Chapter 170: The Resurrected Empire
"Oh, I remember you. You are Najenda, correct? You may rise."
Noticing someone addressing her, the girl instantly switched from a cute little girl to a dignified imperial demeanor. She stood upright before Mahiro, sweeping a detached gaze over Najenda.
Yet the other members felt as though thunder had struck upon witnessing her majestic posture.
This girl was undoubtedly the current emperor!
But how could she be a little girl?!
"Your guilty subject Bulat pays respects to Your Majesty!"
Following suit, Bulat knelt down, then Leone and Lubbock, with even Tatsumi being forcibly pulled to his knees.
Only Sheele and Akame remained unresponsive.
Akame paid no mind to the emperor, silently moving to stand guard beside Mahiro.
Sheele simply hadn't processed the situation, merely finding the little girl adorable.
It wasn't until Leone reminded her that she understood and knelt along with the others.
"Oh... Night Raid?"
Hearing their self-introductions and observing their reverent posture, the Little Emperor seemed to show a flicker of interest.
"You're the ones Yotsuba Ma... ahem, Minister Yotsuba mentioned—the Night Raid troublemakers disturbing the peace of the Imperial City, correct?"
"..."
Najenda deeply bowed her head.
She had originally planned to meet the Little Emperor only after overthrowing Prime Minister Honest, never expecting to encounter her here.
But soon, someone stepped forward to refute her words.
"That's not true! We're not troublemakers at all! We're righteous individuals protecting the Imperial City and its people!"
"Tatsumi?!"
None of them expected Tatsumi to speak such words at this moment.
Yet Tatsumi completely ignored their attempts to stop him, continuing:
"My name is Tatsumi! I came from a remote village hoping to make my way in the Imperial City, but within days of arriving I witnessed endless darkness—it's utterly filthy and corrupt! Since you're the emperor, why can't you lower your head to see the common people below, to listen to the voices of your subjects! Punish Prime Minister Honest and the other criminals leading this corruption!!"
Since they were already captured, Tatsumi decided to speak his mind, hoping his heartfelt words might move the ruler before him.
But he was so focused on speaking that he completely failed to notice the Little Emperor pouting, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
"The people's voices again..."
She had heard similar words countless times, from countless decaying old stubborn officials, but had any of them truly understood the situation at court?
All they did was complain all day, yet none could propose a decent governance plan.
Did they think everything should just be thrown to her, the emperor?
"My apologies, Your Majesty, this is..."
"No matter."
Najenda tried to explain, but the Little Emperor waved her hand to interrupt.
"You said your name is Tatsumi... correct? Have you finished speaking?"
"Of course not! Your Majesty, I hope you can truly listen to the voices from below! Everything we do is for the prosperity of this empire!"
"Only when the people live and work in peace can the nation prosper, isn't that right? Yet now the common folk suffer under the exploitation and oppression of cruel nobles. Doesn't this make Your Majesty's heart ache?"
"Haha... How amusing to hear such words from a rebel like you."
The Little Emperor clutched his stomach as he giggled.
"Since you're so fond of asking questions, and I'm in a good mood today, I shall answer you. First, you claim the Imperial City is dark? How dark exactly? Where there is light, darkness naturally exists—this is an eternal truth since ancient times. Aren't you Night Raid members lurking within this very darkness yourselves?"
"Second, you claim you're acting for this nation's prosperity? To protect the people's peaceful lives? From my perspective, you're the very ones disrupting this peace. My loyal Minister Yotsuba has managed everything in perfect order, exhausting himself to maintain this stability. And what about you?"
"While preaching about saving this empire, you freely slaughter my officials. Isn't it you who's committing these acts?"
"The ones we in Night Raid kill all deserve their fate! Those scum, serving as imperial officials yet wallowing in corruption and committing every evil deed—they should be executed by all!"
Tatsumi emotionally refuted the Little Emperor's accusations.
"Oh? By acting on the empire's behalf like this, what do you take imperial law for?! And who will fill the vacant positions?!"
"It's them who disregard imperial law! Since the legal system fails to punish those villains effectively, we of Night Raid naturally deliver judgment and divine punishment!"
"So... you Night Raid members are all rebels."
After listening to Tatsumi's words, the young girl sighed softly.
