Meanwhile, within the towering, opulent walls of the Imperial Capital, absolute chaos reigned supreme.
The sudden, catastrophic annihilation of General Budo and his entire division of elite guards had thrown the Empire's corrupt ruling class and high-ranking nobles into a blind panic.
At the center of the terror was the Prime Minister, his corpulent, pig-like body trembling violently as the grim reports reached his ears.
"Budo is dead?!" he shrieked, his voice cracking with disbelief and raw dread.
The bedrock of their military dominance had just been pulverized into dust.
Without Budo's immense presence holding the capital's defenses together, the city was entirely exposed to their enemies!
"Send out an emergency dispatch immediately!" the Prime Minister bellowed, his greasy face flushed with frantic desperation.
"Summon General Esdeath back to the capital at once!"
At the Empire's frozen northern frontier:
Amidst howling blizzards and endless, blinding expanses of snow, the Empire's primary northern expeditionary army held its rigid defensive line against the relentless northern tribes.
This brutal theater of war stood as one of the most heavily fortified and blood-soaked zones in all of the Empire.
At the apex of this military machine stood General Esdeath, the Empire's undisputed strongest and most feared warrior—a battle-crazed sadist whose appetite for destruction was matched only by her monstrous power.
"A-Ahhhhh! Pl-Please, stop!"
A agonizing shriek echoed through the cavernous command tent as Esdeath, clad in her crisp white military uniform and trailing locks of ice-blue hair, wore a look of pure, ecstatic delight.
She was knee-deep in torturing a captured tribal chieftain's son, slowly peeling back layers of psychological and physical torment.
To her, nothing brought a greater thrill than breaking a human spirit—save for the prospect of a glorious, life-or-death battle against a truly formidable opponent.
"General! Urgent emergency dispatch from the capital!"
A breathless, panic-stricken soldier burst into the tent, slamming a fist to his chest in a hurried salute.
"Hm?"
Far from being angered by the abrupt interruption, Esdeath lazily set aside her blood-stained whip, a bored pout touching her lips as she glanced up.
"Well? What could possibly be urgent enough to ruin my afternoon entertainment?"
"According to the encrypted courier reports, Night Raid infiltrated the capital's heart!" the soldier stammered, his eyes wide with lingering terror.
"General Budo... and the entire imperial guard garrison have been completely wiped out, down to the last man. The Prime Minister urgently requests your immediate return to secure the capital!"
"Hm?"
Esdeath's characteristic cold expression flickered, replaced instantly by a sharp, predatory spark of genuine curiosity.
"Budo was killed? By Night Raid?" She let out a low, melodic laugh that sent a shiver straight down the soldier's spine. "How remarkably interesting."
Without a second thought, she turned on her heel, her mind instantly pivoting toward packing up camp.
She wasn't returning out of any shred of loyalty or duty to save the corrupt Prime Minister or the weaklings in the capital; she was returning purely for the thrill of the hunt.
The thought of facing the group capable of dismantling Budo promised the potential for a glorious challenge—and perhaps, just perhaps, she might finally find a worthy opponent to satisfy the crushing emptiness in her heart.
Just as she raised her hand to bark orders for an immediate forced march back south, her movements abruptly froze.
A strange, alien resonance echoed deep within the architecture of her soul.
"Chat... group?"
Noticing the mysterious, glowing sub-system interface suddenly materializing across her consciousness, a sharp, ambitious smirk stretched across Esdeath's lips.
"Heh. It looks like this world is about to get a whole lot more entertaining."
*****
Stepping back through the threshold into their private residence late at night, the lingering weariness of the day quickly collided with an unpleasant discovery.
The dinner prepared hours ago had gone completely cold, and the sudden wave of fatigue left Mai with zero appetite.
To compound her irritation, the first thing that greeted her was Haruto, having just materialized back home entirely unclothed, flanked by unmistakable signs of his recent, highly indulgent activities with Akame still lingering in the air.
Mai's face instantly darkened, a deep flush of annoyance and lingering jealousy burning across her cheeks.
She crossed her arms tightly, fixing him with a glare. "Go take a shower immediately! Otherwise, don't even think about stepping foot near my bed tonight!"
Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and stormed off straight toward Haruto's room, muttering under her breath in frustration.
