Chapter 293: The Last Moment
Ryosuke used to have an ordinary body.
Now, slowly tidying up the records and manuals scattered throughout the house, that distant thought returned to him.
The ingredients for the Level 24 Body-Tempering Liquid had already been formulated using the most powerful dangerous species in this world. If he wanted to temper his body with a more potent concoction, this world likely couldn't provide the materials.
Still, the booklets and experimental logs could be preserved and taken back to the clan. Maybe… in the future, anyone in the clan who wished to pursue body training could learn something from these notes.
"But before that, I really was just an ordinary person."
After sealing everything into a storage scroll, Ryosuke scratched his head.
Of course, "before" didn't mean after coming to this world.
But before he was dubbed Hyuga—in that ordinary world without demons, chakra, or gods—he was just a regular man.
Maybe… aside from being a little smarter, more handsome, capable, and courageous, there wasn't much else special about him.
So why did it all feel so… familiar?
Before coming to this world, he had never excelled in physical training. Yet, deep down, he sometimes had the illusion that he had once been unimaginably powerful.
Perhaps...
Between the ordinary world and this one, there existed a missing piece—a forgotten chapter.
This had always been Ryosuke's belief.
He didn't remember how he had died in that previous life. After a strange gap in memory, he woke again—as a fetus. That alone was enough to suggest this wasn't his first transmigration.
Maybe, during his first crossing, he had failed… died… and only then was given this second chance.
And that would explain his obsession with power.
It was a theory—formed from the strange fragments that flashed through his mind during his most recent transformation. The Ryosuke in those memories was odd—not fully human, skin white as snow—but the image had been too hazy to make sense of.
Still, an inference was just that: a guess.
For now, all that mattered was growing stronger.
As always—cross that bridge when you come to it.
Taking one last look at the house he had lived in for the past three years, Ryosuke shook his head with a trace of regret.
But the journey must continue.
He opened the door and stepped outside.
"Master Ryosuke!"
A unified, thunderous shout shook the air.
Overhead, the cloudy sky rumbled faintly with muffled thunder, echoing the voices below.
At the gate, familiar faces looked up with admiration. Lines of soldiers stretched from the doorstep of Ryosuke's home all the way to the town entrance.
They were all members of the Hyuga clan—not outsiders.
Over the past three years, this town near the Imperial Capital had been quietly taken over by Hyuga. The original residents, whether they supported the uprising or not, had long been relocated.
War was coming. It wasn't safe for them to stay.
"Two-thirds of the nation now revere you as Hyuga."
"Six armies, twenty ninja units, and fifty thousand warriors have rebelled across all corners of the country, encircling the Imperial Capital from every direction."
"The imperial family is little more than a figurehead. The people and the military have both chosen their side. We're only waiting on you."
Hyuga Nishiya stepped out from the formation and approached with a smile, standing proudly at the front of the line.
Three days ago, they had planned a decisive strike—an all-out assault to crush the Imperial Capital and claim the country in one blow.
They waited only for Ryosuke to lead them.
But when they sent word, the reply came swiftly—his training had reached a critical point and could not be interrupted.
Given that Esdeath's Teigu had the power to manipulate ice, cloudy weather was hardly ideal for launching a full-scale attack on the capital anyway.
And more importantly—Ryosuke, as the ultimate trump card in this otherworldly campaign, was worth more than any fleeting tactical opportunity. So the army fortified their position, repaired their gear, and abandoned all underhanded schemes.
Now, every army across the nation stood poised. The capital was surrounded. The horn of war had already sounded.
And yet... it was an open, honorable siege—giving the enemy time to respond.
"Where's Esdeath?" Ryosuke asked quietly.
The only remaining general of the Empire. The woman tasked with defending the capital.
In three years, Hyuga had devoured and replaced the failing government. The little emperor's armies had marched again and again, but few victories had come. One general after another had fallen.
Even Budo, once the Royal Guard commander, was sent to the front and died in battle six months ago.
Only Esdeath remained, stationed within the capital—kept close not out of trust, but fear.
"She's guarding the Imperial City with tens of thousands of troops," Hyuga Nishiya replied. "Though the situation overwhelmingly favors us, neither the Minister nor Esdeath appear alarmed. It's… unsettling."
"Esdeath, in particular—before she returned to Capital, she clashed with a Hyuga scouting squad. The strength she displayed far surpassed that of typical Teigu users. She froze time itself. Thousands of soldiers turned to ice dust in an instant. You must be cautious."
"And the Minister?" Ryosuke pressed.
"That's the other strange part," Nishiya continued. "He hasn't made any moves to flee or relocate the capital. From what our spies gathered, he doesn't seem the type to die with the empire. We believe the royal family might be hiding something—possibly the most powerful Teigu in existence, said to hold world-ending power."
He paused, then chuckled softly.
"But even if that's true... I doubt it means much to you."
"The little emperor is young, pampered. He's never trained. His body wouldn't survive the strain of using a powerful Teigu."
Ryosuke nodded silently. His senses began to expand—sweeping through the area.
Within the town and beyond, among the Hyuga-born ninjas and those freshly recruited into the rebellion, anticipation burned bright in every heart.
He could hear their inner voices. Their reverence.
Since the uprising began, Ryosuke had only appeared once—three years ago.
But within the Hyuga army, his image had become legend. His name, a symbol of hope. Whether they had followed him since the beginning or joined just a year ago, their eyes held the same fanatical light.
To them, he was no longer a man.
He was a pillar of faith.
"Esdeath… the strongest Teigu… I'll deal with them."
