Chapter 401 Solution
Perhaps she was exhausted, because Shayou actually fell into a deep sleep in Momo's arms. Momo sighed when he saw this, picked her up and found a nice grassy spot to put her down, but Shayou was holding on too tightly, so he could only sit down with her in his arms. They sat there for the whole morning until the sun was high in the sky, when Shayou finally stretched and opened her eyes.
"Awake?" Mo Mo called softly.
"Mmm," Shayou responded to Mo Mo, still nestled in his arms without getting up. Mo Mo patted her head and let her stay in his arms. The two remained quiet without speaking, and the woods fell silent again.
After a dozen minutes, Shayou hesitated for a moment before finally speaking first: "Brother Momo, didn't you say you already have a wife? Then why are you still with Sister Leone? Since you can be with Sister Leone, why are you rejecting me? You know, as long as I can be with you, I don't care about anything else."
“Sayoo, the adult world is actually very complicated sometimes. It’s not as simple as you think. Take Leone and me, for example. On the surface, I’m with her and we should be a couple, but in fact, we’re not. We’re just each other’s lovers, each taking what we need. Although your sister Leone has a little affection for me, it’s just affection. If I were to propose to her, she definitely wouldn’t agree, because I can be a good partner for her, but I can’t be her husband.”
"As for you, I've always treated you like a younger sister, and I can tell you clearly that your feelings for me aren't romantic feelings, but rather a younger sister's attachment and gratitude towards her older brother. It's just that you've never experienced these things before, so you've confused them with love." Mo Mo patiently explained to Sha You.
"Really? But brother, I don't mind. We're not really siblings anyway. Besides, we were both saved by you. If it weren't for you, Iyeas and I would probably be dead by the roadside by now. So, brother, I'm willing to give you my most precious thing. Please cherish it." Shayou bit her red lips, her face flushed, and forced back her shyness as she spoke the words buried deep in her heart. Then she wrapped her arms around Mo Mo's neck and offered her red lips to him.
The hardest thing to bear is the kindness of a beautiful woman. Looking at the determination in Sha You's eyes, Mo Mo knew that if he didn't accept her this time, there would definitely be a second time, a third time, and so on, until Mo Mo accepted her. Perhaps Sha You also understood that, just as Mo Mo said, she didn't really love Mo Mo, but only relied on him as a brother and was grateful to him. But this could not shake her belief in giving Mo Mo her most beautiful and precious things.
As she said, without Mo Mo, they would probably have died long ago, or at least suffered a terrible fate. This thought became even more certain after Mo Mo showed them the darkness of the capital. Although the journey had only been short, Mo Mo had taken meticulous care of them, not only showing them the darkness of the capital but also teaching them how to protect themselves and improve their strength. This gave her a warmth and happiness she had never experienced before. Therefore, she decided to give him her most precious possession. Although even this could not repay the debt of gratitude, it was her obsession and persistence.
In the end, Mo Mo kissed Sha You's luscious red lips. He saw the determination in Sha You's eyes and understood her persistence. This was not only Sha You's gratitude to him, but also her persistence and dignity. Her pride made her unwilling to accept Mo Mo's favor for nothing.
Previously, she thought she had fallen in love with Mo Mo. After Mo Mo explained his situation to her, although she outwardly stopped pursuing him, she had already made up her mind to spend her life with him. Having already considered herself Mo Mo's woman, she could naturally enjoy everything with a clear conscience. But now Mo Mo told her that she didn't love him and only regarded him as her brother. This left her somewhat bewildered, but it also strengthened her resolve to give herself to Mo Mo. "Since I cannot accompany you through life and death, then I will give you the best of myself." This was what Sha You was thinking at this moment.
With the sky as her blanket and the earth as her bed, accompanied by birdsong and blooming red plum blossoms, feeling Mo Mo's endless pity, Sha You suddenly had a flash of realization: "No wonder my brother didn't want to accept me. This feeling is so wonderful, so intoxicating." Then she was completely lost in it.
