Chapter 50: One Punch, Explode the Minister

"Is the intelligence accurate?"

"Of course it is!"

The one who answered Jia Ji was not Esdees, but a woman with silver mid-length hair, her expression stern, her demeanor utterly devoid of softness; though her figure was excellent, her overall lines gave off a cold, rigid impression, yet possessed a unique charm.

Though a woman, one couldn’t help but want to call her "bro" or "buddy."

She was an extremely rare two-dimensional tomboy type!

This female brother, this female hero, was naturally Najeeta, the capital’s military officer, later the leader of the assassination squad "Night Raid"—Najehitan.

According to the original fate, she would, within roughly three years, grow deeply disillusioned with the Empire’s darkness, join the rebellion, and upon heading toward the revolutionary headquarters, encounter Esdees come to exact vengeance; two of her Imperial Artifact users would be killed, her right eye and right arm crippled, and after escaping, she would cut her hair and change her name.

When she reappeared, Najehitan had already fitted herself with a massive mechanical arm and donned an eyepatch, beginning to pass judgment on her former colleagues in the capital through her own courage and cunning.

"Do you like someone like her?" Esdees elbowed Jia Ji, who was staring fixedly at Najeeta, and asked curiously.

It’s less about liking her, more about admiration.

【Great Moe God: (–︿)——■■■■■〉】

【Ice Queen: What’s wrong with you??】

【Great Moe God: I’m the Black Swordsman, and now it’s the Golden Age!】

Under Jia Ji’s interference, Esdees and Najehitan—who had originally been mortal enemies—secretly allied, preparing to eliminate the nation’s greatest tumor: Minister Onest.

"According to the intel, the Minister is expected to inspect the execution grounds at nine tomorrow morning, personally watching the execution of captured rebel spies."

"What about the guards?"

"We can confirm at least two of the current Imperial Fist Temple’s Rakshasa Four Ghosts are present."

"That’s it?"

It wasn’t that Jia Ji looked down on them, but if only these two were there, he could turn them both into two piles of pixels by himself.

Not to mention Esdees, wielding "Muramasa," was also present; though she disliked such cheating weapons that killed with a mere brush, she was reluctantly prepared to use it to sever the Minister’s head.

What about "Muramasa’s" opinion?

Could it dare defy Esdees, who possessed peerless power!

And there was also Najehitan, the close-range marksman, who carried a gun so absurdly large it was more like a cannon—named "Romantic Cannon: Pumpkin Cannon," an assassination-type Imperial Artifact that converted spiritual energy into shockwaves, its power increasing with the user’s level of peril.

Most crucially, this thing had infinite ammunition!

The value of infinite firepower? Great. No need to elaborate!

Just look at the weapon’s cutting power and stats—how could two unarmed martial artists possibly stand against these three, whose combined strength could sway the tide of war?

Najehitan had never originally considered assassinating the Minister; it was too unrealistic. Over the years, many had tried—and all had failed.

So, without absolute certainty, no matter how much she despised the Minister, she wouldn’t throw her life away… until Esdees came to her door.

She had long been aware of this girl who had recently risen to fame in the capital; everyone with sense was watching—if the capital was a sea of hidden currents maintaining a surface equilibrium,

then she was…

A colossal figure burst violently from the sea’s surface—the true apex predator, the great white shark!

Strange, why did she think of a great white shark?

But it didn’t matter; what mattered was the storm this stranger girl, who had suddenly entered the capital, had stirred in her wake.

Brutal, tyrannical, crushing all who tried to control her, leaving heads rolling in the streets and alleys; though eventually, after intense power struggles among the military, nobility, and officials, she had calmed down, her astonishingly terrifying strength still made everyone want to recruit her.

In fact, as Najehitan knew, among those who sought her, Minister Onest had offered the highest price and the most lavish gifts.

Who could have imagined that Esdees not only refused to join Onest’s faction, but rejected every other overture, and simply went on vacation alone?

