Tobirama walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the perimeter of the estate.
It was a sea of black.
At least a thousand fully armed elites of the Imperial Capital Security Forces had surrounded the manor, sealing it tight without leaving a single path of escape. Heavy artillery and repeating crossbows were already deployed, their dark muzzles aimed squarely at the main building.
"What endless pests."
He gently swirled the glass of red wine in his hand, impatience and cold cruelty flashing through his crimson eyes.
Turning his head, he glanced at the women resting on the large bed behind him, all bearing traces of the fierce battle from the previous night, their strength still far from recovered.
"Stay here. Don't move."
His tone was casual, yet carried unquestionable authority.
"I'll step out for a moment to clear away some trash. I'll be back shortly."
Hearing this, Najenda, Akame, Mine, and the others all tensed instinctively, then nodded without hesitation.
Even Seryu, already pushed to the brink of collapse, could only curl up tightly, clutching her blanket and biting her lip, not daring to utter a sound.
They understood far too well how terrifying this man was. Resistance would only lead to something far worse.
"Good."
Tobirama swept his gaze over the silent group, then—
His figure twisted and vanished from the bedroom without warning.
---
Outside the manor gates, the vice-captain of the Imperial Capital Security Forces sat atop his warhorse, face dark as iron as he drew his command sword.
"Still no movement?!" he barked, staring at the eerily silent main building.
His adjutant wiped cold sweat from his brow. "Vice-Captain, this must be a trap set by Night Raid. Captain Ogre and his men fell here. Should we fire artillery first to probe—"
"Enough!" the vice-captain snapped.
"All artillery units, prepare! Fire a test volley—tear down that main building and see what kind of monster is hiding inside!"
Fuses were lit.
But before a single cannon could roar—
"Hum—!"
The air above the formation distorted violently.
A white-haired man in a loose bathrobe appeared without warning, hovering in mid-air like a death god descending upon the battlefield. His red eyes looked down on the thousand-strong force below with utter disdain.
"Who—who is that?!" the vice-captain froze, his heart skipping a beat.
Hovering in mid-air—without any Teigu.
White hair.
Realization struck like lightning.
"It's him! He's the one who killed Captain Ogre!"
Rage and fear twisted the vice-captain's face. He raised his sword and roared, "Forget the building! All cannons and muskets—aim at that man in the sky! Fire! Kill him!"
Gunfire erupted in unison.
A thousand muzzles flared, unleashing enough firepower to flatten a small hill.
Tobirama didn't bother to dodge.
"Small fry," he said coldly. "You're not even worth my effort."
His Rinnegan flared with eerie, blood-red light.
"Amaterasu."
Black flames burst into existence without warning, igniting directly in the center of the formation.
His right eye flashed again.
"Kagutsuchi."
The black fire twisted and surged, reshaping itself into countless flaming needles, blades, and roaring serpentine forms that filled the sky.
"Go."
Black rain fell.
This was not a battle—it was an execution.
Screams tore through the air as the inextinguishable flames pierced armor and flesh alike. Water was useless. Rolling on the ground only spread the fire faster. In moments, soldiers were reduced to ash.
The vice-captain watched in horror as his entire force vanished before his eyes.
"Monster… demon…"
A blade of black flame pierced through him in an instant.
In less than ten seconds, the thousand-man force was annihilated.
Outside the manor gates, nothing remained but scorched earth fused into glass.
"Boring."
The flames vanished. Tobirama yawned lightly.
"This doesn't even count as a warm-up. I'll go back, take a nap… then pay a visit to the palace later."
His figure vanished once more.
---
Inside the master bedroom, barely a minute had passed.
The women were still listening tensely when space distorted again.
Tobirama reappeared beside the bed, completely unscathed.
Najenda's eyes widened. "You're back already…?"
Akame swallowed. "The troops outside…?"
He answered casually, "Gone. Turned to ash."
Silence filled the room.
A thousand soldiers—erased in moments.
Before anyone could speak further, Tobirama waved a hand.
"Rest," he said flatly. "You'll need your strength."
The room fell quiet as he lay down, closing his eyes. Whatever followed was left unspoken, concealed behind drawn curtains and fading consciousness.
---
Meanwhile, within the Imperial Palace—
The Minister smashed a jeweled wine glass against the floor.
"Wiped out?!" he roared. "Over a thousand elites—gone in seconds?!"
The kneeling intelligence officer trembled violently as he reported everything.
The Minister paced back and forth, fear and rage warring in his eyes.
"This thing… this monster… cannot be allowed to live!"
He spun around and shouted, "Summon the Palace Guard! Recall General Budo immediately! Send word to the northern border—bring General Esdeath back at full speed! Gather every Teigu user, every elite force we have!"
Staring out at the sky above the Imperial Capital, the Minister's face twisted into a vicious grin.
"No matter what you are… even if you're a god—
I'll make sure the Empire tears you apart."