Infinite Anime Strategy Guide

"Looks like I can't continue to be so carefree."

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. Although he didn't intend to steal Esdeath's thunder, such a battle was a rare trial for him, and he certainly couldn't waste the opportunity.

As the cavalry approached, a large number of firearms and medium-range weapons such as bows and crossbows launched the first attack. It was a magical world. Ordinary firearms were difficult to use against a qualified imperial soldier, but they were extremely effective on such a densely populated battlefield.

Ding!Ding!

Bullets struck the armor, sparking as they struck, and many unlucky soldiers fell from their horses, thus beginning the bloody battle.

"Where is the enemy commander?"

Esdeath completely ignored the defensive positions that Nogo had ordered to be built before the battle and plunged headlong into the dark mass of enemy troops to start fighting. Her fierce performance even startled Nogo. By the time he tried to stop her, Esdeath had already rushed out.

"So weak, so weak!"

Esdeath's sword wasn't a special weapon, but in her hands it seemed like the Grim Reaper's scythe, constantly reaping the lives of Western foreign soldiers. Seeing this, Lin Yu smiled helplessly and had no choice but to rush out as well. Although he believed that Esdeath wouldn't be in danger in such a small skirmish, it was better to follow her just in case.

In the last battle, Esdeath was already regarded as the number one threat by the Western alien races. Although they knew that the commander of the Empire was a veteran like Nogo, they also knew that Nogo's threat was actually quite limited. On the contrary, young people like Esdeath who were just beginning to show their talents were more worthy of attention. As soon as Esdeath appeared, a large number of powerful people surrounded her.

"Tsk tsk, even I'm getting special treatment?"

Lin Yu had been acting calmly and unassumingly, but then several powerful figures arrived on his side. Although they were all dressed the same, their auras were so sharp that they were easily recognizable. Lin Yu wanted to test how much his strength had improved during this period, and the Western tribes' actions suited his needs perfectly.

"Then kill them!"

Click!

An ice sword materialized in his hand. Without using ice flames, Lin Yu displayed his strongest strength to date. Even when fighting against four powerful opponents, he was able to hold his own and launch counterattacks from time to time. His close-combat skills were many times better than when he first arrived and could only fight with ice flames.

"So strong! Lin Yu was hiding such great strength. It seems he was concealing his true power before!"

Nogo also noticed Lin Yu's condition as he rushed out with Esdeath, and the strength he displayed was clearly not on the same level as before!

"How is that possible!"

When Nogo turned his gaze back to Esdeath, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Crimson, a vibrant red, Esdeath wore a radiant smile, but the sword in her hand easily crushed anyone who dared to approach within five meters of her, even the powerful warriors who came to surround and kill her!

Blood and severed limbs piled up around her; Esdeath was like a highly efficient lawnmower, reaping the lives of anyone around her.

and……

"She could laugh so cruelly."

Nogo felt as if death was gripping his heart. Esdeath was a natural hunter, and both dangerous species and humans were her prey!

"This is insane! Absolutely insane!"

Nogo had never seen anyone like Esdeath, who grew stronger through killing and even became immersed in it. He could almost foresee that someone who would surpass everyone in strength would be born in the near future!

"All troops! Charge!"

Nogo originally intended to use the temporary defensive positions built here to withstand the attacks from the Western alien races, but now it seems unnecessary, because Esdeath's performance has brought the morale of the Imperial Army to its peak!

Morale is a rather strange thing. It is invisible and intangible, but it does exist. When the morale of the same army reaches its peak, it will definitely have a combat power far exceeding that of the normal state. Even if they are facing an enemy force twice their size, they will still dare to charge and even overwhelm the enemy force with an absolute numerical advantage in terms of morale!

Almost as soon as Nogo finished speaking, his words were repeated in unison by the surrounding soldiers. Thousands of soldiers launched an attack at the same time. As soon as the front-line soldiers fell, more people would take their place. Although the Western foreign army had the upper hand, they were retreating step by step on the battlefield and finally had to issue an order to retreat.

This was a war that started strong but ended weakly. The Western barbarians came with the intention of driving out or even annihilating the imperial army, but after suffering more than half of their casualties, they had to retreat, leaving behind corpses that stained most of the canyon red on the cold ground.