"The nation has its laws, the family its rules. They disregard the law, but isn't Night Raid the same? If everyone acted like Night Raid, wouldn't the nation cease to be a nation and families cease to be families? If all rules were arbitrarily broken and everything was decided by strength, what would become of this empire?"
"But..." Tatsumi opened his mouth but couldn't produce any further rebuttal.
He didn't even dare look directly into the eyes of the emperor standing before him, who was younger than himself.
"From the very beginning, neither Night Raid nor the Revolutionary Army ever intended to save the people or this empire! Everything you've done only worsens the nation's chaos!"
"Assassinating important officials has thrown the entire Imperial City into panic."
"You're the true ones making the people's lives unbearable and plunging them into dire straits! All your actions aim to overthrow my rule, destroy this empire, and let the ambitious leaders of the Revolutionary Army establish a new nation upon its ruins!"
"How could... We, the Revolutionary Army, are responding to the people's voices..."
"Responding to the people's voices?"
A cold smile curled on the Little Emperor's lips.
"Which people's voices are you responding to? Do you know how many wars have occurred since I ascended the throne?! How many have died?! How many innocent..."
"Do you know how many common people have been displaced and dragged into this because of you?!"
The girl strode forward abruptly, step by step until she stood right before Tatsumi.
Despite her petite frame, she projected an overwhelmingly imposing presence—a suffocating, solemn dignity that crushed the air around them!
"For the Empire and its people? Don't make me laugh! Since ancient times, every ambitious schemer eyeing the throne and plotting usurpation has found such a high-sounding excuse for themselves!"
"Allying with foreign tribes, slaughtering your own comrades, carving up the Empire's territory—this so-called Revolutionary Army is nothing but outright treason! Treason! Rebellion! Sedition!"
"...N-No, that's not true!"
"What part isn't?!"
The Little Emperor's words struck like daggers, each syllable piercing straight into Tatsumi's heart and laying it bare.
The sharp, stabbing pain left Tatsumi utterly speechless, his face pale as a ghost.
After all, how long had he been part of Night Raid? How much did he truly understand about the Revolutionary Army?
Not long ago, he was just a poor boy from the countryside—what could he possibly know about such matters?
In truth, it wasn't just him. The others hung their heads low as well, equally stricken.
Najenda herself was reflecting on this issue. After witnessing the true state of affairs within the Revolutionary Army, she realized that what Mahiro had told her earlier was indeed correct.
And now, with the Little Emperor personally tearing away this fig leaf, the Revolutionary Army's greed was laid completely bare.
Among everyone present, only Chelsea and Taeko remained largely unaffected.
Taeko went without saying—her heart had always been peculiar, and besides, she no longer belonged to the Revolutionary Army.
As for Chelsea, her sense of justice lay in staying true to herself, not aligning with any faction.
If the Empire was at fault, she would assassinate its corrupt officials. But if the Revolutionary Army erred, she would not spare them either.
"However, rest assured—I can understand your sentiments. Since you brought up the matter of Prime Minister Honest, I shall make my stance clear here: unless I meet an untimely death, I will never compromise with Prime Minister Honest!"
For she truly had no reason whatsoever to compromise with Honest.
Over all these years, she had witnessed every single one of this minister's deeds—each and every one recorded in her heart. Moreover, this very minister had murdered her father and mother!
If she were to bow and compromise with such a power-hungry official, then she truly deserved to be sent to the guillotine!
To be buried alongside this millennia-old Empire as a sacrificial offering!
"T...."
Her sudden declaration deeply shocked Najenda.
Her gaze shifted repeatedly between Mahiro and the Little Emperor, wondering if she had truly made a mistake back then, and whether...
Mahiro might become a second Honest!
But these thoughts... seemed unimportant now.
For all members of their Night Raid had been arrested, once again imprisoned deep within the residence, still under Taeko's watch.
As for whether they would be released or not—it no longer held any meaning.
To put it in mystical terms, within Night Raid, aside from the airheaded Sheele, Lubbock who simply followed Najenda blindly, and the hot-blooded reckless youth Tatsumi, the others had essentially experienced a collapse of their spiritual foundation.
As for Akame, she naturally returned to the elite team after completing her mission.
Reunited once more with her younger sister Kurome, the two embraced on the spot, weeping tears of joy as they poured out their longing for each other.
