So she had already made up her mind, she would rather commit suicide than allow herself to be manipulated by Iori.
However, what Iori said next greatly exceeded her expectations, "Lay down your butcher's knife and become my subordinate, Esdeath!"
"…What did you say?!"
The female general's first reaction was that it was impossible. Although she had chosen to join the Imperial Army and, in name, pledged loyalty to the young emperor, in reality she was an independent armed leader with the nature of a warlord.
Her relationship with Minister Honest, the true power holder of the Empire, was merely one of cooperation, absolutely not one of master and servant.
It was true that she upheld the philosophy of survival of the fittest, and she herself acknowledged the basic logic that "the weak follow the strong."
In fact, many of her subordinates had been subdued by her through force and then completely won over by her charisma as a leader.
But she herself had no intention of obeying this law of the jungle, because in this cruel world, the only innate right of the weak was the right to choose "death."
If one did not fear death, then one could naturally refuse Iori's invitation.
Esdeath was, of course, not someone who feared death. She was about to open her mouth and mock Iori, but the boy spoke first, "Don't you want to go one step further and obtain even greater power?"
"?!" The female hunter took a deep breath, emptied her mind of all thoughts, leaving only Iori's words echoing in her head.
Greater power, of course she wanted it.
That was exactly what Esdeath had always been desperately pursuing.
"Although our positions differ, I don't have any ill will toward you personally."
Iori said solemnly, "Because in this era of beasts devouring men and monsters running rampant, you've always kept your interests confined to the battlefield, inflicting cruelty only on your enemies and never targeting unarmed civilians, this alone is already extremely rare."
Come to think of it, it was rather laughable. Someone like Esdeath, a cold and ruthless warlord, should by all rights have been someone to be purged.
But alas, her peers made her look good by comparison… in Akame ga Kill, she was actually considered a relatively conscientious member of the ruling class.
At the very least, this woman truly had little interest in bullying ordinary people, and she would never suddenly say something like "I don't eat beef." She always had what she considered a legitimate reason for killing (from her own standpoint).
In fact, one could also tell from her ability to command troops. A general who could make her subordinates willing to die for her could never be trash like Seryu. She might be a villain, but she would be a villain with tremendous personal charisma.
"After all, talent is hard to come by… I can give you a chance."
Iori looked down at Esdeath from above, their gazes meeting. "Lay aside your pride and follow behind me, clearing away the obstacles on my path forward!"
"And as a reward, after you render great service, I will give you another chance to challenge me!"
"…Really?"
Unexpectedly, Esdeath was actually tempted.
In the eyes of others, Esdeath, who had already reached the pinnacle of the world at just twenty years old, was undoubtedly a heaven-defying prodigy worthy of envy and fear.
But Esdeath herself knew that as she grew stronger and stronger, there were fewer and fewer opponents worthy of fighting her.
Before meeting Iori, it had already been a long time since she had experienced a battle that made her blood boil.
Perhaps for the past two years, she could still regard General Budo as an opponent, and she had no doubt she could defeat him… but after that?
For a combat-oriented genius, having no suitable opponents to hone oneself against was undoubtedly despair-inducing.
Top-tier Imperial Arm users were exceedingly rare, super-dangerous beasts were nearly extinct, and the few that remained were hidden and hard to find…
To this world, she was simply too powerful.
But today, Esdeath had a new choice.
The man before her, who could easily defeat her, unquestionably possessed strength surpassing that of General Budo or even super-dangerous beasts, and would be an insurmountable peak she could not cross in the short term.
Wasn't this the trial bestowed upon her by the heavens?
A single defeat proved nothing. A warrior is not truly defeated until her heart submits.
And in exchange for such an opportunity, the price to pay was merely loyalty, an incredibly worthwhile deal.
Submitting to the other party was nothing, because as long as she surpassed Iori in the future, she could in turn "tame" her own lord.
When that time came, Esdeath would only be more forceful and domineering than Iori, turning this man into her dog and making him regret everything.
"Fine!"
Esdeath smiled with overwhelming self-confidence, not doubting her choice in the slightest.
And beneath his mask, Iori also smiled faintly. He could guess Esdeath's thoughts, but he was not worried at all, because… the gap between them would only continue to widen.
If Esdeath became too obsessed with surpassing him, she would likely fall into the abyss of despair.
———
"Did you see that?"
