บท 138: Chapter 138: Imperial Tool
Chapter 138: Imperial Tool
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After confirming that Esdeath was no longer in sight, Aoki slowed his flying speed and looked down.
The world below was completely covered in ice and snow—desolate, cold, and harsh.
He gazed into the distance and finally spotted two small villages far away. Finding a path that could barely be called a road, Aoki descended. After landing, he looked back in the direction he came from.
"What a crazy woman" he muttered.
Esdeath was a very complicated person.
She possessed an exceptional talent for commanding troops, and the army she led was considered the strongest in the empire. Combined with her formidable personal strength, she was nearly invincible.
Esdeath was very generous to her subordinates and the common people. She often distributed the gold, silver, and treasures awarded to her by the emperor among her soldiers, and she forbade them from harassing the commoners or accepting bribes.
She had repelled numerous invasions by foreign tribes, earned great military honors, and could be called a national hero.
In fact, Esdeath had a large number of admirers within the empire.
However, she also adhered to the law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak. She loved war and killing, believed that strength was justice, lacked sympathy or mercy, and relished torture and interrogation. She was strong, domineering, and cold-blooded.
It was impossible to judge Esdeath by ordinary moral standards.
Perhaps it was more accurate to see her as a weapon rather than a human being.
Esdeath was a sharp, bloodthirsty demon blade that could save lives and expand territories, but if mishandled, it could also cause self-harm.
"By the way, Esdeath is a super-sadistic ace," Aoki recalled. "I remember reading somewhere that every ace has a hidden love in their heart. If you're strong enough, could you train Esdeath to be…"
Aoki abruptly stopped that dangerous train of thought.
"Don't think about such messy things," he chastised himself. "I don't have the ability anyway."
Aoki turned his mind away from Esdeath and began to consider the current state of the world.
Esdeath's presence meant that the empire had not yet fallen apart.
The Empire was the most powerful country in the world, with a history spanning more than a thousand years.
Now, under the minister's leadership, the entire empire had become corrupt, dark, cruel, and bloody, teetering rapidly on the brink of collapse.
It was worth noting that Esdeath was an ally of the minister.
Esdeath used the minister's influence to create opportunities for battle, while the minister relied on Esdeath's strength to maintain his control.
In this world, there existed a special class of weapons called Teigu.
To secure long-term rule, the founding emperor of the empire had mobilized the entire country to use materials from super-dangerous species, rare metals like Orichalcum steel, and numerous lost secret techniques to create forty-eight unique weapons that could never be replicated.
These were the Imperial Tools(Teigu).
However, in a war hundreds of years ago, some of these tools were lost and ended up among the people, shaking the empire's control.
At this time, the minister had control over the young emperor and the government. The situation had completely collapsed, and rebellions broke out everywhere.
Aoki wasn't concerned with the empire's problems, but he was very interested in the Imperial Tools.
He raised his left hand, noticing the silver flower on the back of it had become very dim. The energy stored in it was depleted, and he had no idea how long it would take to recharge.
"Maybe I should use this time to collect a few Imperial Tools?"
When Aoki thought of the Imperial Tools, the first ones that came to mind were Incursio and Demon's Extract.
Tatsumi had inherited his Imperial Tool from Bulat.
Made from the muscles of the extremely dangerous Tyrant, it had exceptional defensive capabilities and could greatly enhance physical abilities.
Additionally, there is Esdeath's Demon's Extract, the essence of the devil, Akame's one-hit kill ability, the demon sword Murasame, and so on.
"The essence of the devil has been absorbed by Esdeath. Even if I were to kill her, I would most likely end up destroyed along with her. Being haunted by demons isn't a bad alternative," Aoki thought as his expression shifted and he considered another Imperial Tool.
The first and most powerful Imperial Tool, inherited by the imperial royal family, is the nation's Imperial Guardian: Shikoutazer. This tool can only be wielded by those of royal blood.
The young emperor, with no experience using the weapon, could easily destroy an entire city block with a single strike. A few random attacks could threaten the entire imperial capital with collapse.
Aoki silently contemplated his next move.
Since he had come to this world, even if he couldn't solve all its problems, he had to make good use of the resources available here.
He might be invincible in the Demon Slayer world, but that may not be the case in other worlds.
"If you want to do your work well, you must first sharpen your tools," he mused. "Without sufficient strength, even if I find an opportunity to escape this predicament, I might not be able to seize it."
The initial excitement of world travel had gradually faded, and Aoki's thoughts became clearer.
"Two things are most important," he concluded. "One is to level up, and the other is to try to obtain an Imperial Tool."
The people in this world are incredibly strong.
Perhaps this environment could support the continued upgrading of the "King of the White Walkers." However, this would require some experimentation.
An Imperial Tool could also solve his problem of lacking attack power.
As a demon, he possessed a strong regenerative ability, and with his space-traveling skills and bat wings, his survival capabilities were impressive. However, his destructive power was severely lacking.
Acquiring a suitable Imperial Tool would greatly increase his strength.
However, wielding an Imperial Tool was not so simple.
Each Imperial Tool required compatibility; if the compatibility did not match, it couldn't be used, even forcibly. Moreover, the compatibility for each tool varied.
Some Imperial Tools had been shelved for years because no one met their requirements.
"After thinking it over, I feel the most suitable one for me is the Shikoutazer" Aoki said to himself.
First and foremost, always aim for the best.
Imperial Tools like the Cross Tail were simply not on the same level as the Shikoutazer in terms of destructive power.
Secondly, the requirement for using the Shikoutazer was very clear: royal bloodline.
For most, this was an unattainable goal.
But Aoki could give it a try.
He immediately thought of two possible approaches.
The first was to rely on his complete mimicry ability to simulate the bloodline of royal family members.
He wasn't sure if he could do it, though, since he didn't know how the Shikoutazer detected bloodlines.
The second way was to turn the young emperor into a demon and then consume him.
However, if he became a demon, the royal bloodline might be destroyed.
"Let's head to the imperial capital first!" Aoki decided, putting these thoughts aside.
The imperial capital was a hub of intrigue and the best place to obtain Imperial Tools.
The primary goal was the Shikoutazer. But if the chance arose, he could also try to collect other Imperial Tools.
Since Imperial Tools had great burdens and consumed a lot of energy, normally, a person could only wield one. However, Aoki was not afraid of being hurt, so he might be able to handle more than one.
With his direction set, Aoki moved quickly.
His immediate target was not the imperial capital, but a village he had seen earlier.
He didn't even know the direction to the imperial capital.
He would have to ask someone for directions first.
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T/N: There is a Patreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early chapters.
Patreon link:- Patreon.com/ANelite
And also:
Imperial weapon = Teigu
Teigu = Imperial weapon
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