Crossover: A Different Inuyasha.

Chapter 165 Esdeath, Night Raid on the Group

The world is a vulnerable place.

They will never be swayed by the will of the lowly, but will only bow their heads and follow in the footsteps of the strong.

With the fall of the Western Kingdom, the Snow Maidens' formidable reputation swept across the world, resounding throughout the Central Empire and shaking the territories of other races in all directions.

Some were on guard, while others were deep in thought.

Some even whitewashed the situation, continuing their singing, dancing, and revelry.

In the north of the empire, lies the royal court of a foreign tribe.

The swirling snow swept across the city that stood atop the icy plains.

A stone pedestal decorated with the cross-shaped pattern of the Baruts tribe stands high above the royal city gate, offering a panoramic view that stretches to the horizon.

On the stone seat, a beautiful woman with a slender and graceful figure sat gracefully.

Her long, light blue hair cascaded down like a waterfall, gleaming with a cold sheen in the wind and snow. She wore an imperial general's uniform that was predominantly white with black accents.

He wore a military cap with a cross-shaped brim, the shadow of which fell between his eyebrows and eyes, making his icy blue eyes appear cold and captivating.

The V-neck top couldn't hide her full chest, and beneath the skirt that covered her thighs were a pair of long, straight boots with high heels sticking out from the edge of the stone seat.

Esdeath sat with her left leg crossed, one hand resting on the armrest, supporting her fair, jade-like chin, while the other hand gripped a cold-looking iron chain.

At the other end of the chain, a large pet was kneeling and crawling.

The man was naked, his muscular back covered with alternating old and new whip marks and frostbite. He wore an iron collar around his neck, his head was bowed, and he was making low whimpering sounds, like a tamed dog.

Esdeath lowered her eyes slightly, looking at the human and dog curled up at her feet, her icy blue eyes showing boredom after she had grown tired of playing.

She believed in the law of the jungle, and victory and ravage were the entirety of her life. She enjoyed utterly destroying her enemies, both physically and mentally.

Just like the domestic dog under my feet that has lost the will to resist.

Not long ago, the other party was an invincible prince of the northern barbarian tribes, who led hundreds of thousands of troops to resist the empire and was both wise and brave.

It once kept the empire's generals awake at night and roused the border guards from nightmares. Now, it kneels on the cold stone steps, its tongue lolling out, breathing out air, its face full of fear and fawning.

"General."

A voice pierced through the wind and snow, reaching the high platform.

A man dressed in a black military uniform, with long silver-gray hair tied in a ponytail, exuding the competence of a soldier but resembling more of a butler, stood respectfully beside the stone seat as Esdeath glanced at him. His long boots shattered the ice on the ground.

"Preparations are complete. Please give your orders."

Upon hearing these devilish words, the Northern Man Dog trembled and barked ingratiatingly.

"Are you trying to beg for their lives?"

Esdeath crossed her left leg over her right, revealing a section of her thigh that was whiter than snow, firm and smooth, between her battle skirt and boots. However, no one present dared to look at it for long.

"Woof, woof."

The northern dog crawled over, raised its head, and licked the sole of the boot.

Esdeath's lips curled slightly as she leaned back, her gaze passing over the city gate to the open space outside the city—there lay the enormous pit dug day and night by 400,000 captives of northern tribes under the watchful eyes of the Imperial soldiers.

"Liva, let's do it."

"I'm tired of staying here too."

As the sound faded, the northerner dog licked even more diligently, the iron chain around its neck clanging with each movement.

Esdeath lifted the chain and stepped on its head; its eyes were facing the deep pit.

"Yes, General." Liva accepted the order and left.

The bugle call sounded.

Deep and resonant.

The imperial military flag on the city wall fluttered in the wind.

The clanging of swords being drawn formed a continuous sound.

Imperial soldiers lined up at the edge of the pit stepped forward and drove the prisoners into the pit.

Four hundred thousand northern ethnic minorities.

A dense, dark mass of people surged across the ice field, like waves of wheat broken by a storm.

When the people in the first row were pushed off, their screams were drowned out by the wave of people behind them before they could even escape their throats.

People pushed and crushed each other, trampled on each other, and were tied together by ropes, pouring down into the pit in layers, as unstoppable as a landslide.

Some tried to cling to the pit wall, their fingers digging bloody marks into the frozen ground, only to be knocked down by bodies that followed. Others desperately tried to rush out of the pit, but Imperial soldiers severed their Achilles tendons with a single stroke, sending them crashing back into the crowd and instantly trampling them to death.

The bottom of the pit gradually filled up.