Shayou felt this was the happiest day of her life, because not only did her long-cherished wish come true, but Momo also took her to see all the surrounding scenery. They went boating on the lake, fishing by the stream, hunting in the forest, admiring the view from the mountaintop, and finally sat together on the mountaintop above the base to watch the sunset.
On the horizon, the fiery red sunset slowly sank behind the mountains, casting long, long, orange shadows of the two figures. The shadows grew longer and longer, but their color faded until they almost disappeared. When the sun had completely disappeared behind the mountains, Shayou suddenly stood up, walked to Momo, and smiled as she reached out her small hand to him, saying, "Brother, the sun has set, we should go back now, otherwise Sister Chitong and the others will blame me for taking you away and leaving you hungry."
Mo Mo was taken aback by Sha You's sudden action, but when she saw the pure look in Sha You's eyes, she suddenly realized that Sha You had figured things out and let go of her burdens. So she calmly reached out and took Sha You's outstretched white hand to help her stand up, and said with a smile, "Yes, it's time to go back and cook."
"I want rice bowls, spicy crayfish, and twice-cooked pork." Perhaps having let go of her burdens, Sha You became much more lively. She no longer put Mo Mo first in everything, and even started to act coquettishly towards him, like a younger sister acting coquettishly towards her older brother. She was no longer as obedient as before, listening to Mo Mo in everything. However, this was exactly what Mo Mo wanted. He didn't want Sha You to suppress her true nature for him, and this was good enough.
Everyone in Night Raid knew about Mo Mo and Sha You's situation, so when Sha You skipped back to the base, they all assumed that Mo Mo had agreed to be with her. However, to their surprise, the two seemed to be more like siblings than lovers. But no matter what, it was all resolved. And today, Night Raid completed another mission.
While Mo Mo was taking Sha You on a sightseeing trip, Chi Tong and Leone infiltrated the red-light district of the capital and discovered that the local gangsters were abusing drugs to force girls to obey them and extort money from them. Once these girls were corrupted by the drugs and could no longer serve customers, they would be disposed of. As for how they were disposed of, in the capital where human life was cheap, it was self-evident.
Therefore, the two of them killed all the gang leaders, rescued the girls, and successfully completed their mission. In the original series, it was at this point that Sheryl was discovered by Seryu and tragically killed on her way back to base with Mine after completing the mission. However, Seryu has now been eliminated by Momo, so the tragedy will not happen again. But according to the timeline, Esdeath should be returning to the capital soon.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 402 Esdeath Returns
Esdeath is a super S-class battle maniac on par with General Budo of the Empire. She is the youngest and strongest general in the entire Empire. In the original series, after returning from her campaign against the alien races, she formed a special police organization called "Jarmen" to deal with Night Raid. Najenda once mentioned that to defeat her, at least 50,000 elite soldiers and more than 10 Imperial Arms users, including Akame, would be needed. She is the biggest obstacle for the Revolutionary Army to overthrow the Empire, and there is no possibility of her being recruited.
Because Esdeath grew up in a dog-eat-dog world, she believed in the law of the jungle, and the idea of the strong preying on the weak was deeply ingrained in her. Moreover, she was strong and combative, and would not allow anyone to disobey her, making her a true queen. Because she was so strong, she had few rivals, so her greatest pleasure was to provoke wars everywhere, cultivate enemies, and fight them. The country established by the Revolutionary Army would certainly not allow her to provoke wars everywhere, so the interests of the two sides were completely opposed, making reconciliation impossible.
Mo Mo remembered that in the original plot, after Esdeath returned, in order to force Night Raid to show itself, she had her three beast warriors impersonate Night Raid and assassinate the civil officials who opposed them, framing Night Raid. One of these three beast warriors was Liva, Brand's former superior in the army; another was a minor character who was cleaved in two by Brand's spear as soon as he appeared; and the third was a pseudo-beast girl boy who was extremely perverted and liked to dissect small animals (and people). In the original series, he skinned a beautiful young girl alive when he first appeared. However, they should not have returned to the capital yet, but they should be soon.