Haruto let out a low, amused chuckle, watching her retreat with an affectionate grin playing on his lips.
"Tsk, after only a few days, she's already acting like a nagging little wife."
It was a thoroughly encouraging sign.
Beneath her momentary pout and frustration, it was clear that Mai had fully accepted her place by his side, no longer intimidated or alienated by his unapologetic nature.
In the interdimensional chat group, Haruto sent out a casual message:
Haruto: "@Saeko, @Ayame, did you both return safely to your respective worlds?"
Ayame: "Thank you for your warm concern, Haruto-sama. I have returned safely to the world of Kabaneri."
Saeko: "I encountered a minor situation right upon arrival."
Stella: "A situation? You didn't get spatial drift or get stuck in some stray void, did you?"
Frieren: "Interdimensional transit is far more intricate than conventional spatial magic. There are always inherent risks."
Sakurajima Mai: "Saeko, what happened? Are you alright?"
Saeko: "It's nothing quite so alarming. I returned safely, but I discovered that Saya and the others had run into trouble while scavenging."
Stella: "You gave me a fright! I thought something went horribly wrong with the transit."
Haruto: "So, are your traveling companions out of danger now?"
Saeko: "Yes, they are completely safe."
Back in Saeko's world, the towering, ten-meter-tall purple energy giant swung its massive blade with casual precision, cleanly decapitating the last of the surrounding horde of zombies.
Saeko retracted her weapon and turned toward her deeply shaken companions, asking calmly, "Are you all unharmed?"
They nodded dumbly in unison, still trembling from the near-death experience.
They had merely ventured out for routine supplies, only to be ambushed by an overwhelming horde.
Thankfully, Saeko had materialized out of thin air just in time to rescue them.
Now, they stared in utter awe at the residual glow of the colossal purple spirit fading from the air.
"What on earth is that incredible power...?" Saya breathed, her voice shaking in disbelief.
She pinched the bridge of her nose. "This completely defies every known law of science!"
"Well, to be fair, the existence of an interdimensional chat group and Saeko traveling across worlds already defies science," Shizuka pointed out absentmindedly, hitting the nail squarely on the head.
Beside them, Rei Miyamoto stared intently at Saeko, her eyes burning with an intense, desperate resolve.
"Saeko-senpai—how can I become as strong as you?"
Rei asked, stepping forward. "Please, teach me."
Saeko hesitated for a brief moment, weighing her options before deciding to reveal the interface of the chat group to them.
Saeko: "@Haruto, Haruto-kun, Rei is asking how she can acquire that kind of power."
Stella: "Strap in and rigorously train your physical combat skills, I suppose!"
Frieren: "Or study ancient grimoires and master magic through centuries of diligent practice."
Haruto: "I assume by strength she means acquiring extraordinary supernatural abilities, am I right?"
Saeko: "Yes, precisely."
Haruto: "Haha, in that case, I suggest you all take a close look at the chat group's primary function and name."
"The group's name...?"
Saya muttered to herself, her eyes widening as the realization dawned on her. "He means... trading?!"
"Trading? You don't mean..." The three girls instinctively glanced down toward Saeko's waist, recalling the nature of the system mechanics.
"Ugh..."
Rei's face instantly turned as bright as a ripe tomato.
Even she felt thoroughly mortified thinking about what a 'trade' with a supernatural entity of that caliber might entail, especially since every single transaction was permanently logged in the chat group's shared records.
Saya swallowed hard, crossing her arms defensively as she muttered under her breath, "Hmph! Who in their right mind would ever agree to make that kind of humiliating trade?!"
Shizuka, however, blinked innocently and tilted her head. "Wait a minute... didn't Saeko trade for it, and look how powerful she became?"
"!!!"
Saya instantly realized her accidental slip of the tongue and flushed bright red, waving her hands frantically. "I-I'm so sorry, Saeko-senpai! I didn't mean it that way at all!"
Saeko merely offered a serene, unbothered smile, shaking her head.
As her gaze drifted down to rest affectionately on the legendary blade Murasame resting at her hip—a gift entrusted to her by Haruto—her heart felt entirely fulfilled.
She loved her current state of power, and to her, the price paid was more than worth the absolute strength she had gained.
*****
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