As for the assassinations within the Imperial City, Mahiro showed no intention of stopping—or rather, he openly laid his cards on the table.
Since that day, a subtle qualitative change had occurred between him and the Little Emperor, and the two began acting in tacit understanding.
With the Little Emperor's covert support, Mahiro's assassination squad continued operating under the banner of Night Raid, cleansing Honest's faction while filling the vacant positions with capable officials he had rescued.
Even the elder statesman Chouri returned to the court.
Not only did the crumbling empire show no signs of halting operations, it instead seemed to experience a second spring, as if the flames of life had been rekindled.
Everything was developing in a thriving direction.
But Honest grew increasingly panicked, as if his death sentence was approaching step by step.
He became more restrained in court, not daring to overstep any boundaries, yet the Little Emperor knew perfectly well that unless this fat pig was completely eliminated, it would never be enough!
The only mystery was why Mahiro never made a move against this fat pig.
It wasn't until the Revolutionary Army breached the Imperial City that the Little Emperor finally understood exactly why this had been done.
"Wuu... Minister Yotsuba, Prime Minister Honest, General Budo, what should we do now?"
The Little Emperor sat trembling on the throne, speaking in a voice that contrasted sharply with her previous innocent cheerfulness and imperial dignity, revealing her most vulnerable and fragile side.
For no other reason than that the Revolutionary Army had unknowingly broken into the Imperial City, with all four gates—east, west, south, and north—completely captured.
The security forces and assassination squads immediately collapsed, while the citizens of the Imperial City fled for their lives.
Hundreds of thousands of troops poured directly into the city.
"Your Majesty need not worry. As long as we dispatch General Esdeath, I believe the rebellion can be quickly suppressed," Prime Minister Honest said solemnly.
Honest had long known about the relationship between Esdeath and Mahiro, but he refused to believe Esdeath would submit to Mahiro. Thus, he had always regarded Esdeath as his trump card.
Moreover, this was a critical moment—no time for internal strife. He believed that even for his own sake, Mahiro would send Esdeath out...
"Apologies, Your Majesty. Some time ago, while hunting a legendary Super Danger Beast with Minister Yotsuba, I accidentally sustained serious injuries that haven't healed yet. Currently... I cannot take to the battlefield."
"What?!"
Prime Minister Honest's exclamation was even louder than the Little Emperor's.
"General Esdeath! Do you realize what you're saying?! This is an extremely urgent situation!"
However, Esdeath completely ignored Prime Minister Honest, instead curling her lips into an inexplicable smile as if watching a clown.
"General Budo! The empire is in perilous times where our survival hangs by a thread! It's time for you to take action!"
Prime Minister Honest finally understood and immediately turned his gaze toward Budo, who had remained silent all along.
Yet Budo was frowning deeply, his eyes fixed on the Little Emperor as if seeking an answer.
But the Little Emperor shook his head frantically.
"No, absolutely not! General Budo, you must stay by my side. Who will ensure my safety if you leave? Moreover, the palace is guarded by only ten thousand imperial guards—how could they possibly stand against hundreds of thousands of rebels? Absolutely not!"
Thus, Budo cast a helpless glance at Honest.
"...!"
Honest tore at his hair wildly, his mind racing until a sudden idea flashed through it.
"Your Majesty, this old servant has another plan. We still hold our final trump card. As long as we activate the legendary Ultimate Imperial Arms, no matter how many rebels come..."
"Your Highness, I have a proposal. Would you care to hear it?"
Mahiro suddenly interrupted Honest, stepping onto the imperial dais to address the Little Emperor.
"...Minister Yotsuba, you have a solution? Speak quickly, I am very interested."
"Actually, resolving the rebel issue is quite simple. Most rebels have turned against the empire due to Honest's oppression. So, we only need to hand over this fat pig."
"What did you say?! At a time like this, you're still engaging in internal strife—are you truly insane? Have you lost your mind?!"
However, Mahiro paid no heed to Honest's roaring and instead inquired of the Little Emperor, "What does Your Majesty think of this proposal?"
"A brilliant idea! This fat pig... I mean, Prime Minister Honest, I hope you will sacrifice yourself to save the empire! Afterwards, I will ensure you receive a grand burial, and your family and descendants will be granted the highest honors, enjoying prosperity for generations to come!"
