I, Uchiha Hikaru, have joined the chat group.

Chapter 182 The Fall of Bud and the Revolutionary Army's Reaction (Part 2)

It was already past midnight.

The bright, full moon hangs high in the night sky.

Uchiha Hikaru landed on top of a tall tower, tossed Dotya aside, and then watched from a distance the battle between "Night Raid" and Bud.

It's obvious...

The "night raid" is at a disadvantage.

Budo's strength is still quite formidable. Like Budo and Akame, he belongs to the small group closest to Esdeath, and in some ways, he is even stronger than the latter two. This is because his Imperial Arm "Thunder God's Wrath" allows him to fly and unleash lightning strikes and paralyze enemies from a distance, making it very effective against melee Imperial Arm users.

Akame's "Murasame" can theoretically kill in one strike, but it cannot get close to the target.

Hill and Leone are the same.

Only Mine could hit him with her "Pumpkin Cannon," but that only served to restrain him.

—In the original storyline, Mine defeated Bud only by completely destroying her pumpkin cannon, even while prepared to die, and afterwards, she herself fell into a vegetative state. At this point, she simply lacked the strength and determination to defeat Bud, and could only use ordinary cannonballs to wear him down.

In a very short time.

The "Night Raid" team has faced several close calls, with even the dangerous flying dragon being struck by lightning from the sky several times and nearly shot down.

Faced with this situation, Najendan decided to retreat.

But Bud relentlessly pursued them, seemingly intending to wipe them out here.

Coincidentally...

Both sides are moving closer to the tower where Uchiha Hikaru is located.

Seeing this scene.

Uchiha Hikaru sighed softly, then formed a hand seal: "Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"

Chakra surged.

As Uchiha Hikari opened her mouth, a thin line of fire shot out, drawing a straight line in the sky and instantly reaching Bud. The latter instinctively dodged to the side, then turned his head to look at her with slight surprise.

Najenda and the others also rode on the dragons, looking up at the top of the tower.

"...Ms. Hikari?"

"...Black hair and red eyes, so you're the murderer who killed the minister?"

Under the watchful eyes of several people.

Uchiha Hikaru wore a black trench coat, her eyes blazing like fire, and her long, black hair was blown high by the night wind, casting a faint crimson glow in the firelight. Although petite, she possessed a unique majesty and aura of a powerful figure, causing those around her to involuntarily feel a chill.

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Song Technique!!"

Uchiha Hikaru unleashed Fire Release once again.

This time, she spat out four fire dragons in succession, which flew towards the location of Bud from four directions: above, below, left, and right!

Upon realizing he couldn't dodge, Bud immediately clasped his fists together, channeling the surrounding lightning power to create a shield-shaped barrier woven from lightning!

It was accompanied by a loud bang.

Flames and lightning collided head-on high in the sky.

The four fire dragons transformed into bursts of light and flame, while Bud's lightning barrier shrank considerably, leaving only a thin layer covering his body.

"...With such power, it's no wonder he was able to kill Ernest, but he's still no match for me."

Bud seemed to sense something, then said coldly, "Kid, if you're willing to serve the Empire, I might consider letting you go."

"puff--"

Uchiha Hikaru chuckled lightly, "Old man, considering you're a decent person, I'll give you a piece of advice... If you go back now, I might consider letting you go."

She wasn't joking when she said that.

Among the empire's high command, General Bud was considered a decent person, only his personality was too stubborn and inflexible. If he could see the bigger picture, he wouldn't necessarily have to be killed.

pity……

This good intention was clearly misinterpreted as mockery.

"Arrogant!"

"I only spoke to you out of a moment of appreciation for your talent. Since you don't appreciate it... then prepare to die here!"

Facing Bud, who was blowing his beard and glaring.

Uchiha Hikaru sighed softly again, then his eyes narrowed, and the black tomoe appeared once more.

"Since you refuse to retreat, then think of your last words... The Third Power, Susanoo!"

With the activation of his pupil power.

Dark red flames appeared in mid-air, emerging from nothing to outline a dense skeletal shape, which was then filled with a large amount of flesh and armor... In just a few breaths, a colossal figure forty meters tall appeared above the tower, as if it were a second tower reaching the sky.

Susanoo, Fourth Form!!

