I'm in Morioh, just joined a chat group for cute girls.

The thought flashed through Xiangzi's mind, startling her.

She shook her head, thinking that perhaps she was overthinking it.

After all, they are people from different worlds, possessing powers and pasts that ordinary people cannot understand.

To dispel these doubts and to better understand everyone, Xiangzi decided to talk to Mei, who seemed the gentlest and most approachable.

She remembered that Mei's room was at the other end of the corridor.

She walked across the courtyard toward Mei's room.

At the very moment her figure disappeared around the corner of the corridor, an ice-blue figure silently appeared in front of Gu Ye's door.

Esdeath wore her white uniform, her snow-white long hair swaying gently in the afternoon breeze.

She raised her hand and elegantly smoothed a wrinkle on her dress with her gloved fingertips, a confident yet intensely aggressive smile playing on her lips.

She doesn't need to knock.

Because hunters never bother to disturb their prey.

The door was pushed open silently, and Esdeath's figure blended into the shadows of the room, like a drop of water merging into the ocean.

Gu Ye's room was as simple as ever.

A hardboard bed, a wooden table used as a computer desk, and a creaky chair were all the belongings the owner had.

The only modern device was the black tablet on the table that was running a pixelated strategy game.

Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the wooden window, cutting bright streaks of light through the dusty air.

Gu Ye was focused on the battle on the screen, his fingers rapidly clicking on the virtual buttons, maneuvering the pixelated figures into formations.

These past few days, aside from occasionally using "weather forecasts" to create a few precise "thunderstorms" over the capital as a warning to others, he has spent most of his time immersed in this ancient and pure strategy game.

The door was gently pushed open and then quickly closed.

A crisp "click" sound rang out, the sound of the door bolt falling.

Gu Ye did not stop moving; he didn't even turn around.

In this stronghold, there could only be one person who would dare to enter without knocking and then lock the door behind them.

A scent, a blend of icy coolness and feminine warmth, wafted in, followed by a soft, elastic, warm touch against his back.

The astonishing fullness pressed tightly against his shoulder blades through the thin fabric, like two warm clouds.

"Owner."

Esdeath's voice rang in his ear, deliberately lowered, with a slight tremor that she herself was unaware of.

Her long, icy blue hair cascaded down Gu Ye's shoulders, with a few strands playfully brushing against his neck.

After making this daring move, a surge of heat instantly rushed from her tailbone to her brain.

She could clearly feel the softness of her chest pressed against his firm back, and the warmth and scent of his body stirred up violent waves in her heart, which had been as calm as an iceberg for many years.

Her cheeks flushed uncontrollably, a blush spreading rapidly, even turning her fair earlobes a lovely pink.

This is the feeling… Esdeath said to herself.

This man, everything about him makes me feel... at ease.

Her observations over the past few days have given her a completely new understanding of Gu Ye.

He is not the kind of tyrant who uses violence and power to control others. He is strong and calm, yet he can also reveal a cute, nerdy side in private.

He gets frustrated when he gets stuck on a game level, and he feels satisfied when he eats delicious barbecue.

This contrast is fatally attractive to Esdeath.

She had even inadvertently witnessed him and that blonde saintess making love under the moonlight.

In the past, she might have thought this was a desecration of the strong, but now, she just felt it was perfectly natural.

In her worldview, the strong should possess everything.

And she willingly became a part of everything he possessed.

"What's up?"

Gu Ye finally stopped playing the game, and the screen went dark.

Esdeath didn't answer immediately; instead, she gently rubbed her cheek against his back, like a large feline seeking comfort.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, crossed them over his chest, and pulled him into her embrace.

"Master... in a few days, you will be leaving this world, won't you?"

①○⒈２洰2捌ろ０㈨8

"Ah."

"Please...please take me with you."

Esdeath tightened her arms around him, as if afraid he would suddenly disappear. "I am your servant. Wherever you are, I should be there."

Gu Ye did not answer immediately.

Esdeath waited a few seconds, and seeing that he did not react, she became anxious and used the least "Esdeath-like" move she could think of.

"If you don't take me with you..."

She buried her head in the crook of his neck, her voice muffled yet carrying a stubborn, almost desperate quality, "Then after you leave, I will use my ice to seal myself away forever. My life was given to me by you; if you abandon me, then it has no meaning."

After she finished speaking, she herself found it somewhat unbelievable. Her words sounded more like those of a little girl throwing a tantrum and asking for candy than those of the Ice Queen who struck fear into the hearts of the entire empire.

The air was quiet for a moment.

Then, Gu Ye let out a soft chuckle.

"Ha, have I been too good to you? Esdeath, how dare you talk to me like that."

