Infinite Anime Strategy Guide

The swamp's straight-line distance wasn't actually that great, but it became a natural barrier because it concealed so many dangerous species. The commanders of those alien armies never expected that the Imperial Army could pass through here. Therefore, after leaving the swamp, Esdeath's army only encountered sporadic enemies. This natural barrier, which the alien races had placed high hopes on, was breached before it could cause the Imperial Army any trouble. In fact, the troops they had deployed on both sides were unable to return in time, resulting in a serious lack of defense for the town.

Since the order was to suppress the alien races as soon as possible, Esdeath did not delay and advanced rapidly to within a kilometer of the alien city. What blocked the Imperial Army's path was an extremely wide river.

"Has it finally stopped?"

For the first time, Najenda discovered that keeping up with the group was an extremely difficult task. Along the way, God's army encountered a lot of resistance, but they were easily crushed like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. They reached the place that the previous 100,000 troops had failed to reach in months with almost no rest.

"It seems that even with her strength, she can only cross this river using ordinary methods."

Najenda felt slightly relieved. Having a colleague whose strength was almost on a completely different level from hers was incredibly stressful. Even her own troops had almost forgotten that she, their general, even existed.

"The time should be about right. Did we rush too fast?"

Esdeath turned around, resting her chin on her hand as she looked back the way she had come, but the scene she had imagined had not yet unfolded.

"How boring, they made me wait so long."

Hearing Esdeath's mutterings, Lin Yu seemed to understand something. Only Najenda was still somewhat confused until she saw the alien army moving nimbly like monkeys behind her and finally understood the meaning behind Esdeath's words.

"Now!"

Esdeath's voice was loud and clear.

"Behind us is a swift-flowing river, and there is a high possibility that dangerous creatures are lurking in the water. If we fall into the water, it will be a matter of life and death!"

After joining forces with the Imperial Expeditionary Force, the army under Esdeath's control had reached an astonishing 150,000 men, but these 150,000 men listened in silence.

"We have no way out. Only by killing these enemies can we survive. Killing them will give us enough time to cross the river. Once we cross this river, the city of the foreign tribes will be powerless to resist. Therefore, all troops, attack!"

Najenda finally understood why she had stopped at this river: she had left herself no way out and had no choice but to annihilate the enemy!

"What a terrifying mind! She could have led her army to a safe place to cross the river, but instead she chose to cut off her own retreat here. It turns out she wanted to annihilate the entire army of the Western barbarians!"

The Imperial army already possessed an absolute advantage, while the foreign army, eager to reach its city as quickly as possible to provide support, never expected the Imperial army to launch such a surprise attack. At this moment, neither side's army could avoid battle. No matter how much the foreign army did not want to engage in a direct confrontation with the Imperial army, this was the only path they had to take. From the very beginning, they had no other choice!

The battle was almost a one-sided massacre. The reason why the foreign tribes were able to gain the upper hand in the war against the empire was simply due to the advantage of the terrain. However, there was nothing on the riverbank that could stop the imperial army. In less than an hour of head-on collision, the foreign tribes' army was almost completely wiped out, except for a very few deserters.

"What a delightful war."

Esdeath showed a satisfied expression, dismounted again, and walked towards the river in front of her. Standing on the riverbank, she could clearly see the scene of the foreign town on the opposite bank, the result of her impending conquest after her victory!

"Does she want to?!"

Najenda's heart pounded. She realized how little she knew about this rising star who was her "equal" to her. Esdeath was constantly expanding Najenda's knowledge. Judging from Esdeath's current actions, she had just frozen a swamp not long ago and now wanted to freeze an even more turbulent river!

"Taking a detour would be a huge waste of time. The fruits of victory are right in front of us; how can we let them slip away so easily?"

As Esdeath said this, she placed her hand on the surface of the rushing water. The difficulty of freezing a swamp and freezing a river are worlds apart. No matter how large the swamp is, Esdeath only needs to freeze a 'path' large enough for the soldiers to pass through. But with such a rushing river, she also has to consider the problem of backflow of upstream water after freezing. If the ice bridge cannot withstand the pressure of the dammed lake, the entire army may be buried at the bottom of the river!

"You should rest for a while!"

Just as Esdeath was about to activate her power, Lin Yu stopped her.

"Oh? Weren't you not planning to get involved in this war?"

