With Ope Ope no Mi in Multiverse

Chapter 331: Chapter 327: Najenda (Part 2)



"Don't worry, soon everything will be over, and the Empire will be completely different," Daniel Davis said before putting Chelsea away, leaving her with these words. As the final moments of the conflict drew near, Chelsea was too valuable to be left in harm's way. While Kurome might not target her anymore, Sheila and his group of criminals would soon return. With the Gaea Foundation, Chelsea could easily assassinate ordinary people, but going after those with experience and power was far more dangerous.

For example, trying to assassinate someone like the Rakshasa Demons or Esdeath would be a death sentence. These individuals had a heightened sense of danger, and Chelsea's attempts to take them down with poison would likely fail. Even if she managed to land a strike, their strength would still allow them to kill her before succumbing to the poison.

"It's a shame about Boros," Daniel murmured as he walked along the path Chelsea had taken, eventually finding Boros's lifeless body behind a large tree. There was a small black dot on the back of his neck, evidence that Chelsea had exploited his gentle nature to take him down.

Despite his menacing appearance, Boros, who always wore a fire-resistant suit and mask, was a gentle soul who followed orders without question. Ironically, Boros had once saved Akame's life. After Akame's fierce battle with Melard left her severely injured, it was Boros's Fire Troops who had rushed her to the capital, where she received the best treatment and recovered.

In the past, Boros's Fire Troops had not used horses but rather a Level One Danger Beast known as the Flame Hare. This creature, tamed by the Empire, was primarily assigned to fast-moving units like the Fire Troops and messengers. The Flame Hare, though only a Level One Danger Beast, surpassed ordinary horses in both speed and endurance. Despite its name, it was a large, red-furred rabbit that resembled a flaming ball when it ran, hence the name.

The Flame Hare's meat was also quite delicious, making it an excellent backup food source in case of shortages—a practical choice. Daniel had even considered bringing a batch of these beasts to the Qin world to equip the Six Doors with them.

After gazing at Boros's body for a moment, Daniel shook his head and moved on. While Boros's death was regrettable, it was also inevitable, given his role in the Empire's atrocities. Countless innocent lives had been lost due to Boros and his Fire Troops, making his fate justifiable. Even if he hadn't died today, he would likely have faced execution when the new government was established unless Daniel intervened to protect him, which was unlikely.

Suddenly, an earth-shattering explosion echoed from the left, followed by a deafening roar from the right. Daniel turned to see a towering Danger Beast, over ten meters tall, approaching from the right.

"Dr. Stylish," Daniel muttered as he recognized the colossal Danger Beast, despite the distance.

"That must be Dr. Stylish on the right. If the explosion on the left was Seiryu, she must have self-destructed," Daniel thought as he made his way toward Dr. Stylish. While he didn't care about Dr. Stylish's survival, the God Hand Imperial Arm was something he valued. If Boros's death was a small pity, Dr. Stylish's demise was inconsequential. After all, Dr. Stylish had been involved in many of the worst atrocities in this world.

From his participation in the Empire's assassination unit's Enhanced Group, which led to Kurome's current state, to his countless experiments on civilians, Dr. Stylish was responsible for innumerable horrors. His Fire Troops had razed villages and massacred innocents, all under his command.

As for Seiryu, if she had self-destructed, it would save Daniel some trouble. Her extreme sense of justice had warped her mind, making her beyond reasoning. The only way to change her would be to erase her memories, but before Daniel could decide her fate, she had already encountered her enemies. Without an Imperial Arm, Seiryu likely wouldn't have survived the Empire's dark underbelly.

"Incursio, Susanoo, Lubbock, Akame, and Bulat—a formidable team," Daniel noted as he arrived at the battle site. The massive Danger Beast that Dr. Stylish had transformed into was being besieged by several of Night Raid's top members.

Although the transformed Dr. Stylish was powerful, capable of causing massive destruction with every move, he was up against Night Raid's best. Lubbock's Cross Tail Imperial Arm, while unable to cut through the giant beast, effectively immobilized its legs, preventing escape.

Meanwhile, Incursio and Susanoo could withstand Dr. Stylish's attacks head-on, with Akame waiting for the right moment to strike with her Murasame. Night Raid's coordination suggested they had planned this assault well in advance.

The reason they hadn't targeted Run and Wave was likely that neither had committed any heinous acts. Night Raid always investigated their targets' backgrounds thoroughly, sparing those who were innocent.

Not long ago, the young daughter of an executed civil official had been rescued by Night Raid, demonstrating their commitment to protecting the innocent.

Despite Daniel's control over Minister Honest, the situation in the Empire remained largely unchanged. Many competent officials were still being executed, and the rot within the Empire ran deep. Honest was merely accelerating the Empire's downfall, but even without him, the result would be the same.