His words contained no blame, but rather a hint of indulgent teasing.

Esdeath immediately raised her head, her eyes flashing with a stubborn light.

"Only this once."

She said each word clearly, "Please, Master, grant me this request no matter what."

"Didn't you already know the answer?"

Gu Ye turned his head and looked at her.

He was fully aware of Esdeath's situation within the Revolutionary Army.

Even though those former enemies outwardly showed respect under Najendan's suppression, their private exclusion and vigilance never ceased.

Leaving her here alone is like throwing a tiger into a pack of wolves; even if she manages to protect herself, she will eventually be worn down by endless suspicion and hostility.

Taking her away was part of Gu Ye's plan.

But Esdeath was clearly not satisfied with this tacit understanding.

She threw a little tantrum, puffing out her cheeks like a child who hadn't received a satisfactory answer.

"I do not know."

She stubbornly shook her head, "I want to hear my master say with my own ears that he's going to take me away."

Looking at her like this, Gu Ye felt both helpless and amused.

He reached out and pinched her puffed-up cheeks.

"I'll take you away, okay?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Esdeath's eyes lit up instantly, like stars that had been ignited.

She suddenly leaned forward and kissed Gu Ye's cheek hard with her soft, warm lips.

"Chirp!"

It was a loud but brief kiss, carrying the sweet scent unique to young girls.

Chapter 144: The shipment has been completed.

Over the next few days, the situation in the capital quickly stabilized under Najendan's decisive reforms and the occasional "divine punishment" from Gu Ye. For Toyokawa Shoko, however, these past few days had been more surreal than the previous sixteen years of her life combined.

What she found most incredible was Esdeath's transformation.

The Ice Queen, who was once high and mighty and regarded human life as worthless, seemed to have completely changed.

She no longer wore the white general's uniform that symbolized power, but instead changed into an extremely ordinary black outfit, following Gu Ye closely like a loyal bodyguard.

Her gaze was no longer cold and sharp; when she looked at Gu Ye, it was always filled with undisguised, fervent admiration and submissiveness.

One morning, Xiangzi got up very early and happened to see Esdeath coming out of Gu Ye's room.

Her black outfit was somewhat disheveled, and there were several clearly visible red marks on her fair neck.

But instead of showing any signs of fatigue, her face was radiant, and her eyebrows and eyes exuded a charming allure that came from complete satisfaction.

Upon seeing Xiangzi, Esdeath merely nodded politely before heading straight to the kitchen to begin preparing breakfast for Gu Ye.

The way he did it so skillfully made it seem like he had done it a thousand times.

Xiangzi stood there blankly, his mind a complete mess.

She...they...have been... these past few days...?

Xianxun⒏Ⅰ⒋Jiuling⒢ Wife and uncle

She thought of Raiden Mei and Vishdel again.

The two older sisters seemed unfazed by all of this. Sometimes, when they saw Esdeath clinging to Gu Ye, they would exchange a knowing smile.

What exactly is this chat group?

Xiangzi felt that his worldview was being reshaped little by little.

On the afternoon of the seventh day, while everyone was resting in the courtyard of the outpost, a virtual screen that only they could see popped up in front of each person at the same time.

[Anime Girl Chat Group]: Ding! Mission [Twilight of the Empire] has been completed.

[Anime Girl Chat Group]: Task Rating: S (Perfect)

[Anime Girl Chat Group]: Task rewards are being settled... Rewards have been sent to your personal account, please check.

[Anime Girl Chat Group]: All group members who participated in the mission will be forcibly returned to their respective worlds after 1 hour. Please be prepared.

"It's over..."

Raiden Mei looked at the notification and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally I can go back."

Toyokawa Shoko also looked relaxed. Although she had gained far more here than she had imagined, she still missed her familiar world, which was poor.

The moment of parting will eventually come.

The members of Night Raid gathered in the courtyard to see them off.

"Thank you so much. Without you, the revolution could never have gone so smoothly."

Najendan solemnly thanked everyone.

"Come visit the capital again sometime! I'll treat you to the best dangerous-looking barbecue!"

Akame mumbled incoherently as she munched on some jerky.

Gu Ye nodded, his gaze turning to Esdeath beside him.

"And you? Is there anything you haven't finished?"

Esdeath shook her head, her gaze never leaving Gu Ye's face.

"Everything has already been arranged by my subordinates."

She replied, "The members of the Three Beasts and the Hunters are all willing to stay and become citizens of the new nation, serving Miss Najenda. My past is all over. From now on, everything Esdeath has to belong to you alone, my master."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally firm, and everyone present could hear it clearly.

The raiders exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions complex.

Xiangzi was once again speechless with shock at this audacious "declaration of servanthood".