Esdeath looked at Lin Yu with considerable surprise. Before setting off, he had said that he was just there to join in the fun, or perhaps it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was there for a military tour. However, he had helped a lot along the way.

Lin Yu had his own reasons for doing this. He knew that Najenda's betrayal of the Empire was inevitable given her personality, and that she would be one of the leaders of the Revolutionary Army in the future. Showing off his abilities now would be beneficial for the future.

"Just think of it as me being extremely bored."

Lin Yu smiled gently. Esdeath was so clever that she knew he had his reasons for doing this, so she didn't stop him. She simply stood up obediently and let Lin Yu follow her example and place one hand on the water.

"This is the second time I've frozen such a large area. Last time it froze a tsunami. This time, it doesn't seem as difficult as last time!"

In the dark world of bullets, Lin Yu once froze the tsunami caused by the Zodiac Gastrea 'Scorpio' to prevent the Tokyo area's navy from suffering a devastating blow. That time, he almost drained his power, which was supposed to be infinite. This time, however, the difficulty seems to be a little less.

"Then freeze them!"

The massive power of existence transformed into ice, freezing the river surface. Ice walls were even built at both ends to prevent waves from rising. All of this was almost effortless for Lin Yu at this moment!

"Even Lin Yu is involved!"

Najenda gasped. She finally understood why Esdeath treated Lin Yu, her subordinate, as an equal. The strength of these two was simply beyond imagination!

What are you still standing there for?

Esdeath's voice rang out with a hint of pride; she had long considered Lin Yu one of her own.

"The river is frozen! Cross the river immediately and attack the enemy headquarters!"

At a single command, 150,000 Imperial troops, led by Esdeath, surged forward madly. The resistance from the alien towns, which had suffered heavy losses, was negligible, and the Imperial troops ran rampant like wolves among sheep.

"How brutal!"

The scene of the army storming into the town was unimaginable. Najenda showed a look of reluctance, which showed her true nature, as evidenced by her later betrayal of the Empire and joining the Revolutionary Army.

"Hey Hey!"

Several imperial soldiers broke into a civilian house. A young mother, holding her young daughter, sat down on the ground. The soldiers, who had experienced killing and long marches, immediately pulled the little girl from her mother's arms and tried to assault her mother in front of the child. This was an act of inhumanity, but it was the best way for these soldiers to vent their long-term repression.

Crack! A chilling cold spread through the soldiers' bodies, and when they came to their senses, they found that their feet were frozen to the ground.

The chill showed no signs of abating, and a visibly icy blue enveloped the entire town.

"All those who commit rape, kidnapping, or plunder shall be killed without mercy!"

The majestic voice clearly echoed throughout the town. Esdeath narrowed her eyes as she looked at the enormous eye made of ice-blue flames floating above Lin Yu's head.

Its name is—The Trial…

[Nocturne wishes everyone a Happy New Year! May your families be filled with joy and all your wishes come true!]

236. Najenda's Determination [Two-in-One]

"No mercy?"

The air suddenly turned chilly, but what sent a chill down Najenda's spine was Esdeath's tone.

"After the massacre comes the reward time. I told you that during our training. You're not trying to stop me, are you?"

Esdeath's aura was overwhelming. Although she was only fifteen years old, her powerful presence made Najenda afraid to even breathe too hard. Although she was one of the two generals, she was like air in front of Esdeath. In those beautiful but cold ice-blue eyes, there was only the figure who looked at her without fear!

"Our mission has been accomplished; it's time to go back."

Lin Yu's voice was no different from usual, completely ignoring Esdeath's aura. Although this girl was quite scary when she got angry, he was not strong enough to control her at the moment. In addition, Esdeath was still a young girl and was wearing the maid outfit he had prepared. People in this world probably wouldn't think there was anything wrong with that, but for Lin Yu, she couldn't be serious at all in a maid outfit.

"I'll decide what to do myself. Don't forget, I'm the general!"

Esdeath was not joking; she valued her subordinates highly. Now that they had defeated the enemy, they should savor the fruits of victory!

"There's no point in bullying these enemies who have already lost the ability to fight back, is there?"

Lin Yu narrowed his eyes slightly. Esdeath was good in every other way, but her personality was just too much.

"Although it's quite boring, my men need to vent the stress and negative emotions brought on by the war so that they can fight more efficiently, so it's necessary!"

