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

They wanted Iori to give an explanation, but Iori told them to calm down. After a while, he even brought Esdeath over as well.

Now everyone was certain that Iori had something important to announce... but everyone had some reservations.

Chelsea, in particular, immediately realized she was in for trouble after seeing that the leader and ace of Night Raid were secretly in close contact with Iori and seemed to follow Iori's lead!

Judging from this, it seems like either they have to force their way in, or they'll be silenced!

However, she didn't think about resisting. She stayed obediently in the corner like a little white rabbit, hoping that no one would notice her.

joke!

Let alone strong individuals like Iori and Esdeath, or top assassins like Akame, even Najenda's direct combat strength could overwhelm her... In this situation, what could she do but resign herself to fate?

But today she's destined to know many things she shouldn't know; there's no escaping it.

“Everyone here is someone I trust most, so there’s no need for formalities. I’ve gathered you all together because there’s something very important to arrange.” Iori’s opening remarks immediately established the serious nature of this conversation.

Chelsea, trembling in the corner, wanted to remind Iori that she wasn't one of his "most trusted people" and didn't want to hear anything "important," but Iori had already started talking on and on.

Even though the orange-haired girl covered her ears, the words still penetrated the barrier and entered. The very first sentence piqued Chelsea's interest, causing her to forget her fear and listen attentively.

Do you want to know why I always wear a mask?

The four women present showed different expressions.

Chelsea was full of curiosity. Her real job was as a "spy." Assassinating officials was just a side job to boost her KPIs. Her primary focus was intelligence work.

What is the most valuable and sought-after intelligence on the black market right now?

Is it the secret of the previous emperor's unexpected "death"? Is it the unusual origin of the leader of the Anning Dao sect? Is it Ernest's secret treasury?

No, neither!

What's most intriguing now is Iori's true identity!

It refers not only to his face, but also to his background and where he acquired his unique abilities.

This man suddenly appeared several years ago. No one knows his past, nor has anyone seen his true appearance under the mask. Some speculate that he suffered an accident that caused him to be completely disfigured, some suspect that he is a big shot who faked his death and escaped, so he needs to change his appearance, and some speculate that he may not look like an ordinary human... In short, there are all sorts of different theories.

When Iori was still a bounty hunter, this issue was just something people talked about over tea.

But when Iori publicly announced that "the Masked General is the bounty hunter Faceless Man", everyone went crazy trying to find out his true identity!

Although most people don't know that Iori has subdued Anning Path, nor that Esdeath was defeated by him, the strength he himself displayed, as well as the elite team of Imperial Arms users under his command, are enough to influence the overall situation.

If we were to compile a list of imperial power, Iori would definitely be ranked in the top five. If we also include hidden forces, he would undoubtedly be number one!

This kind of person attracts attention with every move he makes. If it weren't for Iori's overwhelming strength and elusive nature, making him impossible to track and investigate, even information like when he goes to the toilet would probably be bought up for a high price...

Everyone wants to know who and what is behind Iori's mask, but no one has the ability to uncover it.

As for background checks, there were absolutely no leads—after all, even Sherlock Holmes couldn't investigate a non-existent "past."

Chelsea never dreamed that she would have such a precious opportunity to witness Iori revealing her secret.

...At that moment, she even forgot the saying that "the more you know, the more dangerous it is."

“I am indeed very curious, but this is ultimately your personal privacy, and you have no obligation to explain or prove anything to anyone.”

Najenda paused, then said very seriously, “Your Excellency, my choice to cooperate with you… or rather, to pledge allegiance to you has nothing to do with who you are, where you come from, or what you look like; it is simply because I endorse your governing philosophy.”

So, at least to me, what's behind your mask... isn't important.

After listening, Iori gave her an approving look, then shook her head slightly: "Don't be nervous, I didn't mean to test you."

Najeta made her point very clearly, and Iori could also understand the underlying meaning in her words.

She suspected that Iori's identity was problematic, such as being of a different ethnicity, or having some connection with the royal family or nobles, or even having non-human blood of a dangerous species like the leader of the Anning Dao Sect... Therefore, Iori wanted to lay her cards on the table here to test their loyalty.