As expected, Esdeath returned to the capital with a great victory four days later. Just as Esdeath was summoned to the palace, Momo quietly arrived at her residence alone. He planned to eliminate the Three Beast Warriors ahead of time to speed up the plot. Moreover, Momo decided that the one among the Three Beast Warriors' three Imperial Arms that could control liquids would be quite suitable for Sayo. Being able to freely manipulate the liquids in anything it touches is a very powerful ability, since human blood is also a liquid, so its destructive power is self-evident. However, as can be seen from the original series, this Imperial Arm's ability to control blood is not very strong. But it is enough for Sayo, who uses a sword. In battle, even the slightest mistake can be fatal.
The location of the three beast warriors wasn't hard to find. Mo Mo simply grabbed a maid and asked her for directions, and he got their location. He then headed straight for their destination. A few minutes later, Esdeath's mansion was in chaos. Because Mo Mo had released the maid after asking for directions, she ran to report to the guards as soon as Mo Mo left. However, when they arrived at the three beast warriors' residence, they only found three still-warm corpses. Meanwhile, Mo Mo was happily strolling along the street not far away with the little fox.
"Brother Mo Mo, since you only want to save those people from Night Raid, why don't you just kill all the ministers and the emperor? That would be so much easier. Why join Night Raid and help them assassinate one by one?" The little fox was quite puzzled and looked up at Mo Mo with a questioning expression.
Mo Mo tapped the little fox's nose and replied with a smile, "It's very simple. Although I could kill them all at once, what would happen if I did? They may be bastards, but they are the managers of the existing system of this empire. If they all die in a short period of time, the entire management system will collapse instantly, the empire will disintegrate in an instant, and the country will descend into chaos. Countless people will die in the chaos, and the revolutionary army is not fully prepared. If things break out suddenly, they will be unable to take over the entire empire without any preparation. That's why I chose this method."
The little fox chuckled, "Oh, I see. I thought Brother Mo Mo had taken a liking to the ladies from Night Raid." After saying that, the little fox saw Mo Mo reach out to hit her, and then ran away in a flash. She turned back and made a face at Mo Mo, grinning, "Going to play with Sister Kaguya and the others!" With that, her figure flashed and she disappeared from the spot, leaving only a string of silvery laughter.
"This girl is getting more and more naughty. It seems I need to teach her a lesson." The words were meant to scold the little fox, but there was not a trace of reproach in them. Instead, they were full of doting affection.
"I'm back." More than an hour later, Mo Mo returned to Night Raid's base carrying a large bag of cooking ingredients. To his surprise, no one came to greet him. Although it wasn't dinnertime yet, the base shouldn't be deserted. However, when he heard the sounds of fighting coming from the training ground in the backyard, he understood what was going on. They must be sparring in the training ground. Since Mo Mo and his group joined Night Raid, this had become commonplace. After all, Mo Mo's strength had put considerable pressure on them. Therefore, Mo Mo didn't mind and simply took the things back to the kitchen.
As evening fell, Najenda rushed out in a hurry. Her panting appearance startled the Night Raid members who were setting up the dining room for dinner. However, they were equally startled when they learned the news Najenda had to say, except for Momo, since he was the protagonist of the story. Najenda was talking about the killing of Esdeath's three beast warriors.
"The Three Beasts were Esdeath's capable lieutenants, their strength was no less than ours, and now they have been killed in the main camp, it is truly shocking!" Although they had never fought against the Three Beasts, they had long heard of their reputation, and the three of them had quite a good record, which was why Brand was so shocked.
"Captain, it seems Esdeath isn't as powerful as you said. Akame could have killed her by herself. How could she let someone kill her subordinate right under her nose?" Mine's words were full of disdain. Clearly, her tsundere attitude had kicked in again. She had long been dissatisfied with Najenda, the number one person in the Empire in the sky.
