Chang'an Capital.
Inside the Prefect's Residence, a rainbow of hair colors framed a semicircle of girls gazing up at Akuto, who stood at the top seat. Some were native officers and Imperial Arms users from Chang'an, others were the ones he had subdued later—Seryu, Kurome, Akame, Mine, Najenda, and so on.
"As planned," Akuto said, "Sayo will lead the push on the Imperial Capital. Najenda will take charge against the Revolutionary Army."
"Through the transport arrays we set in each region, our troops and officers can arrive on their assigned battlefields at the first possible moment."
Sayo: "Understood."
Najenda: "Mm. Leave the Revolutionaries to me."
Najenda had been living in Chang'an for some time now to reorganize the forces. During that time, she had fully understood why Akuto's rule over this empire was necessary. Compared with a Revolutionary Army that would rather leave hidden dangers of the former dynasty, invite foreign enemies in, and even trade away land, Akuto's path was—at the very least—pragmatic and forward-looking.
What Najenda didn't know was that Akuto wasn't chasing "lofty ideals" so much as pursuing a power different from theirs. If a flourishing empire brought him more dragon-qi and national fortune, making him stronger, why wouldn't he do it?
"Right, Akuto-kun, Esdeath came back with us as well," Sayo asked. "How do you plan to handle her?"
"How? Obviously, I should… grant her a ten-month vacation." Akuto chuckled, eyes sliding to Esdeath, who was currently touring the Prefect's Residence.
Night.
Akuto's room.
Esdeath arrived as promised—white boots, white stockings, that icy blue hair—pushing open the door with the imperious air of a queen of frost.
The door had barely opened when she triggered Mahapadma again.
Under Akuto's calm gaze, Esdeath lunged, pinning him to the floor. With a swish of her slender waist, the ice queen straddled him with the brazen confidence of a challenger.
"Governor Akuto! I conceded the second bout," Esdeath said, cheeks tinged pink, a shy light trembling in her eyes. "But for the third… the outcome is far from certain."
She wasn't the type to deny defeat once it was clear—so she had decided to win on a different battlefield.
"Akuto," she teased, fingertips tracing his cheek as if stroking a priceless treasure, "every time you look at me, your eyes drift to my thighs and boots. Could it be you're a bit of an M? If so, then we might just be—"
"Esdeath, I'll teach you something today," Akuto narrowed his eyes. Being treated like an object was a novelty even for him.
"Oh? And what lesson is that?" Esdeath popped open the top button of her uniform, revealing the black sigil of her Imperial Arm 'Demon's Manifestation: Essence of the Fiend' etched against alabaster skin.
"The lesson is simple… many who look like S actually carry the potential to be M."
What followed was a clash of wills—and pride.
(Here, the original contained explicit adult content. We omit those details and keep the outcome and character development intact.)
Esdeath fought with everything she had; Akuto met her without yielding an inch. For a time, the two were locked in a contest of overwhelming presence and control. Esdeath sought to preserve her dominance while conquering Akuto; Akuto, conversely, sought to tame a wild mare worthy of a conqueror.
Esdeath was strong—body, Imperial Arm mastery, combat instincts, even willpower. As a child, she had been forged in the creed of the strong devouring the weak; as an adult, she had drunk the entire Essence of the Fiend yet remained sane through sheer will. Now, after absorbing the Queen's Piece, her frost control and physical power had climbed yet higher.
But her opponent was Akuto, who could call upon God Incarnation — Vamana. He didn't need to transform fully into a giant; he could selectively enlarge parts—his hands, his legs—stacked atop the ramping ferocity of "Camel." In such a match-up, the scales tilted.
At last, the victor was clear.
Ding!
Congratulations to the host on seizing fate.
Source of Fortune: Esdeath.
Blank Initial Ability Slot +1. Current total: 23.
Ding!
Past-Life Objective Complete — "Conquer Esdeath" (Gold).
Reward: Explosive Magic (World-Breaker Variant).
Explosive Magic (World-Breaker Variant): An evolved form of Megumin's spell. In addition to the original "infinite amplification with enough chant time," it now carries world/field-type specialization.
When facing barriers, worlds, field magic, and similar constructs bearing "world" or "barrier" attributes, this destructive spell exerts overwhelming type advantage.
No one knew how much time had passed.
Outside the door, a certain empress girl who had come with Esdeath swallowed hard. It was her first time seeing Esdeath in such a state. She had been caught outside while Esdeath held time in stasis, and only when the time-stop finally collapsed did she regain movement. With hands half-covering her eyes, she watched the end of the "battle" through her fingers, too curious to look away.
When everything settled, the strongest frost general had—metaphorically—been hunted. A single white boot at the bedside and a fallen white stocking were the last relics of Esdeath's stubborn pride.
Esdeath's resolve was unbroken—Akuto hadn't shattered her mind. But physically, he had carried the day.
Seeing Esdeath "defeated," the empress girl's hard-won courage wavered. She tried to retreat—only to find herself stumbling into Akuto's arms.
"Your Majesty," Akuto said gently, "then let's have one last lesson tonight."
"After today, Your Majesty will graduate."
"Do you refuse? Personally, I don't mind. But the empire stands at the brink—if you and I do not unite, a thousand-year dynasty may end in your generation."
"And besides," Akuto's gaze flicked to the white boots on Furina's feet, filled by a white, symbiotic material, "the way you wear your boots each day tells me you don't particularly dislike our 'lessons,' does it?"
"Mm…" The empress puffed her cheeks. She had just been threatened—and the worst part was, she couldn't refuse. With her legitimacy usurped, only Akuto could help her reclaim the throne.
"Hmph! Akuto-dono is such a hentai… a pretend-gentleman who likes people's feet… you ero-wolf!"
Even as she grumbled, Furina sat before him with practiced ease and—rather than retreat—stepped forward to face the final test.
(Here the original contained explicit adult content. We omit details. The scene proceeds as a symbolic "graduation" where Furina accepts responsibility and resolve.)
Though Furina's raw power could not match Esdeath's—her white ankle socks and short legs hardly as imposing as Esdeath's over-knee white stockings—she was the emperor. As emperor, she could only meet hardship head-on.
And thus, the "graduation lesson" began—its outcome not measured by dominance, but by resolve: Furina's willingness to shoulder rulership, to reclaim authority with Akuto's aid, and to step into the future not as a sheltered heir, but as a sovereign.
(End of Chapter)
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