"Is this how Esdeath grew up?"

The anime only mentions some fragments of Esdeath's past. When the story begins, she is already at the pinnacle. Lin Yu never thought that someone could grow up so quickly. After experiencing the first war, Esdeath is completely different from before!

"Is this the path Esdeath takes to become stronger?"

Lin Yu clenched his fists. The future Esdeath possessed enough strength to crush anyone in the 'Shakugan no Shana' world. The only beings who could rival her were the true form of the God of Punishment, Alastor, and the Serpent of the Ritual, both of whom were boss-level beings. Even if Shudenan were to fight Esdeath seriously, he would be quickly killed!

Esdeath's strength is exactly what Lin Yu needs. If he can have this strength before the last two Agents arrive, he will be able to stand until the end in this Agent battle!

"How was it? I think I did pretty well, right?"

Esdeath walked up to Lin Yu. She wasn't there to show off; her only purpose in saying this was to gain his approval!

In Esdeath's eyes, Lin Yu was the stronger one, and even her motivation to become stronger could be said to come entirely from Lin Yu. Only Lin Yu himself knew that she was the one he needed to catch up with.

"Very strong, really very strong. If I successfully obtain the Imperial Arms this time, I'm afraid I won't be a match for you."

Lin Yu nodded to Esdeath, who smiled from the bottom of her heart the moment he nodded. It wasn't the kind of smile that comes from the pleasure of killing, but the joy of finally succeeding after all her hard work.

"We look forward to a future battle where we can truly give it our all."

Lin Yu's expression was very serious. His power in the ice flame had reached its peak, and there would be no breakthrough in the short term. Only after Esdeath obtained her power would they be able to fight with all their might. At that time, it would also be the moment when Lin Yu faced the huge threat of the Proxy.

"You won't have to wait too long."

Esdeath's face was full of confidence; she, like Lin Yu, was looking forward to that day...

229. Unexpected [Two-in-One]

"I didn't expect it to be resolved so easily."

After that war, the Western tribes made no further moves. After garrisoning them for half a month, they sent the latest orders, and Nogo himself returned to the capital with Lin Yu and Esdeath.

However, this time Lin Yu was only incidental; only Nogo and Esdeath were actually recalled. Lin Yu, who hadn't performed particularly well in the war, was happy to relax and leisurely enjoyed the midday sun at Nogo's mansion. He didn't expect to sit there for an entire day until the mansion's gate was finally opened as darkness fell.

"You really don't care at all."

Esdeath strode in from the door with an imposing aura, and narrowed her eyes as soon as she saw Lin Yu's lazy appearance.

"Why did it take so long? What did they want you to do inside?"

Lin Yu perked up slightly. It had been a whole day since Esdeath entered the palace. His gaze casually swept over the girl. He seemed to see something somewhat familiar in this girl version of Esdeath.

"Wait, that's it!"

Lin Yu, who had been somewhat listless, suddenly opened his eyes wide and looked at the girl in front of him who seemed to have grown up in just one day. On her chest was a peculiar pattern that looked like a tattoo!

"You obtained a Teigu?!"

Lin Yu would never forget that pattern; he had seen it countless times in anime: the Blood Imperial Arm: 'Manifestation of Gods and Demons: Essence of the Demon!'

"Oh? I was planning to give you a surprise, but I didn't expect you to find out."

Esdeath's lips curled into the arrogant smile that only existed in Lin Yu's memory. Ice crystals appeared around her body, the power to manipulate ice that once belonged only to Lin Yu!

"How could it be so fast?"

Lin Yu never imagined that Esdeath would obtain a Teigu so quickly. In the original story, when she had accumulated enough battle merits and was led by the minister to choose a Teigu, she had already grown into a mature woman. But now she is clearly still a young girl. In other words, Esdeath obtained the Teigu that was rightfully hers several years ahead of schedule!

"Is it fast? I think so too."

Esdeath didn't deny that she was also quite surprised that she could obtain an Imperial Arm so quickly. She was never an arrogant person, nor was she a reckless person who only had strength but no strategy. Originally, in her plan, it would have been quite an achievement to obtain her own Imperial Arm within three years.