The Little Emperor spoke to Honest with utmost sincerity.
"Madness... you're all mad!"
By now, what descendants and relatives did Honest even have left? They had all been slaughtered in the internal strife!
Moreover, he was no fool—how could he not see that these people clearly wanted him dead!
The Little Emperor had ultimately slipped completely from his control.
And the one responsible for all this was that damned brat—
"Yotsuba Mahiro!!! I'll kill you!!!"
Honest could no longer restrain himself. With bloodshot eyes, he lunged fiercely at Mahiro, his fat hands curling into claws as he aimed straight for Mahiro's chest.
"Idiot."
Mahiro merely sneered and casually waved his hand.
Smack!
Honest's several-hundred-pound obese body was sent flying, crashing hard onto the ground and sliding nearly twenty meters, stopping just short of the palace doors.
His plump face was swollen and bruised.
Yet even then, when he lifted his head, his gaze toward Mahiro remained filled with ferocity.
"Mahiro, even as a ghost, I will never let you off!!"
"Is that so? Then you'll need to qualify as a ghost first."
Mahiro grabbed Honest by the collar and dragged him toward the palace doors, the several-hundred-pound weight feeling like nothing in his hands.
Outside the palace gates, beneath the seemingly endless staircase known as the Ladder of Heaven, countless troops had gathered, their dense figures stretching as far as the eye could see.
"Everyone, victory is within reach! Follow me in, and let us rebuild our empire!"
Such shouts echoed from the Revolutionary Army, but just as they prepared to charge, they spotted a figure standing atop the stairs.
"Is that... Minister Yotsuba?!" someone exclaimed in shock.
Immediately, everyone halted in their tracks.
These people were well aware of Mahiro's reputation. If a new empire were to be established, Mahiro would be indispensable.
Amid the shifting crowd, several dozen individuals dressed in fine attire, clearly leaders, stepped forward.
Even from dozens of meters away, Mahiro recognized them—they were defectors from the empire, including many governors and civil officials!
"Minister Yotsuba, the empire is already in name only. It's not worth your protection. I believe you understand reason—surrender is a good path, isn't it? The new nation will need your help as well."
"How interesting."
Mahiro smiled faintly at those persuading him but only glanced at them briefly before raising his gaze to survey the masses of the Revolutionary Army.
"Everyone, may I have a word?"
Mahiro shouted loudly.
As his voice spread, the noisy crowd quickly fell silent.
"I understand clearly that many among you resent the corruption of the empire's nobility, and I know that many rebelled out of desperation. Now, the corrupt bureaucrats have been almost entirely purged. The root of this corruption, the chief culprit—Prime Minister Honest—is right here! Kill him, and the empire will never again have nobles oppressing you!"
"Kill Honest! Kill Honest! Kill Honest!"
The Revolutionary Army's roars shook the heavens. As the source of corruption, which citizen of the empire didn't grit their teeth in hatred for Honest!
At this, Honest, whom Mahiro held, finally snapped out of his anger, and fear instantly seized him.
The way those people looked at him—it was as if they wanted to devour him alive!
If he fell into their hands, his fate would be unimaginable!
"Spare me... I beg you, Minister Yotsuba, spare me! I'll do anything, even serve as your ox or horse—just don't hand me over to those people!"
"Hah, I don't farm. What would I need an ox or horse for?"
Mahiro rarely cursed, then threw Honest toward the crowd.
"Since you want him, he's yours!"
Honest's obese body shot into the crowd like a cannonball.
Everyone surged forward, eager to kill him, but Honest was no ordinary man. Having trained at the Imperial Fist Temple, his strength was not far inferior to that of the Four Rakshasa Demons.
He immediately repelled those around him, resisting fiercely within the crowd.
"Get back, all of you! You're not qualified to kill me!!! I am the Prime Minister!!!"
Honest killed many in the crowd, but for every one who fell, two or three more took their place, as if an endless stream.
Despite his formidable strength, he still couldn't single-handedly take on an entire army, and was soon pinned forcefully to the ground.
"Let me go... You... You!!! Ah!!!!"
Amidst the crowd came Honest's agonized screams, but they quickly fell silent. The existence known as Honest had been literally torn apart by the Revolutionary Army.
Pieces of what was once called Honest were scattered everywhere, his blood staining the Revolutionary Army's uniforms crimson.
