Chapter 121: The Defeated General, Her Heart Skipped a Beat
The atmosphere in the Dimensional Restaurant had shifted dramatically. The warm, cozy ambiance of the late-night eatery was instantly replaced by a biting, unnatural chill. Frost crept along the wooden floorboards like jagged white veins, radiating from the boots of the new arrival.
Lucifer's crimson eyes narrowed, filled with a mix of wariness and intense curiosity as she watched the figure emerge from the fading blue light of the dimensional door.
'Is this a guest from Another World?' Lucifer thought, analyzing the intruder's mana signature. 'It feels... sharp. Like a blade made of ice. And that uniform... it's definitely not from modern Japan.'
The woman standing in the doorway was a vision of military perfection and terrifying beauty. She was tall and curvaceous, her figure accentuated by a pristine white military uniform with gold accents and black piping. A matching white cap sat at a jaunty angle on her head, casting a slight shadow over her eyes.
But what truly captivated the attention was her face. She had porcelain skin as smooth as milk, contrasting sharply with her long, flowing hair that was the color of a frozen lake—a vivid, striking blue. Her eyelashes were the same icy hue, framing eyes that shone with a predatory, azure gleam.
She stood with one hand resting on the hilt of a slender rapier at her hip, surveying the restaurant not as a guest, but as a conqueror inspecting a new territory.
After a moment of silence, the military-uniformed woman spoke. Her voice was cool, melodic, and dripping with the arrogance of someone who has never known defeat.
"To be able to transport me here without my knowledge, directly from my command tent..." she mused, stepping further inside, her black thigh-high boots clicking sharply against the floor. "Is this the work of some powerful Teigu (Imperial Arm)? A dimensional type like Shambhala, perhaps?"
She stopped in the center of the room, her gaze locking onto the only two occupants.
"Hey! You two over there," she commanded, pointing a gloved finger at Ren. "Which one of you is the owner of this Imperial Arm? Identify yourself."
Lucifer looked at the girl with sparkling eyes. The initial wariness faded, replaced by amusement.
'Goodness,' Lucifer thought, a small smile playing on her lips. 'She seems to be a very spirited guest from Another World! She speaks with such authority... almost like me. I suddenly feel that I might have missed too many interesting people by going to bed too early these past few days.'
Ren, who was still leaning back in his chair, offered a polite, professional smile. He didn't seem bothered by the drop in temperature or the woman's aggressive tone.
"There is no Imperial Arm here, Miss," Ren said softly, his voice calm and grounding. "This is a different world entirely. And this place... is not a battlefield or a command center. It is just a Restaurant."
Hearing this, the blue-haired woman was clearly startled. She blinked, her icy composure cracking for a fraction of a second. She looked around again, taking in the menu boards, the kitchen counter, and the smell of coffee.
Then, slowly, a wide, terrifying grin spread across her face. It wasn't a smile of joy; it was the smile of a predator finding unexpected prey.
"Interesting," she purred, her hand tightening on her rapier. "Truly very interesting..."
Ren was slightly surprised to see the girl suddenly becoming excited. Usually, guests were confused or panicked. This one seemed... delighted by the unknown.
Meanwhile, Lucifer continued to observe the girl with sparkling eyes. 'This girl is so unique! Another World is indeed full of surprises!'
After a moment of hesitation, Ren stood up slowly. "Miss, you..."
Before Ren could finish his sentence, the girl cut him off.
"Although I don't know how I got here," she said, her voice trembling slightly with suppressed pleasure, "for you to bring me here, you—or perhaps that silver-haired woman over there—must be very strong to be able to do this!"
Her blue eyes burned with battle lust.
Hearing the girl's logic, Ren paused. He thought for a moment, assessing the situation. He sensed no magic from her, but her physical presence and the chilling aura she exuded suggested she was a top-tier combatant in her world.