Upon hearing Mine's words, Najenda lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, exhaled a smoke ring, and then said with a solemn expression, "Esdeath wasn't there when that person killed the Three Beasts. She was summoned to the palace to receive her reward. In other words, the person who killed the Three Beasts was also wary of her and didn't want to confront Esdeath directly."
"If that's the case, then Esdeath's strength is terrifying. But Captain, how do you know it was just one person? Maybe the Three Beasts were killed by a team?" Leone couldn't help but sigh, but then she raised another question.
“According to our inside sources, only one person infiltrated Esdeath’s mansion, and there were no signs of a struggle at the scene. All the attacks were fatal, and the three Beast Warriors were completely unable to resist. I really don’t know who did it. If we could bring him to our Night Raid, he would definitely be a valuable asset.” Najenda finished speaking, took another drag of her cigarette, and leaned back in her chair. Just then, she suddenly saw the composed Mo Mo, and her heart skipped a beat. She asked incredulously in a low voice, “Mo Mo, don’t tell me you did this.”
“It was indeed me who did it. I thought their Imperial Arms were quite suitable for Sayo and the others, so I killed them. Captain, you won’t blame me for taking matters into my own hands, will you?” As he spoke, Mo Mo walked to the corner by the door and took out a flute, a double-edged short axe, and then took out a silver ring from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"What?! You really did it?!" A huge gasp of surprise erupted from inside the house.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 403 Esdeath Wants to Fall in Love?
Just as Momo had predicted, Esdeath was angry after the three beastmen were killed by Momo, but she did not fly into a rage. Instead, she quickly set up the "Hunter" army. After all, she had lived in a dog-eat-dog world since she was a child. In her opinion, the reason why the weak die was because they were too weak. This was very normal and there was nothing to be sad about.
However, she also had a gentle side. She was very kind to her subordinates and ordinary people, always sharing the rewards bestowed by the emperor with her subordinates and eating with ordinary soldiers. As a result, the morale of the army she led was extremely high. Moreover, she never accepted bribes and had many fans in the empire.
After all, even when Tatsumi was seriously injured and died saving the residents of the capital in the original series, she only said, "Tatsumi died because he was too weak." You have to know that Tatsumi was the only person she loved, so it is very normal that the death of the Three Beasts did not make her sad. However, she will definitely avenge the Three Beasts. And just over a week after the Three Beasts were killed by Momo, the Hunter Squad was officially established.
After the Hunter Squad was formed, Esdeath held a martial arts competition for the city's residents in order to find a suitable romantic partner. After her great victory, she asked the emperor for a reward, which was to find love. In the original series, Tatsumi was chosen by Esdeath because he participated in this competition, and then he was directly chained up and taken away. Yes, you read that right, directly chained up and taken away. What Mo Mo found quite interesting was that this time, all the Night Raid members who had not revealed their identities came to see Esdeath, although only Tatsumi actually participated in the competition.
The martial arts competition in the capital city hosted by Esdeath was quite grand. Esdeath's reputation was well-deserved, and rumors circulated that the competition was for Esdeath to choose a lover. As a result, the entire capital city was in an uproar. After all, it was Esdeath! Not only was she a rare beauty, but her strength and status were also exceptional. To become her lover would be like rising to the top of the capital's nobility in one fell swoop. Moreover, the competition offered generous prize money, and those who performed well might even be recruited into the guard or the army. There were many benefits, so a great many people signed up. By the registration deadline on the third day, the number of participants had reached three thousand, even with the registration restrictions in place, which shows how many people were interested.
The competition uses a single-elimination format, where anyone who loses will be eliminated. This format may seem unfair to some, such as someone who is likely to make it into the top ten but is matched against someone who is capable of making it into the top three in the first round. Although he lost the match, it does not prove that he is weak. That is just how the rules are. He was just unlucky to encounter such an opponent, but luck is also a part of ability.