Even though Honest held the legendary Teigu Erastone—said to counter all other Teigu—it was utterly useless, as those who killed him were all ordinary people without a single Teigu user among them.
The gruesome scene was so unbearable that even the leading provincial governors couldn't bear to watch.
"Alright everyone, now that the primary culprit has been executed, you may disperse."
"Impossible!"
Before his words even finished, someone suddenly shouted in rebuttal: "Prime Minister Honest was only one of the ringleaders! The true root of this evil is the Little Emperor! Minister Yotsuba, please step aside and hand over the Little Emperor!"
"That's right! Hand over the Little Emperor!"
"Hand over the Little Emperor! Hand over the Little Emperor! Hand over the Little Emperor!"
Like sheep following their leader, once one took the lead, countless others blindly followed suit.
Listening to the clamorous voices echoing around him, Mahiro shook his head and sneered, "You people... truly refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit..."
He pulled out a pair of black gloves from his pocket and put them on.
Then with a sudden sweep of his hand—
Rip!
The noisy crowd instantly fell silent. All the Revolutionary Army members stared in stunned terror at the scene before them.
The faces of the leading provincial governors twisted into masks of horrific fear.
Then, their bodies collapsed like building blocks.
Stained with blood, countless dense threads became visible in the air—the very threads that had just killed the governors!
But this was only the beginning.
The moment those governors died, dense footsteps came from all around.
On the walls surrounding the palace's inner courtyard, black-clad assassins had appeared as if from nowhere. This assassination group was led by elite members including Nahashu and Cornelia!
Not only that, but Seryu had also arrived with ten thousand imperial guards, blocking the main gate of the imperial city and trapping their hundreds of thousands inside.
And General Esdeath—the very name that made foreign tribes tremble in fear—had appeared right beside Mahiro!
"Can you understand me now?"
Mahiro asked: "Leave now, and your past transgressions will be forgiven. Otherwise, you shall end up like this!"
Boom! With a loud crash, a massive head landed before the Revolutionary Army.
"This... what is this?!!"
Although most of the Revolutionary Army's leadership was already dead, there were still many capable individuals and unusual talents among the remaining forces. Many recognized what this head belonged to.
It was none other than the legendary Super Danger Beast that dwelled in the eastern clouds!!!
The terrifying Super Danger Beast that even the First Emperor couldn't subdue—just a single hair from its body was powerful enough to be made into a Teigu!
And it had been killed?!
This was one of the Super Danger Beasts he had killed with his bare hands during his date with Esdeath.
Moreover, Mahiro had collected all the Cloud Dragon's hairs and made them into the gloves he had just used—their performance far surpassed that of Cross Tail.
In the end, under such terrifying coercion, the Revolutionary Army ultimately began to retreat.
However, the foreign tribes were naturally unwilling to accept this and regrouped once more in an attempt to attack the Imperial City.
But this time, Mahiro would not indulge these people. He directly handed the task over to Esdeath, letting this battle maniac resolve the situation.
After Honest's death and the crisis was averted, the Little Emperor, now firmly back in power, first issued a general pardon across the land, just as Mahiro had suggested, absolving the Revolutionary Army of their past crimes.
Moreover, he exempted the entire empire from taxes for three years!
Not only that, but even the members of Night Raid were reinstated and given important roles.
"General Najenda, and Bulat, would you be willing to serve me once again and protect the empire?"
"..."
Najenda was stunned, and Bulat was equally taken aback.
Originally, they had considered themselves fortunate just to escape execution for their capital crimes. They never expected His Majesty would not only pardon them but also intend to reappoint them.
Under such circumstances, what else could they say?
Naturally, they agreed!
However, along with the joyous news came a concerning development: Mahiro merged the assassination department with Night Raid and the Jaegers.
He also stepped down from his position as head of the secret security force, handing over the responsibility to Bulat and Najenda.
But along with his departure, his deputy and assistant, Seryu, also left.
As for the assassination department, Nahashu and the girls chose to continue following him, even if it meant no longer being part of the assassination division.
Only Green remained in the assassination department, continuing to strive there.
Additionally, there was more good news: Tatsumi, Sayo, and Ieyasu were finally reunited.
This was indeed a cause for celebration.
Time flew by.