"Roughly speaking," Ren admitted calmly, "both of us could subdue you without much effort... But that is not the point. We are a dining establishment. Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
The girl ignored the offer of food completely.
She slowly drew her rapier. The sound of steel sliding against the sheath rang out, clear and sharp in the silent shop.
Shing.
"Because someone betrayed me during today's subjugation of the Northern barbarians," she explained casually, testing the edge of her blade with her thumb. "I am in a terrible mood. I originally planned to go out and slaughter a couple of Danger Beasts to vent my frustration, but now..."
She pointed her sword directly at Ren's heart.
"...it seems I have a much better option right in front of me."
Lucifer and Ren were stunned.
'This beautiful-looking girl... she is a genuine battle maniac,' Ren thought, sighing internally. 'And her personality seems a bit... Sadistic? Did we accidentally save a few so-called Danger Beasts today by summoning her here?'
Ren tilted his head, looking at the sharp tip of the rapier hovering inches from his chest.
"First," Ren said, raising one finger. "This is a Restaurant, not a dojo or an arena. We serve food, not violence."
"Second," he raised a second finger. "We have no reason to fight you. Fighting, win or lose, brings me no benefit. If I lose, I get hurt. If I win... honestly, winning brings me no reward either."
"Finally," he raised a third finger, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You can't possibly be our opponent."
The girl's grin widened, revealing pearly white teeth.
"Interesting words," she laughed, a low, throaty sound. "This makes me want to test your strength even more! As for the consequences... you can rest assured."
She lowered her stance, preparing to lunge.
"I don't kill civilians indiscriminately; I just want to spar. If you lose, I will give you a reward from the Empire's treasury. Besides... I don't feel any killing intent from you. The aura around you reminds me of a docile sheep. A very confident sheep."
She glanced around the shop. "Finally, as for destroying this place, you don't need to worry at all. I don't dislike the atmosphere here. I will try to keep the collateral damage to a minimum."
Ren sighed deeply. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking at Lucifer. Lucifer shrugged, clearly amused by the spectacle.
'It seems that if this girl's anger from her subordinate's betrayal and her excitement aren't vented through battle, she won't stop,' Ren realized. 'She is the type who only listens to strength.'
"Fine," Ren said, finally stepping away from the counter. "But if you break anything, you're paying for it."
Seeing Ren stand up and accept the challenge, Lucifer leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. The blue-haired girl's eyes flashed with intense excitement.
"Good!" she shouted.
In the blink of an eye, she moved.
It was a speed that would be invisible to the naked eye of a normal human. One moment she was standing by the door, the next she was directly in front of Ren.
Her rapier thrust forward, a blur of silver aimed straight at Ren's shoulder. It was a strike meant to disable, not kill, but it carried enough force to pierce steel.
Clang.
The sound was dull and heavy.
The girl froze. Her eyes widened in shock.
Her military saber—a weapon forged from high-grade Danger Beast materials—was blocked.
Not by a shield. Not by another sword.
It was blocked by Ren's single index finger.
The tip of her rapier pressed against the skin of his finger, unable to advance even a millimeter. There was no blood, no scratch. It was as if she had struck an impenetrable wall of diamond.
The girl's pupils contracted to pinpoints.
"Do you still want to continue?" Ren asked with a polite smile, as if he had just caught a falling leaf rather than a lethal strike.
The girl pulled back, leaping away to create distance. A flush of excitement crept up her neck.
"As expected!" she breathed heavily, her smile becoming almost manic. "You're not an ordinary person! A sheep with steel skin? No... a monster in disguise! Then try THIS!"
She raised her hand. The temperature in the room plummeted to freezing point.
Crackle.
Moisture in the air crystallized instantly. Several dozen sharp ice blades, exuding a chilling white mist, appeared out of thin air around her. They floated menacingly, aimed directly at Ren.
Lucifer's eyes lit up with recognition. 'No magic circles? No incantations? It seems to be some kind of innate special ability or artifact. Interesting.'