At this point, the Emperor was surrounded entirely by sycophants, and while General Budo was a good man, his role as a military officer prevented him from intervening in civil affairs.

The first Emperor of the Empire had wisely separated the civil and military branches of government, preventing military officers from overruling civil officials—a far better system than that of certain dynasties where civil officials dominated the military.

General Budo had long understood the Empire's corruption, but he remained steadfast in his duty. He had planned to restore order, but unfortunately, he never returned from his mission.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it! Where is the backup?!" Dr. Stylish's attacks grew increasingly erratic as panic set in. While the massive form he had taken could have allowed him to escape, Dr. Stylish was no warrior—he was a scientist, ill-suited to wield such power effectively. This lack of combat experience left him vulnerable to Night Raid's ambush.

Another disadvantage was that Dr. Stylish hadn't brought his modified soldiers, the Chessmen, with him. These highly capable subordinates had almost devastated Night Raid in the original story, and if not for Najenda and Chelsea's timely arrival, the outcome might have been dire.

As Dr. Stylish grew more frantic, Akame seized an opportunity to strike. With a swift slash, Murasame left a cursed wound across his face, causing the massive creature to stiffen before collapsing with a thunderous crash, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Retrieve the Imperial Arm immediately! The enemy reinforcements could be here any minute," Najenda ordered, her voice steady as she watched the scene unfold.

"Got it," Lubbock replied, retracting his wires and moving to claim Dr. Stylish's God Hand Imperial Arm—a crucial tool for the Revolutionary Army.

"Lubbock!" Akame suddenly shouted, her face paling as she noticed something. Lubbock instinctively reactivated his Imperial Arm, spreading his wires once more.

"It seems I'm late," Daniel's voice came from within the dust cloud. As it cleared, Daniel stood not far from Dr. Stylish's fallen form.

"Vice-Captain, save me!" Dr. Stylish's eyes lit up with hope upon seeing Daniel. Despite the curse spreading through his body, the transformation had granted him enough resilience to cling to life.

"Murasame... This sword isn't good for hunting," Daniel mused, noting the cursed wound that rendered any animal it struck inedible. It was an odd thought to have as he looked down at the dying scientist.

"I'm sorry, but I can't save you," Daniel replied coldly to Dr. Stylish's plea. The scientist's eyes widened in despair, and he tried to speak, but no words came. With one last breath, Dr. Stylish died.

Daniel wasted no time in retrieving the God Hand Imperial Arm from the body.

"Jaegers Vice-Captain Daniel, why are you siding with the Empire? Chelsea told us you despise its darkness," Lubbock questioned as he readied himself to attack, only to be stopped by a glance from Najenda.

"I do despise the Empire's darkness, but do you think the Revolutionary Army is any better?" Daniel replied, holding the God Hand. He looked Najenda in the eye as he continued, "From what I've seen, the Revolutionary Army is no different from the Empire. Even if you overthrow the Empire, you'll just replace one corrupt regime with another."

Daniel's words weren't baseless. After gaining control of Minister Honest and spreading his intelligence network, he had learned much about the Revolutionary Army's inner workings.

While many in the Revolutionary Army were genuinely fighting against oppression, the original revolutionaries were mostly dead or gone, replaced by former nobles and officials seeking power. The way Night Raid handled certain situations, particularly their treatment of civil officials, hinted at the underlying rot within the Revolutionary Army.

In truth, the Revolutionary Army had become similar to some historical uprisings Daniel was familiar with—what began as a popular revolt was gradually co-opted by opportunists. The army's upper ranks were now dominated by former Empire officials, including Najenda herself, who had once been a general for the Empire.

This situation wasn't entirely the Revolutionary

 Army's fault. The world's literacy rate was abysmally low, even worse than that of the Qin Dynasty. With so few educated people, the army had no choice but to rely on former Empire officials to grow.

The current leaders of the Revolutionary Army were nearly all former Empire officials. Many had joined not out of idealism but to secure their own futures. The high positions given to these defectors were worrying, and their allegiance was questionable. Some had a dark past, yet were still accepted into the Revolutionary Army, much like the seemingly charitable Aria family, who were, in truth, monstrous.

Daniel had no intention of allowing these people to simply change sides and continue their wicked ways under a new banner. Those who had committed atrocities in the Empire wouldn't escape justice so easily. While Daniel had no quarrel with genuinely innocent nobles and wealthy individuals, he would not spare those who had used their positions to commit heinous acts.

"Do you have some misunderstanding about the Revolutionary Army?" Najenda asked after a moment of silence.

"Misunderstanding? Take a look at these," Daniel replied, tossing a document toward Najenda. Before she could react, Susanoo intercepted it.

"I'll look at these later, but for now, you'll have to come with us," Najenda said after receiving the document, her tone firm.

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