Not counting the time when he killed Ernest, this was the first time that Uchiha Hikaru used Susanoo in front of the people of Akatsuki.

This moment.

Bud and the rest of the "Night Raid" team stared wide-eyed, completely stunned.

"What...is that?!"

"A mecha-type Imperial Arms?"

Under a horrified gaze, Uchiha Hikaru gripped the three-meter-long Dragon Bone Blade, which was taller than himself, with one hand. At the same time, Susanoo raised its dark red greatsword. The two figures, one large and one small, stood under the night sky. After a brief moment of preparation, they suddenly took a step and leaped into the air!

wow-

At the top of the tower, several tiles were gently crushed underfoot, turning into pebbles that rolled down to the ground.

Uchiha Hikaru's figure had already emerged, sword in hand!

"One Hundred and Eight Slashes... Crimson Flame Slash!!"

The dragon bone knife and the dark red greatsword were swung simultaneously.

In the blink of an eye, crimson sword energy tore through the night, sweeping forward like a tidal wave, leaving a fiery trail hundreds of meters long and tens of meters wide in its wake. Due to the extreme heat, distorted ripples appeared in the surrounding air, as if even space itself was trembling!

Faced with this astonishingly powerful strike.

Bud's pupils suddenly contracted, and he once again vibrated his arms, opening the lightning barrier to its maximum extent.

next second.

The crimson sword energy crashed directly into the barrier, instantly engulfing Bud's body. Blazing flames spread in all directions, then rained down onto the long street below, like a meteor shower! It was clearly visible even from several kilometers away!

Several tens of seconds passed.

The flames gradually died down.

Bud's figure reappeared in mid-air, looking much more disheveled than before. He was panting heavily, and his clothes and tall hair showed obvious signs of burning.

"Oh? It actually managed to block that attack?"

Uchiha Hikaru raised an eyebrow, a slight hint of approval in his expression: "But... how many more times can you block that?"

As they spoke, the dragon bone knife and the dark red greatsword came crashing down together!

"One Hundred and Eight Slashes - Heavy Cannon Slash!!"

This time, Bud didn't dare to take it head-on. He suddenly manipulated the electromagnetic force to leap into the air and fly into the distant sky.

Uchiha Hikaru drew "Moonlight Dance" from behind his back, holding a sword in each hand, and slashed repeatedly at the full moon in the night sky!

"Niten Ichi-ryu... Full Moon Slash!"

With Uchiha Hikaru's effortless movements, streaks of sword energy burst forth from the two longswords, instantly transforming into more than a dozen crescent moons of varying sizes that rose into the air, weaving a vast and intricate sword net against the night sky. While its appearance was somewhat ornate, it contained an overwhelming killing intent within.

Bud managed to dodge a few times, but was gradually surrounded by the sky full of sword energy. The lightning barrier was shattered and rebuilt several times, and eventually he became powerless.

at last.

Bud stopped mid-air, crossed his arms, and raised them high: "You stubborn brat, let me show you the power of the 'Thor's Wrath' technique... Secret Technique: Summon the Thunder Emperor!"

Lightning surged!

At this moment, a powerful aura burst forth from Bud, transforming into a deep purple pillar of lightning that pierced through the heavens and earth. In an instant, the clouds were stirred up, and the surrounding sword energy was also separated. Countless purple-blue arcs of electricity roamed freely like snakes, gradually converging on a huge sphere of light.

"……it's over!!"

Bud blasted the ball of light down!

Uchiha Hikaru took a deep breath, his Dragon Bone Blade and Dark Red Greatsword overlapped, and he unleashed his strongest strike of the night!

"One hundred and eight segments... Crescent Moon Heavenly Strike!"

A crescent moon, hundreds of meters high, reappeared, carrying endless light and heat! Almost as soon as it broke free from the blade, it had already swept dozens of meters away, colliding violently with Bud's "Thunder Emperor's Summoning"!

boom--!!!!

In an instant, a beam of light as dazzling as the sun burst forth, making even the full moon in the night sky pale in comparison!

Smoke and dust filled the sky!

A deafening roar of cannons!

A massive shockwave, accompanied by milky-white gusts of air, spread outwards in all directions, crushing everything in its path to dust! Terrifying light and heat transformed into a Force 12 gale, sweeping across the surrounding area, tearing up houses and streets within hundreds of meters with devastating force, and then spreading outwards in all directions within a radius of more than ten kilometers!

