The moment Ren opened his eyes, Akame and Kurome felt a connection established between themselves and Ren. At the same time, he also dominated the information of the Otherworld and input it into their brains.
"!!!" They were shocked by Ren's identity. They also understood that they had not been deceived. The Otherworld really had a lot of delicious food! From now on, they would be unable to leave Ren, regarding him as…
"Master!" The two looked at each other, and simultaneously knelt on one knee, shouting.
"Akame, she…" Leone's head had a question mark. She completely didn't understand how Akame had changed so quickly? She was already calling him Master! Was it a noble lord's twisted pleasure?
"..." Najenda was well-informed. She guessed that Ren's eyes must possess some kind of control ability.
"Don't be so nervous, I'm very easygoing; I didn't dominate your thoughts." He controlled the airflow to pull the two of them up. He turned to March 7th and the two others. "Things are resolved; it's time for us to go back. You all had a lot of fun, didn't you?"
Nami wrinkled her small nose, complaining faintly, "Clearly, only you had a lot of fun, didn't you?"
How could he not feel that sour jealousy? Ren smiled, "Is it because I didn't invite you along?"
"Who! Who wants to be with you! Idiot!" Nami's face reddened, and she hastily denied it.
*****
"Ren-san…" Najenda, however, approached after a moment of thought.
"Is something wrong?" Ren asked, puzzled.
"How do you view this Empire?" Ren understood. This was an attempt to use the 'Kotoamatsukami' on him. It seemed Akame was also influenced by it. Unfortunately, he didn't play by the rules and replied straightforwardly, "Don't ask me, I'm not interested; do whatever you want."
The Doom Companion mission has been completed. Your Empire's affairs are your own to handle. There's no benefit for me to help your Empire, and I don't live here.
"..." Before the 'Kotoamatsukami' could even begin, it was shut down, leaving Najenda somewhat frustrated. She took a deep breath, deciding to rephrase her question. "Is it true that with sufficient benefit, we can ask you to change the Empire?"
"Of course." If there's a benefit and it's something he can do, then he'll definitely do it.
Najenda clenched her fists, her nervousness difficult to suppress. "What price would it take for you to change this corrupt Empire?" If this man, who had conquered Esdeath, could act, they would surely be able to overthrow the world's rule!
"Price... I'm not short on money, nor do I care for jewels or power." Ren glanced at the Night Raid members, a playful expression on his face. "If all the female Night Raid members were to belong to me, I could help you, but of course, I don't want males."
"What did you say? I refuse!" Lubbock, with his green hair, was the first to object. He had joined Night Raid precisely because of his admiration for Najenda. If all the female members of Night Raid were to submit to this man, wouldn't that include Najenda?
The female members of Night Raid also frowned. Akame and Kurome exchanged a glance. They consciously stood beside Ren. This was to show their stance.
"This... I'm very sorry, they belong to themselves, and I cannot choose for them, but if it were just me personally, I would be willing to accept." Najenda had her own resolve. But she couldn't control the will of others. Night Raid was under her management, but that didn't mean she had the right to control everyone.
"..." Lubbock's face turned ashen. He hadn't expected Najenda to say such a thing. Disappointed and dejected, he turned and left. Bulat also felt that he shouldn't stay there. "I'll take my leave as well." He ran a hand through his pompadour and followed Lubbock out.
So, the choice was left to them.
"Emmm, why does Ren feel like a big villain?" March 7th pouted and grumbled softly.
Ren heard everything clearly, raised his hand, and pressed it directly on her head, rubbing her hair. "What are you saying? I'm just helping others. Besides, I value their experience as assassins; they might be able to do a lot of things for me where I am." There was one thing he didn't say, and that was their appearance.
"Didn't you say I was the easiest to deal with? They won't be as easy to deal with as I was, right?" Nami didn't believe everyone would be as naive as she was back then. She was anxious for her hometown, family, and friends. These people's goal was for the Empire. After these two days of contact, they had also been intentionally or unintentionally informed of the Empire's darkness and corruption. Some things made them very angry too. But after all, they had no sense of belonging; at most, it was sympathy. To sell themselves for such a dilapidated Empire, no one would be willing, right?
The Night Raid members thought the same way. At the same time, those who didn't understand Esdeath also doubted whether Ren had such ability.
In the silent atmosphere, Akame's lips parted slightly. "Master can control all of us without conditions; he has that ability." This was the hint she gave. Yes. If Ren truly wanted to, he wouldn't need to negotiate terms; a single thought could control them. He was negotiating terms only because Ren didn't like to force others. As a companion, Akame's words indeed made them believe a few points.
Leone rubbed her somewhat messy hair with her lion-paw-like hand. She was the first to step forward, her beastly lion eyes filled with nonchalance. "I joined Night Raid because I couldn't stand the nobles casually killing children. If you can eliminate all the nobles with dark hearts, I'll work for you."
Work? He didn't know why, but he always felt there were two meanings in Leone's words.
"Alright, that request isn't difficult."
"Heh, you're very confident, let's see if you can do it first." Leone grinned.
Ren looked at the next person. With Leone starting, the general idea was to satisfy their requests.
Chelsea, seeing his gaze, calmly stated her request. "I want to correct this wrong world." Chelsea came from an ordinary family. Because of her excellent grades, she entered the local governor's office to work. Originally, she longed for the life of high society. She hoped to become a noblewoman and live a good life in the future. After entering the government office, however, she saw the local governor oppressing the common people, who were struggling to survive, and gradually realized the darkness of the Empire.