"I did, it's Lady Esdeath… ah, Lady Esdeath actually lost!"
"What? That's impossible!"
"Damn it… look, that guy beat Lady Esdeath to her knees. He's probably going to take her back to be his sex, "
"Esdeath, as an imperial hound, has committed countless crimes and is truly unforgivable. However, the world is currently in chaos, surrounded by villains on all sides."
"The common people face the danger of ruin, and the masses hang upside down in dire straits. Thus it is said that in troubled times, heavy measures must be used, and extraordinary heroes must do what ordinary people cannot!"
"As for today's matter, let us temporarily cut off her hair in place of taking her head, and observe the results later~"
Iori let out a long breath, his gaze sweeping over the stunned crowd. "I've finished speaking. Who's in favor, and who's against?"
"…I… me?"
"Hm?"
The boy's eyes instantly sharpened, though his tone remained gentle. "Speak freely. I've always welcomed criticism."
"It's not that I have any objections."
The one speaking was the current owner of Demon Possession, the burly man Bulat. He glanced at the short-haired Esdeath standing proudly beside Iori, then looked back at Iori.
"It's just… I didn't quite understand what you said earlier. Could you say it again? What does 'cutting hair in place of taking the head' mean? I've never heard of it!"
"That's an allusion from a famous figure in my homeland. As for its specific meaning…"
Iori thought for a moment, then chuckled. "It means, 'What, you're not convinced?'"
"..."
Everyone fell silent. Bulat turned his head to look toward the icy hell hundreds of meters away. A battle that lasted less than three minutes had already completely altered the terrain. These two looked like humans, but inside they were indescribable monsters~
"No, I'm very convinced."
Even someone as resolute as Bulat did not want to clash with Iori at this moment, especially when the two sides were in an alliance. There was no need to push such a powerful ally into opposition.
As for him taking the Empire's hound under his command… look closely, that was called abandoning darkness and turning toward the light.
With even the strongest Imperial Arm user becoming an ally, what could possibly be more reassuring than that?
"You've got the bigger fist. We'll listen to you."
Bulat gave the final summary. Whether it was the members of Night Raid or the Imperial Arm users under Iori's command, after witnessing the battle just now with their own eyes, no one dared to raise any objections.
Especially Bruce and the others. They had been gathered under Iori through various means. If before they had regarded him as a superior, benefactor, or teacher, now they looked at him entirely as some kind of "inhuman" existence.
As for whether that gaze held longing for a god or awe of a demon, Iori didn't really care… perhaps it was a mixture of both.
The Three Beast Generals were initially unconvinced, but after Esdeath formally announced her joining Iori's ranks, the three Imperial Arm users led by Wave lowered their proud heads.
They were Esdeath's private troops and had little loyalty to the Empire itself. Some worshiped Esdeath's power, others had been conquered by the Ice Queen's presence, but in any case, they would fully obey the female hunter.
Iori didn't pay much attention to the Three Beast Generals. Although he had already taken Esdeath under his command, he had no intention of directly managing the military forces under her name, he neither had the relevant experience nor that much energy.
When it came to military matters, Iori had always believed that professional affairs should be handled by professionals.
After all, this was a transcendent world where individual martial power could crush entire armies. As long as Iori ensured that his own strength exceeded Esdeath's, he would be able to control the overall situation without worrying about subordinates colluding in rebellion.
"Esdeath, you don't need to go to the Imperial Capital. Return to the northern frontier and consolidate your forces. You need to intimidate the foreign tribes. You don't need to interfere in the internal chaos for now."
Iori did not avoid the revolutionary army members and directly issued orders to Esdeath. "However, you must always be prepared. When the time comes, I will transfer you to the Imperial Capital."
"What?"
"Wait, Iori, you..."
"…You're just letting me go back like this?"
Everyone was shocked, and Esdeath herself was also surprised. "What if I change my mind after returning to the army? Aren't you going to take any preventive measures?"
"Preventive measures?"
Iori spread his hands. "Drugging you? Making you write a blood oath? Don't joke. Are you someone who would be bound by such methods?"
"Our master–servant relationship is built on the gap in strength. As long as you don't give up the idea of surpassing me, you will never betray me."
"Since that's the case, why would I need any preventive measures?"
"You're really confident."
Esdeath pulled down the brim of her cap, a curve forming at the corner of her mouth. "Though that is indeed the case."