Layer upon layer of bodies formed a mountain of flesh; those on top were still struggling, while those below had long since ceased to move.

The groans, cries, and prayers mingled into a murky buzzing sound that echoed against the walls of the pit before being swallowed up by the wind and snow.

"May you be reborn into a better family in your next life."

Liva's gaze remained calm as he sounded the horn once more.

The imperial soldiers, awakened by the disturbance, lifted the prepared frozen soil and boulders and poured them into the pit. In less than a quarter of an hour, the pit was filled in.

The wind and snow swept across the icy plains, covering them with a layer of fresh white in an instant.

The number 400,000 seems so enormous in a country, yet so insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

On the high platform, Esdeath withdrew her gaze.

The northern dog at my feet had fallen silent, slumped on the stone steps, drool mixed with tears frozen on its cheeks, only its chest still rising and falling weakly.

She lowered her eyes, lifted its chin with the tip of her boot, and looked indifferently at the foreign prince, whose heart was filled with despair and whose instinct was to show a fawning expression.

The wind blew by, and a splash of blood appeared on the snow-white boot tips.

Having completed his mission, Liva returned to the high stone platform, and without even glancing at the smiling Northern Hound who had died, he spoke.

"General, the matter has been resolved."

"Okay, pass on the word. We can go back to the capital tomorrow."

Esdeath said something, and then Niu, who was also a member of the "Three Beast Warriors" Imperial Arms user and came from a prestigious family, walked over.

She was petite and looked more like a girl than a boy.

After bowing, Niu said, "General, the latest intelligence from the Empire indicates that the Western Royal Court has been annihilated by the Snow Maidens."

"Funny, so very fun!"

Esdeath stood up, strode to the edge of the steps, and the crisp sound of her footsteps resonated in everyone's hearts like war drums. Her voice was clear and joyful, "It is because of the existence of these powerful individuals that this world is so wonderful and colorful!"

"And that's why we martial artists have a stage to showcase our talents!"

Neu, who had a high opinion of herself but felt inferior in Esdeath's presence, gazed at the general who resembled a goddess of ice and snow, and her heart was filled with admiration.

He knelt on one knee, saying, "The power of the Snow Maidens is also ice and snow, but I believe it is not even a fraction of what the General possesses!"

Liva followed closely behind, kneeling on one knee, "I swear to follow the General to the death!"

The shouts came from near and far, spreading layer by layer, forming a continuous sound across the great tomb of the ice field, overwhelming the swirling snow.

His hero is my enemy.

This is Esdeath.

A general admired by the imperial soldiers, and on par with the top military commander of the empire!

Meanwhile, in the imperial capital.

Inside the magnificent palace, a gilded dome hangs high, and colorful murals cover the walls. The young emperor sits on his throne, his robes trailing over the edge.

He lowered his eyes, listening to the reports from the people below.

As the head of the civil service, Minister Ernest, with his tall figure wrapped in luxurious clothes, bowed slightly, and wore a carnivorous smile on his white-bearded face.

"His Majesty."

Ernest's voice echoed through the hall, as if he were the protagonist of the hall: "The Western Royal Court has been destroyed, and the Snow Maidens' army will soon be pointing towards the capital. At this critical juncture, I dare to speak..."

He raised his eyes, looking at the figure he controlled on the throne, and said directly, "Your Majesty, please issue a decree summoning all Imperial Arms users from across the country to the capital. And with General Esdeath at the head, form the strongest force to repel the invading enemy."

The hall was completely silent, with only the faint sound of breathing.

The young emperor, who trusted his ministers, spoke without hesitation, his clear, childlike voice ringing out.

"allow."

"Leave everything to the minister."

Ernest bowed deeply. "Your Majesty is wise."

In the imperial court, the ministers, whom he had long since manipulated, were all shouting in unison.

As the Grand General, the supreme commander of the Imperial Army, and the commander of the palace guards, General Bude, upon witnessing this harmonious scene between the emperor and his subjects, felt a sudden surge of worry.

However, he followed his family's teachings and believed that military generals should not interfere in politics.

Although he was aware of the corrupt practices of the ministers, he did not intervene, but simply protected the young emperor as he grew up and matured to manage the country.

When the time comes, as long as the emperor gives the order, he will execute Ernest and the others with swift and decisive action!

As the minister's order was given, Imperial Arms users from all corners of the empire began to gather in the capital.

At this time, the revolutionary army in the suburbs was launching a night raid on their base and was also holding a meeting in anticipation of the appearance of the Snow Maidens.

