At this moment, Najenda was filled with anxiety.
Her irritation stemmed from the fact that Yoshino, having lost Yoshinon, was completely unresponsive to her words. If they continued rampaging through the City Lord's Mansion like this, the Grand Commander and his guards would definitely come to capture them.
Her doubt, however, came from how strange Yoshino's current state was.
If Yoshino really were a Teigu user, then after having her Teigu taken away, all powers granted by it should have vanished.
Yet the strength she just used to tear apart a special chain designed to restrain Danger Beasts of Level 1, and the fact that she wasn't running but hovering in the air, clearly indicated she hadn't lost her abilities.
But that rabbit puppet was no longer on her hand, right?
Or could it really be as she said—that rabbit hand puppet wasn't a Teigu at all?
There were too many mysteries surrounding Yoshino. Najenda couldn't figure out what the truth was for the time being.
What's more, now wasn't the time to speculate.
Although this border city was small and desolate, as the Grand Commander's stronghold, it hid many powerful individuals.
On their way out, they had already taken down several guards from the City Lord's Mansion. Najenda was starting to feel a bit exhausted.
Though only a few minutes had passed since they escaped the dungeon, Yoshino made no effort to hide her presence, causing more and more guards to surround them, forming an encirclement.
Unable to fly, Najenda was quickly entangled by the guards. She could only watch helplessly as Yoshino flew further and further away.
Meanwhile, the Grand Commander inside the mansion also received a report from his shadow guard.
"What? Yoshino and Najenda escaped from prison?!"
The Grand Commander, who was currently holding Yoshino's rabbit puppet and discussing how to use it with a few close aides, was shocked. He angrily rebuked, "Didn't I say to use the chains meant for Danger Beasts to bind Najenda? What the hell are you people doing?!"
"Grand Commander, we did just that."
The shadow guard knelt on one knee, his voice tinged with urgency. "But for some unknown reason, Yoshino still seems able to use her powers. She's currently flying above the mansion—she seems to be looking for you."
"Flying?"
The Grand Commander raised an eyebrow and glanced again at the ridiculous rabbit puppet in his hand. "She can still fly after losing her Teigu? Does that mean... this thing isn't a Teigu?"
The thought made his expression turn ugly.
Previously, based on Najenda report that Yoshino could control a giant mechanical white rabbit, he had assumed that this lively rabbit puppet was the true form of the Teigu.
Now he was being told that this might just be an ordinary puppet?
His expression darkened, eyes flickering with calculation.
No. This thing is definitely a Teigu.
Her flying ability must come from some other artifact she possesses.
Otherwise, after realizing she was deceived, she would have summoned the mechanical giant rabbit described in the report to seek revenge.
But she didn't.
In that case, does it mean she no longer has the ability to summon that mechanical giant rabbit?
Moreover, despite having a flying tool, she didn't immediately escape after breaking out of prison. Instead, she's still hovering around the mansion searching for him. That only further proves that the puppet he took is no ordinary object.
With this thought, the Grand Commander's momentary panic gradually subsided.
"Notify the city defense force. Get the anti-air cannons in place. Under no circumstances can we let those two escape."
After giving orders to his close aides, the Grand Commander held the rabbit puppet and said to the shadow guard, "Take me to Yoshino. Be ready. You must capture that little girl."
"What if we can't capture her?"
"Can't capture her?" A trace of murderous intent flickered in the Grand Commander's eyes. "Then kill her."
Yoshino appearance was an unexpected bonus to him.
Not only was she a Teigu user, but she was also the long-lost sister of Esdeath. If handled properly, he could not only acquire a powerful Teigu but also use her as a hostage to keep Esdeath—his greatest enemy in the Revolutionary Army—in check. It was a classic two birds with one stone.
But now, the Teigu he took was unusable, and Yoshino still had a flying tool, meaning she could escape. His goals were in danger of slipping away.
Worst of all, if Yoshino really managed to escape and returned to Esdeath, the Revolutionary Army would face an even more terrible crisis.
One Esdeath was already hard enough to handle.
An enraged Esdeath would take more than fifty thousand elite soldiers and ten Teigu users to stop.
If such a thing happened, he might as well kill Yoshino on the spot and cover up everything, eliminating future trouble.
Even if he only ended up with a useless Teigu and a flying tool, that was still better than losing more elite soldiers and generals.
The shadow guard, who was also a Teigu user, possessed a Teigu that allowed him to move through shadows. Using his power, he brought the Grand Commander directly beneath Yoshino in just over ten seconds.
"Hey! Yoshino! You're looking for this, aren't you?!"
The Grand Commander held up the rabbit puppet and waved it toward the sky. "If you want it, be obedient and do as I say!"
Hearing his call, Yoshino looked down and immediately spotted the familiar rabbit puppet in his hand.
She descended to the ground, landing about seven or eight steps away from the Grand Commander.
Her gaze locked on the puppet, but she didn't approach. She kept a wary distance.
"I'm sorry for what happened before. I didn't mean any harm."
The Grand Commander wore a friendly smile as he showed off the rabbit puppet in his hand. "This thing is very important to you, right? I can return it to you—but not now. If you're willing to stay put and behave, I promise I'll give it back in two months at most."
According to his plan, the Revolutionary Army and all their allies would be fully mobilized within one month.
Then, with the southern mountain tribes, the western Anning Dao, and the eastern branches of the Revolutionary Army launching coordinated attacks, the main Imperial forces would be tied down on all fronts. The Grand Commander would then lead an elite strike force to blitz into the capital and take it with Night Raid's help.
It would be a lightning war.
