"How does it feel to be a Devil?"
Looking at Akame, Ayato asked.
"It feels... really good!"
Akame retracted her wings and tail and gently clenched her fist. "It seems I've gotten much stronger."
She felt she could easily kill her former self now.
Ayato smiled. "That's only natural. You now have magic power within you."
As he spoke, he handed over a magic book. "Here are some methods for controlling magic power. You can study them on your own."
Ayato had high expectations for Akame.
She was already a seasoned, battle-hardened assassin.
Now that she had become a Devil, it meant she had infinite potential.
In a way, Akame was currently his strongest servant.
Although her magic power was at the Low-Class Devil level, her combat power was a different matter.
"Akame, are you alright?"
Najenda came to Akame's side, hesitated, then continued, "Are you... still Akame?"
"Of course I'm Akame."
Akame looked at her questioningly and touched her own face. "Has my appearance changed?"
"Haha, it seems you are indeed still Akame."
Leone looked her over carefully. "Aside from gaining a pair of wings and a tail, there doesn't seem to be any difference."
'If that's the case, becoming a Devil doesn't seem so bad.'
Her eyes darted, and she unconsciously looked over at Ayato.
And looking closely...
He was exactly her type.
"So, Devil-sama, how will you go about changing this country?"
Realizing Akame was fine, Najenda regained the composure of Night Raid's leader and turned her gaze to Ayato.
"Don't worry. Akame is my servant, so her matters are naturally my matters."
Ayato smiled slightly. "The first step to creating Akame's ideal country is to abandon the Revolutionary Army."
Najenda was taken aback and asked instinctively, "What do you mean?"
"Because it's corrupt..."
Ayato explained. "The so-called Revolutionary Army is essentially just an alliance of another faction of nobles. Do you expect them to treat the people well?"
As soon as he said this, all three, Najenda, Leone, and Akame, fell silent.
Although they were Night Raid and somewhat independent of the Revolutionary Army...
They had still heard about certain unsavory things.
Even before the revolution had succeeded, the Revolutionary Army had already begun fighting for power and profit.
Before, they had no other choice.
Now, perhaps there could be another path.
Akame said seriously, "Master, what do we do next?"
'She sure catches on quickly.'
Ayato was very pleased with Akame's address.
He said, "First, we make the Empire act according to our will. Building a new country from scratch is too troublesome."
Najenda was thoughtful and said instinctively, "The idea is sound, but how do we do it?"
She had tried the same approach initially.
But it had failed.
The entire Empire was rotten to the core.
"Whoever dares disobey, kill them."
Ayato's expression was calm, but his words sent a chill down their spines.
In that mashup world, he had tiptoed around.
Here, in this world, he can do whatever he wanted.
...
"So, is it really okay for us to be here?"
Leone looked at the Imperial Palace not far away, the corner of her mouth twitching violently.
Najenda was silent for a moment, then said, "Devil-sama, is this your plan?"
Take control of the Empire.
She had thought there would be some amazing strategy.
And here they were, showing up like this.
Their wanted posters were still plastered on the wall next door.
Four people storming the Imperial Palace... was that for real?
No, two of them were Devils, but the others weren't.
"That's right. Let's go in."
Ayato pointed towards the palace and walked straight over.
With absolute power, you just crush.
Why all the twists and turns?
Look at Superman, that's what his super brain always did.
Leone followed behind Ayato, watching the palace guards who had already noticed them. The corner of her eye twitched.
"Is it too late to change the plan?"
"Aren't you afraid of these small fries?"
"Of course not, but there are too many of them."
Leone looked helpless.
If the Imperial Palace were that easy to storm, Night Raid would have killed the Emperor and the Minister long ago.
"Akame!"
Ignoring Leone, Ayato called out.
"Yes, Master?"
"Clear the way."
"Okay."
Akame, a woman of few words, walked to the front.
That was her way. Once she was set on something, she would see it through to the end.
Najenda and Leone's eyes widened, a flash of surprise in them.
'Ayato, this Devil...'
'...was making Akame take the lead.'
'He was simply inhuman... well, he wasn't human, he was a Devil.'
The two exchanged glances and followed behind Akame.
Whatever happened, they wouldn't let Akame face it alone.
"Who are you people?"
"Wait, she looks like someone on the wanted posters?"
"Haha, it's my time to shine!"
A group of soldiers spotted Akame and the others and became completely excited.
In an instant, the sound of drawing swords echoed without end.
Watching all this, Akame's expression was calm as she continued walking unhurriedly.
A moment later...
She moved.
Clang!
The cursed sword Murasame was drawn.
The cold, gleaming blade turned into a half-moon, leaving white air rings in its wake.
This single, simple slash had already broken the sound barrier.
Akame, striking for the first time since becoming a Devil, had a thoughtful look in her eyes.
'I really had become so much stronger.'
Squelch! Squelch!
Akame's figure moved like a shooting star, passing by dozens of soldiers ahead.
Amidst the brilliant flashes of her blade, severed limbs and blood spurted high into the air.
'So fast!'
Seeing this, Leone and Najenda's breath caught in their throats.
'This was Akame after becoming a Devil?'
'She was terrifyingly strong.'
Unconsciously, they looked at Ayato.
'Then how powerful must this one be?'
"It seems you haven't adapted to your power yet."
Ayato looked at the blood-soaked ground and shook his head. "Against them, you don't need to use that much force."
With Akame wielding Murasame, she only needed to inflict a wound.
That was the most suitable fighting style for her.
"Yes!"
Akame nodded.
Even if Ayato hadn't said it, she was already evaluating her own performance in the fight.
She hadn't expected the human body to be so fragile.
"Quick, members of Night Raid have appeared."
"They actually dared to storm the Imperial Palace. How audacious!"
From all directions came the sounds of battle cries.
As the most important location in the Empire, the soldiers here were true elites, reacting with incredible speed.
Watching this...
Akame leaped into the air, like a shooting star.
This time, her slashes were noticeably lighter.
Wherever she passed, there were no spurting fountains of blood, only fallen figures.
Behind them...
Watching Akame, like a Valkyrie, Leone and Najenda were stunned.
They could see clearly.
Some of the squad leaders among the soldiers, while not Imperial Arm users, were far stronger than ordinary men.
Yet they were still killed with a single stroke.
Moreover,
Throughout it all, Akame's breathing never changed.
As if this kind of killing was as natural as eating and drinking.
Normally, this would be unimaginable.
"So this is a Devil... It actually seems pretty good."
"Leone, don't think about dangerous things."
Even as she said this, Najenda had to admit, she was tempted too.