Ryosuke turned to Hyuga Nishiya.
"The rest—I leave to you."
"Although the numbers mean nothing to me—I could destroy them all myself and minimize the legions' losses... still, once the blade is drawn, it must taste blood."
Ryosuke's voice was calm.
"With the momentum we've built, if we don't give them the chance to prove themselves, it will damage the morale of the legions going forward."
Hyuga Nishiya nodded in understanding. "We'll begin the assault from the east, west, and north gates. You observe from the side. If Esdeath or the strongest Teigu shows up... we'll count on you."
Ryosuke gave no response.
He had no need to ask how the legions planned to storm the city, how they would occupy strategic positions, or how they intended to resettle the people afterward. Such matters weren't his concern.
---
"Minister, what's the battle status?"
In the main hall of the imperial capital, the young emperor sat atop a high throne, his expression dark.
"Morale is collapsing."
For once, the fat and greasy minister wasn't eating. His tone was grave.
"Compared to the burning momentum of the rebel forces, our troops are in disarray."
"In the beginning, the rebel army's strength wasn't even a fraction of ours... but now, the situation has flipped entirely."
"Swayed by the rebel propaganda, the people have turned against us…"
He trailed off, seeing the emperor's eyes redden. The boy clenched his fists and slammed them against the armrests.
The grand palace, once filled with noble maids and soft music, now held only the clanking of armored soldiers. The girls who once stood ready to serve had been dismissed—replaced by elite guards.
"Why is this happening?!"
The emperor roared.
"Could it be… that there's something wrong with my rule?!"
"Absolutely not," the minister quickly replied. "Even though Your Majesty lost your parents at a young age, you've worked tirelessly for the empire's prosperity."
"It's these schemers. They've taken advantage of your youth. It's my failure—I should have eliminated them all before you had to face them."
He bowed deeply, feigning guilt.
But the soldiers nearby remained expressionless, unmoved by his theatrics.
"Your Majesty, the people have simply been deceived by these traitors' nonsense!"
"Their so-called revolution is a farce. You must show them why this country belongs to the royal bloodline!"
"Make them understand the consequences of rebellion!"
The minister dropped to one knee.
"Yes… blood may flow. But the majesty of the royal family must never be defiled!"
"Your authority must not be trampled by a handful of madmen!"
"Now! The rebels are at our gates. They may strike at any moment. I beg Your Majesty—strike first!"
"You carry the blood of the Empire! Just a display of your power will crush this rebellion before it truly begins!"
"Of course!!"
The emperor stood from his throne, voice twisted with rage.
"I am the emperor of this empire!"
"This country is mine!!"
Boom—!!
The moment he rose, the entire imperial city trembled.
Majestic towers collapsed. The ground cracked and split apart. An invisible force burst outward, flinging soldiers and ministers alike out of the inner city and into the wider imperial capital.
In the blink of an eye, the emperor stood alone in the vast center of the city.
The Imperial City itself—the heart of the capital—was lifting into the sky!
Boom! Boom!
Before the eyes of rebels, civilians, and spies alike, the city's foundations crumbled away as it ascended. From beneath the falling soil, a massive metallic figure began to emerge…
---
"Your Majesty!"
The minister, now cast into the city below, looked skyward with wild reverence.
All around him, soldiers and even Esdeath stared upward, stunned.
Even Esdeath hadn't known... that the Imperial City was a Teigu.
A legend spoken of only in whispers—
The Supreme Teigu.
---
"Engage the rebels. Destroy them all."
A deep, rumbling voice echoed from the towering, Gundam-like giant.
It was filled with rage… and agony.
Controlling such a massive form clearly came at a steep cost.
"Yes!!!"
In an instant, the once-weakened imperial army roared with renewed fury.
Gone were the corrupt looters who had once called themselves soldiers. This was Esdeath's elite—battle-hardened veterans who had returned from the frontier.
Before, morale was low because victory seemed impossible.
But now?
They had His Majesty. They had General Esdeath. And they had a god in the sky.
Let the rebels come. Let them bring their thousands.
They would be crushed beneath the giant's feet.
---
Outside the Imperial Capital, the rebel forces stood behind the moat, watching the impossible unfold.
The sound of marching and the grinding of gears filled the air as the massive mechanical figure loomed over them.
They had not expected the Empire to abandon its defensive advantage—to meet them in open battle, despite such a difference in numbers.
"Looks like we can abandon those plans to placate the capital's citizens," Hyuga Hizashi muttered at the front of the formation.
His relaxed expression faded into something colder as he gazed at the enormous mech.
"Can you handle it alone? Or should we call Eren?"
"Eren can't beat that thing."
Ryosuke shook his head.
"Size doesn't determine strength. Eren may become a giant, but at his core, he's still human. And that thing…"
His Tenseigan had already analyzed the structure of the mech—every gear, every layer, every flaw.
"Even if he could find the weak points, Erem wouldn't have the power to break through. Not anymore."
Eren had grown stronger through his titanization, but it had also hampered his ability to channel chakra. If Eren could still fight like a shinobi in titan form, he might have surpassed even the likes of Shanks.
But he couldn't.
"Still…"
Ryosuke's gaze rose.
He could feel the unease behind him. The younger ninjas—the new recruits—were trembling at the sight of the behemoth in the sky.
Ryosuke's body slowly lifted off the ground.
"I have to say, I admire the little emperor."
"To rise up, knowing what he faces… It takes courage. Under different circumstances—without the poison of the ministers—he might've made a good ruler."
"Shame."