However, due to their personalities, the only people the seven Night Raid members were actually discussing were former Imperial General Brand and Najendan, Leone who grew up in the slums of the Imperial Capital, and Lubbock, the son of a local tycoon.

The other three, Akame, Mine, and Hill, rarely spoke, simply sitting quietly in their respective places.

The leader of the Night Raid, Najenda, who had her right eye and right hand destroyed by Esdeath for betraying the group and was fitted with mechanical prosthetics, looked around and then spoke, "Everyone knows about the Snow Woman Clan. Let's share our thoughts."

Brand, who defected using his Imperial Arms because he could no longer tolerate the corruption of the Empire, and who had pleaded for Riva who was wrongfully imprisoned, spoke up.

"The nature of the Snow Woman Clan is similar to that of our Revolutionary Army; both take it upon themselves to liberate the people."

"They overthrew nobles, executed villains, and sheltered civilians along the way, doing exactly the same things as the revolutionary army."

"If possible, I think we can try to make contact, or even cooperate, to solve the problem of the Empire together, reduce the casualties of the revolutionary army, and get the masses out of their suffering as quickly as possible."

"The idea is good, but I don't agree with this point."

Lubbock leaned against the wall, arms crossed, and offered his explanation under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

"There is a barrier between people, let alone between countries. We still don't know the origin of the Snow Woman Clan, and no one knows what their ultimate goal is."

"If we send them here, what if they don't want to leave after we defeat the Empire?"

"By then, even if the empire is gone, what will our revolutionary army become? Just be doing all the work for others?"

"And who really calls the shots in this country?"

With beautiful blonde hair and golden eyes, Leone is pretty even without makeup. She dresses boldly and has a stunning figure. She sits cross-legged on a chair and waves her hand casually.

"Hey Lubbock, you're thinking way too far ahead. What time is it now? The empire hasn't even fallen yet, and you're already worrying about this and that. Aren't you tired?"

She grinned. "Besides, if the Snow Maidens are really standing up for the poor, as Brand says, then I'll welcome them the first. I don't care where they come from; as long as they fight the Empire, they're friends."

"As for the subsequent division and struggle for power—"

Leone's tone turned cold. "I'm telling you, did we form our revolutionary army for this reason?! Does it matter who governs us, as long as the people are doing well!"

Knowing perfectly well that having power and not having power are two completely different things, Lubbock, under Najendan's frowning gaze, continued to shake his head, saying, "You make that sound so easy. It's easy to invite a god in, but hard to send him away. If something really goes wrong, will you take responsibility?"

"Sure, I'll take responsibility." Leone patted his chest nonchalantly.

"You'll take responsibility? What will you use to take responsibility?" Lubbock raised an eyebrow.

"Use your fists, huh?" Leone shook her fist, laughing nonchalantly. "Besides, you don't think the Snow Maidens don't want to come, do you?"

"The intelligence reports say they're using the banner of liberating the whole world, and the Empire is among them!"

Seeing that the two were arguing more and more intensely, Brand decisively turned to Najendan.

"My suggestion is that we send someone to secretly contact them and test the attitude of the Snow Maidens. If they are willing to cooperate, we can bind them with an alliance; if they are not willing, we don't need to force them."

Najenda rested her chin on one hand, her gaze sweeping over the three who remained silent.

"Akame, what do you think?"

With her black hair and red eyes, Akame held the Murasame sword that was about to be killed. Upon hearing this, she raised her eyes and calmly uttered four words.

"I'm fine with either."

Knowing the other's temperament, Najenda didn't ask any further questions and looked at the tsundere girl O with pink twin tails who had inherited her Teigu.

"Mine?"

"I agree with Leone."

Mine, who comes from the western border of the Empire and is of mixed race with ethnic minorities, suffered discrimination from a young age. After the Revolutionary Army allied with ethnic minorities, she joined Night Raid and fought to prevent children like herself from being discriminated against.

"As long as everyone can live well, eat well and sleep well, who governs the country is completely irrelevant."

Lubbock did not refute this.

People with different backgrounds and stances will develop different ideas even within the same organization.

Najendan turned her head. "Hill?"

"Hmm————" The bespectacled, airheaded girl tilted her head and thought about it seriously. "I think the Yuki-onna clan members all have beautiful hair."

The room fell silent for a moment, then Leone burst into laughter, "As expected of you, Hill."

Najendan rubbed her temples, took a deep breath, and stood up, supporting herself on the table.

"Alright, that concludes today's discussion. I will conduct further investigations into the Yuki-onna Clan and decide on our next course of action once we have more comprehensive information."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the crowd.

Meeting adjourned.