You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

However, he simply raised one hand to block the burly man's two fists, and showed no signs of strain in the head-on collision.

"Hmm? One hand!"

Iori's use of one hand to fight seemed to be a sign of contempt to him. His pride was wounded, and he drove his muscles with anger, causing his entire body to suddenly grow larger and unleash brute force comparable to that of a Dangerous Species.

The burly man named Zhu Tian, ​​veins bulging on his temples, shouted: "You think you can look down on me?!"

"Royal Fist Hundred Cracks..."

A fist the size of a normal person had somehow appeared, now imprinted on Zhu Tian's left chest.

【Bai Da · Yi Gu】

hum! ! !

Tough skin that can withstand sword strikes, indestructible muscles as hard as granite, bones more reliable than steel... This body, forged through countless trials and tribulations to defend against all attacks, is now as fragile as tofu!

The invisible force of energy created visible spiral ripples on Zhu Tian's body, and the crushing fist force ignored his body's defenses, twisting and shredding all the tissues it touched!

In an instant, centered on the fist, most of the burly man's chest was covered with spiral wrinkles, and his eyes were instantly stained red.

Bang!

The sound of wind breaking only rang out now, and Zhu Tian seemed to have just reacted before being directly blasted away, crashing into a corner of the wall and then falling silent.

Before the remaining two ghosts could even launch an attack, their companion was killed in a single exchange!

"Yes what's the matter?"

Iori acted faster than she spoke, killing Zhu Tiancai with a single punch and saying in a low voice, "Do you deserve my respect?"

"monster!"

Without a second thought, the petite girl with the horse head immediately turned and ran away!

His attack was faster than Linglu's, killing Zhu Tian with a single punch. This terrifying speed and power far exceeded the expectations of the Rakshasa Four Ghosts. Even though the strongest of the four ghosts, "Thorn," had not yet made a move, Ma Tou did not think the outcome would be any different.

What kind of monster is this?! Is it a humanoid super-dangerous species?

Of course, she didn't know that Iori had accumulated a lot of basic attributes through CG, and his daily training and battles would make him even better. Coupled with the talent of the "Perfect Reaper", his mastery of hand-to-hand combat far exceeded that of a normal vice-captain.

...Although he can't compare to the old man Yamamoto who can kill the Arrancar with one punch.

Horse Head is the youngest and least experienced of the four Rakshasa demons. She treats this purely as a job, including accepting orders to kill. She is not a psychopath.

When she encounters an enemy far beyond her capabilities and sees her stronger companions being instantly killed, it is only natural that she chooses to run away.

A few hundred a month... no, the minister does give a lot, but you have to be alive to spend it!

However, the horse didn't run very far. Always proud of her agility, she encountered an extremely unreasonable fellow this time—

For Iori, who used Shunpo to get in front of her, the horse's head felt like it was about to rush into his arms, and Iori, in a very gentlemanly manner, gave her a spinning kick.

boom!

The horse's head rolled out like a bird with broken wings and crashed hard to the ground. Before it could even react, it coughed up a mouthful of blood.

I didn't see it at all! How could it be so fast? Is this guy a ghost?

"Wait! I don't want to die!"

The girl struggled to shout, "I know many of the ministers' secrets, and you'll definitely be interested!"

"Ok?"

Iori was slightly surprised that the professional assassin would back down so easily.

He failed to consider things from her perspective. Horse Head was indeed a professional killer, possessing integrity and backbone. Against any other opponent, even in defeat, he wouldn't easily surrender. But Iori… had completely shattered her pride and composure!

Just as villains bowed down to Dior, humanity will yield to things beyond our comprehension.

Iori showed no mercy to the trembling horse head, casually unleashing a bolt of white lightning that blew her unconscious before turning to look at "Thorn," who had neither made a move nor fled.

Why just stand there and watch?

"...Sorry, I got so engrossed in it."

The man, shirtless and sporting a sinister smile reminiscent of Hong Kong comics, stared at Iori with eyes that seemed to spit fire.

"Fantastic... Oh... Fantastic!! Such concise yet powerful boxing techniques, such graceful kicking skills, and that perfectly steady breathing... Oh, perfect!"

Strange moves, unbelievable agility, superhuman strength that doesn't match your appearance... You have so many wonderful qualities, you're practically a treasure trove! I'm so excited!

