Chapter 174 The Supreme Throne
The walls on both sides were inlaid with beads, emitting a faint glow.
The stairs led downwards, the passage low and narrow, creating a very oppressive feeling. After
walking for a few minutes, a ray of light appeared ahead. Stepping through the exit, the space opened up dramatically.
Aoki looked around.
It was a huge cave, over two hundred meters high, the surrounding rock walls covered with traces of human carving.
In the center of the cave stood a giant over two hundred meters tall, his face majestic, a blue cloak behind him, arms crossed, looking down.
"Found it!" A look of admiration appeared on Aoki's face.
This was the first and strongest Imperial Arm, the pinnacle of Imperial craftsmanship—the Guardian Divine Machine, the Supreme Throne!
Mine had exhausted all her mental energy, pushing the power of the Romantic Cannon Pumpkin to its limit, yet it still couldn't compare to a casual strike from the Supreme Throne.
Esdeath's strength was because she herself was too powerful, raising the upper limit of the Demon Essence.
The Supreme Throne itself was invincible.
Anyone who pilots it can unleash devastating power.
In the original story, the young emperor's relentless bombardment destroyed half the capital, nearly shattering the revolutionary army's morale.
And that was far from the Supreme Throne's limit. Leaving
aside other aspects, its appearance alone suggests that the Supreme Throne is more than just a long-range artillery turret; it must also excel in close combat.
After observing for a while, Aoki spread his bat wings and flew towards the Supreme Throne.
He circled it, examining it closely, and noticed that perhaps due to its enormous size, the Supreme Throne wasn't particularly refined.
However, this was good news for him.
Aoki gently stroked the Supreme Throne's cold fuselage.
It felt like metal, yet different.
He had just tried to connect, but the Supreme Throne didn't respond.
It's worth noting that he couldn't leave a spatial imprint on the Supreme Throne.
In other words, to some extent, this giant creature is alive!
Or at least possesses the characteristics of being alive.
"Next, it's time to capture the young emperor."
Aoki didn't linger for long, leaving a spatial imprint before turning and leaving the cave.
Last time, he discovered four suspicious locations: one was Ernest's residence, another was a treasure vault, and one of the remaining two should be the young emperor's palace.
However,
as an emperor, he should have more than one palace in the palace.
After what happened a few days ago, the young emperor might have already moved.
Nevertheless, Aoki still planned to go and check. What if
the young emperor was stubborn?
Of course,
he also had to be careful.
The possibility of it becoming a trap was not small.
Aoki's figure flickered, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived at his destination, quietly observing.
The number of guards here had increased.
Could the young emperor really still be there?
Boom!
A blue lightning bolt struck, creating a large crater in the ground, turning the surrounding area scorched black.
Aoki's figure appeared beside him, exposed to the guards' view.
"Assassin!"
"Assassin!"
"Assassin has appeared!"
"Everyone be careful!"
A clattering sound rang out.
Instantly, all the guards surrounded Aoki.
A tall, blond man in gauntlets stepped forward.
"You dare show your face again?"
Bud's face was ashen, his arms crackling with blue electricity, his aura surging, making him appear almost godlike.
"It was a trap, after all."
Aoki looked around. "Where's Esdeath?"
He'd only just arrived, and he'd already been exposed. Only Esdeath could have done something like this.
Tap tap tap.
Accompanied by crisp footsteps, a woman with long blue hair and stunning beauty slowly emerged, followed by three people.
The guards slowly retreated, widening the encirclement, but a few remained.
Aoki's gaze swept around. "What a grand display!"
Those following Esdeath were likely her three Beast Warriors, all Imperial Arms users.
The remaining ones must be hidden experts within the palace.
Including Esdeath and Bud, there are more than ten Imperial Arms users here!
"We meet again!" Esdeath's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Aoki asked, "How have you considered the deal?"
Esdeath smiled, ignoring those around her: "If you can survive today, it's not impossible to consider it!"
Aoki's gaze flickered: "Do you have a way to kill me?"
Esdeath said, "That's right. If you don't have any hidden methods, you'll likely die here today!"
Aoki seemed thoughtful.
To kill him, he must first restrain spatial teleportation.
Could it be that Sheila has returned with Shangri-La?
But he had just checked; Sheila wasn't among the Imperial Arms users around.
Hidden?
No.
If they had Shangri-La, they could have acted long ago; there was no need to wait until now.
So, what are they waiting for?
They know he might use "spatial teleportation" to leave at any time, yet they haven't acted.
In other words, they have to wait, they have no choice but to wait.
Esdeath said he might die, and given her personality, she couldn't be bluffing.
In conclusion, the Imperial Palace possesses a power capable of killing him, but it needs time to prepare.
Aoki pieced together all the clues in his mind.
The young emperor shouldn't be in the palace ahead.
Given Ernest's example, Bud and the others wouldn't let the young emperor stay and risk his life.
Esdeath believes in a power capable of killing him.
Esdeath has witnessed his regenerative abilities; few powers can give Esdeath such confidence!
The answer was obvious.
"Is the young emperor planning to use the Supreme Throne?"
Although it was just a guess, Aoki felt there was an over 80% chance he was right.
The Supreme Throne is a protective power that can only be activated when the empire faces a major crisis.
He killed a minister and threatened the emperor's life, meeting the requirements for its use.
Considering the young emperor's feelings for Ernest, this choice became even more reasonable.
No!
It should be more than that!
The Supreme Throne's power is strong, but it can't prevent him from using "space travel" to leave.
They needed a force to counter "space travel.
" Esdeath's "Makapadma"?
It had to be said, their plan did indeed have a chance of success.
The attack from the Supreme Throne could be even more terrifying than a Super Dangerous Species.
But it was only a possibility.
Since he had guessed there might be a trap here, he would naturally be wary of Esdeath's "Makapadma."
While "Transparent World" couldn't completely control Esdeath's actions, it could still detect the activation of "Makapadma."
Of course,
now that Aoki had seen through their plan, he was even less likely to give them that chance.
Aoki raised his hand.
He had also gleaned a crucial piece of information from this plan—the young emperor had gone to use the Supreme Throne.
In that case, there was no need to waste time with these people.
Esdeath suddenly realized something, her eyes shifting slightly.
No!
It was too late!
"Maka..."
Without hesitation, she was about to unleash her ultimate move.
The next moment.
"Soul Impact!" Aoki's thoughts stirred.
An invisible wave spread rapidly from him.
Thud!
Esdeath felt as if she'd been hit on the head with a sledgehammer; her consciousness went blank for a moment, and the "Makapadma" she was using was forced to stop.
Bud swayed, blood flowing from his seven orifices.
The three Beast Warriors and the other Imperial Arms users' eyes rolled back and they collapsed to the ground.
(End of Chapter)