Using Prometheus, techniques like ricochet and curve shots were easy to perform. However, its drawback was that the gun couldn't be used continuously; its accuracy would decrease with prolonged use. Its owner was Tsukushi, a beautiful girl who was ultimately slain by Akame with her imperial weapon, Murasame, destroying Prometheus in the process.
The other five Shingu included King Crusher, Rattlesnake, Yū's Pants, Water Dragon Sword, and Thousand Layer Coat, each with their own drawbacks. King Crusher was an arm gauntlet-type Shingu that significantly boosted the user's strength, but it had to be used with caution to avoid self-harm. In fact, during a battle between elite member Cornelia and the assassin Myou of Oberg, Cornelia lost due to a malfunction in King Crusher at a critical moment, leading to her death.
When Akame killed Myou, it wasn't only because of Kiru Ichimonji. Myou had just finished a fierce battle with Cornelia and wasn't fully recovered. If she had been at full strength, the outcome against Akame might have been different.
Rattlesnake was a whip controlled by the user's will, but like King Crusher, it was difficult to manage.
Yū's Pants provided speed and leg strength enhancements, but the benefits were small and the side effects minimal.
Water Dragon Sword, another enhancement-type Shingu, greatly increased the user's combat power for three minutes, though it left them exhausted afterward.
Thousand Layer Coat was a cloak that allowed the user to manipulate earth and even use earth-based travel techniques. Like Water Dragon Sword, it consumed a significant amount of energy.
These seven Shingu were used by the seven members of the elite unit. However, after Akame defected, the elite unit disbanded—most of its members either died or disappeared. Now, only Kiru Ichimonji remained.
While Akame's defection did result in the death of Tsukushi, another female member named Bonnie became disillusioned with the empire after Akame's betrayal and the death of her "Father," Gozuki. She left the empire, and her fate remains unknown.
It's worth noting that this world lived up to its reputation as the world of "Akame ga Kill," where nearly all the beautiful female characters met tragic ends. Leone died at the moment of the revolution's victory, and although Akame survived, she was cursed for using the ultimate ability of Murasame.
Najenda, the revolutionary leader, had also dramatically shortened her lifespan after using the ultimate technique of Susanoo, and didn't have long to live.
"It's a pity these Shingu, along with the original imperial weapons, are all but gone." For Daniel, it wasn't the destruction of the Shingu that he regretted, but the fact that over half of the forty-eight imperial weapons had been destroyed.
Of course, it's possible some of these weapons hadn't been destroyed but were instead hidden away, left unactivated. Just like Chelsea's imperial weapon, Gaea Foundation, which might still be sitting in some governor's basement, mistaken for an ordinary makeup kit if it hadn't fallen into her hands.
Many imperial weapons didn't appear extraordinary at first glance. Without being activated by a compatible user, they were little more than regular objects. For example, Brand's Incursio and Wave's Grand Chariot both looked like ordinary swords.
"Esdeath has rebelled." In the revolutionary army's camp, which was steadily advancing toward the capital, news of the situation in the capital slowed their progress. Esdeath's name was enough to strike fear, even among the revolutionaries—children stopped crying at the mere mention of her name.
"What are Najenda and her team doing? This is crucial intelligence—why hasn't it been reported?" The current leader of the revolutionary army, Theodore, shouted furiously. Just as the revolution was on the brink of replacing the empire, this crisis erupted.
Theodore was a rotund middle-aged man, even fatter than Prime Minister Onest. His appearance made it hard to believe he was the leader of the revolutionary army, but he was.
Theodore had risen to power because he had originally been a governor in the empire's southern territories. Early in the revolution, he had provided much-needed financial support. After all, no revolution could succeed without funding. The empire's main issue had been severe financial shortfalls. It wasn't that the empire lacked wealth—thanks to the imperial weapon Universal Guide, the empire should have had plenty of resources.
But the national treasury was empty because all the wealth had been funneled into the pockets of Onest's faction. In fact, if not for the elite unit's early success in seizing treasure from the Tomb Keepers, the empire wouldn't have lasted as long as it did.