Many lofty nobles had been so terrified by this girl from the frontier that their legs had gone weak; they naturally welcomed her application to leave the capital, enthusiastically approving, even hoping she’d never return.

But Najehitan never expected that upon returning from vacation, this violent, madwoman’s first target would be her—and that she’d propose a wild, audacious idea: kill Onest.

When she asked why, the other simply replied calmly, "Someone said you could be trusted."

And about a week later, that "someone" arrived in the capital.

The moment she saw him, Najehitan began trembling—not her body, but her Imperial Artifact, which shook uncontrollably, desperately warning her.

A crushing sense of danger, an unprecedented terror, surged from the "Romantic Cannon: Pumpkin Cannon" into her heart; even the Empire’s strongest general, Bud the Thunder God, had never given her such suffocating pressure.

It felt as if merely being touched by him would mean death—total annihilation—like a bomb with its fuse lit had walked up to her, and there was no escape.

Afterward, Esdees arrived, wielding "One Strike, One Kill: Muramasa," and again brought her the searing pain of "Ten Deaths, No Life."

Before these two, Najehitan couldn’t even grip her own Imperial Artifact, only placing it at her side as she spoke with them.

It made no difference—within such close range, either one of them could kill her, and she had no chance of escaping.

"His strength can be trusted. If you don’t believe it, you can…"

Esdees volunteered.

"I believe."

Najehitan smiled bitterly. One Esdees was already absurd enough—she didn’t know where she’d dragged up this terrifying creature.

Not just one Minister—even if they faced off directly against General Bud, the Thunder God’s "Rage of the Thunder God," she felt victory would still lie with them.

"Operation codename: 'Insect Extermination, Sun Slaying.' Any objections?"

The man with thick, murderous aura suddenly spoke.

"Fine."

"No problem."

Thus, the assassination plan was swiftly finalized.

The enemy was visible; we were hidden. We struck with intent against their unawareness.

At this moment, Najehitan’s confidence was at one hundred percent!

One hundred percent.

……………………

Exactly nine a.m.

The capital’s execution ground was packed with spectators.

Clearly, they were all here to watch beheadings.

In this super-metropolis of ten million people, such scenes played out daily.

And since Minister Onest took power, those executed weren’t just common criminals—they included political prisoners, enemy spies, ethnic saboteurs, rebel sympathizers; like weeds, no matter how many were cut, more sprouted.

Over time, the ground of the execution site had been stained dark red by the blood of severed heads and corpses; executioners and guillotines had been replaced several times.

Yet every time, the stands remained packed; they didn’t care whether these people had truly committed unforgivable crimes—they simply wanted to watch rivers of blood, to amuse themselves with others’ suffering, endlessly, without fatigue.

The capital’s prison warden had long pledged allegiance to Minister Onest, having done countless dirty deeds for him, secretly eliminating countless rivals, and mastering countless interrogation techniques.

Among all the prisoners, he was more terrifying than ten billion serial killers—and now, he stood beside a "short, stocky" man, grinning obsequiously, speaking with a tone of humility.

The only person who could command such deference was the Empire’s supreme ruler—Minister Onest!

Though his hair and beard were gray, and his beard long enough to tie up, Onest was not actually short—he stood at one meter eighty—but his excessively bulky, horizontally expanded frame made his height seem deceptive; only up close could one feel the terror.

His belly bulged, his body square-shaped; beneath that thick layer of fat, beneath that harmless expression, lay something profoundly dangerous.

"Chew… chew chew chew… gulp."

One hand gripped roasted meat, his mouth still constantly eating, his beard caked with grease; hearing the crowd’s cries of "Boring! We want rivers of blood!" he nodded in satisfaction.

"Good job."

His other hand slapped the warden’s back; the two exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

This man, who manipulated the young Emperor to enact endless tyranny, was a giant who constantly ate meat—but contrary to his appearance, he was highly capable, cunning and cruel; rumors claimed he had helped the current Emperor rise above countless rivals to the throne, but in truth, the Emperor’s own biological parents had been murdered by his own hands.

