"Hmm? Why is the evil energy suddenly out of my control?"
All around him were the corpses of Danger Beasts brimming with evil energy.
The minister had intended to absorb and harness that energy, but he found it spontaneously leaving the beasts' bodies. It was running off!
Even the evil-energy seed within his own body—had it not been bound to him—would have escaped his control.
"I need to see just who's behind this!"
Narrowing his eyes, the minister trailed the flow of evil energy to find out who was siphoning it away.
…
"What… what are these things? Just looking at them is giving me a headache!"
Mine squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing her temples hard.
"I feel it too. There's this savage urge like I just want to tear something apart."
Leone irritably ran her fingers through her lion-like golden hair.
"Ugh, Sheele, let me lean on you. My head's spinning."
Chelsea flopped onto Sheele, pressing her head against Sheele's chest.
"…"
Akame silently clutched Murasame, showing little emotion, though it was clear she was unsettled as well.
High overhead, blackish-red wisps of energy were flying in, gathering before Tatsuki in a dense, swirling sphere.
Just one look at that sphere made everyone feel negative emotions burrowing into their minds.
Najenda fixed her gaze on Tatsuki, her expression grim. "Are those… the things driving people insane?"
"That's right. We're trying to deal with the minister who released this energy."
Still orchestrating the convergence of evil energy, Tatsuki briefly explained to her.
"I know Night Raid and Esdeath don't see eye to eye, but at least for now, you share a common enemy."
"…"
Najenda glanced at Esdeath.
Esdeath stood there, arms folded across her chest, expression cold but silent, making no move to refute.
After a moment's thought, Najenda made her decision.
"We can work together. Once that minister is dead, we'll settle the rest afterward."
Esdeath let out a snort. "He's my prey. I'll be the one to take his life."
"…"
Tatsuki shot her a look. He knew perfectly well that someone controlling that kind of energy would be hard for her to handle without using Mahapdama again. But he didn't say it out loud. Let her struggle a bit—maybe it'd do her some good.
Ever since he thoroughly outmatched her, Esdeath's mood had been off anyway.
Thus, a temporary alliance formed with Night Raid to take down a common foe.
…
"Back in the Imperial Capital?"
Following the trail of converging evil energy, the minister found himself once more in the heart of the Empire.
Standing on a rooftop, he noticed the capital was no longer chaotic—people who had been in a frenzy now lay collapsed, exhausted. All the evil energy had been siphoned away.
He couldn't imagine anyone in the Capital capable of guiding evil energy like that.
He'd already seized control of the little emperor. Budo was small fry in his eyes. As for Esdeath… apart from her space-freezing move that posed some annoyance, she wasn't any real threat.
He felt he'd already gleaned all there was to know about the Empire and even this entire world while masquerading as the previous prime minister.
To him, the Teigu users had no power to manipulate evil energy.
"Heavenly Thunder Punishment!"
Boom—!
Lightning crackled in the sky, a bolt of blue electricity slamming straight toward the Plunderer Minister.
"Budo?"
The minister dodged with ease, muttering in confusion.
He quickly dismissed the idea—it was clearly a woman's voice behind that attack.
"Tch. His reaction speed's too fast. I can't land a single hit."
Several figures stood on the once-empty rooftop. Or rather, they'd been there all along, masked by Tatsuki's manipulation of presence.
Nami was pouting, dissatisfied. "He's pretty strong. Hey, Esdeath, you sure you don't want me to jump in?"
Tatsuki ruffled Nami's hair. A subtle spark of light flickered in his eyes as he glanced at Esdeath.
Just by looking at the Plunderer, he could see Esdeath most likely wasn't his match.
A seed of evil energy pulsed in the minister's body; his meridians were all twisted by that sinister power, making him more monster than human.
Especially now that Esdeath no longer had her once-per-day Mahapadma to rely on, her odds of victory looked practically nil.
"I need to know how big the gap really is," Esdeath said stubbornly.
And with that, she sped off on a wave of freezing air to confront him.
"You again?"
The minister scowled at Esdeath, but his attention quickly drifted to Tatsuki's direction—specifically, the massive orb of evil energy swirling before Tatsuki.
So much evil energy… Enough to make his blood boil! If he got his hands on that orb, he'd definitely reach level six!
"Your opponent's right in front of you. Where are you looking?"
Esdeath bellowed, summoning a colossal mass of ice shaped like a horned mountain and hurling it from the sky.
"Tch, I'll kill you first, then take back all my evil energy!"
Dark energy erupted around the minister, forming a gigantic demonic shadow.
He punched the looming iceberg to pieces. But Esdeath was already upon him, sword in hand.
…
"Hey, Tatsuki, is it really okay for us to just watch?"
March 7 sounded worried.