Onest's faction was truly bizarre. Despite the empire's collapse, they continued to greedily amass wealth, publicly crying poverty while hoarding riches. After the capital fell, the wealth seized from Onest's faction was ten times the empire's annual revenue.
This situation mirrored the final days of the Ming dynasty in China. During Emperor Chongzhen's reign, he begged the officials for donations to fund the army, yet they all claimed to be penniless. Even the empress's personal funds were embezzled. Despite the emperor's personal appeal, he raised less than 10,000 taels of silver. After Beijing fell, however, those same officials had amassed tens of millions of taels in private wealth. The irony was staggering.
"According to reports, Night Raid might have been wiped out." Someone spoke up, but the truth of Night Raid's defection was being kept secret until the revolution's victory was secured. Akame, Leone, Brand, and others might not care about the fallout, but Najenda and Lubbock had ties to protect.
Najenda still had many loyal subordinates within the revolutionary army, and Lubbock's family was also within its ranks. If news of their defection leaked, their loved ones would be in danger.
"Impossible!" The notion that Night Raid had been wiped out caused many in the revolutionary army's leadership to pale. After all, it was a team entirely composed of imperial weapon users.
"Silence!" Theodore bellowed, quelling the panic among his officers. "What's there to fear? No matter how strong Esdeath is, we still have a chance."
While Esdeath's rebellion and the possible fall of Night Raid were significant blows, the revolution could not retreat now. The stakes were too high. Besides, many revolutionaries believed Esdeath was not invincible.
"The Northern Army is now stationed in the capital. Contact them and initiate the next phase of the plan." As seasoned revolutionaries, they weren't foolish. Preparations had been made long before the attack on the capital. Though the situation had changed drastically, the plan could still proceed.
"The western tribes are assembling at the borders. It has begun." With Najenda's inside knowledge, Daniel and Esdeath were fully aware of the revolutionary army's strategy.
The revolutionaries had long been in contact with the northern, western, and southern tribes. When Prince Numa Seika of the northern tribes acted earlier, it was in coordination with the revolutionary army. However, they underestimated Esdeath's strength.
Now, the western tribes were following a similar strategy. The empire, unable to allow invaders to wreak havoc on its territory, would have to send troops to suppress them. However, the empire's current state made this difficult. The Eastern Army, the most intact force, couldn't be mobilized. The east faced its own challenges, and there was no guarantee they would even recognize Esdeath's rule. They would have to wait until the revolutionary army was defeated for Wave to attempt negotiations.
The western tribes were referred to as "barbarians" by the empire, but they considered themselves the "Western Kingdom." They were the most powerful of the empire's neighbors, thanks to their unique alchemy. With enough resources, they could create formidable warriors.
As for the southern tribes, they were mainly composed of pirates. The southern region of the empire was a collection of islands where piracy thrived. Flameheart, one of Wild Hunt's leaders, had once been a pirate king in the south.
From the revolutionary army's perspective, allying with the three major tribes was a strategic necessity. The empire had oppressed the tribes for a long time. For example, Mine had faced severe discrimination in the capital simply because she was of mixed blood.
However, from the empire's perspective, the revolutionaries were traitors for allying with the tribes. While the empire had certainly mistreated the tribes, the tribes had likewise oppressed imperial citizens.
Pirates in the south, for instance, were notorious for their raids. The western and northern tribes, too, had long-standing conflicts with the empire's agricultural society. This was the fundamental clash between nomadic and agrarian cultures.
"I'll handle it." Despite being the new empress, Esdeath had no intention of staying idle when the western tribes invaded. She prepared to lead the army herself.
"Don't take too long, or the battle here might be over by the time you return."
"I'll be back soon."
Esdeath made a grand display, leading 100,000 Northern Army troops out of the western gate of the capital. The revolutionaries were meant to receive news of this movement. However, after a short march, Daniel used his mystical portal to teleport Esdeath and her army to the western front.
