Wooo—
When the Eternal Snowfall slowly descended over the Imperial Capital, this once-prosperous city had already been devastated.
The luxurious noble district was almost leveled, traces of Heroic Spirits' Noble Phantasms were everywhere.
The palace was even cut in half, as if someone had cleaved it directly with a giant blade.
In the square in front of the palace, dozens of nobles, dressed in fine garments and tightly bound, knelt in neat rows.
Gudako had acted quickly. Once Richelieu reminded her, she immediately stormed the palace and captured Honest and all the remaining rebels in one swoop.
Clack—
Seeing a gigantic ship descending overhead, the ministers lifted their heads in terror.
The Eternal Snowfall hovered extremely low, almost pressing against the city's buildings.
Its ten-kilometer-long hull completely blocked out the sunlight, plunging the city into darkness.
The commoners could only see the dark gray metal underside of the ship and its countless turrets.
Terrified, they huddled inside their homes, only daring to peek through cracks in their windows.
Once the starship stabilized, the hatch at the bow opened.
Setsuna, along with several companions, walked forward, looking down at the kneeling ministers and nobles.
"Honest!"
Akame, seeing the main culprit behind the Empire's corruption, almost couldn't hold back.
Her hand pressed against Murasame, her body trembling slightly.
Gulp—
Honest and the nobles looked up, swallowing hard.
Fear, shock, confusion—their faces were full of mixed emotions.
The conqueror wasn't some grotesque alien or monster, but rather a rather handsome young man,
Surrounded by several beautiful girls.
However, when their eyes landed on a certain figure beside Setsuna—
A woman in a white military uniform with ice-blue hair—
They couldn't help but roar out in fury.
"Esdeath!!!"
The Empire's most hopeful general was standing obediently beside Setsuna, their close stance making their relationship obvious.
Esdeath also noticed Honest below, snorting lightly without any other reaction.
"Esdeath! You betrayed the Empire!!!"
Honest's eyes nearly popped out in rage.
He instantly understood the situation.
"Why?! Was the Empire's reward not enough?! Was your position as general not high enough?! Why would you betray us?!"
Seeing their last hope standing with the enemy, many nobles' hearts sank to the bottom.
"Betrayal? I don't consider it betrayal."
"Survival of the fittest, isn't that natural? I've found someone who can dominate me."
Esdeath said while holding onto Setsuna's arm.
She had once served the Empire not to protect its rule, but simply to satisfy her desire for battle.
She had long understood what kind of scum the ministers were.
They merely used each other without interfering otherwise.
Now, finding a stronger being who could command her and lead her across the stars, she had no more interest in these worms.
"Lover? You fell in love with an alien?!"
Honest could never have imagined that Esdeath would betray so decisively.
He let out a furious roar, struggling like a dying beast:
"Kill him! Kill them! I order you!! I'll give you anything you want!!!"
"..."
Overwhelmed by fear and desperation, the former regent had completely abandoned dignity and decorum,
Hysterically screaming at Setsuna and Esdeath.
"How pathetic, Honest."
Esdeath shook her head.
"Compared to him, you all are just worms wallowing in the mud, corrupting this nation with your filthy desires."
"Short-sighted, pitiful."
After meeting Setsuna, Esdeath felt that no man in the world could catch her eye anymore. The more she looked at the others, the more disgusted she felt.
They were all weak. Worthless.
"You—!!"
Before Honest could finish his sentence—
Crack—
An ice spike thrown by Esdeath pierced through his body.
Just as she had promised Setsuna, she showed no mercy toward enemies, not even an Imperial minister.
The other nobles, seeing this, immediately began to beg for their lives.
"We surrender! We surrender!!!"
"We'll give you anything you want!!!"
They kowtowed frantically toward the starship like chickens pecking at grain.
"..."
Setsuna coldly watched the scene below. These nobles only knew how to repent when death was upon them.
Keeping them around would serve no purpose but to rot the nation from within.
"Esdeath, Gudako, Night Raid—clean them up."
...
For the commoners of the Empire, this was a day worth celebrating.
Following Setsuna's orders, all the nobles were dragged to the capital's plaza for a public execution.
Even Honest was healed just enough to be displayed, tied up in the center of the square.
For a monster like him, being killed quickly by Esdeath would have been too merciful.
The commoners, who hated them with a passion, rushed forward with knives and, as in the original story, dismembered him piece by piece
Esdeath became the undisputed great hero of the Empire.
She had already held a high reputation among the commoners, seen as their protector.
Now, after executing the corrupt nobles, she was revered as a goddess.
As for the "aliens" who claimed they would conquer the world?
Since General Esdeath endorsed them, and they were helping to rebuild the world, how could they be wrong?
Killing Honest and the nobles was seen as a monumental deed by the people.
They didn't mind switching rulers—in fact, they even preferred the "aliens."
Especially when Setsuna dispatched the universal angels to maintain order and help rebuild the city.
The winged girls caused a stir among the people.
"Angels!!! They're real angels!!!"
The universal angels could fly, were stunningly beautiful, and wielded technology beyond the feudal natives' comprehension.
