CHAPTER 96 Pikachu!!!

No matter how hard or impossible it is, never lose sight of your goal.

Monkey D Luffy

......

"We, who always walk in the light and hunt the shadows, are the Shadows ourselves." Jin raised his hand as he drew his katana from its scabbard.

"Darkness can never be overcome by darkness, so we will be the light that burns it to the ground... I am the light, and..." Jin looked at Budo, his eyes transforming into killer eyes, before he said, "We are... Day Raid!"

"..." Budo stared at Jin, lowering his head as thunderclouds formed in the sky.

"I see now... You're a clown. A clown that dares to attack the Empire in broad daylight! Who gave you the courage?!" Budo glared at Jin with anger and rage.

"Did you even listen to my speech? Light and brightness? Day Raid? It's pretty obvious. Are you stupid?" Jin looked at the thunderclouds and remembered his own spell, which was weaker.

"First, it was those rats of the rebellion that I would rid us of," Budo said, walking towards Jin as he raised his Teigu, Adramelech, and reached for the clouds.

"Mh~Hm~" Jin made a sound, as if he understood.

"But now, there has to be a clown that dares to oppose the Empire," Budo controlled the clouds, which flashed with lightning, and declared, "I don't know your little rat's gang, but I'll find them and kill them all!"

"Cool..." Jin didn't seem to care as he grew impatient.

"But first..." Budo clenched his fist, charging up thunder, and said, "I'll kill you! And make you an example for everyone who dares to oppose the Empire!"

"Oh? You see, there's a problem with your speech. Don't you think it would be more intimidating if you were..." Jin looked at Budo and the thunder before saying, "Intimidating?"

"Are you mocking me? Clown!" Budo reached his limit and wanted to unleash his thunder on this rat.

"Me? Mocking? No, no, no..." Jin shook his head before he stopped and said, "Who am I kidding? You're a joke."

Jin looked at Budo, who was almost exploding with rage. He took a breath, and pink mana glowed around his body before rushing to his katana, which shone with a bright pink light.

"DIE!!!" Thunder dropped from the sky, striking Jin with incredible speed and creating a massive explosion that vaporized mountains. But the assault didn't end there, as more thunderbolts continued to strike the ground, destroying everything in Jin's vicinity before finally ceasing.

Budo stared at the smoke and dust, sensing that something was wrong. Then he felt a pain in his abdomen, and his vision shifted.

"Sorry for the quick finish, but..." Jin appeared behind Budo, his katana glowing, and said, "You've already exceeded my limit for enemies' monologues, and I've had my fair share of fighting."

Budo's body separated from his abdomen, blood gushing like a fountain before his upper body fell to the ground.

'I can say... I've chopped the thunder,' Jin stared at the shocked Budo before he put his katana back into its scabbard. Using his demonic vitality, Jin could finally tap into some of its true power in combat, allowing him to easily break through Budo's armor and thunder attacks.

The thunder clouds in the sky dispersed as Jin walked toward the dying Budo, who had lost the power of his Teigu. Jin looked at his shocked face, coughing blood, but something unexpected happened.

"T-Thank you..." Budo genuinely thanked Jin before looking at the Empire one last time and closing his eyes.

"Not now, dude. You're going to be my Pikachu."

Jin reached for Budo's corpse and took his Teigu as he stared at the gauntlet, feeling the thunder beast inside and the rejection emanating from it.

"Shut up!" Jin forcefully infused his new demonic vitality into the Teigu, causing it to calm down like a frightened puppy.

Jin examined the Teigu before nodding and checking its stats. With a frown on his face, he put the gauntlets back on Budo's body.

"Arise!" Jin commanded, and energy surged through Budo's body, engulfing him.

Uwaaaaaah-

A heavy moan seemed to emanate from the shadow as the shadows of General Budo started quivering, as if they were alive.

A black hand emerged from the shadow, placed itself on the ground, and pulled itself up from the darkness.

Jin continued his studies and experiments, delving deeper into the world of Teigu and honing his own abilities. He spent countless hours refining his control over his shadows, pushing their limits, and unlocking new techniques. His mastery over his Teigu, Incursio, grew stronger, allowing him to utilize its full power.

During this time, Jin also made contact with various individuals who possessed Teigu but were not affiliated with the Empire or the Revolutionary Army. He offered them a choice to join his cause or face the consequences. Some willingly joined, recognizing Jin's power and the potential benefits of aligning with him. Others resisted, but they soon learned that opposing Jin meant certain death.

