Chapter 288: Changing People
"H...Hyuga?"
Carlo, the son of General Pingnan of the Empire, stared blankly at the white-haired youth before him.
"Hundreds... millions?"
His mind was filled with confusion. He knew his father was greedy—every civil and military official aligned with the ministerial faction was. But…
Who was this person in front of him?
What kind of family was Hyuga?
And if his father had truly committed such crimes—how could this person dare confront them so openly?
---
"I've heard whispers," Ryosuke spoke, his voice clear and loud enough to be heard across multiple streets, "about foreign races from the southern overseas islands colluding with officials to exploit and plunder the people of the Empire. I once thought it was mere rumor—too absurd to be true."
"But after seeing it for myself, I can no longer deny it."
His voice thundered like a great bell, reaching civilians, soldiers, and merchants alike. Even those not near the street could hear his righteous condemnation.
"When I, Ryosuke of the Hyuga, spent every coin in support of disaster victims across the empire, I saw firsthand how rotten this nation truly is!"
"The so-called General Pingnan is nothing more than a dog—trading favors between corrupt officials and outsiders!"
"In Naluobo City, the food and supplies meant to save hundreds of thousands were seized mid-transport by you. And worse—an entire town was slaughtered in your hands! Human life, to you, is worth less than pigs in a slaughterhouse!"
As the final word fell, Ryosuke raised his hand slowly—and then brought it down like a divine judgment.
Carlo, still lost in his daze, couldn't utter a word before a crushing invisible force descended from above. His body exploded into a mist of blood, pulverized by pure spiritual pressure.
Gasps echoed from every direction.
Ryosuke ignored the terrified and disbelieving stares from the crowd. He raised his voice and looked toward the magnificent palace that stood above the clouds.
---
"Emperor! Come out and answer for your crimes!"
---
Before he could finish speaking, a dark green bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, hurtling toward his head at blinding speed.
"Madman! How dare you speak the Emperor's name aloud?!"
A deep roar followed as a burly man leapt into view—his hair styled into long horns like a bull demon.
"Heh... You're fast," Ryosuke sneered, unmoved. "But where were you earlier, when the son of General Pingnan was murdering civilians in the street, General Budo?"
With a flick of his wrist, a black shield of chakra condensed in the air and caught the lightning cleanly, swallowing it whole.
The one who arrived was none other than General Budo, supreme commander of the Royal Palace Guard.
Like Esdeath, Budo held one of the empire's two highest military titles—one governing foreign war, and the other guarding the Imperial Capital itself.
"You… know who I am?"
Budo stood high atop a rooftop, his sharp eyes locked onto Ryosuke. "It is my duty to protect the palace. Law and order within the capital falls under the city guard's jurisdiction."
"But who exactly… are you?"
Ryosuke stood alone in the street, yet he didn't lower his gaze. Though he looked up at Budo, his posture, spirit, and voice held an imposing weight—stronger even than the general's.
"Just a commoner," Ryosuke replied calmly. "Born of the Hyuga, heir to a merchant family."
"Months ago, a drought devastated the southern regions. Foreign invaders landed and began looting indiscriminately. The people starved, unclothed, homeless."
"My family couldn't bear it. We spent our entire fortune to gather food and supplies to aid them. But we were ambushed—by those same invaders, backed by your officials and soldiers."
"I followed the trail of corruption all the way here, to the Imperial Capital. Every path leads to your Emperor and his ministers."
"As a general of the Empire… what do you make of this?"
Unlike his earlier tone, Ryosuke's voice now thundered like a war drum—resonating across the capital. Half the city could hear him.
"Presumptuous fool! Don't spout such slander here!"
Budo's face twisted with fury. Muscles bulging, he roared and leapt forward, dark green lightning wrapping around the halberd in his grip.
With a savage yell, he charged at Ryosuke like a thunderbolt.
"Hmph!"
Ryosuke's eyes flashed. A pitch-black staff formed in his hand, and he met the attack head-on.
Boom!
Halberd met staff with a thunderous clash. The shockwave blasted nearby pedestrians off their feet.
Ryosuke stood firm, blood trickling from his lip, but unwavering.
"On the road to the capital, the people cry in silence. They don't dare speak, but the truth is known."
He glared at Budo. "You expect me to believe you never heard a single word of this?"
"They say General Budo is an upright man. But today, I see he's just like the rest—another pawn seeking glory."
His words echoed once again through the city.
"…"
Budo flinched. His eyes darkened, as if Ryosuke's words had struck a nerve.
With a burst of power, he forced Ryosuke back—sending him flying into a nearby wall. Stone cracked and dust billowed, but Ryosuke quickly stood up, blood dripping from his forehead.
The city guards swarmed in, surrounding him.
Budo stood behind them, face grim and conflicted.
By now, the crowd had scattered. But many lingered at a distance, watching with hollow eyes and weary hearts.
"Hahahahahaha!!"
Surrounded on all sides, Ryosuke laughed madly.
His voice rang out—not with arrogance, but with grief and burning rage.
"This is your Empire!"
"A court full of cowards and traitors! An Emperor who doesn't dare show his face!"
His finger shot forward—pointing at the city guards encircling him.
"And you!"
"You claim to protect this city. But in truth, you protect only the powerful."
"The powerless? The innocent? They are nothing to you."
"But have you forgotten?"
"You are also ordinary people! Shackled by fear and greed… reduced to dogs at the feet of your masters!"
His voice was sharp—a blade that pierced the hearts of every soldier present.
Their grips tightened on their spears. Anger flashed across their faces—not only at Ryosuke, but at themselves.
