"Kurome, once I'm gone, the contract between us will be null and void. You'll be completely free.
The Empire is finished, and you're no longer the Kurome of the past. Maybe it's time to try living for yourself."
Hearing Wood's words, Kurome felt a whirlwind of emotions. Wood had given her a second chance at life, becoming her savior and benefactor.
In the past, she lived for the Empire. After being saved by Wood, she dedicated herself to him. She had always needed someone to anchor her existence. But now, Wood wanted her to live for herself.
Their relationship had shifted too quickly—from enemies to allies and now something far deeper—leaving Kurome in emotional chaos whenever she faced him.
But this time, Kurome was resolute. She didn't want Wood to sacrifice himself, so she steeled herself to stop him from using Heart of God.
Unfortunately, before she could act, Wood appeared in front of her, faster than she could move, his blade resting against her neck.
"Don't stop me. This is my final command to you.
If you refuse to obey, I'll have no choice but to treat you the same way I handled Mine.
I can't understand why you're all so determined to stop me. Sacrificing one life to save so many—is that such a terrible trade?
And besides, my body is already broken beyond repair. Even if I don't use Heart of God, I doubt I have more than a year left.
Rather than waste that year on meaningless survival, I'd rather spend it doing something worthwhile."
As Wood spoke, the runes on his chest burst into radiant silver light.
With a roar, he summoned his Frost Knight one final time.
The towering, four-meter-tall blue knight stood imposingly on the icy battlefield, its chest emitting dazzling silver radiance. Snowflakes fell from the heavens, and a stunning aurora appeared in the sky, illuminating the desolate ice field with its ethereal glow.
"Divine Healing Magic—The Goddess' Smile!"
Those still conscious—Kurome, Chelsea, Run, and even the captured young Emperor—gaped in awe at the scene, as though witnessing a miracle.
The wounds on Tatsumi, Akame, and the others had already surpassed the limits of intermediate or advanced healing magic. Even with Wood's overexertion of Heart of God, such injuries were beyond ordinary recovery.
But now, under the power of Frost Knight's evolved secret technique, Wood had broken through his limits.
The divine magic summoned a breathtaking goddess, her beauty unparalleled, holding a radiant scepter. She smiled gently, scattering green starlight over the battlefield.
Under the shimmering light, miracles unfolded before their eyes. Akame's cursed wounds and Tatsumi's dragonification visibly reversed at an astonishing pace.
Even Lubbock and Sheele, who had lost limbs, experienced something utterly unbelievable: new flesh began to grow from their stumps, forming veins, muscles, and finally skin.
Within minutes, the critically injured members of Night Raid were being restored, their breaths steadying and life returning to their broken bodies.
But as their comrades healed, Wood's condition rapidly deteriorated. His silver hair, drained of vitality, fell from his head like snow. His once muscular frame withered, his flesh seeming to shrink as if drained of all nutrients.
The cost of life was immense. Wood was not only expending his own vitality through Heart of God but also succumbing to the encroaching effects of Frost Knight's power.
Blue scales spread from his dragon-like half, covering his body entirely. Razor-sharp fangs and a tail emerged, completing his transformation into something unrecognizable—a monstrous shell of what once was.
When the aurora faded and the goddess disappeared into the sky, the snow continued to fall gently. But the figure standing amidst the icy expanse no longer drew breath.
Chelsea collapsed to her knees, stifling her sobs with trembling hands. Kurome, as if robbed of her soul, fell back onto the snow, staring blankly at the lifeless figure.
The others, who awoke moments later to find themselves alive, were initially confused. But when they noticed Wood standing motionless—a monstrous sentinel with his Frost Knight embedded in the snow—they understood.
Wood had always used his healing powers sparingly, aware of the toll it exacted on him. For him to save so many from such grievous injuries meant only one thing: he had paid the ultimate price.
Tatsumi, Lubbock, and Sheele broke into anguished cries, their voices echoing across the ice.
Najenda and Bulat, though still weak, sat silently, their eyes reflecting a deep sorrow. Finally, Najenda managed a bitter smile.
"You've saved us again, Wood. But you never gave us a chance to repay the favor."
Leone, overwhelmed by grief, slammed her fists into the ground repeatedly. Blood from her freshly healed wounds seeped into the snow, painting it red.
Akame, still dazed, crawled toward Wood's lifeless form, only to stop when a voice broke through her haze.
"Don't touch him!" Mine's trembling cry rang out as she stumbled forward.
The pink-haired girl, now awake, rushed to Wood's side. Ignoring his monstrous appearance, she threw herself against his lifeless body, embracing him tightly.
Tears streamed down her face as she let out a heart-wrenching wail, her sobs piercing through the silence of the frozen battlefield.