As his army grew, Jin established a secret base hidden deep within the forest, away from prying eyes. He named it the Shadow's Haven, a stronghold for his forces and a sanctuary for those who shared his vision of bringing down the Empire.

News of the Empire's turmoil reached Jin's ears, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. The chaos he had sown was spreading, with the Empire's leadership in disarray and its forces divided. He knew that the time to strike was fast approaching.

With his newfound allies and his own power reaching unprecedented heights, Jin began to make his move. He orchestrated strategic strikes against key targets, aiming to cripple the Empire from within. His assassins, trained by his own hand, struck fear into the hearts of the Empire's elites, eliminating them one by one.

But Jin's ultimate goal was not just the destruction of the Empire. He sought to create a new order, one where power was distributed more equitably and where the people had a voice. He knew that the road ahead would be long and treacherous, but he was determined to see his vision come to fruition.

As the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, Jin's campaign against the Empire intensified. His forces grew bolder, launching daring raids on key strongholds and stealing valuable resources. The Revolutionary Army, still reeling from the loss of their leaders, found themselves caught in the crossfire, unsure of whether to view Jin as an ally or a new enemy.

Jin's actions had garnered attention from both the Empire and the Revolutionary Army. Rumors spread of a shadowy figure, an enigmatic leader who could manipulate shadows and strike from the darkness. Both sides scrambled to uncover the truth behind this mysterious force, but Jin remained elusive, always one step ahead.

In the midst of the chaos, Jin couldn't help but reflect on his journey thus far. What had started as a simple desire to have some fun and wreak havoc had transformed into something much larger. He had become a catalyst for change, a force that challenged the status quo.

As he looked out over his growing army, Jin felt a mix of emotions. Pride in what he had accomplished, determination to see his mission through, and a lingering sense of uncertainty. The path he had chosen was a dangerous one, but he had come too far to turn back now.

The battle for the fate of the Empire had only just begun, and Jin, the orchestrator of shadows, was prepared to plunge the world into darkness to bring about a new dawn.

And he was very close to doing it, as now not only were all of the Empire's Teigu users in one place, but he also knew the locations of both Night Raid's base and the Revolutionary Army. Soon, all the pieces would be in the places he had planned for them not long ago. With them in his army, he would have a powerhouse that would pack quite a punch.

During his free time, when he wasn't acquiring wealth or experimenting with his powers and Shadows, he focused on understanding the concept of Darkness. He knew that his power held nearly unlimited and unfeasible potential, and even mastering it on a novice level could make him incredibly powerful. He and the Shadow Monarch only tapped into a fraction of its total power, but even that small part was remarkable. It was all about animated shadows.

Jin felt that his mind was not sufficient to comprehend the information about Shadows and matter transformation. Nonetheless, after two days of intense study using his high intelligence and eidetic memory, he began to scratch the surface. He discovered that Shadow Manipulation was progressing smoothly, especially when he focused on simpler aspects before moving on to more complex ones. His previous knowledge seemed nonsensical and in violation of scientific research, but he realized that it was simply a different and more profound approach compared to traditional human science.

One aspect that gave him difficulty was shaping Shadows. Even something as simple as a rectangle or square proved to be challenging. In his earlier days of learning to shape elements, it was harder, but with the aid of tiles, perks, and trades, his work was significantly reduced. With these tools, he could create shapes in a matter of minutes and spells in a few hours, even the most potent elemental ones.

Jin made faster progress after abandoning his previous knowledge and fully embracing this new understanding. He learned more about the effects of Darkness and how they could manifest in various ways. For example, he studied Budo's Teigu, which generated electricity in vast quantities and controlled electromagnetism to create thunderclouds.

However, Jin admitted that his study speed increased even further after Esdeath joined him. Although she lacked expertise in this particular field, her ability to formulate theories and concepts was exceptional. Her years of training and focused mindset allowed her to perform extraordinary feats, such as freezing both time and space with a simple Teigu that manipulated ice.

When Esdeath saw Jin's stacks of papers, she initially didn't understand their contents. However, after reading over 100 pages, she joined him in his study. They engaged in debates, sharing theories and equations, and delving into the topic of energy.

Despite their debates, it was more like two people sharing notes, as both of them benefitted from the exchange of ideas. However, Jin struggled to comprehend the inner workings of Shadows, and even Esdeath felt that her years of knowledge paled in comparison to the nonsensical writings of Jin and his Shadows. Nevertheless, they both managed to gain some insights. For example, Jin discovered that Shadows could mimic two-atom fusion and generate dark energy in the form of life, which was bizarre and fascinating.