"…Iori, there are some things I'd like to talk to you about. Would you give me a moment?"
Najenda, who had remained silent from beginning to end and had only been watching Esdeath, suddenly spoke up and invited Iori to talk in private.
Iori readily agreed. He did not allow anyone else to approach, giving Najenda this opportunity to speak alone.
"This really exceeds my expectations. Defeating Esdeath was already a feat unparalleled in the world, but making her sincerely submit… I'm afraid even the first emperor reborn would find that difficult."
Najenda began by flattering Iori, though everything she said was sincere. She had truly been shocked by the power Esdeath displayed, and Iori, who stood even above that, was simply an existence beyond all standards.
Having always believed that strategy and coordination could reduce or even erase differences in combat power, she was, for the first time, forced to realize a truth of this world, some monsters are so strong that it simply makes no sense.
"You had already recruited many Imperial Arm users and commanded an extremely elite force. Now, with Esdeath as external support… although you're only a general in name, your actual influence has already surpassed General Budo. You are truly the number one figure in the Imperial Army!"
Najenda herself came from a military background. She knew very well that the garrison forces across the regions only looked large on the surface, but were actually bloated and mediocre in combat power. The only truly capable forces were those of Budo and Esdeath.
And among them, Esdeath's corps, which frequently fought on the borders, was even superior.
It could be said that gaining Esdeath's loyalty was equivalent to simultaneously possessing the strongest general and the most elite army.
Minister Honest acted tyrannically, murdered the previous emperor, propped up a puppet child, and eliminated dissidents through all kinds of despicable means, yet why did he remain unshaken?
Because he had Esdeath as his powerful backing.
Holding the emperor hostage to command the lords was only part of the reason. "Justice and public sentiment" ultimately lay in strength.
With control over the central government internally and massive armies responding externally, who among the opposition could shake his authority?
For the same reason, although Honest challenged everything under heaven, he never made a move against General Budo, because Budo was likewise the strongest Imperial Arm user and also held military power.
Strictly speaking, Budo had the ability to flip the table, but… a gentleman can be deceived by propriety.
Najenda was an extremely capable military and political talent.
Although her worldview had been repeatedly shattered today, after organizing the existing information, she keenly grasped the opportunity, "Your series of strikes against the local power holders has already created huge rifts between them and Honest. Now that Esdeath has jumped ship to your side, the three pillars supporting the minister..."
"The bureaucracy, military power, and the emperor, have had two of them cut off by you!"
"If you're willing, you could almost instantly wipe out Honest's faction!"
"Oh," Iori nodded and asked in return, "and then?"
"…Then we could complete the revolution at a much lower cost, and the country could move in a better direction, couldn't it?" Najenda frowned.
"Perhaps."
Iori extended five fingers and explained to Najenda one by one, "In terms of scale, the forces that can truly influence the situation now are only the Revolutionary Army, Honest, General Budo, Esdeath, and the young emperor."
"Among them, the young emperor is essentially a puppet, possessing only symbolic prestige. However, as the symbol of a thousand-year imperial system, many nobles and officials still actually pledge loyalty to him, General Budo is the representative of that."
"As for Honest, he can no longer stir up much trouble. If Esdeath states her cooperation with the Revolutionary Army, and I then execute Honest and put on a show of 'returning political power to the throne'..."
"That is, outwardly honoring the young emperor as the common ruler, with myself, Esdeath, the Revolutionary Army, and General Budo leading the royalist faction in a tripartite joint governance, it would indeed allow the country to stabilize quickly and avoid too much turmoil."
"…Yes!"
Najenda had only a rough idea before, and didn't see things as clearly as Iori. After hearing him lay it out, the situation suddenly became crystal clear.
"In that case, the country and the people would..."
"Change nothing at all."
Iori said flatly, without the slightest emotional fluctuation. "Without a substantive 'revolution,' it would merely be a redistribution of power among the upper ranks."
"So-called peace would only mean hiding the contradictions, not truly resolving them."
"Sooner or later, the people would realize that their lives hadn't changed at all, that those who ruled and oppressed them were still nobles and bureaucrats."
"The only difference would be… this time, the upper echelon would possess absolute force, and the people's hope of resisting would be zero."
"In the end, it would merely be building a sturdier birdcage."
"...Najenda, do you really think such a future would be good for the country… no, for the common people at the bottom?"