Rin and Onest arrived at the gate of a warehouse in a remote corner of the palace.
After showing the Emperor's ring, the heavily armed guards at the entrance allowed them through.
Then, Onest took out a key and twisted it back and forth several times in the secret switch of the hidden vault, before placing the Emperor's ring into a groove in a corner of the warehouse.
Click, click... The heavy steel door automatically rose, and the long-sealed door slowly opened, accompanied by some choking, musty air.
After turning left and right in the narrow passage, what appeared before the two of them was a very ordinary-looking room.
In the room, long-burning lamps glowed perpetually, and it wasn't as dark as expected.
On two rows of tables were various strange-looking weapons and tools, some that had appeared in the original work/canon and some that hadn't.
"This is the Imperial Armory, the empire's top-secret warehouse.
Only successive Logistics Officers, with the Emperor's permission and the ring bestowed by His Majesty, can open it.
Imperial Arms were powerful artifacts created by the empire's First Emperor after its founding to protect the empire.
Originally, there were forty-eight of them, but due to the civil war 400 years ago, more than half were lost.
Adding to that those already in use, there are now twelve Imperial Arms remaining in the Imperial Armory for the General to choose from."
Rin walked to the table and casually picked up a mask that looked like a helmet visor.
"This mask is called'Super Strength Eruption · Balzac 17', it's a mask-type Imperial Arm.
According to records, it can unleash 100% of the wearer's latent abilities."
As the Logistics Officer responsible for guarding the Imperial Arms at this time, Onest naturally knew the capabilities of the Imperial Arms in stock like the back of his hand.
Rin also had an impression of this mask; it was the Imperial Arm held by the deputy of Night Raid's BOSS Najenda when she was an Imperial General in the future plot.
However, the ability to unleash 100% of one's latent abilities made Rin very curious.
Could this mask even unlock her abilities, which were restricted by the world, allowing them to be fully displayed?
Imperial Arms do not have the cliché setting found in fantasy novels where they only recognize one master, and cannot be used by others if the previous user is not dead.
As long as one's wavelength is compatible with an Imperial Arm, it can be used, so Rin could try it freely.
Rin tried wearing the mask, and instantly felt a faint current flow from the mask throughout her body, and then... nothing happened.
Huh? No feeling?
"How is it, does it suit you?" Onest asked.
After carefully sensing it, Rin expressionlessly took off Balzac and put it back in its original place.
"Oh, I don't need this thing at all; it's no help to me."
After carefully sensing the mask's effect, Rin generally understood that its so-called 100% unleashing of potential power was actually similar to Unlimited Martial Prowess's complete mastery over the body, controlling every ounce of strength with meticulous precision.
However, it was utterly useless to Rin because she had long since reached that realm.
"Hmm? This thing is here too!"
Rin reached out and picked up a silver-white heavy rifle from beside her.
Its design was exquisite and its structure extremely detailed and precise, no less sophisticated than modern high-tech firearms from Rin's previous life.
(Damn it! Is this really something that could have been made a thousand years ago?)
"This is Pumpkin (Imperial Arms), a gun-type Imperial Arm that converts mental energy into shockwaves.
Its ability is that its power increases with the degree of crisis the user encounters."
Rin nodded, indicating understanding.
Rin, of course, knew all this, as this Imperial Arm had truly shone in the original work/canon.
It was considered one of the most black-tech Imperial Arms, capable of sniping targets from ten thousand meters away and firing continuously.
Moreover, because the bullets fired were composed of mental energy rather than gunpowder, there was no recoil.
When its firepower limit was removed for high-power output, it could even be used as a laser cannon!
It was the Imperial Arm of Night Raid's BOSS Najenda in the original work/canon, and later given to Mine.
Its most outstanding achievement was when Mine used it to directly confront Budo, who was using the admirer, ultimately winning and killing Budo.
However, because it consumed mental energy, excessive use would also lead to the user's death.
It must be said that it was indeed a good Imperial Arm, ranking among the best of the Imperial Arms that appeared.
With Rin's mental energy output, she could probably flatten a mountain, but... "The Imperial Arm is good, but I'm not a sniper."
Subsequently, Rin also saw many Imperial Arms that had appeared in the original work/canon, such as the ring-type Imperial Arm that controls liquids: Water Dragon's Roar · Black Marlin; the flute-type Imperial Arm that can affect the minds of those who hear its music: Military Music Dream · Scream; and the axe-type Imperial Arm, considered the shame of Imperial Arms: Two Great Axes · Belvark...
