Sirzechs Lucifer froze in place.
The document he had been studying slipped from his fingers and struck the floor without him even noticing. An overwhelming pressure had just washed through his being—an ancient, icy wave that carried nothing demonic within it… and yet, it undeniably originated from the Underworld.
He pressed a hand to his chest.
It was neither pain nor fear.It was something far worse.
"…Impossible."
The Satan of Destruction closed his eyes, extending his senses across the layers of the infernal realm. Power lines he had known for centuries now vibrated erratically, like strings pulled too tight, on the verge of snapping.
A seal had been broken.
And he knew exactly which one.
The Valley of Morningstar.
Sirzechs did not hesitate for even a second. His power erupted in a crimson explosion, warping the space around him.
When he reappeared, the air was heavy, saturated with an alien energy. The sky above the valley was still choked with dark clouds streaked by residual lightning. The ground bore the scars of a titanic clash—vitrified stone, scorched trenches, traces of magic so violent it had left a lasting imprint on reality itself. Orc corpses littered the ground.
Sirzechs felt his stomach twist.
He descended slowly toward the entrance of the crypt.
The ancient doors… were open.
He rushed into the dark corridors. The torches—extinguished for millennia—were still smoking. The sealing runes carved into the walls were dead, drained of power, cracked like empty shells.
With every step forward, the sense of dread grew stronger.
At last, he reached the funerary chamber.
The tombs were there.
But they were… empty.
Sirzechs stopped at the center of the chamber, unable to hide his shock.
"…So it's true."
His voice echoed faintly through the crypt.
He dropped to one knee, analyzing the residual magic. What he felt confirmed his worst fears: this power did not originate from a Satan… nor from an Angel.
It was something far older.
Something that had waged wars long before the birth of the current races.
Sirzechs rose slowly, his expression grim.
"We were careless… and we will pay the price."
Without wasting another second, he opened a deep crimson magic circle. Complex Luciferean seals layered over one another, each designed to reach another pillar of Hell.
"Emergency convocation," he declared firmly.
The circle pulsed.
"The seal that even Lucifer feared has been destroyed! And what has been released does not threaten the Underworld alone!"
Sirzechs clenched his fists.
"This time… it is not a war between factions.It is a war for the survival of our worlds!"
The Four Satans would have to gather.
And for the first time in centuries, Sirzechs Lucifer truly wondered…
whether they were witnessing the final days of their species.
Imperial Capital
The day of the final battle between the Imperial forces and the rebels had finally arrived.
After the disappearance of the Ash Phoenix, Esdeath took command of the Imperial Army. She entrusted the defense of the walls to General Grievous and the protection of the imperial palace to Saeko. The departure of her lord plunged the Ice Queen into uncontrollable rage—she committed brutal massacres to vent the fury she harbored toward Night Raid, to the despair of the rebels.
After the numerous clashes of the preceding weeks, the Imperial Army numbered only 30,000 soldiers, while their enemies still fielded 45,000.
Taking advantage of the city's encirclement, the rebel army split in two to attack the North Gate and the South Gate simultaneously. The South Gate army, numbering 30,000 soldiers, was led by General Nakado. This assault was merely a diversion—the true offensive was carried out by the Second Army, personally commanded by King Bradley.
Esdeath was fully aware of this strategy, and a burning euphoria filled her at the thought of delivering Bradley's head to her lord.
South Gate
Grievous commanded the majority of the Imperial forces in the defense of the southern wall. Esdeath had demanded to deal with the Second Army alone. Grievous found the decision arrogant, yet he had to admit that she possessed the power to justify it.
Returning his focus to the present moment, the Imperial general observed the thousands of enemy soldiers advancing toward the ramparts. He then turned his gaze to his own troops, awaiting his command.
"Release the Beasts!"
At his order, the gate in the wall opened, unleashing hundreds of Danger Beasts—ranging from Gifnora hounds to land dragons—which charged headlong into the enemy ranks. Fearsome as they were, the creatures proved insufficient to fully disrupt the rebel army.
Amid the chaos of the battlefield, no one noticed that the beasts' blood was far darker than normal, especially around the abdomen.
When most of the war beasts had been slain and the rebels resumed their advance, General Grievous ordered his archers to fire flaming arrows. The burning projectiles rained down upon the blood and dark liquid seeping from the beasts' corpses. The substance ignited instantly at the very heart of the rebel army, separating the two forces until the flames finally died out. By Grievous's command, during the three days preceding the assault, the beasts had been fed a petroleum-like liquid—far less toxic, yet just as flammable.