The initial elimination rounds were very fast; half the participants were eliminated in the morning, and another half in the afternoon. By the second day, less than 800 people remained. Because the number of participants had decreased significantly, the elimination process was even faster. By the end of the afternoon, less than 100 people were still able to continue competing. Tatsumi, having trained hard in Night Raid for so long, was much stronger than when he first arrived in the capital. Therefore, he advanced smoothly all the way through the rounds without any difficulty. Tomorrow night is the final, which means that Esdeath will be present every day. Their wish to see the legendary general of the Empire will be fulfilled. Najenda and the others have also met many strong contestants and recruited some people to join the Revolutionary Army. However, these people are not strong enough to join Night Raid yet.
The competition proceeded as scheduled on the second day, but it was far more intense and brutal than the previous two days. In less than an hour, over a dozen people had already perished in the vast arena, with countless others suffering serious or minor injuries. Except for a few, almost everyone had some kind of injury by the end of the round, demonstrating the intensity of the competition. The enthusiasm of the spectators was unprecedented, with their hysterical shouts audible hundreds of meters away. Some wealthy ladies and young women even argued over their favorite contestants. What frustrated Mo Mo the most was Leone, who had opened a betting pool and had even encouraged Mo Mo to participate so she could make a fortune. Mo Mo had refused, and Leone had complained about it for a long time.
Actually, Mo Mo didn't want to come. Although such matches were brutal and bloody, seemingly extremely intense, most of them relied on brute force and basic physical abilities like reaction time, lacking any skill. In Mo Mo's eyes, it was like chickens fighting each other, and even Akame and the others looked down on it. However, Leone and Mine insisted on bringing Mo Mo along, and their reason was hard for Mo Mo to refute: "to test Esdeath's strength." With this reason, Mo Mo had no choice but to put aside his training of Akame and Sayo and watch the tournament with them.
It's worth mentioning that Tatsumi still doesn't have a Teigu. This is because Brand, who was supposed to be killed by the Three Beasts in the original series, didn't die. Therefore, the demon possessing Brand naturally wouldn't fall into Tatsumi's hands. Of the three Teigu that Momo used to defeat the Three Beasts, one is the Military Music Dream [Screaming] – a flute Teigu that can freely manipulate the emotions of the audience; another is two large axes [Belvak] – an axe Teigu that can only be wielded by those with extraordinary arm strength; and the third is Water Dragon Possession [Black Marin] – a Caution Teigu that is made from the organs of dangerous aquatic creatures that manipulate water flow, allowing the wearer to freely manipulate the liquids in anything they come into contact with.
The ring was taken by Sayo, and the remaining two Teigu were not suitable for Tatsumi, so he still doesn't have a Teigu. However, Najenda has already returned to the Revolutionary Army headquarters with the two Teigu, and a suitable Teigu for Tatsumi should be delivered to him in a while.
Before they knew it, the morning's competition was over. Leone also ended her betting operation, which had been running for more than two days. With Mo Mo's guidance, she placed bets on other people's betting sites while running her own. In just two days and one morning, she had already earned more than 10,000 gold coins, more than the commission she had earned from missions over the past six months. She was so excited that she kissed Mo Mo several times, but she didn't share a single coin with Mo Mo or Mine.
After lunch, as soon as the break ended, the huge arena quickly filled up with people again. To Mo Mo's surprise, not only Leone, but even the nobles did not start betting again. Moreover, the competition still did not start more than ten minutes after the arena doors closed. However, none of the spectators showed any impatience. Instead, they watched the stands that towered above all the other seats with excitement. Mo Mo knew that the main event was about to begin.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 404 Love at First Sight
Amidst thunderous cheers, three figures slowly appeared on the high platform. The most eye-catching of the three was neither the young emperor nor the peerless Esdeath, but rather Honest, the minister who controlled the entire empire. His height, which was even greater than Esdeath's, and his robust physique made him quite conspicuous among the three. However, what was most striking was not his appearance, but his actions. He was actually walking while grabbing a large piece of meat and chewing it voraciously, seemingly oblivious to everyone around him.
"As expected of a minister with immense power, he really has no scruples at all. If it weren't for the fact that the Empire's highest imperial weapon cannot be controlled by those without royal blood, he probably would have already killed this young emperor and taken over the world."