"………………ah?"

"I'm falling for you, honey!"

"Quick! Hit me! Attack me with your strongest move!"

The man laughed maniacally, then leaped forward with incredible speed towards Iori: "Let me fall completely in love with you!"

Iori: "??????"

Chapter 58: Akame: Escaping is shameful, but it's useful!

Since arriving in "Akatsuki," this was the most "terrifying" battle for Iori, but the result was as expected.

Even though Thorn was known as the strongest among the Four Demon Rakshasa, and through physical modification and martial arts training he could perfectly control every muscle and every joint, even making his body hair as hard as steel needles, he still lost to Iori without any suspense.

The reason is also very simple:

A simple difference in strength.

The Four Demon Rakshasa are creatures that consume the body tissues of dangerous species and then use secret methods to temper their bodies, thereby using their flesh as weapons to develop a variety of bizarre and treacherous moves.

If an ordinary person were to fight against it, they would easily be defeated by its unbelievable movements and unexpected attack methods. After all, no one would expect that things like fingernails and body hair could become weapons.

Iori Satoshi's physical techniques are inherited from the Shinigami Academy, which ultimately traces back to Yamamoto's "Genryu" style. This style pursues "pure, simple, and unpretentious power," which is completely opposite to the Rakshasa Four Demons.

Of course, this is not to say that "Genryu" is superior, but rather that its resolute and simple fighting style is very suitable for a Shinigami like Iori, who has high base stats, well-rounded development, and almost no weaknesses.

For him, there was no need to think about how to deal with the Rakshasa Four Demons' moves. He just needed to make full use of his own advantages and crush them in a fair and square manner!

It was through this effortless defeat of the Four Demon Rakshasa that Iori suddenly realized something:

In the original work, Aizen's "Kyoka Suigetsu" has always been considered an extremely overpowered ability, but judging from Aizen's behavior after fusing with the Hogyoku, he may have preferred to obtain "absolute power" rather than the ability to manipulate others.

Because this kind of impeccable power is truly captivating!

-

After the attack, as agreed, Iori handed over the bodies of Thorn and Zhu Tian to Mr. Fashion, who was a rare experimental subject for him and should be able to satisfy him for a while.

The first person Iori defeated, Linglu, was almost ripped open in the chest by Iori's sword, which even injured her heart. But amazingly, this woman survived and inexplicably wanted to stay by Iori's side.

Clutching her chest, she told Iori, "The shadow of death I felt at that moment was the most exhilarating I've ever experienced in my life," and hoped that Iori would not hold back in the future and would punish her severely.

"Being a general's dog is my greatest honor!"

But Esdeath is great too, I'm so torn between choosing her~~~

Iori didn't know what to say.

Although I knew from the original work that she was a top-tier masochist, Iori never expected it to be this serious... One can only marvel at the racial diversity of the Empire.

It seems that every dynasty at its end always produces some mind-blowing things. Is this what they mean by "when a country is about to perish, monsters will inevitably appear"?

As for the horse head, the little girl chickened out quickly, completing the identity change without any psychological burden, and brought a message to Iori:

"Berlik of 'The Way of Peace' is ostensibly the right-hand man of the leader of the Way of Peace, but in reality, he is a spy planted by the minister. He has been helping the minister to keep track of the Way of Peace's movements and to prevent believers from having any contact with the revolutionary army. Sooner or later, he will become your greatest threat!"

"We?" Iori countered, "Who do you mean, the Revolutionary Army?"

"Um...aren't you a revolutionary army spy, sir?" Horse Head blinked and asked cautiously.

"Who said I'm a revolutionary?" Iori sneered.

An undercover agent? Have you ever seen an undercover agent who's aiming for the top position from the very beginning?

"Then who exactly are you on my side?"

Horse Head was confused. From the information he had come across, Iori was clearly hostile to the imperial nobles, but he wasn't a revolutionary. So who was he?

"In this chaotic era, the weak must depend on the strong to survive, but the strong do not need to care about anyone's opinion, as long as they clear obstacles and keep moving forward."

Iori sat behind the table, leaning back in her chair with composure, and glanced at her indifferently: "Which side do you think I belong to?"

"!"

Horse Head knelt on one knee, its eyes fixed on the patterns on the stall, and said with utmost respect, "My lord is indeed a strong one. Please allow me to follow you from this day forward until the end of my life!"