She wasn't worried about Ren at all. After all, Ren had proven his dominance to her earlier that day. In this Restaurant, he was absolute law.
"Go!" the girl commanded.
The ice blades launched forward like a volley of arrows.
Ren looked at the incoming projectiles.
"Eh? Such pure ice," he commented casually. "It looks very clear. It's very suitable for making shaved ice~"
"Shaved... ice...?" The girl's mouth twitched in irritation.
The ice blades stabbed towards Ren from all angles. However, Ren didn't dodge. He moved his hands in a blur.
Snatch. Snatch. Snatch.
In seconds, the air was clear.
Ren stood there, holding a bouquet of sharp ice blades in his hands as if they were flowers. He weighed them, testing their density.
"Hmm. The quality is indeed very high," Ren critiqued, tapping one icicle against another. "But it's a bit too cold. Eating it directly would give me a stomachache, so let's forget it."
He tossed the deadly ice weapons into the trash bin behind the counter with a casual clang.
The girl stared at him. Her breath hitched.
"Interesting... truly very interesting!" she whispered, her voice trembling with adrenaline. "Are swordsmanship and small tricks completely useless against you? I haven't met someone like you since... ever! Then let's try this!"
She stomped her foot.
"Weissschnabel!" (White Schnabel!)
She unleashed a massive torrent of ice arrows, giant spikes, and heavy pillars. It was a blizzard of destruction that filled the entire front of the shop.
After a burst of blinding cold air and white mist, the girl panted slightly. She realized she might have been a bit too heavy-handed.
"Did I kill him?" she wondered, a flicker of regret passing through her. "He didn't even try to dodge..."
But as the mist cleared, her beautiful eyes widened to their limits.
There was no blood. There was no crushed body.
There was just a pile of shattered ice shards at Ren's feet. Ren stood there, completely unharmed, dusting off a few snowflakes from his shoulder.
"You truly are a lady who loves to fight~" Ren sighed, looking at the mess on the floor. "Well, if there's nothing more, let's end it. After all, cleaning up melting ice is quite troublesome. It ruins the wood."
The girl clenched her fists. Her pride as the Empire's Strongest General was screaming.
"Continue! It's not over yet!" she shouted, her aura flaring up again. "Your strength... I'm becoming more and more interested in you! I must dominate you!"
Hearing this, Lucifer frowned from her seat.
'Goodness,' she thought, sipping her tea with a displeased expression. 'Trying to poach someone right in front of me? Such audacity from a mere human! Outrageous! Do I need to step in?'
Ren sighed, seeing the stubbornness in the girl's eyes.
"It seems I can't finish this without subduing you properly," Ren muttered. "You're the type who needs to hit a wall to stop running. Then... I'll attack now~ Sigh... What a hassle..."
The girl's eyes narrowed. She sensed a shift in the atmosphere. He was coming.
She smiled, a desperate, savage smile.
"Then let's try this last move! My trump card! I didn't think I'd use it here, but you are worthy!"
She raised her hand high. A dark, ominous energy gathered around her tattoo—the mark of the Demon's Extract.
"Mahapadma!"
A wave of cold energy exploded outward.
Everything turned blue. The world lost its color. The sound of the wind chime stopped. The dust motes in the air froze in place.
Time itself had been frozen.
This was Esdeath's ultimate technique. The ability to freeze time and space itself. In this frozen world, only she could move.
"It is done," Esdeath breathed, lowering her hand. She looked at Ren, who was frozen mid-step. She walked towards him leisurely, intending to savor her victory. "You were strong. But no one can defeat me in my frozen world. Now, I will..."
Crunch.
A sound.
A sound in a world where sound should not exist.
Esdeath froze. Her eyes slowly turned towards the source of the noise.
Ren took a step.
Crunch.
The frozen air shattered around him like glass.