However, after meeting the emperor today, she was summoned to a private meeting by a minister. After a conversation, the minister actually opened the imperial treasury for her, which was used to store imperial weapons. It was there that she obtained the power she now possessed, which gave her the confidence to fight Lin Yu with all her might!

"In any case, this is a good thing, at least..."

Esdeath stared intently at Lin Yu as if he were prey.

"I now possess enough strength to challenge you!"

The two were so focused on each other that they even forgot about Nogo, who had followed Esdeath into the mansion, while they were talking!

"Strong enough to challenge Lin Yu? What do you mean?"

Nogo's heart skipped a beat, his gaze sweeping over Lin Yu. Normally, Lin Yu's appearance would have filled him with ecstasy, but compared to Esdeath, Lin Yu seemed rather ordinary. Esdeath's rapid growth proved his judgment; in just over a month since they met, Esdeath had grown to an astonishing level.

Nogo could sense the terrifying aura emanating from Esdeath after she obtained the Imperial Arms. He had no doubt that Esdeath now possessed the strength to face an army of ten thousand men single-handedly!

And Esdeath, who possesses such great strength, actually said that she had only just gained the strength to challenge Lin Yu!

"Could it be that I misjudged him?"

Nogo saw no trace of Lin Yu being comparable to Esdeath, whether in terms of aura or anything else, Esdeath almost completely overwhelmed Lin Yu.

"Although Esdeath, your growth rate is terrifying, you've only just obtained your Imperial Arms, haven't you? Isn't it a bit too early for you to challenge me now?"

Lin Yu stood up from the stone bench, and an indescribable aura rose from his body, rivaling Esdeath. Only then was Nogo's doubt finally resolved: Lin Yu was the one who had been hiding the deepest secret!

"That's hard to say; we'll only know after we fight it."

Click, click, click...

A chill emanated from the two of them, and visible frost condensed in the courtyard, turning the lush green grass into a blanket of white.

"I didn't expect you to have grown to the point where you could fight me at full strength so quickly. But let's forget about it for now. You probably didn't intend to settle things with me today, did you?"

As soon as Lin Yu finished speaking, Nuoge noticed that the fierce confrontation between them had suddenly eased. The two of them simultaneously withdrew their power and stood in the courtyard as if nothing had happened. If it weren't for the frost covering the grass, you would never have been able to tell that the two had been at odds just moments before.

"Oh, General Nogo is here too. I'm so sorry."

Lin Yu turned his gaze to Nogo. He had been hiding his strength simply because he didn't want to go to the palace to see the ministers. Even if Nogo discovered his true strength, it wouldn't matter, since he had no intention of becoming an official anyway. He just wanted to stay by Esdeath's side.

"N-nothing."

Nogo was so surprised that he stammered a bit, but he quickly adjusted his mindset. The addition of two powerful individuals to the Empire's camp was definitely a good thing for him.

"Besides obtaining the Imperial Arms, I bet there were some other gains from this trip to the palace, right?"

Since the minister has even given Esdeath the Imperial Arms, it means that Esdeath has gained his approval. He won't be stingy in other aspects either, since he needs a henchman of sufficient importance.

"As expected of you."

Esdeath's lips curled slightly: "I'll make an exception and promote him to be the youngest general in the empire!"

The general of the empire is no ordinary official position. If it were a civil official, a minister could make all the decisions, but a general is different because this position is under the jurisdiction of the Grand General Bude!

"You actually managed to gain the approval of both the minister and General Bude at the same time?"

It's no wonder Lin Yu was surprised. Bud was a true old-fashioned man who strictly adhered to ancestral precepts and did not interfere in politics. If Esdeath wanted to become a general, the ministers' approval alone wouldn't suffice; Bud's approval would also be necessary.

"You mean those two big guys? I don't know why, but I think I'm still quite popular with them."

Although Esdeath said that, she must have done something in the palace to make the two most powerful figures in the empire look at her differently.

Which one of them do you prefer?

Lin Yu narrowed his eyes. Esdeath's answer was crucial. He didn't want this girl to become a minister's private henchman like in the original story.

Why should I side with one of them?

Esdeath's tone was full of arrogance, as if she disdained to be subordinate to anyone, a response that Lin Yu had not expected.

"You choose neutrality?"

Lin Yu frowned, but then relaxed. Having read the original work, he knew what the minister wanted.