To the largely uneducated commoners, they were divine beings.
"Looks like ruling this world will go very smoothly for us."
Setsuna listened to the reports with satisfaction.
Feudal natives were far easier to deceive than pre-spacefaring humans.
Their lives were barely at medieval levels—throwing them some instant noodles or bread from stockpiles was enough to earn their eternal gratitude.
Combined with a few fabricated myths, ruling them would be rock-solid.
"Yes."
Gudako nodded.
"In the newest versions of bard tales, Commander has already gone from 'alien invader' to 'the Empire's new deity—the Machine God.'"
"Legend has it, when the Empire is in peril and evil ministers rule, if one finds seven spaceship parts wrapped in oiled paper in the palace sewers, they can summon a dragon—cough, I mean, summon the Machine God."
"The Commander will then descend from the sky in a starship marked with a sickle and hammer, saving the people from fire and water, and restoring the Empire's former glory."
"???"
Setsuna bonked Gudako on the head.
"Where the heck did this stitched-together myth come from?! Huh?! Committee!!!"
...
A few days later.
The Imperial Capital.
At the break of dawn, accompanied by a few loud crowing sounds,
The entire city began slowly regaining its vitality.
After washing up, residents changed clothes and headed from all directions toward the city plaza.
Everyone wore a look of anticipation and curiosity.
They knew a major event was about to happen today.
Men, women, young, and old—all hurried their pace.
The Imperial Plaza.
This place had once been used for every Imperial Emperor's coronation and grand celebrations, a vast ground capable of accommodating tens of thousands.
The plaza's floor was paved entirely with white marble inlaid with golden borders, surrounded by jade-carved decorative pillars—an extremely luxurious sight.
In the past, when the Emperor or Minister Honest paraded through, the Royal Guard would clear the way, isolating the ragged lower-class commoners from the nobles' view.
The lower classes weren't even worthy of stepping onto the palace plaza.
However, Setsuna didn't care about any of that.
The Empire's nobles had been almost entirely executed by him.
The Royal Guard, Teigu users, and the Imperial Guard had been annihilated by the Heroic Spirits.
Thus, only a few hundred Battle-class Angeloids were now guarding the plaza.
They wielded light swords in one hand and ion shields in the other, flanking both sides of the plaza.
Battle Angeloids usually showed no emotion or expression,
Appearing as nothing short of divine emissaries to the natives.
The pure white wings of the angels alone were enough to leave the uneducated commoners awestruck.
They didn't dare approach these Valkyrie-like girls.
Even with plenty of space left for spectators, they stayed far at the edges.
Occasionally, a curious child would try to step forward and touch an Angel's wings, only to be quickly pulled back by their parents.
Smack!
"That's a messenger of God! You must not touch them!"
Soon,
When the entire Imperial Capital had emptied out,
Crowds packed the plaza layers deep, surrounding it from all sides.
Clack—
From the starship above, a long gangway descended.
Setsuna and the shipgirls accompanying him walked down slowly.
A little behind them followed members of the Night Raid squad.
The commoners all looked up at the mysterious man.
The Conqueror of the Empire.
That's what the people called him.
He had descended from another world with a massive fleet of starships.
And immediately upon arrival, he had declared the conquest of the world.
Initially, many had cautiously observed the newcomers, unsure of their intentions.
But within mere days,
Minister Honest and the corrupt nobles had been utterly crushed.
More than a dozen neighboring countries were either destroyed or surrendered without a fight.
Even the Empire's strongest general, Esdeath, had joined them.
Esdeath waved and smiled warmly at the commoners, causing a wave of cheers.
Her popularity among the people was overwhelming.
Behind her, Akame and the others couldn't help twitching their mouths.
They still couldn't reconcile this image with the sadistic battle maniac they once knew.
At this point, saying a bad word about Esdeath in public would likely get you drowned in a sea of spit from her fanatical supporters.
After Setsuna walked down the gangway,
A small figure was already waiting on the plaza.
He wore a royal purple coat, a blue cape, a crown on his head, and held a golden scepter in his hand.
Two butler-like figures stood at his sides.
The Little Emperor of the Empire.
Due to his youth, he had ruled under Honest's guidance, essentially serving as a puppet and rubber stamp.
Though he held little real power,
There was no doubt he was the official ruler of the Empire.
And as the ruler, he had to face the cruel reality of defeat.
[Surrender Ceremony Begins]
With the announcement, the Starsea Alliance's military band played.
The crowd was slightly startled, holding their breath as they watched the scene.
The Little Emperor, trembling, walked up to Setsuna and looked up at the man in military uniform.
Strong, dignified.
He looked more like a true ruler than himself.
"The Empire surrenders to the Starsea Alliance."
He slowly knelt down, raising his hands above his head, offering a handwritten edict.
"I... hereby abdicate and abolish all royal and noble privileges and titles."
"From now on, the Empire will serve as a vassal to the Starsea Alliance, under the management of the suzerain state. All administrative matters will be decided by the suzerain."
"I am an unworthy emperor."