As Mo Mo had guessed, if it weren't for his inability to control the Imperial Arms, Ernest would have already killed the young emperor and ascended the throne himself. Although he could be said to be extremely powerful now, second only to the emperor, and even the young emperor was loyal to him, he was still second only to the emperor. Moreover, as time went by, the young emperor would eventually grow up. This was why he had been desperately suppressing officials who opposed him after gaining power and placing his confidants in key positions in the empire.
At this moment, the stunningly beautiful figure next to the minister successfully attracted Mo Mo's attention. This stunningly beautiful figure was dressed in a white military uniform with a black collar, exuding a heroic aura. Both her appearance and figure were exceptional.
She possessed magnificent long silver-blue hair, and her deep, icy blue eyes were filled with an overbearing arrogance. Her exquisite and perfect features on her queen-like oval face exuded an irresistible charm. Coupled with her crystal-clear white skin and stunning figure, she could attract the attention of almost every man present simply by standing there. However, the powerful aura and captivating domineering presence she exuded made it impossible for anyone to harbor the slightest thought of disrespect.
After watching the anime, Mo Mo had thought that the descriptions of Esdeath online were somewhat exaggerated. However, upon seeing her in person, he realized that those written descriptions were inadequate and failed to truly capture her beauty. The Esdeath Mo Mo saw was no less beautiful than Kaguya, who had undergone rigorous training and had undergone a transformation to achieve a flawless and elegant appearance. She was even more stunning than the Wu sisters. Both Kaguya and the Wu sisters were already goddesses of school beauty caliber before meeting Mo Mo. Now, after practicing the techniques Mo Mo gave them, their temperament, appearance, and figures were all a notch or two better than before. It was clear that Esdeath's beauty was indeed well-deserved.
Just like in the original drama, the young emperor only said two sentences after announcing the start of the competition before Minister Ernest took him away, leaving Esdeath alone in the stands to watch. Esdeath's arrival made the contestants even more excited, and each of them desperately tried to show off their strength. As a result, the competition was even more intense than in the morning. As a result, the injury rate also skyrocketed, and it could be said that almost every match resulted in death or injury. However, the person they were desperately trying to please by showing off their strength was now lazily leaning back in her chair, looking bored. On the contrary, the other members of the hunter squad next to her were watching with great interest.
Just then, it was finally Tatsumi's turn to go on stage. Momo, who had been lazily leaning back in his seat, slowly sat up straight as Tatsumi left the stage. Leone and Mine next to him stood up excitedly and shouted Tatsumi's name. Seeing this, Tatsumi turned around and greeted the two of them with a bit of helplessness.
Perhaps due to plot inertia, Tatsumi's opponent this time is the same as in the original series—the same minotaur. While those who have fought this far are no ordinary individuals, Tatsumi is merely a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy with a rather youthful appearance, while the minotaur opposite him is burly and muscular, his entire body bulging with explosive muscles. The young and slender Tatsumi only reaches the minotaur's waist, like a five or six-year-old child facing an adult, creating a stark contrast. Basically, no one believes Tatsumi can win, and neither does the minotaur.
With unwavering confidence, the minotaur immediately mocked Tatsumi's height and boasted, "The bounty is mine now. Even though I was expelled from my sect, I still had the strength of a ninth dan when I was at the Imperial Fist Temple."
To his surprise, the short man opposite him remained remarkably calm. However, he didn't care, believing that the other man was actually afraid and was just putting on a brave face. After all, the strength of the ninth dan of the Imperial Fist Temple was quite impressive even in the entire capital. Yet, the other man made no move, clearly intimidated by his strength and the aura he exuded. Even if he still had the strength to fight, he believed he could easily win. However, what he didn't know was that Tatsumi was truly calm.