Behind him stood two elite warriors from the Imperial Fist Temple: Ji and Zhutian; their bulging muscles revealed they had trained relentlessly, their strength rivaling certain Imperial Artifact users.

As members of the Imperial Fist Temple, they now served as Onest’s personal executioners, maintaining vigilance behind him.

"Move aside, friend, let me get closer!"

A small commotion erupted from the rear of the crowd; then a figure pushed through, squeezing to the very front of the viewing platform—the distance where the condemned’s blood would splash onto one’s face.

A spiky-haired man suddenly stood out from the crowd.

Zhutian and Ji glanced at him, then dismissed their suspicion—no assassin would appear so openly, eagerly awaiting the execution.

Jia Ji had long suppressed his aura; unless their senses were keener than Esdees’, they could only see him as a slightly trained ordinary man.

"Come closer—I’m dipping my steamed bun."

He grinned, holding up a freshly bought, steaming bun as if he were a genuine spectator, his eyes filled with innocence and stupidity.

Once he sensed Ji and Zhutian had turned their gazes away, Jia Ji held his breath, tensing his muscles, ready to strike.

The prison warden seated above looked up at the sky, yawned widely, then waved his hand and announced:

"Begin!"

【Great Moe God: Begin!】

Two terrifying waves of killing intent erupted simultaneously from either side of the execution platform, instantly drawing the attention of the two Rakshasa Ghosts.

The crowd surged apart like water sliced by a sharp fish fin, revealing Esdees, wielding a long blade and laughing wildly, and Najehitan, holding a massive iron cannon—both masked.

"That Imperial Artifact—you’re…"

The two guards, who had intended to rush forward immediately, hesitated slightly upon hearing Onest’s words—his tone suggested he recognized one of these sudden women.

But they hadn’t come to chat with the Minister—they’d come to kill!

A dangerous energy surged from the dark muzzle of the cannon, aimed at the hairy Zhutian, while Esdees became a terrifying afterimage, tearing through the air as she charged toward Ji.

Sudden chaos!

The crowd erupted in terrified screams, scattering in all directions.

The two Imperial Fist Temple warriors roared, using their bodies as shields, lunging left and right to intercept the attackers and shield Onest.

Thus, at this moment, Onest’s front was completely exposed!

Wow, what a perfect opportunity!

And right before him was the last assassin—Jia Ji!

Taking advantage of the guards being distracted, he stamped his feet, leaving deep imprints on the ground, then shot forward over ten meters, appearing before the minister like a flash.

Good enough—why overthink all this nonsense?

O’Nest, I’m coming to kill you now!

The minister reacted instantly; the moment Jia Ji landed, he activated his Imperial Artifact—“Gem Ornament: Ireston!”

This is a gem-type Imperial Artifact, normally worn on the forehead, designed to destroy enemy Imperial Artifacts. As soon as an enemy enters its range, it shatters its own gem to disable the opponent’s artifact, and the damaged gem regenerates within just a week.

Whether it’s “Pumpkin Cannon” or “Murasame,” once this guy activates his artifact, all of them turn to scrap—that’s why other Imperial Artifact users fail in their assassinations.

But this only works against Imperial Artifacts.

—That means it’s time for my ultimate assassination fist to shine!

Plot developments, chain reactions, butterfly effects—all go to hell.

Right now, I’m going to kill him!

No one can stop me!

“Ah da!”

Before the minister could utter a word, Jia Ji aimed at his enormous, round belly—the thickest, most heavily defended spot—and kicked it with lightning speed.

Your death star has ignited!

“Ultimate Fist of the Northern Dipper—Northern Dipper… Soft Break Slash!!!!”

The black swordsman—Gazi, Guts, protagonist of “Berserk,” also sporting an iron arm and a single eye, wielding an absurdly massive dragon-slaying greatsword; the “Golden Age” can simply be understood as a “good era.”

In the setting of “Red Eyes,” the imperial capital is as large as SX Province, with a population of at least ten million… absurd, yes, but it’s true (purely made-up numbers).

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(End of Chapter)