One night, she accidentally discovered the Imperial Arm 'Transformation Free Gaia Foundation' in a treasure collection warehouse. She was summoned by its power and became its user. After mastering its operation, she used its ability to kill the governor. She was happy to see the newly appointed governor manage her hometown in an orderly manner. From then on, she resolved to correct the distorted world with her own hands. Her wish was to change the world.
"This issue is a bit complicated; I won't be staying here long, or I might leave soon." Disappointment flickered in Chelsea's eyes.
Ren pinched his chin and said, "If you can formulate suitable rules, I can help you change this world."
"Eh!" Chelsea hadn't expected Ren to actually agree. But... formulating rules... she had no idea how!
Najenda's eyes flashed, and she volunteered, "Leave this matter to me."
"Alright." If it was Najenda, there would definitely be no problem! Chelsea gladly agreed.
"Then it's just the two of you left, you can state any requests you have." Ren looked at the last two people, Sheele and Mine.
Mine came from the western border of the Empire. Since childhood, she had suffered discrimination because she was a mixed-blood minority. After the Southern Revolutionary Army allied with the Western Foreign Nationality, she joined the assassin organization Night Raid. She fought so that children like her would no longer suffer discrimination.
Chelsea, Najenda, and Leone's requests were to change the Empire and change the world, so what was left for her?
Mine twirled her twin pigtails and put her hands on her hips. "I don't want to be controlled by others, right, Sheele!"
The dazed, naturally clumsy girl, Sheele, looked hesitant and stammered, "I... I don't want to be separated from everyone." Although she was muddle-headed, she was a gentle and emotional person. She liked everyone in Night Raid. She didn't want to be separated from everyone.
"Ah? Sheele, you... you wouldn't agree to his outrageous request, would you?" Mine widened her eyes, staring incredulously at Sheele.
Sheele just lowered her head, not daring to respond. It seemed she had agreed.
"Damn it!" Mine bit her silver teeth, pointed her small hand at Ren, and righteously declared, "Hmph! I agree, but I'm doing it to supervise you so you don't do anything bad to my companions!"
"Hehe, then you'll have to supervise well. I'll give you one day to tell me the rules you think are suitable, especially what kind of people should die." With that said, Ren took March 7th and the others, along with Akame and Kurome, and left. Although the Imperial Capital was very dark, he might as well take a stroll when he had nothing to do. After they left,
"Najenda, do we really have to listen to him?" Mine still couldn't help but ask.
Najenda looked deeply at the tightly shut door. "He might be our chance, the man who conquered Esdeath..."
*****
Ren and the others didn't do much that day. At most, they just strolled around the shops in the Imperial Capital, given their low presence. Akame and Kurome were truly big eaters.
...
Night. The group stayed in the house arranged by Night Raid. Ren shared a room with Nami. This time, without Nami's provocation, Ren's actions were just normally gentle. Nami also seemed less inferior. Ren also transmitted the knowledge of Six Styles and Haki to her.
...
The next day, Akame, Kurome, and the members of Night Raid all looked at Ren and Nami with strange expressions. Mine's small face was red, and Sheele and Chelsea also had faint blushes, smiling ambiguously. Leone's eyes occasionally cast suspicious glances at Ren's lower body. March 7th and Honghong, however, were normal.
Ren had curled his lips earlier. He did it on purpose. He couldn't bear to corrupt the pure March-chan and Honghong. He specifically limited the sound's propagation to the Night Raid members' side. It was very stimulating. Especially after he told Nami, her attempt to suppress it failing, followed by her extremely uninhibited change, was very interesting. His mischievousness seemed to be getting worse.
*****
"Hmm, why did you call for me?" Although Esdeath had been defeated again, she was no longer affected by negative emotions, and there was no death wish in her eyes. Facing Ren, the feelings in her heart were extremely complex. There was a deep sense of being conquered by a strong person. There was also a stubborn desire to pursue. And a faint, inexplicable heartbeat. These did not affect her outwardly cold and stern Queen image.
Ren clicked his tongue in wonder. She wasn't like this in bed. After being defeated, she was as disheveled as could be. Her consciousness was blurry, her eyes rolled back, and she babbled incoherently.
Ren organized his words and informed Esdeath of what he was going to do. It was an announcement, not an inquiry for her opinion. Now, he had a vested interest in changing this Empire. Even if Esdeath disagreed, he would still do it. How could Esdeath not understand the dominance in his words? She smiled calmly and naturally, "Do whatever you want; you don't need to inform me. I am still a person without freedom now."
"Quite self-aware, aren't you? Then so be it. You will become the Queen of this world in the future." Ren chuckled lightly, taking the rules written by Najenda, as well as the regulations for those who should die. He roughly scanned them. Many rules, from a modern person's perspective, still had quite a few drawbacks and loopholes. But for this world, they were quite reasonable regulations. The matters concerning those who should die were truly for those who deserved to die. If these rules could be ensured to be implemented, they would indeed lead this world in a new direction; at least, it wouldn't be as corrupt as it is now, with nobles disregarding human lives.
"Then, these are confirmed." He put down the paper. Ren's attitude became serious. Next was the major task of changing the world.
"All creation, return to me!" With a soft murmur, Ren's body began to change. The majestic golden light of the Dragon King's Imperial Armor enveloped his entire body. The majestic golden light of the Star Eyes burst forth.
Bankai!