Unconsciously, another year passed.
The foreign tribes were completely suppressed, all exterminated by the terrifying presence of Esdeath. As a result, the empire grew strong once more, with everything developing in a prosperous direction.
Throughout this year, Mahiro traveled with the girls, enjoying the scenery and exploring various parts of the empire.
This included Taeko, who had always guarded his treasury, and Chelsea, who had retired from Night Raid.
It was unclear what mindset Chelsea held—perhaps she sought revenge—but she ended up following him.
Of all the girls he knew, Chelsea was the last one he would have expected to do so.
Incidentally, he had intimate relations with all these girls.
Originally, he hadn't planned to move so quickly, nor had he even intended to make a move.
But they came to him on their own initiative, leaving him no choice.
The incident began when they stayed at a hotel, and Cornelia, Poney, Gin, and Kurome heard a rumor—
"They say that at night, strange crying sounds always come from Mahiro-sama's room."
And so, the four of them formed an investigation team and secretly looked into the matter at night.
The good news was, they indeed heard crying, but it sounded more like soft, sweet moans, delicate and alluring.
The bad news was, the source of the crying was actually Tsukushi!
Tsukushi had been sneaking behind their backs to visit Mahiro-sama for secret trysts!
Even Mine didn't know about this!
How could they possibly let the matter rest? And so, an exceptionally prolonged war began.
Because of this, Mine remained sulking for several days.
...
"Haah—"
The Little Emperor seated on the throne let out a sigh akin to a drowning person gasping for fresh air.
Sweat soaked the ground, a few strands of damp hair clung to the corners of her mouth, and her chest heaved with rapid breaths.
Her legs trembled slightly as she lay completely limp against the throne.
Her short boots had been tossed aside to who-knows-where, and her delicate feet, encased in black stockings, rested on the cold floor tiles.
After who knows how long, she finally regained some strength and cooed in a somewhat resentful tone:
"...Big Brother Mahiro, you're really a pervert. Do you enjoy doing such things in the main hall so much?"
"Emmm, I think it's every man's dream, isn't it? To see the exalted empress on the throne making some lovely, melodious sounds and all."
"Then, since I've fulfilled your dream, Big Brother, won't you stay? Can you remain here with me?"
The Little Emperor turned around, her eyes glistening with moisture as she gazed at him.
But Mahiro shook his head and said, "It's not possible. As I've said, I'm not from this world. I have family waiting for me in my original world."
"That's true..."
At the mention of family, the Little Emperor's eyes dimmed.
The word "family" felt both foreign and familiar to her. Once, she had many family members, but now, not a single one remained...
"In that case, take me with you when you leave!"
The girl suddenly declared.
This made Mahiro slowly form a question mark in his mind.
"Wait, are you serious? What about your empire and your subjects?"
"Hmph, they don't need me right now. General Najenda handles all the daily affairs perfectly well. I just sit here all day like a mascot. They don't need me nearly as much as you do, Big Brother!"
The girl puffed out her cheeks, clearly very displeased.
"Alright, alright. Even so, can you really bear to leave your kingdom behind?"
"Why wouldn't I? I'm all alone now, with no family or relatives. You're the only person close to me left! If you leave, what will I do? So, please take me with you, okay? And besides, if you want to control the Supreme Teigu, don't you still need my blood?"
The Little Emperor hugged his arm and gently swayed it, even wriggling her bottom restlessly.
"Fine, fine."
In the end, unable to withstand her persistent pleading, he finally agreed.
The very next day, Mahiro left.
The massive mansion vanished into thin air, taking with it the Little Emperor and the Teigu, taking Leone and Sheele, taking his maids and subordinates, and also taking that strongest sadistic general, Esdeath.
All that remained was Najenda, staring at the empty space with a bitter smile on her lips as she lifted her head to gaze at the sky.
"Boss, what are you thinking about?"
Bulat asked curiously.
"Nothing, I just feel like all of this seems like a dream. Sometimes I can't help but wonder, if I hadn't chosen to defect from the Empire back then, would I have ended up making the same choice as Esdeath?"
Bathed in sunlight, Najenda raised her fair and delicate right hand to shield her eyes from the glare, smiling faintly:
"The sunlight is really dazzling."
And the vermillion magatama in her left hand flashed with a fleeting gleam...