"Die!!"
With a chorus of fury, the guards lunged, spears thrusting toward Ryosuke's chest.
"Trash."
With a flick of his arm, Ryosuke's black staff swept out in a wide arc.
The front line of soldiers was cleaved at the waist. Blood sprayed in great arcs. Broken bodies collapsed, painting the street crimson.
"Water can carry a boat… or overturn it."
"This world belongs to the people."
"Do you truly believe the Emperor and his court can survive without them?"
"His royal lineage has ruled the world for thousands of years only because, in the past, their ancestors showed virtue. They upheld the people and were upheld in return. Naturally, the people revered them as masters."
"But now? This royal line declines with each generation. Whatever others may do, I, Ryosuke of the Hyuga Clan, will no longer serve you!"
As his words echoed, Ryosuke's aura surged once again—vast and unstoppable. His voice resonated like thunder through every corner of the imperial capital, leaving no ear untouched.
"All units, fall back!"
Budo's brows furrowed tightly.
During the earlier clash, his instincts as a seasoned warrior warned him—this white-haired youth was holding back. His strength was deep, bottomless, nothing that could be nurtured by any common merchant household.
There was something strange about this entire confrontation.
Hyuga?
He had never even heard of such a clan.
"General Budo."
A new wave of imperial city troops and guards arrived on the scene. The deputy commander of the head guard stepped forward, his voice echoing solemnly.
"His Majesty commands you to kill this dog immediately."
The moment the order was issued, the two military divisions surged forward, surrounding Ryosuke completely. They did not hesitate, even in the face of his overwhelming pressure.
Wave after wave—the Empire sought to drown him in sheer numbers.
---
"…His Majesty heard those words?"
Budo turned sharply.
"Yes," the deputy nodded, then glanced at the young man soaked in blood at the center of the battlefield. Budo, weathered by war and years of service, asked quietly:
"And what did His Majesty say?"
The deputy hesitated for a long moment. He knew what Budo wanted to hear—what he hoped for. But he could only shake his head slowly.
"His Majesty was furious. He said this world belongs to the royal family—not the common people."
"He called those words absurd… and ordered you to execute the one who spoke them without mercy."
Though his voice remained steady, his eyes and clenched fists betrayed inner turmoil.
"Nonsense… commoner."
Budo looked at the white-haired youth surrounded by steel and flame. His expression wavered.
The boy's sudden arrival was suspicious, his motives unclear… but his words—they carried truth.
And yet, the Emperor had ignored every mention of suffering, every plea for justice. He paid no mind to the corrupt officials or the slaughter of innocents.
All he cared about… was his throne.
A heavy disappointment settled in Budo's chest.
He had hoped—however faintly—that the Emperor might reflect. That someone brave enough to face death might shake him.
But there was no reflection. Only tyranny.
Still, Budo's resolve returned.
"I have eaten the Emperor's food. I must fulfill my duty."
His grip on the halberd tightened. The light in his eyes sharpened again.
"Clear the streets. Get the people home. No one is to linger."
"Split the two legions—half are to seal the inner and outer city gates. Prevent the thief's escape."
"Summon the Imperial Envoys in the capital. We'll execute this traitor together!"
He didn't know what Teigu Ryosuke held—or even if he held one. But everything about him felt wrong. Too calm. Too deliberate.
His clothes were soaked in blood, and yet his eyes… his movements… were still composed.
Still untouched by fear.
To a warrior's instinct, it was all too clear:
This man is playing with them. Playing with soldiers. Playing with generals. Playing with the Empire itself.
And in truth, Budo wasn't wrong.
Ryosuke had indeed been holding back.
With his current power, he could flatten the entire capital. Even Budo, the Empire's great general, could be crushed in an instant.
But that wasn't his goal.
Not today.
This empire… was even more corrupt than he remembered.
What Ryosuke once knew of this world was from the perspective of Tatsumi—the protagonist of that fragmented story. But there were countless truths he hadn't seen.
The chaos was worse. The rot deeper.
And yet… that chaos was an opportunity.
If this had been a stable empire—prosperous and unified—then the Hyuga might've approached peacefully. Trade. Diplomacy. Quiet deals with ministers.
But such a nation would be hard to uproot.
To overthrow its ruler, you'd become the enemy of the world.
But now?
The top was corrupt. The bottom was in agony. The middle was numb.
And that gave Hyuga a just cause to act.
This was a world crying out for revolution.
And Ryosuke was here to give Hyuga the identity it needed. Not as foreign invaders—but as liberators.
---
But to lead the oppressed of this world… Hyuga had to rise above the rest.
There were already rebel forces, resistance groups, scattered and hidden.
To replace them and become the true voice of rebellion, the Hyuga needed to make a statement.
A noise that could shake the world.
They had to do what no revolutionary dared—step into the light and challenge the Empire directly.
Most rebels waited for strength to build.
But Hyuga?
Hyuga lacked nothing.
And so, Ryosuke had chosen to move like a thunderclap.
After today… there would be no one in the Empire who didn't know the name Hyuga.
He had said all he needed to say.
And the Empire's response had been everything he expected.
So now…
It was time to bring this farce to an end.
"The son of a peasant may become a prince; the blood of a king does not make a ruler."
"This Emperor is unworthy. I, Ryosuke of Hyuga, form a rebel army this day—to bring down the tyrant and rebuild the world!"
His voice soared like a war horn.
"If you have the will, if you have the strength—if you refuse to kneel to this broken throne, then come. Join us."
"I, Ryosuke of Hyuga, swear this—if the people lift me up, I will never let them fall!"
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