While this minotaur is indeed quite strong, he's still far inferior to the Three Beasts. In the original series, Tatsumi, after training at this point in time, could easily defeat Neu, one of the Three Beasts, by unleashing his full power with the help of the demon's possession. Moreover, the current Tatsumi is even stronger than in the original series. Although he trained with Brand in the original series, he wasn't particularly diligent. But now, thanks to Momo's appearance, Sayo and Ieyasu didn't die. Therefore, under Sayo's encouragement, the entire Night Raid's strength has rapidly increased. There's no way around it; if they didn't train hard, they might have been overtaken by Sayo and easily defeated. After all, she has Momo personally training her. It's hard for their strength not to skyrocket.
Therefore, even though Tatsumi didn't have a Teigu at this moment, he could still easily defeat this minotaur uncle. Some ordinary Teigu users might not even be a match for Tatsumi now. So, Tatsumi was completely unfazed by the minotaur's provocation and imposing aura. After all, he was someone who sparred with a group of Teigu users every day. Compared to Bulang and Akame, this kind of aura was just like tickling him.
With the referee's whistle, the minotaur grinned, clenched his fist, and threw a powerful punch at Tatsumi from above. Tatsumi stood motionless, and just when the audience thought he would be blown away, and even the minotaur thought he had the victory, Tatsumi finally moved. As the fist approached and the wind of the punch was already blowing in his face, Tatsumi crashed into the minotaur's arms and punched him in the stomach before he could react.
After landing a powerful punch, Tatsumi immediately retreated, while his opponent's body was slightly hunched, clearly injured. This only fueled his opponent's ferocity, as he gritted his teeth and punched Tatsumi again. This time, Tatsumi neither dodged nor launched a surprise attack, but instead met his punch head-on. After exchanging more than ten punches, he seized a moment when his opponent was in a daze and landed another punch on his stomach. This time, Tatsumi gave his opponent no chance to catch his breath, sending him flying with a flurry of punches.
At this moment, Esdeath, who had been looking bored on stage, was also startled by this sudden scene and couldn't help but sit up straight. The audience in the stands below were even more dumbfounded. As the referee announced Tatsumi as the winner, enthusiastic cheers rang out in the arena. Hearing the enthusiastic cheers, Tatsumi showed a happy smile. Momo, who had been watching Esdeath closely, noticed that after Tatsumi smiled, a slight blush suddenly appeared on Esdeath's face.
"Love at first sight? This is too much! The protagonist's halo is too strong!" Mo Mo couldn't help but silently complain in his heart.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 405 He took a fancy to the lock and took it away.
Esdeath's conditions for love can be described as very demanding, because what she values most is the possibility of the future, so her lover must be a genius, a genius who can train himself to become a general.
Besides this, her lover must also possess extraordinary courage, capable of hunting dangerous species with her even empty-handed. Moreover, he must have grown up not in the capital but in a border region, and importantly, he must be younger than her, so that he can be easily controlled by her, after all, she is a sadist. Finally, this person must possess a pure smile, which can be said to be very easy to achieve, but also very difficult, because purity is not something you can decide, but depends entirely on Esdeath herself.
Just as Mo Mo was marveling at Tatsumi's powerful protagonist aura, Esdeath walked down the stairs from the platform, looking at Tatsumi with a smile and saying, "Your name is... Tatsumi, right? What a nice name."
Tatsumi was already taken aback by Esdeath's sudden appearance, and now he was even more bewildered by her unexpected praise. He replied somewhat awkwardly, "Th-thank you for the compliment." Then, when he thought of the almost unbelievably beautiful woman in front of him, who was the same woman whose captain Najenda always spoke of with such solemnity, his heart suddenly felt heavy. Although the woman's smile was truly beautiful, he dared not underestimate her and was instead subconsciously filled with vigilance.
Just as Tatsumi was filled with apprehension, Esdeath spoke again with a smile, saying, "You fought very well in that duel just now. Here's a reward for you." As she spoke, she reached behind her waist and started rummaging around, walking towards Tatsumi as she did so. Tatsumi, unaware of what he was about to face, smiled and prepared to accept the reward from his enemy, sincerely thanking her.