In short, Rin found nothing to her liking after picking and choosing.
Onest, who was accompanying Rin in her selection, grew increasingly terrified as he watched.
No matter which Imperial Arm Rin casually picked up, she could match its wavelength and instantly understand its function and abilities, even comprehending its hidden secret techniques with perfect clarity.
Yet, despite all this, she still found none to her liking.
Not finding any Imperial Arms to her liking... Just thinking about it made cold sweat pour down Onest's forehead.
Especially when Rin, without waiting for him to stop her, simultaneously picked up two Imperial Arms and observed them repeatedly, it completely overturned his worldview...
No problem!
Two Imperial Arms were simultaneously activated in one person's hands, with no repulsion or adverse reactions whatsoever.
Rin, with a helpless expression, casually put down the two katana Imperial Arms in her hands.
Onest's fawning expression became even more sincere.
If before it was just for future convenience in officialdom, now he truly wanted to curry favor with the young General Rin Tohsaka in front of him from the bottom of his heart, and was even a little terrified.
"Does General Rin Tohsaka not even like One-Shot Killer · Murasame and The March of the Dead · Yatsufusa?
You know, these two Imperial Arms have achieved great military feats in the history of the empire."
"But they are useless to me.
One-Shot Killer · Murasame, if cut, will infect the wound with a cursed poison that rapidly causes death.
A mere scratch is fatal, with no cure.
It is a demonic blade forged specifically for killing.
But its weakness is too obvious; if it cannot directly cut the opponent in battle, the cursed poison cannot take effect, and it is also ineffective against corpses and puppets.
It sounds very terrifying, but..."
Then, Rin's gaze swept across Onest's face like a sharp blade, and instantly, cold sweat soaked the fat man's thick official uniform!
"Any target touched by my hands, if I want them to die, they have no chance of living!
Be it a person, a corpse, a puppet made of mud and bricks, or even an Imperial Arm, it's all the same!"
The fat on Onest's face trembled uncontrollably from Rin's words.
He suddenly understood that this young girl's ambition would definitely not be limited to just being a General.
"As for The March of the Dead · Yatsufusa, manipulating corpses to fight for oneself, I do quite like this ability, but for me, it's just for entertainment.
I don't want to take out just a toy when I have a rare opportunity to freely choose an Imperial Arm."
Onest's face was taut, and he didn't know what to say anymore.
To regard Imperial Arms, which have been renowned for thousands of years, as toys—since the Imperial Arms were created until now, in nearly a thousand years, absolutely no one had ever said such a thing.
Everyone else worshipped Imperial Arms like gods.
This young girl... "Logistics Officer Onest, although I haven't found a satisfactory Imperial Arm yet, I'm still very happy to be able to meet you 130 alone here without worrying about anyone overhearing."
Rin smiled slightly at Onest and said:
"Are you interested in taking control of this empire with me...?"
"!!!"
Rin's light remark scared Onest to death!
"General Rin Tohsaka must be joking, right?
You shouldn't make such jokes!
How can we, as members of the empire, harbor such intentions that would harm the empire..."
Tohsaka Rin waved, interrupting Onest, and said, "When did I say I wanted to harm the Empire? I said I wanted to seize power from within the Empire to control it. I ask you, who is the highest-ranking civil official in the Empire?"
"The Minister..."
"Don't you want to be him?"
"This..."
Onest was momentarily dumbfounded and speechless. Then Tohsaka Rin continued, "Then who is the highest-ranking military official in the Empire?"
"The Grand General..."
"But that position doesn't necessarily have to belong to someone named Black!"
"This..."
Onest pretty much understood the young girl's thoughts. A bone-chilling coldness, mixed with a strange impulse, surged from his heart to his mind, subtly threatening to spiral out of control!
This was the whispering temptation of a demon... "The Emperor owns the Empire, but a country's full power is divided into two halves: military and political. If the people in charge of these two halves can establish absolute authority and prestige in their respective fields, then what do you think the person standing above them is?"
"...A mere figurehead."
Tohsaka Rin smiled faintly, satisfied with this answer. The moment Onest uttered those four words, he had already stepped into the realm of treason...
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.