His body trembled uncontrollably with nervousness.
Ohhh—
A wave of commotion rippled through the crowd.
Hearing the Emperor personally announce surrender and subordination to another civilization was shocking.
Especially with the abdication and abolition of the royal family's status—it basically meant handing over the entire nation.
"Good. I accept the surrender."
Setsuna took the edict from the Little Emperor.
Inside were also royal seals, ornaments, and other symbols of imperial authority.
Then, he tapped the Little Emperor lightly on the head with the scepter and said calmly:
"I pardon your crimes. From now on, live as an ordinary citizen."
Toward this child emperor who had ascended at the age of four, Setsuna held no malice.
He was just a pitiful puppet manipulated by Honest.
There was no need to send him to the guillotine like in the original story.
"Thank you."
The Little Emperor kowtowed deeply.
After being enlightened, he understood that Honest and the other nobles had deceived him, using him as a tool to rule the Empire.
He also knew their fate—tied up in the plaza and torn apart by the furious commoners.
Even if he couldn't become a wise and great ruler, living a normal life was already a great blessing.
Finally, Setsuna addressed the citizens gathered at the plaza.
"From today on, the Empire is no more. You will live as citizens of the Alliance."
"The suzerain will provide necessary technological support and development aid. In return, I will take what I require."
"A governor will be appointed to oversee local affairs, establishing a more efficient and modern administrative system. All countries will be unified."
"Prepare to welcome a new era."
Some expressions showed worry, others relief.
Escaping the decayed rule of the Empire was good news.
Executing Minister Honest had greatly satisfied public resentment.
But they still didn't fully understand what the advanced technology and modern administration promised by Setsuna meant.
They could only quietly hope this new ruler would bring them better lives.
...
News of the Empire's surrender quickly spread across the entire nation and to neighboring countries.
But for Setsuna, this was merely one of countless surrender ceremonies during the conquest of the Akame ga Kill world.
World Conquest—
As the name suggested, to win, he had to defeat the rulers of this world.
The Akame ga Kill world was stuck in a feudal era.
There were no gods, nor would the system conjure aliens from space.
Either force all nations to surrender or destroy them—eliminating all resistance.
"Strange. I think I'm starting to enjoy watching the leaders of other countries kneel before me."
On the bridge, Setsuna toyed with the imperial seals offered by the Empire and other nations.
He found the experience of crushing other civilizations and forcing their leaders to kneel very satisfying.
Even if the Akame ga Kill world was full of mere natives, it still brought some pleasure.
It would be even better to conquer stronger civilizations in the future.
"Your Majesty, I really didn't misjudge you!!"
Seeing the kings prostrating themselves at Setsuna's feet, Esdeath's eyes practically sparkled with hearts.
This—this was what a true ruler looked like!
She even changed how she addressed him, calling him "Your Majesty."
Conquering and trampling other civilizations, forcing their rulers to kneel and worship—
Such aggressive and dignified methods only made Esdeath's admiration for Setsuna grow stronger by the day.
Even though they had only just met, her affection was about to explode.
"..."
Richelieu didn't really get it.
In her eyes, this was just another normal expedition.
Shipgirls had participated in conquest wars many times; it was nothing new.
"Uh..."
"Commander, speaking of which, there's something I've been meaning to complain about..."
Formidable raised her hand.
"I remember we originally named our country the Starsea Alliance, right?"
"But don't you think Starsea Empire sounds more fitting now?"
"..."
Setsuna and the others froze.
The name "Starsea Alliance" had originally been Yat Sen's idea—
Symbolizing the boundless vastness of the multiverse, intending to cooperate with many civilizations.
Thus, it was called an "alliance."
But looking back now—Alliance? What Alliance?
All the neighbors had been beaten like dogs.
The Azur Lane world had willingly joined Setsuna and merged into the Alliance.
The Demon Slayer world became the first tribute state that could be continuously milked.
Worlds like Date A Live, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, and Nekopara's surface world had all been conquered.
The Black Bullet world had been destroyed.
After extracting the shipgirls, the world of Arpeggio of Blue Steel had also become a tribute state.
The only remaining friendly partner was Chaldea.
Gudako still kept saying that after restoring the Human Order, she would marry Setsuna and bring the entire Chaldea as her dowry.
—Meaning Chaldea was effectively his too.
Counting it all up,
All the neighbors were either tribute states or marked to become tribute states.
"..."
"Our actions do have quite the imperial style."
Chen Hai sighed.
"Maybe we really should rename it the Starsea Empire. It sounds smoother too."
Richelieu said, holding her forehead.
"I second that!"
Esdeath instantly jumped into character, raising her hand in agreement.
"...Well, it's all up to the Commander anyway. It really does sound more like an empire."
Several shipgirls agreed.
"..."
"So, should we start calling the Commander 'Your Majesty' from now on?!"
A few little shipgirls imitated palace maids from historical dramas, bowing:
"Long live His Majesty the Commander!"
"..."
Sitting on the command chair, Setsuna was speechless.
"Long live? I can live until the heat death of the universe—who are you cursing with that?!"
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