"Tsk, talk about reversed roles... The Young Emperor's dead, and now it's you, Budo, destroying the palace, while I'm the one protecting it."
After all, Selene now considered the Imperial Palace her own property. Naturally, she had to protect her assets.
A little destruction here and there—some broken halls, courtyards, or gardens—didn't bother her. But large-scale energy clashes like the one between Budo and Mine? That, she couldn't ignore. They were practically tearing up the palace foundations.
Arriving swiftly at the scene, Selene spread a semi-enclosed Imaginary Barrier the instant their attacks collided, restricting the devastating blast radius to within a hundred meters.
Why semi-enclosed? Simply because it was unnecessary to fully seal it—their clash was taking place high above the palace, and the ground only suffered from the aftershock.
But even the aftershock of such a battle carried power far beyond ordinary comprehension.
Though the duel raged hundreds of meters in the air, the sheer heat from their collision instantly ignited the gardens and lawns below. Fountains evaporated, water boiled away, and even marble bricks cracked and crumbled.
When the light faded and the tremors ceased, Selene withdrew the barrier and descended slowly into the epicenter of the clash.
The scorching air pressed against her skin. Before her eyes lay a scene wiped clean, as though the world's surface had been erased.
A massive crater stretched out before her, perfectly circular, rimmed with crimson fissures. The charred ground glittered faintly with yellow-white crystalline glass formed by the extreme heat.
Crunch... crunch...
Her silver-white high-heeled boots crunched against the fragile glass-like surface, each step echoing in the silence. She could sense it clearly—both Budo's and Mine's life force were fading.
"How poetic... both falling together, huh?"
At the crater's center, a tall kneeling figure emerged through the rising waves of heat.
It was none other than Budo.
His flesh faintly emitted the scent of burnt meat. His body was covered in deep, bleeding wounds; most of his short blond hair was singed away, leaving him in a miserable state. The upper half of his heavy armor had completely melted off, his skin blackened and cracked. His right arm was severed at the root, his left hand splayed open and embedded deep into the scorched earth. His Teigu, Thunder God's Rage · Adramelech, lay shattered beside him.
"Pumpkin's full-power shot isn't that hard to dodge... but you just had to stand there and take it. Truly, you've earned your reputation as the Empire's most stubborn 'old warhorse.'"
In the original timeline, it had been the same. Even knowing Pumpkin's properties—that Mine's beam could be nullified by closing the distance—Budo had refused to evade, choosing instead to meet her attack head-on.
In the end, both had perished together. Truly... Budo was a man of honor, through and through.
Finishing her quiet commentary, Selene stepped closer. Budo was unconscious, his breathing faint and shallow—mere moments from death. His chest still rose and fell weakly, the only proof that life clung to him.
"Still... this counts as loyalty to the Empire, doesn't it? Budo... come now. Awaken again. Serve me—and fight by my side."
Budo was a perfect soldier—utterly loyal, disciplined, powerful. Selene found herself genuinely tempted to claim him.
Vmm—
As she spoke, a sphere of pure white light formed in her palm, radiating a gentle brilliance.
Healing magic.
With a wave of her hand, the glowing orb expanded, enveloping Budo's ruined body completely.
Within seconds, his breathing stabilized. The bleeding stopped. Countless small wounds began knitting together, the charred skin flaking away. Even his severed right arm began to regenerate with a series of faint crackling sounds.
"Soon, Budo will recover..." Selene murmured, then slowly turned her gaze across the crater. "Wouldn't you agree, Mine?"
"H-how... how can this be..." came a weak, trembling voice.
With the sound of something heavy falling, Mine staggered into view. Her battered Pumpkin, cracked and smoking, slipped from her grip and hit the ground with a dull clang.
Her disguise as a palace guard was in tatters, exposing her blood-streaked body. Her signature twin pink pigtails had come undone, hanging limp and dull, reeking faintly of burnt hair and smoke.
Thud.
"Cough... cough... You're... the other Great General, Selene!" Blood streamed from Mine's eyes, nose, and mouth as she clutched her head, struggling to stay conscious. Half-kneeling on the scorched ground, her voice trembled with pain—but her tone was certain.
"Ah, that's right. That's me. You've all done quite well," Selene said softly, standing half a meter before her, looking down with serene authority.
"'We've done quite well,' huh... So it's true then—you're the real power behind the so-called Imperial upper class. You used us to eliminate Honest, didn't you? What's next, Duchess? Going to seize control of the court yourself?" Mine's voice dripped with bitter sarcasm.
"You speak to me like that... aren't you afraid I'll make you wish for death?"
"Heh... you nobles are all the same. All you can do is—"
Before Mine could finish, a heavy thud cut her off. Sebas descended from above, landing beside Selene—two severed heads dangling from his hands.
"Milady," Sebas reported calmly, bowing slightly, "aside from General Esdeath, who is still... enjoying her battle, all the other rebels who invaded the palace have been either executed on the spot or captured alive." As he spoke, he tossed the two heads to the ground with a dull thump.
They rolled to a stop before Mine—one of them, unmistakably, bore bright green hair.
Mine's breath caught. Her eyes went wide. "Lubbock!!" she cried out, voice breaking.
Ignoring her glare filled with hatred and grief, Selene turned to Sebas and said, "Summon the Imperial Palace chroniclers. And tell them to bring their tools."
"Yes, Milady."
Crossing her arms, Selene waited patiently. Soon, Sebas returned, dragging along two elderly officials dressed in dark scholar robes.
The moment they laid eyes on Selene, both men dropped to their knees with a loud thud.
"This humble servant greets the Great General!" ×2
"Rise," Selene said with a gesture, her tone calm yet commanding. "You've brought your tools, I assume?"
"Y-yes, yes!" The two old historians scrambled to their feet, pulling quills and scrolls of fine parchment from their robes.
"Excellent. I speak—you write. Understood?"
"Y-yes, Great General!" they stammered in unison.
Selene began to dictate slowly, her voice steady and deliberate:
"In the Imperial Year 1024... Imperial Minister Honest conspired with traitors, resulting in southern rebels infiltrating the palace. The rebellion's leaders: Imperial defector Najenda and her accomplices—Lubbock, Mine... Elements of the Path of Peace cult also participated. Though the palace guards fought valiantly, key defensive plans had been leaked... The rebels thus penetrated the Emperor's chamber—the Hall of Tranquility..."
She paused briefly, then continued coldly:
"...resulting in the Emperor's death."
Mine, trembling with anger, managed to raise her head. "Selene, don't think rewriting history will cleanse your hands of this! You—"
Thud!
Selene pressed her hand against Mine's head, forcing her back down with effortless strength. Her tone was chillingly indifferent as she declared:
"What I'm doing... is far more than cleansing my name."
Her eyes gleamed with icy resolve as she turned back to the historians.
"Record this well. This incident... shall be known as—The Night Raid Rebellion!"