Najenda's words were not untrue. She truly did not care who Iori was. As long as Iori could continue his current ideals and prioritize the interests of the people when governing the country, allowing them to live and work in peace and contentment, then even if Iori was a demon disguised as a human, Najenda would not hesitate to offer her soul!

Of the others, Akame was simply curious. She had rather subtle feelings for Iori, unlike Najenda who considered all aspects of the situation. Instead, she was very concerned about what Iori actually looked like.

She didn't care about beauty or ugliness, but looking at that mask made Akame feel a distance between herself and Iori, and she was always a little bothered by it.

As for Esdeath, it doesn't matter to her at all:

You called everyone here just for this little thing?

“I wear a mask all the time, not just to maintain an air of mystery, but also because I have to. Without this mask, I would have a hard time communicating with you.”

Ladies and gentlemen, would you like to see my face? To see what I'm hiding?

So let's reveal the answer here, beneath this mask—"

As Iori placed her hand on her face, the four girls' gazes involuntarily focused there, even Esdeath couldn't resist her curiosity. Then, Iori suddenly lifted her hand—

Thin white leather was visible.

"It's a different mask! Ahahaha~~~~"

"..."

"..."

"..."

boom!

A giant icicle suddenly froze and fell downwards!

Chelsea was nearly caught in the crossfire, but she only felt a blur before her eyes and a sudden lightness on her body. She was then moved to another place where a strong and reliable arm protected her. When Chelsea looked up, she realized that it was Iori who had saved her.

"Thank you, thank you..."

"I should be the one apologizing."

Iori looked a little embarrassed: "Did I scare you? Esdeath, you're too agitated. It was just a little joke."

As he finished speaking, he turned to look at the Ice Queen, whose face was frosty: "If you're making a fuss over this, then what will you be like when you see her 'true face'? You'll be so shocked you'll lose your eyes!"

The boy released Chelsea and chuckled at the disgruntled crowd: "I usually wear two masks, one soft and one hard, to prevent accidental falls. Please don't mind."

Having said that, he casually peeled off his face, the soft leather mask was thrown away, revealing his true appearance—

No.

The four were startled, and upon closer inspection, their expressions gradually turned astonished, their minds unable to process what was happening for a moment.

No! There's absolutely nothing!

Beneath the mask, there was no disfigured face, no inhuman beast-like features, not even a normal human face; it was simply... nothingness!

All they saw was a hooded cloak being stretched open!

"Akame, that expression of yours is really interesting."

Although no one could be seen, familiar voices could still be heard, creating an eerie and bewildering feeling.

However, Akame and the others quickly calmed down. Najenda stroked her chin and muttered to herself, "Is it an invisibility ability similar to [Demon Possession]? No, invisibility isn't true disappearance; at this close range, there's still no trace of it..."

Esdeath narrowed her eyes, and with a thought, a dense chill emanated from her body, followed by floating white frost around Iori.

"It actually exists... Interesting. Does that mean it can't be observed with the naked eye and requires other senses?"

She seemed to have thought of something, and Akame also suddenly realized something. The two of them closed their eyes at the same time, and after a moment they opened them again, revealing strange expressions.

Both of them are highly skilled fighters who have experienced countless battles. Even without their five senses, they can still sense auras through mental perception, such as killing intent or oppressive auras. And they can indeed sense Iori's presence, which proves that this is not an illusion or trick created by technology...

This man is truly completely "transparent"!

They boldly imagined all sorts of possibilities, but the reality was far more outrageous than any of them!

"What's going on... Are you human, Iori?"

"Of course I am human, but I live in a different 'realm' than you."

Iori explained earnestly: "You are living people in the realm of 'life,' while I am in the realm of 'death,' so you cannot observe me."

Well, to put it simply... the living can't see the soul, easy to understand, right?

"Are you a ghost?!" Chelsea exclaimed in shock and fear.

“I am not quite the ‘ghost’ in the usual sense, but I am indeed a pure spirit.”

“Spirits? I’ve killed countless people. If ghosts really exist, I should have come into contact with quite a few. But no dead person has ever dared to appear in front of me, or even enter my dreams.”

Esdeath clearly didn't believe it: "Even if you are a spirit, you were not born under normal circumstances... What kind of being are you? Is this the price for gaining power?"