The sound of windows shattering was incessant, and large swaths of trees and land were uprooted!

For several tens of seconds.

A chaotic force field filled the space, constantly crushing, shredding, and shaking the stone slabs and trees... These bullet-like fragments alone caused a considerable impact on the imperial army on the ground!

at last……

The thick smoke and dust gradually dissipated.

A hemispherical depression has appeared on the ground, radiating for miles. Even the palace walls several kilometers away have been partially impacted, with some sections of the walls becoming fragmented.

From the perspective of the Imperial soldiers on the ground, General Bud's figure had already disappeared.

Only a dark red Susanoo remained, standing high in the sky, surveying its surroundings with godlike majesty.

"The Great General..."

Lost?

"It's over."

Uchiha Hikaru stood on the head of Susanoo, looking down with a cold gaze. His eyes swept over the complex expressions of the Imperial soldiers, then he slowly closed his eyes and withdrew the layer of chakra covering his body.

Beside her, the slightly damaged "Thor's Wrath" floated in the air under the control of the Word of Power: Sword Control. Perhaps because it had consumed too much power in the battle just now, it looked a bit dusty and had turned into an ordinary suit of armor.

Honestly...

The strongest opponent Uchiha Hikaru has faced so far may need to be replaced.

—No longer Xia Mi from the Dragon Raja world, but General Budo from the Akame ga Kill! world.

However, even though the latter's power was close to that of a god, in the face of her Sharingan, which truly possessed divine power, he could only choose to end in regret.

"What, aren't you leaving yet?"

It wasn't until Uchiha Hikari flew up to him and asked him a question.

Najenda and the others, who were sitting on the flying dragon, seemed to wake up from a dream. They looked at Uchiha Hikaru with the same eyes they had on the first day they met, while calling Lubbock, who was lurking nearby, to retreat together.

During this process, Uchiha Hikaru also picked up Kosmia and Dortya and took them with him.

"...Who are these two?"

Najenda glanced at Kosmia and the other woman without revealing her thoughts, then asked in a low voice.

"Spoils of war".

Uchiha Hikaru's words were concise and to the point.

"……Understood."

……

That night, the empire's chief civil official and chief military officer both perished.

From the next day onward, the entire court was plunged into chaos. The young emperor, having lost his right and left arms, sat blankly on the throne like an innocent child, helpless in the face of the memorials presented by his ministers.

For the people of the capital, this was a disaster.

Hmm... actually, there's not much difference.

After all, life was pretty much the same for them when Ernest was around, especially for those families associated with the Conscience Officials, who secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that they had escaped an assassination attempt.

As for the rebel armies in various places...

This, however, presents an opportunity to seize the chance to go to Luoyang.

Even though a large number of imperial guards were still stationed around the capital, without a leader, defeat was only a matter of time.

As a former general of the Empire, Najenda easily grasped the situation, quickly compiled intelligence, and sent it to headquarters. Then, accompanied by Akame and Brand, she approached Uchiha Hikari and bowed to her in a slightly humble manner to express her gratitude.

"Miss Hikari, thank you so much for your help. Without you, it might have taken us several more months to conquer the capital..."

After saying some polite words,

Najenda tentatively and cautiously asked, "Um, Miss Hikari, is there anything else you want? If so, we will do our best to help you achieve it."

Although Uchiha Hikaru had previously stated that he only wanted "the spoils of war," and the Revolutionary Army agreed with this.

but……

That was based on the Revolutionary Army's assessment of Uchiha Hikaru's strength, which was "approximately equal to Brand's".

When she displayed strength far exceeding that of ordinary Teigu users, and possibly even approaching that of Esdeath, the Revolutionary Army could no longer afford to be negligent.

Najendan had already written down the details of the Battle of Bud in the intelligence she sent out.

Although she had not yet received a reply from headquarters, as a high-ranking member of the Revolutionary Army, she still had the authority to make promises to Uchiha Hikaru.

And Uchiha Hikaru...

There are indeed a few requirements.

"I want a Teigu (Imperial Armor)."

Uchiha Hikaru held up one finger: "It's none other than the 'World Encyclopedia'."

(End of this chapter)