The Empire's resources were still vast. Even after nearly a decade of effort, the Revolutionary Army was still like a firefly compared to the moon that was the thousand-year-old Empire.
If they were dragged into a long-term war, they would definitely lose.
So, the war would end within two months, victory or defeat.
And he had to delay Yoshino for those two months.
As for whether he would return the rabbit puppet afterward—that was another matter entirely.
"Please… return… Yoshinon…"
Yoshino seemed not to have heard his previous words. Her eyes were filled with anxiety and wariness as she spoke softly, "Yoshinon is a very important friend… please give Yoshinon back…"
Seeing Yoshino acting so weak, the Grand Commander became even more convinced of his suspicions.
So she really had no combat power now. Her flight ability came from some other tool.
If she still had strength, she would've snatched it by now—why beg?
The Grand Commander sneered inwardly.
Just like the intel said—mentally unstable.
In this situation, the wisest choice would be to escape, but she gave up her best chance.
Soon, elite archers and crossbowmen would be in position atop the walls, cutting off any escape route from the skies.
With that assurance, the Grand Commander's expression changed—his smile vanished, replaced by a cold, sinister look.
"Take her."
The next moment, a shadow behind Yoshino shifted—then the shadow guard emerged.
He grabbed Yoshino by the ankle, trying to drag her into the shadows.
"No!!"
The sudden attack startled Yoshino. Like a frightened rabbit, she stumbled and fell to the ground.
In this moment of danger, intense fear welled up in her eyes as she looked back at the shadow behind her in terror.
The Grand Commander coldly watched her futile struggles and stuffed the rabbit puppet back into his pocket.
"Hmph, you refused the toast—so you'll drink the forfeit."
Just as he turned to leave, Yoshino, half her body already pulled into the shadow, completely panicked.
A frosty blue aura burst uncontrollably from her body.
"Hmm?"
The shadow guard holding her ankle immediately sensed the drop in temperature.
But before he could react—
He heard Yoshino trembling, tearful voice cry out:
"ICE PUPPET!!"
The cobbled stone road cracked open under some unseen power.
An icy blue light surged from the fissure, forcibly ejecting the shadow guard from his hiding place.
A terrifying, visible cold burst out—
The shadow guard's pupils contracted sharply.
But he had no time to respond before a glacial breath that could freeze all things swallowed him whole.
"Wha—"
Just after taking a few steps, he sensed something abnormal behind him.
The sudden drop in temperature made him shiver, and a strong sense of foreboding surged in his heart.
He abruptly turned around and saw a towering, colossal shadow emitting a crimson glow appearing before his eyes.
His breath nearly stopped. Just as panic began to creep onto his face, the devouring cold wave had already enveloped him, covering even his pupils.
Along with his breath stopping, so did the beating of his heart and the flow of his blood.
At the same time, Najenda, who was fiercely battling the city lord's guards, also sensed the change in temperature and abruptly looked toward a corner of the city lord's mansion.
There, she saw a giant beast silently roaring toward the sky.
Najenda touched her own cheek and was horrified to discover that even though the distance between them was so vast, the sweat on her face was already beginning to freeze.
"If you don't want to die, then run!"
She had personally gone to see the snowy domain that had been left behind after Yoshino and Esdeath sparred.
Everywhere the eye could see had become part of a snowy kingdom.
That dead silence and bone-chilling cold—Najenda had never forgotten it.
And precisely because of that, she understood just how terrifying Yoshino power truly was.
Without any hesitation, she broke away from the fight, disregarding the guards' blades. Risking even more wounds on her body, she charged straight out of the encirclement.
The city lord's guards were also panicking. Seeing the suddenly appeared, super-dangerous species whose origin was unknown, those with weaker resolve threw down their weapons and followed Najenda in a full retreat.
As for the guards who were absolutely loyal to the Grand Commander, after a brief moment of panic, they quickly regrouped and instead rushed toward the direction of the ice puppet.
"Dangerous species attack! Dangerous species attack! All personnel evacuate the city!"
Najenda shouted with all her might, her voice nearly breaking as she tried to warn everyone around her.
The current situation no longer allowed her to explain what had happened in detail.
Fortunately, the matter of the Grand Commander imprisoning the Night Raid's boss was not publicly known—only a very few were aware of it.
The ordinary people and Revolutionary Army soldiers living here didn't question her words at all. Upon hearing Najenda warning, they immediately called out to those nearby and joined the fleeing crowds.
This city wasn't very large.
From any corner, one could see the enormous figure within the city lord's mansion.
Aside from a few soldiers loyal to the Grand Commander who moved against the fleeing crowd toward the mansion, the tens of thousands of military personnel and civilians living here all began fleeing in panic, surging toward the four city gates.
Everyone was now racing against the deadly cold wave pouring from the city lord's mansion, in a life-or-death struggle.
After getting far enough from the most dangerous area, Najenda stood atop the city wall, gripping it tightly with both hands.
Her single eye stared at the frigid wave that had engulfed more than half the city. Watching as it was gradually being consumed by ice, turning the Revolutionary Army's headquarters into a real snowy kingdom, she felt a surge of bitterness in her heart.
She now deeply regretted bringing Yoshino here.
She had no idea whether the Grand Commander had escaped or not.
Although he had knocked her unconscious and thrown her into the dungeon, deep down she didn't truly want him to die.
Because to the Revolutionary Army, he was far too important.
But this wasn't the time to be thinking about that.
What's done is done. Now, the only thing she could do was try to save as many people as possible.
"Yoshino, you'd better calm down soon."
Gazing at the giant figure within the city lord's mansion, Najenda sighed, then jumped down from the city wall to start maintaining order.
"If you go too far… once you come to your senses, you'll regret it."