"……Ah."

Iori wasn't really trying to scare her; seeing her fearful reaction, she couldn't help but chuckle.

"Don't be so scared, I'm not a moody killer."

I consider myself a very tolerant boss. I never expect my subordinates to genuinely love and respect me. On the contrary, I allow you to have your own ideas, to fight for your own interests, and I will reward you generously.

Using interests and rules to constrain behavior is far more reliable than relying on sentiment and morality.

I only ask for two things:

Ability and obedience!

I don't care whether your souls are loyal or not, as long as your bodies can be used by me!

-

"How's Kurohime doing lately? Is she feeling alright?"

"I'm recovering very well, thanks to the antidote you gave me. It's just that I occasionally see phantoms of the people she killed... I'm a bit mentally exhausted. Anyway, thank you."

"Time heals all wounds. With you by her side, I believe Hei Tong will be able to adapt to a normal life."

At the agreed time, Iori used Shangri-La to teleport to the contact point near the [Night Raid] headquarters. After exchanging information with Akame, he started chatting.

One must have different attitudes towards different people. Iori uses a combination of kindness and severity in front of his subordinates, but he is much gentler and kinder to Akame, a pure idealist and a fighter who truly dedicates himself to the darkness for the sake of the people.

Although he himself is not a saint, that does not prevent him from respecting such people, such as Gudako who has maintained her true self through countless reincarnations, and Najenda and Akame who are willing to go through fire and water for the people.

Cooperation is cooperation, utilization is utilization, and personal feelings are personal feelings.

...Wait, why are all the women he's attracted to beautiful? ...This must be a coincidence!

"Speaking of which, we've been short-handed lately, and Kurohime mentioned wanting to help me out..."

"That won't do. Once you've finally put the knife down, it won't be so easy to stop once you pick it up again."

Iori frowned slightly: "You understand this principle, but you seem to be wavering. Why?"

"...Headquarters said that experts like Hei Tong are hard to train, and they are in dire need of combat power. Moreover, she can be kept off the battlefield and only be responsible for protecting high-ranking officers in the army."

Akame hesitated for once: "Kurome came from the assassination squad and is very familiar with the Empire's methods. She is indeed very suitable to be a bodyguard... Moreover, there are not many high-ranking generals in the Revolutionary Army. If he is assassinated, it will undoubtedly make it more difficult to start an uprising in the future."

"So you gave in?"

After listening, Iori found it amusing: "I thought you were struggling with something, but it turns out it's this kind of rhetoric... Some people just like to shift the responsibility for the big picture onto themselves, as if they would ruin the whole situation if they didn't make sacrifices."

But in reality, the world will continue to function as usual without anyone; no one is indispensable.

Conversely, is your cause so fragile that it would fail if one less young girl sacrificed herself?

"……yes."

The confusion in Akame's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sense of sudden enlightenment: "You're right... Kurome's current condition is not suitable for fighting anymore, I will refuse them."

"now it's right!"

Iori smiled and nodded: "Kuro-tomi can also be said to be one of the tragedies created by the darkness of the empire. She is actually a victim, and you are the only one she can rely on in this world."

If you asked her directly, she would probably agree to be a bodyguard at headquarters, because it would help her dearest sister. But, would that truly be happiness for her?

Akame, you are a very righteous person, willing to sacrifice yourself for the greater good, but you must remember: Kurome is also one of the many weak people who need your protection.

Upholding justice and protecting loved ones are not contradictory, and it's perfectly normal to have some bias towards one's family.

"I can't argue with that... I always felt that I cared too much before, always worried about my past with Kurohime, and was driven forward by guilt... But you are right, it's not just the public who need protection, it's also important to protect the people within your reach!"

Akame smiled with relief, turned to look at the bright moon and stars outside the window, her mind wandering for a moment, and said inexplicably, "Speaking of which, I don't know how many times you've helped me since the first time we met."

You always managed to fool me with your jokes before, but I still don't understand why you treat me so well.

I wasn't joking before, it's true that I prefer long, straight black hair—just kidding, that's only half the reason at most.

To be honest, it was definitely the good impression left by watching the anime in my previous life that played a role. Secondly, after actually getting to know her, Iori had a good impression of her cold and beautiful swordsmanship, her occasionally eccentric but very serious personality, and her seemingly cold but affectionate heart.