Chapter 453: Wood: Perhaps This Is My Final Worth
As if to bid a final farewell to the young girl and his companions, the moment Mine embraced Wood's lifeless body, his form began to lose its structural integrity. Like an ancient artifact exposed to the elements, his body visibly began to weather and crumble, starting from his arms.
"No… I won't accept this! You promised me—you promised you'd survive! You said after we overthrew the Empire, you'd keep treating me to free cake…"
Wood's body, continuously disintegrating, turned to dust. With a gust of wind, his remains scattered into the sky, vanishing into the air.
Mine stretched out her hands, desperately trying to hold onto him, but the flowing wind carried the dust through her fingers, leaving her grasping at nothing.
"Ahhh—!"
Her scream, filled with grief and helplessness, echoed across the snowy battlefield.
To save the critically injured Tatsumi and the others, Wood had exhausted every last bit of his life force through Heart of God. Not only had his life ended, but even his physical body had been entirely consumed. Nothing was left—not even a corpse—just a trace of ashes carried away by the wind.
The battle that had ravaged the land finally came to an end. The Empire, which had stood for a millennium but had fallen into utter corruption, was finally overthrown.
The culprits behind its rot, Prime Minister Honest and General Budo, were dead. The Empire's strongest warrior, Esdeath, had fallen. The young Emperor had been captured. The Empire now existed in name only.
Yet, the cost of victory was tremendous. The Revolutionary Army, battered by Esdeath's relentless assaults, had lost nine out of every ten soldiers and leaders. Although they took control of the Empire, the kingdom did not find peace.
While the capital lay in ruins, the Empire's vast armies had suffered minimal damage. If the Revolutionary Army had maintained its strength, those forces might have surrendered. But with only a few thousand troops remaining and most of their leaders gone, what reason did the Empire's millions-strong military have to capitulate?
Many opportunistic generals in the Empire seized the chaos to leave the capital, leading their armies to occupy parts of the Empire as self-proclaimed rulers.
Only a handful of conscientious generals, out of respect for Najenda, chose to pledge loyalty to the newborn nation.
Meanwhile, the neighboring tribes on the Empire's borders saw the weakened state of both the Empire and the Revolutionary Army as a chance to stir unrest.
To stabilize the chaos, the young Emperor and several captured corrupt nobles were ultimately sent to the execution platform.
The young Emperor, however, faced his fate with a surprising calm, in stark contrast to the wailing nobles who begged for their lives.
Before his execution, he addressed Najenda with an uncharacteristically mature composure:
"I hope you govern this nation well. Don't let the people suffer again.
And don't let someone like Wood stand on the opposing side ever again."
The young Emperor had finally awakened to the truth. There truly were people willing to sacrifice their lives selflessly for their ideals and others. But his realization had come too late.
The execution of the former Emperor sent a powerful message, intimidating those with malicious intent. In the end, the young Emperor died with dignity, his final words a testament to his growth.
After the Empire's fall, Akame, Mine, and Leone initially planned to retire.
But with the Revolutionary Army's diminished strength, rebellious former Imperial generals running rampant, and border tribes causing unrest, Najenda sought her comrades' help once more to protect the people.
Tatsumi, fulfilling a childhood promise, became a general of the Empire, leading campaigns to quell the rebellion and rogue generals.
Wave and Bulat returned as generals, commanding the Empire's navy and defending the northern borders from tribes, respectively.
Najenda assumed Budo's former position as commander of all military forces. Lubbock remained her loyal bodyguard, while Run took the role of secretary.
Leone became the chief instructor for new recruits, while Sheele took charge of the logistics division.
Kurome and Akame reconciled as sisters. Kurome rebuilt the assassination unit but reformed its brutal methods, focusing on refined skills instead of cruelty.
Akame joined Bulat in defending the borders, replacing Esdeath as the most feared name among the tribes.
Chelsea established an intelligence division, serving as its head to gather information from within and beyond the Empire.
Mine, however, rejected Najenda's offer to lead the Empire's long-range combat units. Instead, she built a small wooden cabin near Wood's gravesite and chose a life of seclusion.
Before major campaigns, Tatsumi, Bulat, and Akame would visit Wood's grave, standing silently in deep thought.
The grave itself was only a cenotaph. Since Wood's body had vanished, all that remained were his clothes. Frost Knight was sealed in the grave as well, for no one else could wield it.
"Mine, are you really planning to spend the rest of your life here?"
Wood's death had left an indelible mark on all of Night Raid, but none carried the weight of his loss as heavily as Mine.
"Wood once said, no matter how kingdoms rise or fall, corruption will always reemerge in those who rule.
Rather than spend my life fighting for rulers, I'd rather live quietly in a peaceful place.
Of course, if my comrades ever face danger, I won't sit idly by. After all, that's what Wood would have wanted…"
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