It was obvious to anyone that while Esdeath's attacks were intense—a flurry of ice spikes, then massive glaciers—she was barely scratching the minister. Much of the surrounding area was frozen, yet he remained mostly unharmed.
On the other hand, each blow of the minister's demonic aura forced Esdeath further on the defensive. The evil energy was assaulting her psyche at every moment.
Tatsuki shrugged indifferently. "She chose this. No idea why she's so stubborn, but this is her world. Let her do what she wants."
With that, he tugged Nami and Kanae by the hand, and the three of them simply sat down—on thin air, as if an invisible chair were holding them up.
He gestured to the others. "Have a seat. Let's enjoy the show."
Tushan Honghong and March 7 trusted him and followed suit.
"Wow! This is like sitting on a sofa! How are you doing this?"
March 7 poked at the air, her wide eyes brimming with curiosity.
"…"
Night Raid's members exchanged glances.
Eventually, Najenda took the lead and sat down, prompting the others to follow.
"Unreal!"
Chelsea exclaimed softly, then quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.
It was a bizarre sight. Two fighters locked in fierce combat, while a whole group sat in midair, watching as though they were the audience in a theater.
Tatsuki opened the chat group and started a livestream.
Members of the group joined the chat one by one.
Tatsuki: "Anyone got chips and soda?"
Exusiai: "Why not go to the wharf for some French fries?"
Tatsuki: "You wanna bring them to me? I wouldn't mind."
Exusiai: "Haha."
[Ding! Exusiai has sent a Red Packet!]
[Tatsuki has received the Red Packet!]
[March 7…]
…
Exusiai: "Hmph, that's Texas's favorite pocky brand. You'd better thank me sincerely!"
Tatsuki: "Heheh. You're asking for it, Exusiai."
Under the curious gazes of Night Raid, small boxes of chocolate-covered biscuit sticks and cans of beer appeared in Tatsuki's and March 7's hands.
"Chocolate sticks… and beer? That's a weird combo," Tatsuki muttered.
"I asked for chips and soda, man."
"Hey, Tatsuki-nii, what's this?"
Tushan Honghong had never seen these items before, holding pocky in one hand and a can of beer in the other.
"Ta-dah! Honghong, let me show you!"
March 7 opened her pocky box and held a stick up to Honghong's lips.
Honghong gave Tatsuki a questioning look; he smiled and nodded, and so she opened her mouth for a taste.
"Mmm! It's delicious!"
Honghong's eyes lit up.
"Awww, Honghong's so attached to Tatsuki," March 7 teased with mock jealousy. She popped open her beer, gave it a sniff, and took a sip.
"Urgh!"
She almost spat it out but forced herself to swallow, sticking out her tongue in disgust. "That's such a weird taste."
"That's beer. You've probably never had it. Let me have it."
Tatsuki laughed lightly; it was obvious that March 7 wouldn't be used to alcohol.
"Fine. You can have it."
Taking the can from her, Tatsuki drank it down, smacking his lips.
"Well, Terra-continental beer's not much different from normal beer."
"…"
Nami eyed them strangely. After all, March 7 had already drunk from that can…
But March 7 herself didn't give it a second thought; she simply munched her pocky while watching the show.
"…?"
Meanwhile, Tushan Honghong paused mid-bite, feeling a vague, tense gaze. She flicked an ear, raised her head, and saw Akame's red eyes fixed on her.
It wasn't a hostile stare—rather, Akame was intently eyeing the chocolate sticks in Honghong's hand.
"Um… do you want one?"
Honghong offered the pocky to Akame.
"!
Akame's eyes lit up. She started to reach for it but recalled their standing on opposite sides, stiffening in hesitation.
Sensing her conflict—Akame was known to be quite the foodie—Tatsuki got an idea.
"Here," he said, tossing his own pocky packet over.
Akame caught it, her gaze shifting to Tatsuki. She spoke quietly, "Thank you… My name is Akame."
Tatsuki glanced at the other Night Raid members. They traded looks, then introduced themselves one by one.
Though they were assassins, they had to observe and assess their targets. Sharing their names in this casual setting was also a way to glean more about Tatsuki and his companions' personalities. Right now, it appeared these newcomers weren't from the Capital at all.
Back in the chat group.
Reinhard: "That man cloaked in black mist is the Plunderer?"
March 7: "Yeah. That weird energy can affect people's minds."
Nami: "It spread all across this world, causing bloody riots everywhere."
Tushan Honghong: "I saw it, too. Everyone in the city was looting and killing each other."
Emilia: "That power is so evil."
Tatsuki: "That Plunderer is no simple foe. I suspect he's like us—a foreigner to this world. The energy he uses doesn't belong here."
That evil energy was out of place, as though from somewhere beyond this world.
Aqua: "Another isekai transmigrator?"
Tatsuki: "Not sure."
Shinobu: "Esdeath-san seems to be losing the fight."
Tatsuki: "She's about to go down."