Ren continued to walk unhurriedly towards the girl. His expression hadn't changed. He looked around at the blue-tinted world with mild curiosity.
"Oh? Is this a time stop?" Ren asked casually. "Quite a high-level spell. But it feels a bit chilly."
Esdeath stood rooted to the spot. Her brain refused to process what she was seeing.
"H-How?" she stammered, her voice cracking. "Mahapadma... freezes time and space! Why are you moving?!"
[Author's Note: For those who think Esdeath is weakened, remember Chapter 1: The male lead is absolutely invincible within the domain of the Restaurant. Concepts like Time and Space hold no authority over him here.]
Ren walked towards the girl step by step.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Each step echoed like a death knell in Esdeath's ears.
At this moment, the girl felt that the man with the faint, gentle smile in front of her was still a docile sheep. But now, she realized the terrifying truth.
She didn't know what kind of monster was hiding under that sheepskin. It was a monster far ancient and far more powerful than any Danger Beast she had ever hunted.
For the first time in her life, Esdeath felt a sensation she had forgotten.
Fear? No.
It was the thrill of being the prey. A long-lost sense of absolute danger.
Ren suddenly threw a punch at the girl.
It was a simple, straight punch. No technique. No speed.
But Esdeath knew she couldn't dodge it. Her instincts screamed that if that fist connected, she would be obliterated.
She had no intention of blocking this punch with her body. She frantically summoned thick layers of ice shields, layer upon layer, harder than diamond.
Shatter.
It was useless.
Only the sounds of shattering were heard. The ice crumbled like sugar glass.
She saw the fist coming towards her face. She flinched, closing her eyes, bracing for the end.
Flick.
She felt a sharp pain in her forehead.
"Hmm?"
Esdeath opened her eyes.
Ren didn't punch her. He had stopped his fist at the last microsecond and instead flicked her forehead with his finger.
He didn't use any force—just enough to leave a red mark.
The frozen world shattered. Color rushed back into the room. Time resumed.
Ren stood over her, retracting his hand.
"Well then, Miss General," Ren said with a cheerful smile. "You lost. You can't hurt me at all~"
Esdeath touched her forehead. She looked at Ren, her legs trembling slightly. She slumped against the nearest table, her strength leaving her.
She gritted her teeth, looking up at him with a complex expression of humiliation and awe.
"Why...?" she asked, her voice hoarse. "Why didn't you go for the kill? You could have taken my head just now."
"Why would I go for the kill?" Ren asked back, tilting his head. "If I had to say… because there was no true hostility from you. You just wanted to fight. Which made me feel like a docile sheep dealing with a rowdy guest~"
"You..." Esdeath bit her lip. "The strong prey on the weak. That is the law of nature. I lost, so I won't refute your words. I am at your mercy. But I won't just accept pity..."
"It's not pity," Ren interrupted gently. "It's hospitality."
"Hospitality?"
"Yes. You came here hungry for battle, but I think you're also just... hungry."
Ren extended a hand to her.
"Alright, it's good that you conceded. So, Miss, since the exercise is over... would you like to have a meal? Or would you like to rest here for a while? We have excellent tea."
Esdeath looked at the hand offered to her. It was a hand that could shatter time, yet it was offered with gentleness.
She looked up at Ren's face. He was leaning against the table, bathed in the warm light of the shop, smiling at her not with mockery, but with a strange, baffling kindness.
He was strong. Stronger than anyone she had ever met. Stronger than the Emperor. Stronger than the Danger Beasts.
And he was smiling at her.
Thump.
Esdeath clutched her chest.
Her heart, which had been frozen in ice for so long, inexplicably skipped a beat.
[Akarin's Note: Esdeath (Akame Ga Kill!) is the high-ranking general of the Empire. She is a sadist, a social Darwinist ("The strong survive"), and possesses the strongest Ice Teigu, "Demon's Extract." Her ultimate technique, Mahapadma, can freeze time/space for a short duration.]
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