In reality, Esdeath alone would have been enough to deal with the western tribes. The reason she brought 100,000 troops was to secure the border. Unable to conquer the entire region, their task was to hold the line.
"The moment Esdeath left
, the revolutionaries sped up significantly." After Esdeath's departure, the revolutionaries hastened their advance, hoping to capture the capital before she returned.
To deal with the revolutionaries, Daniel refrained from using any underhanded tactics. Instead, he monitored their movements using invisible Quinjet fighters and drones.
If he had chosen to employ subtle methods, he could have easily decimated half of the revolutionary army before they reached the capital. With the imperial weapon Shangri-La, he could have teleported their soldiers away or summoned dangerous beasts to attack them.
"Esdeath is cruel and merciless," proclaimed a revolutionary officer as they besieged the capital's three gates. They loudly condemned the empire and Esdeath for their many sins.
"It seems the revolutionary army's divination imperial weapon didn't work entirely." The revolutionaries had survived the empire's earlier campaigns largely thanks to their divination-based imperial weapon. Yet, despite its foresight, it had failed to warn them of Esdeath's return. Clearly, its powers were limited.
At the very least, they had no idea that Esdeath had already returned. While the western tribes were indeed stronger than the northern ones, Esdeath was now much more powerful than she had been before.
If Esdeath hadn't returned, Daniel might have considered using the supreme imperial weapon or General Bude's Adramelech, the thunder god's wrath. But with Esdeath back, Daniel saw no need to intervene.
The revolutionary army had gathered close to a million soldiers. Even Esdeath had to take this threat seriously, prompting her to use another one of her ice-based imperial weapon's ultimate abilities: Ice Cavalry.
While Mahapadma was designed for single targets, Ice Cavalry was a technique meant to deal with armies.
Esdeath had prepared a vast force of ice soldiers in advance. Not only could these ice cavalrymen fight like normal soldiers, but they also had the power to alter the environment. With enough ice cavalry, Esdeath could plunge the entire empire into winter.
The Northern Army's prowess was largely due to the extreme conditions Esdeath put her soldiers through, using Ice Cavalry to test their resilience.
"Attack! Kill Esdeath!" The revolutionaries' first wave consisted not of ordinary soldiers but a battalion of controlled Danger Beasts. Giant dinosaur-like beasts charged the walls, supported by a squadron of massive flying Danger Beasts.
Behind the Danger Beasts were a group of over ten imperial weapon users, handpicked by the revolutionary army.
"Hahaha!" As the Danger Beasts advanced, the capital's gates opened, and 200 ice cavalry charged out.
The ice cavalrymen were no match for the Danger Beasts and were soon wiped out. This outcome brought relief to the revolutionary leaders, who thought Esdeath might not be as powerful as they feared.
Unfortunately for them, they hadn't noticed the smirk on Esdeath's face.
As the last ice cavalryman was destroyed, Esdeath leaped from the city wall. The revolutionary imperial weapon users quickly moved to engage her, alongside the charging Danger Beasts.
But Esdeath merely sneered, slamming her fist into the ground. A terrifying wave of cold spread outward in a fan shape, freezing everything in its path.
In an instant, the imperial weapon users, the Danger Beasts on the ground, and even the flying ones were all frozen solid. Snow began to fall from the sky.
"Kill!" Among the ten imperial weapon users, six quickly shattered the ice trapping them and escaped. They realized their frozen comrades were beyond saving, but their expressions remained unchanged as they charged at Esdeath.
The first to reach her was a hulking man wielding a hammer-type imperial weapon. With a roar, he leaped toward her, but an ice spike shot up from the ground, impaling him and leaving him dangling in midair.
If this had been the old Esdeath, these six might have posed some challenge. But now, they couldn't even get close to her. Ice spikes erupted from the ground, impaling them one by one and suspending their bodies in the air.
"Let's begin." After eliminating the imperial weapon users, Esdeath clapped her hands, unleashing a devastating cold wave that engulfed the entire capital.
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