Although Blayn and the others, including Esdeath, had returned to the Imperial Capital, they deliberately remained out of sight.
Blayn met with the young Emperor alone and instructed him to deploy troops to counter the invasion from the foreign tribes.
As a result, the forces stationed in the capital became even thinner.
When the leader of the Revolutionary Army received this news, he immediately assumed that the young Emperor had taken the bait. Unbeknownst to him, it was a trap set by Blayn—he had no idea that Blayn, Esdeath, and Seryu's group had already returned.
Seizing the opportunity while the capital was at its weakest, the leader of the Revolutionary Army led a faction of his loyalists along with a massive foreign army he had secretly brought into the Empire.
Their total force exceeded 100,000 troops, many of whom were elite soldiers.
Additionally, he ordered Najenda's Night Raid to focus on keeping the remaining Teigu Users in the capital occupied.
For a moment, the leader of the Revolutionary Army was certain of victory, believing the advantage was entirely in his favor.
...
Najenda immediately reported the situation to Blayn.
"Just stick to the plan. Seryu and the others won't show themselves, and Esdeath and I will step in at the critical moment. Your job is to keep Kurome and the others occupied to maintain the illusion," Blayn instructed.
Then, he added, "That being said, your opponent is the leader of your own Revolutionary Army. Have you all made up your minds?"
"Of course."
Najenda smiled slightly, offering no further explanation.
Compared to the Revolutionary Army's leader, she trusted Blayn far more at this point.
After all, it was Blayn who had brought Esdeath to their side, Blayn who had toppled Prime Minister Honest, and most importantly, Blayn had never displayed any ambition of his own. That, to Najenda, was the rarest and most valuable quality.
In contrast, the Revolutionary Army's leader was far too obvious in his hunger for power...
"That's all I needed to hear."
Blayn gave a slight nod.
Now, all that was left was to wait for the enemy to march in.
...
At this moment, from atop the city walls, the Revolutionary Army and the foreign nation's forces could already be seen launching a frontal assault.
With most of the Empire's troops deployed to the borders to fend off the foreign invasion, the number of available soldiers within the capital was limited. The main force consisted of the elite Imperial Guard, led by Great General Budo.
To the Revolutionary Army's leader, Budo was the biggest obstacle standing in his way.
Their Teigu Users were tasked with focusing all their efforts on bringing him down.
"Tatsumi, this is your first real battle. Are you afraid?"
At the forefront of the army stood Great General Budo, with Tatsumi, Ieyasu, and Sayo positioned behind him.
It was clear that the trio had passed Budo's test.
In Budo's eyes, Tatsumi had the greatest potential, and he was highly satisfied with his growth. Ieyasu and Sayo, while not as exceptional, had proven themselves capable enough to accompany him into battle.
"No. If anything, this is a great chance to make a name for myself," Tatsumi said, his eyes filled with determination.
"Good. But remember, don't throw your life away."
With that, Budo let out a powerful battle cry and charged into the enemy ranks.
It wasn't long before he became the primary target.
All of the enemy Teigu Users immediately coordinated their efforts to surround and attack him.
But as one of the Empire's strongest, standing on equal footing with Esdeath, Budo held his ground even while facing multiple Teigu Users at once.
His Teigu, Thunder God's Rage: Adramelech, generated an armor of lightning around him, massively enhancing his strength, speed, and defense. Any opponent who made direct contact with him would be paralyzed, and he could also summon thunderbolts for long-range attacks.
Budo moved like a bolt of lightning—his speed was overwhelming, and his strength was unparalleled. With a single punch, he sent one of the enemy's melee-type Teigu Users flying, leaving them afflicted with paralysis.
"AAAHHHH!!"
The unfortunate warrior convulsed violently, their body twitching in agony as if they had been struck by actual lightning.
But being a Teigu User, they managed to survive the attack—though it would take some time before they could recover.
Budo's Teigu was especially effective against melee fighters like this.
Watching Budo take on multiple opponents without faltering, Tatsumi felt a surge of admiration. He silently vowed to one day reach that same level of strength.
With one of their comrades already taken down so quickly, the remaining enemy Teigu Users became more cautious, opting for a battle of attrition.
Unlike Esdeath, who constantly evolved her abilities, Budo was not an unbeatable opponent. His strength lay in sheer, overwhelming physical power—he didn't rely on flashy techniques, only raw combat prowess.
However, being dragged into a prolonged fight against multiple opponents was dangerous, even for him. In the original timeline, he had already been significantly weakened after fighting multiple enemies, and in the end, Mine had taken him down with an all-or-nothing attack that drained all her energy.
But this time, Blayn wouldn't give them the chance to wear Budo down.
He waited for the enemy's Teigu Users to gather together—then planned to wipe them all out at once.
"Ice Cavalry!"
As Blayn and Esdeath entered the battlefield, Esdeath unleashed one of her newest abilities to clear a path.
A massive formation of ice cavalry materialized out of thin air—each one stronger than an elite soldier.
While the true terror of this ability lay in its potential to build up energy and release a massive blizzard, Blayn had no intention of letting Esdeath go that far. This time, Ice Cavalry would be used purely to deal with the enemy's main army.
Meanwhile, Blayn arrived at Budo's side and entered the battlefield using Susanoo.
High above, he activated it, and the enormous spectral warrior descended from the sky.
"BOOM!"
The sheer force of its landing split the battlefield apart. Ordinary soldiers caught too close to the impact were sent flying, completely overwhelmed by the shockwave.
...
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