren't you the loser?" Mahiro leaned against the wooden wall, both admiring the lovely scene before him and teasing her.
"Hmm? What would you prefer me to do? Cry in the corner like a little girl? Or perhaps... like this?"
Under his gaze, Esdeath suddenly bent down, grabbed his hand, and guided it along the chain of the collar around her neck, slowly pulling it to the end before placing the leash-like chain in his palm.
Her expression full of submission, she maintained a gentle smile throughout.
Though initially angered by being collared, she accepted this reality calmly, recognizing that as the weaker party, she had no right to refuse.
"Never mind, I'm not as perverted as you."
Mahiro released the chain, letting it slip from his hand, then wrapped his arm around Esdeath's neck.
Just as he had put the collar on her yesterday, today he personally removed it and tossed it aside.
"Popo..."
Esdeath chuckled, unfazed by his actions, and sat down beside him, speaking leisurely:
"No matter what you say or do, I'm already yours—that's beyond doubt."
"Trying to latch onto me?"
"You can think of it that way. After all, my desire to conquer you hasn't subsided yet."
Esdeath was an open and carefree person.
Even now, she showed no trace of shyness, instead candidly revealing her true feelings.
"But as the defeated party, I'm your possession, so it's my duty to remind you—be careful of Prime Minister Honest. The minister has been scheming ways to deal with you."
"I already knew that. I'm not so foolish as to need you to remind me of such things."
Mahiro rolled his eyes at her as if looking at an idiot.
Prime Minister Honest's intentions were obvious: to usurp the throne—this hadn't been a recent development either. Mahiro even suspected that the assassination attempt by Revolutionary Army operatives over two years ago had been caused by Honest leaking his whereabouts.
He just never had concrete proof.
"Honest has been trying to win me over, wanting us to join forces against you," Esdeath added.
"What of it? You've already been defeated by me. What tricks could that remaining minister possibly pull? He's nothing but a clown," Mahiro replied dismissively.
"My, you truly are a fascinating man."
His nonchalant attitude made Esdeath regard him with newfound interest. Aside from herself, he was probably the only person who could afford to treat the Prime Minister with such contempt.
Moreover, upon reflection...
From their very first encounter, it seemed destined that this man would be extraordinary. Though she had sensed it then, she only truly realized it in hindsight.
As these thoughts crossed her mind, Esdeath's gaze drifted unconsciously toward the window.
"The scenery outside is quite lovely."
"Right? I specifically chose this location for that."
Hearing his proud tone, Esdeath nodded frankly. "I'm planning to transplant some flowers from my garden here. They should thrive quite well."
"You grow flowers? How unexpected."
He looked at her as if observing a rare creature. Gardening seemed like such a girlish hobby—completely incompatible with this sadistic queen.
Perhaps she unexpectedly possessed a maiden's heart?
"The flowers I grow aren't for decoration. Their hallucinogenic petals are useful for interrogation, while the sap from their stems can induce excruciating pain—perfect for torturing prisoners," Esdeath explained calmly.
Well then, he retracted his previous thought. What maiden's heart? She was pure sadist through and through!
Ever since their intimate encounter, Esdeath had made no attempt to conceal her actions. She would pursue Night Raid's traces during the day, then visit him at night using that as a pretext.
This inevitably provoked resentment among the other girls, culminating in an all-out conflict—
A great battle between Esdeath and six girls including Seryu.
The problem was, they stood no chance against Esdeath. What began as their attempt to teach her a lesson ended with Esdeath schooling all six of them.
Even when Kurome unleashed the Super Danger Beast Death Tagool, Esdeath still defeated them barehanded.
Without even using her Teigu.
In the girls' eyes, Esdeath might as well be a Humanoid Danger Beast!
Even Poney in her kemonomimi form would instantly revert to a frightened cat upon catching Esdeath's scent.
However, the dissatisfaction with Esdeath wasn't limited to those girls—Mine in their household felt the same.
But being clever, she knew direct confrontation would be futile against Esdeath, so she opted for a roundabout approach—
Ambushing Mahiro under cover of night.
This was not the Night Raid organization, but a genuine night assault.
Taking advantage of the dark and windy night, she even brought Womyn and Remus along for this nighttime raid.
As a result, he ended up "devouring" all three women in a single night.
As for Honest's side, he naturally refused to remain passive.
Ever since hearing that the Jaegers led by Esdeath had been defeated by Mahiro's Assassination UNIT, Honest had been living in constant anxiety.
This was especially true after learning about the intimate relationship between Esdeath and Mahiro, which created a rift in his cooperative partnership with Esdeath.
He began worrying about when that woman might defect to Mahiro's side and betray him.
Although no such news had ever come from the Four Rakshasa Demons.
Still, having climbed to the position of minister, Honest would not simply wait for death.
But rather than dealing with Mahiro, he chose to set aside this hatred and entanglement, first focusing on consolidating his power within the court.
Thus, this fellow devised a sinister plan.
Hadn't Night Raid been frequently assassinating factions under his command recently?
Now, he decided to borrow these assassins' name, ordering his executioners—the Four Rakshasa Demons—to secretly carry out assassinations against the conscience faction in the imperial court.
He would purge all those who opposed him!