When Esdeath said "That's good," Momo covered his face with his hands. When Esdeath took out the item, Mine and Leone beside Momo were also shocked. At this moment, Tatsumi was still immersed in his fantasy, imagining what kind of reward it was. Then, the next second, he was locked around the neck with something that looked like a dog leash, which made him instantly dumbfounded.
“From now on, I will make you my person.” Esdeath gripped the chain with one hand and placed the other on Tatsumi’s shoulder, her pretty face flushed, as if she were making a vow to her other half when she got married. Of course, that could indeed be interpreted as such, provided that the “unique” “token of love” was ignored.
At this moment, Tatsumi finally realized what was happening, his face showing utter disbelief. Of course, he didn't recognize the great demon dog named DouDou who considered running away from home his life's work, but that didn't stop him from making such an expression. Before he could even retort, Esdeath had already turned around and was about to drag Tatsumi away by the chain. At this moment, Mine finally couldn't hold back anymore. She and Tatsumi had already revealed their relationship, and now Tatsumi was being taken away by Esdeath. If it weren't for the fact that they were in the wrong place, she probably would have rushed over already. But now she couldn't hold back either, tightly gripping Momo's hand and looking at him pitifully, and the grip was getting tighter and tighter.
Mine and the others aren't like Momo; they don't know that Esdeath only kidnapped Tatsumi because she took a liking to him. Therefore, as long as Tatsumi doesn't recklessly reveal his identity as a Night Raid member, he'll be in no danger whatsoever—in fact, safer than ever before. After all, Esdeath's strength is undeniable, and no one in the entire Imperial City would risk offending Esdeath to harm Tatsumi. So, Tatsumi's safety is not a concern at all, and there might even be some unexpected surprises. Although the Empire is corrupt, its strength is still undeniable, and their inventory is far richer than that of the Revolutionary Army, which only recently joined the ranks. Perhaps they even have a suitable Imperial Arms for Tatsumi. Unfortunately, Mine and the others don't know this.
Although Tatsumi is generally not prone to accidents, compared to the original series, he does not have a Teigu, so his ability to protect himself is indeed weaker. In addition, with Mine and Leone pleading, Momo decided to take action, but he did not know whether he could get Esdeath to release Tatsumi.
Having made up his mind, Mo Mo stood up, lightly leaped from the stands to the arena, and landed next to Tatsumi. He grabbed Tatsumi's shoulder and then said to Esdeath's back, "General Esdeath, I wonder what my little brother has done to offend you? Could you please let him go for my sake?"
Esdeath noticed Momo jumping onto the ring, but she didn't turn around because she didn't think Momo could pose any threat to her. However, to her surprise, after he put his hand on Tatsumi's shoulder, she couldn't move Tatsumi at all. But what finally made her turn around was the meaning behind Momo's words. The newcomer actually claimed to be Tatsumi's older brother.
"Are you Tatsumi's older brother?" Although Momo had already revealed his identity, Esdeath still maintained a haughty demeanor, displaying her queenly aura.
Seeing Momo suddenly appear, Tatsumi was both touched and worried. After all, in their eyes, although Momo was powerful, he was still somewhat inferior to Esdeath. Esdeath's strength was so deeply ingrained in people's minds that it couldn't be changed overnight. Therefore, he called out "Big Brother" with a mixture of worry and emotion. Tatsumi's "Big Brother" directly confirmed Momo's identity, and it also softened Esdeath's expression when facing Momo.
Momo nodded to Tatsumi and then said, "General Esdeath, Tatsumi has always been law-abiding. Why is the general locking him up and preparing to take him away? Has he committed some offense?"
Esdeath glanced at the chain around Tatsumi's neck, realizing it was the cause of their misunderstanding. She explained, "Tatsumi's older brother, you've misunderstood. Tatsumi hasn't done anything wrong. I didn't mean to hurt him. From now on, he's mine, and I'll treat him well. I hope Tatsumi's older brother won't stop me." After speaking, Esdeath sized up Momo a few times, suddenly noticing that Momo was quite handsome and seemed to possess considerable strength. The idea of taking Momo under her wing arose within her.