Esdeath had no interest in bullying these defeated weaklings. The only reason she allowed her troops to ravage the defeated town was that her army needed to vent its anger!

"There are many ways to express emotions, not just this one."

Lin Yu shook his head again. The two had been locked in a stalemate throughout their conversation, and Najenda, as a third party, felt immense pressure simply by standing beside them.

"However, only in this way can these foreign peoples taste hatred, and only then will their future revenge be more powerful!"

Najenda's eyes widened suddenly as she stared at Esdeath in disbelief. Not knowing Esdeath well enough, she had no idea about Esdeath's personality. Everything Esdeath had said before was just an excuse; her real purpose was simply to instill hatred in the alien races so that she could experience even more intense revenge in the future. Suppressing the war brought about by revenge was the result Esdeath truly desired!

To put it bluntly, Esdeath's actions were merely a long-term strategy to reel in bigger fish, and she didn't care if the process was bloody and cruel...

"shallow!"

Lin Yu showed a slight disdain on his face, and Esdeath's expression instantly darkened.

"What did you say?"

The air suddenly became even colder, and Najenda's breath turned into white mist. She wouldn't be surprised at all if the two of them suddenly attacked in the next second.

"I'm telling you, you're so superficial!"

Lin Yu repeated himself, and before Esdeath could really get angry, he continued, "You're about to enjoy a feast, yet you're still wasting your time on this meager meal, Esdeath. It seems your vision is limited to this!"

Esdeath paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered something, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"That's true. If you get used to fine clothes and delicacies, then these simple fare will taste bland."

The atmosphere between the two suddenly relaxed, as if the situation where a fight could have broken out at any moment was just an illusion. Najenda didn't know how Lin Yu had done it, but she knew that the town had escaped a disaster.

"Send the order to withdraw the troops. It's time to return to the capital!"

This war has annihilated the entire army of the foreign tribes, thus naturally eliminating the threat from the southwestern foreign tribes, and the imperial army no longer needs to linger.

Esdeath's figure gradually walked away, while Lin Yu and Najenda remained in the same spot.

"Thank goodness we stopped her, otherwise this town..."

Najenda's feelings were complicated. She could almost foresee the devastation that would ensue after the imperial army ravaged the city, but thankfully, it was all successfully prevented.

"What did you mean by what you said before? Why did Esdeath stop?"

Najenda turned to look at Lin Yu. She had witnessed Esdeath's personality firsthand in this war; it was not something that could be easily changed, but this man in front of her had done it.

What do you think Esdeath wants?

Lin Yu smiled slightly, not directly answering Najenda's question, but instead asking a question in return.

"War? Slaughter?"

Najenda frowned slightly. These calamities that ordinary people would avoid at all costs were what Esdeath was pursuing. Such a person could not survive in a peaceful and prosperous world. This chaotic world was what she desired!

"Sort of, but not entirely."

Lin Yu shook his head and added, "What she wants is battle, a thrilling battle!"

"Esdeath's personality can be described as a battle maniac, and the most insane kind at that. Although nothing has happened yet, I'm pretty sure she'll let the city continue to exist after the soldiers wreak havoc, because that's how she'll incite hatred among the foreign races. And with hatred comes even more intense revenge, and what she wants is the war that revenge brings!"

Najeta's heart pounded; she had never imagined that such a crazy person could exist in the world.

"Who would want to breed hatred in their enemy without completely eliminating the threat, or even use that hatred to satisfy their own fighting instincts? Only a madman would do such a thing, right?"

Lin Yu chuckled and called Esdeath a madman without any hesitation. This wasn't him talking badly about her behind her back; Lin Yu knew that even if he said it to Esdeath's face, she wouldn't care.

Because that's the truth!

"Her orders were simply for the sake of enjoying the future war of revenge, but if there is already a more promising goal, then this war of revenge that will take many years to achieve is better off not being done!"

The term "wife and children" refers to this war that could only be realized many years later, while the "proxy" is different, because they could attack at any time!

Clearly, even if a foreign race were to launch a war of revenge with the full strength of their entire race, it would not be difficult for Esdeath. However, the Proxy is different. She had already witnessed the strength of the Proxy last time. Even the weakest Proxy has the strength to match or even slightly surpass hers!