Immediately afterward, thousands of cavalrymen—led by a hundred Black Númenóreans—charged into the enemy forces. Thrown into disarray by the inferno, General Nakado failed to restore order before the cavalry smashed into her ranks. As rebel blood soaked the ground, Grievous's cruel laughter echoed across the battlefield.
Imperial Palace
Within the throne room stood the young Emperor, accompanied by his Prime Minister, General Saeko Busujima, and several Imperial guards. The boy was deeply troubled by the dire situation facing his empire.
"Minister, what is the situation?"
"It is very bad… Although the South Gate is offering fierce resistance, it appears that the North Gate has been breached due to enemy Teigu users. Fortunately, Esdeath is personally heading there to stop those rebels who dare disturb Your Majesty. But alas… what can a single person do against an army?"
The minister's words shook the still-fragile mind of the Emperor. The last heir of a long line of rulers, the weight of that responsibility bore heavily upon his shoulders. Had he made a mistake? Why were his subjects rebelling? Had he not followed his Prime Minister's advice to the letter?
Standing at the foot of the throne, Saeko clearly saw that Honest was manipulating the boy, driving him to doubt himself. How tedious. She would have preferred to be on the battlefield rather than witness this farce of governance. Yet she had sworn to serve her lord, and she would honor that oath until her final breath—after all, she owed him everything she had become.
FlashbackAn alley in the Imperial Capital, fifteen years earlier
A little girl, barely ten years old, stood holding a knife still slick with red liquid. At her feet lay another child of the same age, blood spilling from his throat. The two had fought over a stolen piece of bread taken from the neighborhood baker.
They had not eaten for days, and hunger had awakened their most primal instincts. As she stared at what she had done, regret washed over the girl for killing her companion… mingled with a sadistic joy: thanks to her strength, she would survive one more day.
Tap… tap… tap…
Her gaze turned toward the mouth of the alley, where a young man in military attire, with long white hair, was approaching her.
Fear seized Saeko. Would he execute her for her crime? Was it wrong to want to live at the expense of the weak?
Despite the corpse at her feet, the man gave her only a brief glance. Yet the girl felt as though she were being observed by a primordial beast. A sense of helplessness overwhelmed her, forcing her to her knees. All will to resist vanished—before such a being, her survival no longer depended on herself.
And yet, the man did not stop. He continued on his way as if he had seen nothing, leaving behind only a single sentence:
"If you never want to feel that fear again—but instead make others feel it… follow me."
His words unsettled Saeko. He was offering to turn her into a monster like himself. Her hesitation was brief. Life in the streets had taught her one truth: to live, you had to be the strongest—otherwise, you were devoured. Even if she would never surpass the man before her, it would be enough to surpass everyone else.
End of Flashback
Snapped back to the present, Saeko's attention was once again drawn to Honest's manipulation.
"Your Majesty, you must show the people that this illusory revolution brings only chaos to our glorious nation. We must therefore teach these rebels a lesson. Blood will flow, yes—but an iron grip is necessary. By displaying the power of the Imperial Family, this foolish rebellion will end. I beg you…"
Suddenly, the massive doors of the hall exploded inward, and Tatsumi burst through the smoke. The Imperial guards instantly moved to protect their sovereign, while Saeko stepped to the Emperor's right. To everyone's shock, Akame crashed through the stained-glass ceiling in a shower of glass.
"Target in sight, Minister Honest. Elimination." the assassin murmured.
The swordswoman lunged toward the minister, easily slipping past the guards. However, just meters from her target, a barrier of energy deployed around Honest—the ultimate Teigu had activated. Having narrowly escaped death, the corrupt man burst into foolish laughter, already savoring the assassins' demise.
"Good, Your Majesty! Punish these idiots!" the Prime Minister exulted.
Seeing the power of the Imperial Teigu, the young Emperor regained his confidence.
"I am the Emperor of—"
To everyone's utter shock, the violet-haired woman at his side did something none of them could have imagined. Honest's eyes widened in horror, the two assassins froze, and the Imperial guards did not know how to react. The young Emperor's head fell to the floor, cleanly severed by Saeko's blade.
The Prime Minister did not even have time to turn around: the swordswoman moved with blinding speed and pierced his stomach. Honest had naively believed that the disappearance of the Ash Phoenix had granted him total influence over the Imperial Army. Today, he paid for that mistake.
Saeko thought:
At last… this farce is over.