Jin's new Shadows also contributed to the creation of new knowledge. When they saw him buried under piles of papers, they observed and eventually understood what he was doing. Jin even consulted his mages about their knowledge of fire, light, lightning, mana, magic shadow, and the new energy within him. However, they could only describe their understanding as instinctive, as if it came naturally to them as monsters or beasts. They advised Jin to feel the elements more with his energy, as it would allow for faster progress with his powers.

Jin took the advice and learned to channel his new energy into his body, much like mana. This allowed him to shape and enhance spells as he desired. He became a living torch and realized that his resistance to magic had reached a high level.

During these three days, Jin focused on studying, fighting, and conducting experiments. He even went as far as creating new soldiers for his army, using unconventional methods such as nearly breaking bones and muscles, chopping bodies into multiple pieces, using Drain Life briefly, and attempting to raise their shadows. He wanted to confirm once again that his system was different, almost like a bug, granting him these abilities without his prior knowledge.

His Shadows had an easier time during this period, as Jin instructed them to hunt anything valuable. They worked in teams and ventured beyond the mainland, enjoying themselves while their lord handled the more mundane tasks.

Jin had a reason for all this. He knew he could be much more than the Shadow Monarch. His potential was limitless, and he possessed overwhelming power, from his magic to his rapidly improving strength. Although he recognized that he still had room to grow, he considered himself well beyond overpowered compared to his world. However, he wasn't sure how he stood in terms of power compared to individuals like Thomas Andre or the Frost Monarch.

In terms of speed, he was incredibly fast, surpassing Mach 1.67. His overpowered nature extended beyond himself, as his army was also leveling up, contributing to his overall progress. Although the leveling process was slow, their numbers made up for it. This allowed Jin to carry out his work with relative ease while ensuring he gained sufficient knowledge.

Jin believed he could be much more than the Shadow Monarch. Looking beyond himself, he acknowledged that characters from DC or Marvel could be considered overpowered if their writers utilized their powers to their fullest potential. For example, Superman's weaknesses to the red sun and kryptonite would disappear if his true potential was unleashed. The Flash could run circles around Superman while enjoying a vacation in the Bahamas simultaneously. Wonder Woman's basic strength and powers put her on par with beings like Chronos, who was stronger than Zeus, who in turn matched Darkseid, said to be physically stronger than Superman.

Jin understood that being a true powerhouse meant having enough power to handle any situation. The original Jin, who barely survived the fight with the Dragon King, lacked this capability.

Esdeath finished another paper about her modified equation, unable to believe what was happening. Her formulas and equations hadn't improved since she reached her new power level. However, when she fought against Jin, her power level increased, and now it was further upgraded with his help.

Esdeath had never encountered this form of energy information in her life. Even the Empire's best scientists, including Stylish, had never come across anything like it. Initially, she dismissed it as random nonsense, but after three days, she realized that it had surpassed the empire's level by a wide margin.

Despite things seeming fine, Esdeath didn't understand what Jin was doing. She wondered how the two pens were floating and writing at such a fast pace. She hadn't witnessed him exercising his ruler's authority even now.

Esdeath looked at Jin's attire—a white dress shirt and black pants with a dark blue tie and vest. His appearance had changed. Esdeath couldn't comprehend what Jin was up to, but she had to admit that the clothes looked good on him.

"I still can't believe you call everything a Dragon. You disgrace the name of such a majestic creature, which is considered the strongest race even when compared to gods," Esdeath expressed her disbelief. Jin remained focused on the papers as he responded, "Anyway, why won't you do it?"

"No matter how you put it, that's impossible," Esdeath replied, feeling exhausted from the conversation.

"Nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself," Jin disregarded Esdeath's tone and encouraged her, saying, "You can do it."

"Then can you at least tell me why and how I can do it?!" Esdeath didn't understand why he was so insistent on pursuing this crazy idea.

"It's very simple," Jin looked at Esdeath before explaining, "You have to delve into your personal powers and explore the depths of those little cold electric signals in your brain. Look for that spark called madness."

"Then unleash it in the form of a pure cold wave that can freeze chemical bonds within molecules! Freezing beyond absolute zero," Jin rotated the pen in his hand before asking, "It is simple, isn't it?"

.......

Give me Power Stones for the Bonus chapter and write some of your thoughts

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