The Ice Queen, thinking of the incredible abilities Iori had displayed, couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement:

She has a morbid pursuit of "power." If dying once could make her like Iori, she would make that choice without hesitation!

However, she also understood that Iori was no ordinary ghost, and if she couldn't unravel the secrets surrounding him, her death would likely be in vain.

“Spiritual beings… I thought they were just legends… But thinking about it carefully, Kurome’s Imperial Arms can control corpses and even retain their fighting consciousness from when they were alive… So the soul must really exist, and it doesn’t seem impossible for a spirit that can move freely to appear.”

Akame let out a long sigh, whether from relief or regret, "But as expected... it doesn't feel right to talk to you like this."

"Oh? Well, that was my oversight. In that case—"

Iori drew the Kusanagi Sword and softly chanted the release incantation. Then, a bright light flashed across the ground, and a scene that Esdeath found all too familiar reappeared. In an instant, everyone was pulled into the Mirror Realm.

"This, this is!"

"Don't panic, this should be Iori's ability, nothing will happen."

"What are you doing?"

Esdeath frowned slightly; she had some psychological trauma from this place.

Iori pointed to the ground around her: "You can probably see it like this."

Everyone looked down and found that the mirror clearly reflected everyone's image, including Iori.

More importantly, Iori's facial features can be seen in the images on the ground!

He lifted his cloak, revealing in the reflection a handsome and refined young man, completely different from what everyone had imagined.

Iori smiled slightly, seemingly a little embarrassed: "I'm sorry, this face doesn't quite match the image of an 'ambitious man,' 'great general,' and 'bounty hunter,' does it? I'm sorry to disappoint everyone."

"No... it's not quite what I expected, but rather than disappointment, it's more like... um!"

Akame kept her mouth shut, feeling a strange sense of surprise and relief.

Najenda and Chelsea seemed momentarily stunned, but quickly regained their composure, since Iori's appearance was not important to them.

Esdeath, on the other hand, who usually seemed indifferent to everything except fighting, stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror, lost in thought...

Chapter 78: You have a really good eye for people!

The fact that Iori is not a living person was undoubtedly shocking, and everyone's heart couldn't help but race, as if they had come across some earth-shattering secret.

Indeed, this is true. If this news were to spread, it would surely cause a huge uproar throughout the entire empire. Especially for the followers of Anningdao, who already tend to worship Iori as an incarnation of a god, this would undoubtedly make them even more convinced!

“I come from a place called ‘Soul Society,’ which you can think of as the destination of souls after death,” Iori said to the group, omitting some key information.

"The inhabitants of Soul Society are divided into two types: ordinary souls and 'Shinigami' (death gods) who are responsible for guiding the dead from the world of the living to the underworld and managing them—like me."

Beings like me generally don't directly interfere with matters in the mortal world, but there are occasional exceptions.

Specifically, there exists an invisible balance in this world. The living world and the underworld are interconnected, and the Grim Reaper is the maintainer of order. Whenever a major disaster occurs in the living world, disrupting the balance between life and death, we step in to correct this distorted world!

It's true!

Najenda, Esdeath, Akame, and Chelsea are not naive girls. They have seen too many lies and deceptions, so they can tell whether Iori is lying or not. Their intuition tells them that Iori is hiding some details, but the general idea is correct and not a fabrication.

This shook their worldview:

“You said…you are a ‘god’?” Najenda couldn’t help but ask, “Is that rumor spreading in Anning Road actually true? I thought it was just your propaganda campaign…”

"That rumor does have some basis in fact, but it is also undoubtedly a propaganda campaign."

Because that was a 'Grim Reaper' made up entirely based on my image!

Iori smiled and said, "But don't be too nervous. Although my job is 'Death God,' I am not a truly omnipotent god. I am just a little bit stronger than ordinary people."

These words left the four speechless, and Esdeath's eyes became even more dangerous:

Doesn't this count as indirectly belittling her?

"Maintaining the balance of the world...that's truly enlightening."

Akame murmured, "No one knows where you came from, or what criteria you use to select your prey... Yes, if you're a 'Grim Reaper,' then it all makes sense!"

The girl felt that all the clues she had been following were finally connected into a complete clue at this moment, and the word "Grim Reaper" solved the mystery surrounding Iori.