Being Overpowered in Akame ga Kill

"Hey, Boss, something's off. This isn't how we planned it. Why is Esdeath still holed up with her troops? Isn't she supposed to be a battle maniac?"

In a coalition military camp just outside the Imperial Capital—shared by the Revolutionary Army, the Path of Peace, and the western tribes—Mine peered through the scope of her Teigu, Roman Artillery: Pumpkin, watching Esdeath on the distant battlefield as she voiced her concern to Najenda beside her.

Just as Najenda had predicted, after the alliance was formed, the Empire quickly dispatched Esdeath to suppress the rebellion.

Much like in the original story, many territories within the Empire offered no resistance once the coalition moved. And even those that did were ineffective—years of corruption had left their armies weak and disorganized, incapable of stopping the momentum of the rebel forces.

As a result, the coalition swept through city after city with barely a fight. Most surrendered outright, and now the allied army had pushed to the very doorstep of the capital.

"I'm not sure either. Let's wait and see. Hopefully, Esdeath isn't planning anything."

Najenda frowned in uncertainty. She couldn't help but feel uneasy.

But in truth, Najenda was overthinking it. With Esdeath's overwhelming power, if she truly wanted to fight, she wouldn't need any strategy—she alone could crush the entire coalition.

The reason Esdeath remained in the army, and why even her Teigu users, including the Three Beasts, rarely made a move, was simple. Before departing the capital, she'd been informed of Haruki's plan. At his signal, she had no intention of fully engaging in the battle and was merely offering token resistance.

Yet even with this half-hearted effort, the Revolutionary Army was taking heavy losses. Esdeath's soldiers were elite veterans, capable of holding off two or three enemies each. The coalition was advancing only thanks to sheer numbers.

"Lady Esdeath, the rebels are overwhelming us. Our troops are struggling to hold the line. Should we engage?"

On the Empire's side, Liver of the Three Beasts approached Esdeath with the report.

Despite the dire situation, Liver didn't look particularly worried. As long as Esdeath was on the field, defeat wasn't even a possibility in his mind. After years under her command, the Three Beasts knew all too well just how terrifying her strength was.

"No need. If we can't hold them back, we'll fall back for now."

To Liver's surprise, Esdeath calmly gave the order to retreat.

"Understood. I'll give the order immediately."

Though momentarily stunned, Liver complied without question. They would never disobey Esdeath's command.

"But before we go... I think I'll have a little fun first."

Once the Three Beasts had left, Esdeath spoke to herself in a voice only she could hear. No one saw the cruel smile that tugged at her lips.

...

"Boss! The Imperial army's retreating!"

Mine quickly reported the development to Najenda and the rest of Night Raid as she watched Esdeath's troops pull back.

"What? That's strange. Is Esdeath really the one leading them? Her behavior doesn't make any sense…"

Najenda furrowed her brow. Having once served under Esdeath and monitored her closely ever since, Najenda knew her better than any other commander in the alliance. This unexpected retreat set off alarm bells in her mind.

"No, something's not right. I need to talk to command. Tell everyone not to rush the pursuit—this smells like a trap."

Slapping her forehead as the thought hit her, Najenda quickly turned and sprinted toward the largest tent in the camp.

Her instincts were sharp, but she had overestimated the discipline of the allied troops. Before joining the coalition, most of them had been nothing more than farmers—many had taken to the battlefield armed with nothing but hoes and farming tools.

So the moment they saw the Imperial army retreating, before any orders were given, they broke formation and charged after them, howling as they gave chase.

"Charge! The Imperial army's retreating!"

"Haha! So much for the mighty Empire!"

"Kill those bastard Imperial dogs!"

Shouts like these rang out nonstop across the battlefield.

Soon, a bizarre scene unfolded—on one side, the Imperial army, well-equipped and marching in perfect formation, was retreating in an orderly fashion. On the other side, the coalition forces surged forward in complete disarray, a chaotic mob chasing after them.

"Huh? Isn't that Esdeath?"

Mine, still observing from the rear, suddenly spoke up.

As the Empire's forces pulled back, a clear gap formed between them and the pursuing coalition. With both sides on the move, Esdeath gradually came into full view—alone, standing between the two armies.

She stood motionless, not retreating with the rest. Her hat brim was pulled low, hiding her expression.

"That's Esdeath! Everyone, take her down!"

Esdeath's name was known across the Empire. Seeing her standing alone, the allied soldiers—perhaps emboldened by their numbers—charged forward, shouting wildly. They had no real understanding of what it meant to face someone like her.

"Hmph. You fools still don't get the difference between us. Weaklings should just accept judgment. Resistance is pointless."

Esdeath slowly raised her head, a cruel smile forming on her lips.

"Ice Cavalry!"

In an instant, she dropped to one knee, both hands pressed to the ground, and gave the command.

"No! She's making her move! Leone, go warn the boss—we'll try to stop her!"

Realizing what was happening, Mine shouted frantically to those nearby.

But it was already too late.

The ground thundered as hooves struck earth, followed by the clashing of weapons. In an instant, an entire cavalry unit made of pure ice—glimmering blue and terrifyingly uniform—materialized before Esdeath. Thousands strong.

Without hesitation, under Esdeath's control, the ice cavalry charged straight into the ranks of the pursuing coalition.

On a flat battlefield, cavalry was already a deadly weapon. But these weren't ordinary riders. Forged from ice, Esdeath's cavalry felt no pain, their bodies unnaturally tough and powerful. Most of the coalition were infantry. The result was inevitable—a brutal, one-sided slaughter.

With just that single attack, over 100,000 coalition soldiers fell—nearly a fifth of their entire force.

By the time Night Raid arrived on the scene, Esdeath had already withdrawn with the Imperial army.

And just like that, Najenda's first phase of the plan had completely collapsed. Not only had they failed to pin down Esdeath, but the coalition army had suffered catastrophic losses.