The Revolutionary Army's New Commander

Seeing the silver-haired girl walking gracefully towards her, Najenda's pupils shrank as she quickly retreated, her fists clenched and her entire body tensed in a defensive posture. She kept a wary eye on the approaching figure.

"Even if you're not going to thank me, there's no need to look so hostile," the silver-haired girl chuckled. "After all, I am your savior, and besides, do you really think you can defeat me with just your bare hands?"

The elegant silver-haired girl was none other than Kaguya.

Najenda's expression faltered for a moment before she let out a sigh, relaxing her tightly clenched fists. Even before she had her mechanical arm, she had been no match for Kaguya. Now, without any weapons, the thought of defeating her was nothing more than a pipe dream.

"What do you want?" Najenda asked, her tone calmer now, perhaps resigned to her fate. "Are you planning to kill us, or do you intend to torture us?"

"I really have no such intentions," Kaguya smiled as she sat down on a nearby sofa. "And I must say, I'm not as heartless as you seem to think. If I truly wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble."

"Though I don't know what your true goal is," Najenda said seriously, "we won't let you use us, nor will we give up."

"Give up on what?" Kaguya asked with a playful smile as she poured herself a cup of tea.

"We won't give up on our ideals," Najenda replied with determination. "As long as we're alive, we will continue to fight for them."

"Continue to follow the Revolutionary Army?" Kaguya asked, her clear eyes blinking with curiosity.

"Yes," Najenda answered firmly, her gaze resolute.

"In that case," Kaguya said, standing up with a serious expression, "you should address me as your superior officer."

"What?" Najenda was taken aback, not understanding Kaguya's words.

"Doesn't the Revolutionary Army salute their superior officers?" Kaguya's lips curled into a lovely smile. "Oh, and I forgot to mention— the Revolutionary Army has already surrendered to me. That makes me the highest-ranking leader of the Revolutionary Army."

"What?" Najenda's eyes widened in shock, her voice trembling as she asked, "What did you just say?"

"Did I not make myself clear?" Kaguya continued to smile. "The Revolutionary Army has surrendered, and now they belong to me."

"That's impossible!" Najenda shouted, refusing to believe it. "You must be joking!"

"You'll know soon enough if it's a joke," Kaguya chuckled. "I don't make it a habit to lie."

Najenda stared intently at Kaguya, trying to discern if she was being deceived. But Kaguya's relaxed demeanor suggested otherwise.

"Oh, right," Kaguya said as she pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. "Here's the surrender document signed by that General. You can take a look."

Najenda rushed over, snatching the document from Kaguya's hand and eagerly reading it. As she read, her face grew increasingly pale, her teeth clenching in anger. Finally, she spat out a single word: "Traitor."

"I think it was a wise decision," Kaguya said, twirling a strand of her white hair around her finger. "The defeat of the Revolutionary Army was inevitable. Fighting to the bitter end would only have led to mutual destruction, benefiting the Imperial Army in the end. Instead of letting the Empire pick up the pieces, wouldn't it be better to hand the army over to someone who shares the same goal?"

Najenda's face turned even paler as she realized that Kaguya was speaking the truth. Even if they had fought to the end, it would have only led to the annihilation of the Revolutionary Army. But the sacrifices made by Night Raid and the years of effort that would now be in vain filled her with a deep sense of bitterness.

What she didn't know was that Kaguya's claims were nothing more than serious-sounding nonsense.

The idea that the selfish General Simon of the Revolutionary Army would surrender and hand over his troops to Kaguya was absurd—something that could never happen. The real reason for the surrender was that Kaguya had used her eye techniques to control him, leading to his seemingly out-of-character decision.

Kaguya had originally thought that even if General Simon did surrender, his subordinates or high-ranking officers would surely oppose it. But to her surprise, the General's words were met with widespread approval, which left Kaguya somewhat taken aback.

However, this reaction was both unexpected and logical.

Kaguya's overwhelming display of power on the battlefield, particularly the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion that left a massive, canyon-like trench stretching for miles, had struck fear into their hearts. The number of deserters fleeing the battlefield was countless.

Could they really face such a monstrous opponent?

What difference would it make from throwing themselves to their deaths?

Many of them had joined the Revolutionary Army with high ideals, but that didn't mean they were reckless fools willing to die for a cause. Even more so for those who had joined out of desperation, just to get food on the table—these people had even less resolve.

"It's up to you whether you stay or go," Kaguya said, sipping her tea. "You can choose to stay and fight with me against the Imperial Army, or leave, or even continue opposing me. It's your decision." She took a deep breath, letting out a sigh of contentment. "But think it over carefully. Next time, I won't be so lenient."

Najenda stood silently, still trying to process everything.

"Alright, take your time to think it over," Kaguya said as she stood up, walking over to give Najenda a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I've already released the other members of Night Raid. They're downstairs having dinner. You should join them."

Najenda simply nodded, still somewhat lost in thought.

Kaguya chuckled softly and turned to leave. As she reached the door, she paused and glanced back with a teasing smile. "By the way, I should remind you that even though it's spring, you should put on some clothes. You wouldn't want to catch a cold."

Najenda's pupils constricted as she suddenly realized that she had been standing there, completely naked, talking to Kaguya this entire time.