"Mm, just a little firecracker."
"F-firecracker?!" Kinshasa's jaw nearly dropped. For a moment, he could only stare blankly at Selene, utterly at a loss for words. Fine then—she was the boss. Whatever she said was right.
After witnessing Selene's overwhelming display of power, Kinshasa's last trace of resentment over being reassigned by her vanished completely. He was convinced, heart and soul.
Boss... from now on, I, Kinshasa, am your man!
"Alright, stop spacing out," Selene said lightly. "Gather every scrap of intelligence and data stored in the mountain fortress's underground chamber. Those will serve as evidence of our military achievement."
As she spoke, Selene flicked her fingers. The Shingu—Black Star · Edge—appeared out of thin air and landed in Kinshasa's hands. "Add that to the spoils of war and prepare to submit everything to the Empire."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Watching Kinshasa's retreating figure, Selene sat back down again. Her gaze swept over the vast stretch of barren land surrounding the destroyed bandit camp, a rare look of reflection crossing her eyes. Then suddenly—
"Hmm?"
Standing behind her was Esdeath, her expression conflicted. Selene tilted her head slightly. "Something on your mind?"
"Lady Selene, I understand the saying 'a lion fights even a rabbit with full strength,' but... your method of fighting just now—wasn't it a bit excessive? Or... am I mistaken?"
Selene chuckled softly. "You think I used a warhammer to swat a fly, don't you?"
"..." Esdeath said nothing, but her silence said enough. She clearly found Selene's approach a bit... unrestrained. Still, she couldn't openly question her superior—especially one far stronger than herself.
From years of hunting experience, Esdeath believed that one should use just enough power for each opponent and conserve stamina for the next. To her, Selene's tactics seemed reckless and wasteful.
Selene only smiled and reached out, patting Esdeath's head gently. "Everyone has their own strengths. You have your own style and instincts. Stick to them. Don't imitate me."
"Then... what is Lady Selene best at?" Esdeath asked curiously.
"Me? I know... a little bit of everything," Selene replied with an amused smile.
"Then I want to become strong too—strong like you, Lady Selene!" Esdeath said firmly, her eyes burning with determination.
Selene sighed softly. "Heh... I'm not the same as you. Start with a smaller goal first."
...
Morning.
Clop, clop, clop...
A squad of Imperial cavalry in standard half-plate armor reined their horses to a sudden halt.
They stared ahead, dumbfounded. What had once been a forest now resembled a wasteland struck by a divine storm—trees torn apart, trunks reduced to splinters, the entire stretch devoid of greenery. The air was thick with the smell of ash.
Leaves had been scorched and vaporized of all moisture, leaving behind only brittle, gray remnants that crumbled at the slightest touch.
Not far away lay the carbonized remains of countless Danger Beasts—burnt beyond recognition, unidentifiable as any species that once lived.
Before them stretched the aftermath of a cataclysm. Even from fifty kilometers away, the shockwave's pressure had been intense—yet here, near the center, the devastation was absolute.
The closer they rode, the more surreal it became. The trees disappeared entirely, the soil cracked and hardened, and the ground dipped lower and lower, forming a massive crater.
"Do we really have to go in there, sergeant?" one soldier asked nervously.
"Move in!" the squad leader barked. Despite his command, even he couldn't help but swallow hard. What kind of power could cause this level of destruction—obliterating everything within a ten-kilometer radius in an instant?
He didn't want to enter, but orders were orders.
The further they advanced, the fewer traces of life remained. The barren ground eventually gave way to something that made them halt in awe.
"So... beautiful..." someone whispered.
Before them spread a breathtaking expanse of crystallized, glass-like terrain. The ground was transparent, reflecting sunlight in prismatic colors—an otherworldly landscape born of annihilation.
"Sergeant! Look—on that hill! The Imperial Guard banner! Gods, how did they survive that?!"
Following his subordinate's gesture, the squad leader turned and spotted it—a lone patch of green amid the wasteland, where a fortress-like camp stood proudly, Imperial banners fluttering above it.
...
Imperial Capital, Palace.
"So, Captain Selene and her entire recruit battalion are completely unharmed?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Very well. I understand. You may go."
"Yes, sire."
After hearing the messenger's report, the Emperor rubbed his temples wearily. "I truly didn't expect she possessed such a devastating, wide-area destructive capability. And furthermore..."
He picked up the memorial the messenger had brought back and slammed it heavily onto the table. His tone turned sharp. "...This was supposed to be a simple bandit-suppression operation, yet it ended up uncovering traces of a southern rebel faction!"
"They've already extended their reach to the Capital itself, and yet the intelligence department detected nothing! Every year I allocate you such vast funds, and for what? To sit on your hands?! Useless fools!!!"
"Your Majesty, please calm yourself." Honest stepped forward and spoke in a steady voice. "In a way, we were fortunate this time. By sending Captain Selene to lead the operation, we coincidentally eradicated the rebel intelligence network embedded within the Capital."
"Additionally, during her suppression of the rebel-linked bandit stronghold, Captain Selene not only captured numerous prisoners but also retrieved a large cache of intelligence related to the rebellion."
"With these critical documents in hand, I believe the assassination division will now have ample opportunity to redeem themselves."
Having said his piece, Honest stepped back to the edge of the hall, placing his right hand over his left shoulder and bowing slightly in salute.
Most officials were required to kneel before the Emperor, but Honest, who already stood on par with a minister in rank, was exempt.
"Summon Lady Selene into the hall."
"At once, Your Majesty."
Guided by an attendant, Selene entered the palace once more. But this time, her destination wasn't the banquet hall—it was the very heart of the Empire's power: the Imperial Central Hall.
"Your Majesty," Selene said respectfully, kneeling in salute.
Seeing her again, the Emperor's gaze softened slightly. But Selene could clearly sense the growing frailty in his aura—the creeping touch of death clinging to his body. It wouldn't be long now; the old monarch's time was nearing its end.
"Cough... cough... You may rise, Lady Selene. Tell Us about the operation in detail." His voice was calm, all traces of anger gone.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Selene replied, her tone steady and precise.
"Two days ago, I received the order to eliminate the bandits operating near the Capital..."
...
"Excellent, excellent!"
After hearing the full account and examining the Shingu—Black Star · Edge—that Selene presented, the Emperor nodded approvingly.
"However," he continued, suddenly changing tone, "regarding last night's explosion—Lady Selene, could you explain to Us what exactly happened?"
Although the Emperor and Great General Budo had already surmised that the explosion was caused by Selene's ability—and her safe return had all but confirmed it—he still wished to hear it directly from her own lips.
"Yes, Your Majesty."