Because he is not among the living, his origins and background are completely impossible to trace. Because he is devoted to maintaining balance, he executes those criminals who have caused massive casualties among innocent people.
'Even intervening in the current chaos is meant to pacify the troubled times as quickly as possible and restore normal social order sooner… I understand now, everything makes sense!'
"I know this might be hard to believe when I suddenly say it like this, but I truly..."
"I believe you!" the black-haired, straight-haired girl said decisively and with absolute seriousness. "You've never lied about important things, and besides… is there any need for you to deceive us?"
That was said very plainly. It was a bit hurtful, but Iori really didn't need to care much about their feelings.
The only person who could truly influence the overall situation was Esdeath, and Esdeath's "loyalty" to Iori was unshakable.
"I have another question."
Akame was visibly excited, while Najenda had much more to consider. The one-eyed female general stared straight at Iori, as if trying to probe into his heart.
"Why did you deliberately tell us the truth?"
"You already possess power great enough to change the world. You could completely reshape a new order according to your own will. No one could oppose you. And at a time like this, telling others your true identity… would only increase uncertainty, wouldn't it?"
"Yes, as expected of you, you saw the key point immediately."
Iori said calmly, "I revealed this secret naturally because I have something very important to entrust to you."
"…That really makes me not want to hear it," Chelsea said with a conflicted expression, like someone who had boarded a pirate ship. "But I don't have the right to refuse, do I?"
Iori smiled silently, which was taken as acknowledgment of her judgment.
Then he looked around once more, taking in the expressions of all four of them, and slowly said, "As you can all see, I am different from ordinary people."
"As a Shinigami, I have an extremely long 'lifespan,' so I won't rush for quick results or mess around blindly. I won't drain a nation's strength to pursue immortality, and I don't have the various greedy desires of a worldly monarch."
"To me, a country, or even the entire world, remaining in a long-term state of stability is what matters most."
Everyone nodded. This fit perfectly with what Iori had previously said about the duties of a "Shinigami", to maintain balance and order in the world.
And by saying this, he was also explaining to the four of them that if he were to become the Empire's supreme ruler, he would definitely let the people rest and recover, prioritizing the restoration of national vitality.
Such a policy was undoubtedly very appealing to Najenda and Akame, and it strengthened their convictions once again.
Following Iori really was the right choice.
"But to be serious, I am not suitable to be a ruler."
Iori changed the subject and continued, "It's not that I lack confidence in my personal abilities, but that the objective conditions don't allow it."
"As a 'Shinigami,' the area I am responsible for is very large. This continent where the Empire is located is only a part of it. Even if I pacify this place, or even ascend the throne as emperor… I can't stay in the Empire forever."
"Are you going to leave once the world is at peace?!"
Akame reacted first, her expression extremely serious. In her beautiful red eyes was a trace of reluctance she tried to hide.
"But..."
"I'm not leaving forever. I'll just be leaving this place frequently for periods of time, and my return dates won't be fixed."
Iori spread his hands and said, "But an emperor who disappears at the drop of a hat would be extremely frightening for a country that has just stabilized."
"The people would feel uneasy, and all kinds of ambitious individuals would develop thoughts they shouldn't have."
"That's true." Najenda nodded. "So what do you plan to do to solve this problem?"
"First, of course, I need your support!"
Iori said frankly, "Especially Esdeath and Najenda. One handles military force, the other strategy. As long as military matters are entrusted to you, there won't be any major issues. This is the most important point."
"As long as the army remains stable and can suppress all dissent, we can smoothly implement various livelihood policies."
"I agree." Najenda nodded. "Don't worry, I will firmly support you on matters like this!"
"As long as you give the order, I will naturally obey. That's our agreement," Esdeath said coldly. "After all, whether you're alive or dead, your strength is still above mine."
"Heh."
Iori glanced at the queen and smiled.
"I know you've always been thinking that one day you'd surpass me. But now that you've heard I'm not a living person but a 'Shinigami,' you're starting to doubt whether you're already inferior to me at the level of life itself, so you've lost some motivation and even feel a bit resentful. Isn't that right?"
"..."
"But what if I could also make you into a 'Shinigami,' just like me?"
"What did you say?!" Esdeath's gaze instantly sharpened.
"This isn't a joke. As long as you can complete my orders and perform well… I can give you this opportunity."
Iori frowned slightly. "But I need to make this clear in advance, this carries great risk. You are a living person of this world, not a resident of the Soul Society."
"I can't yet confirm whether your soul can undergo the same ritual. Any accident could happen during the process."
"But if it succeeds, I'll be able to gain those amazing abilities just like you?"
Esdeath didn't care about the risks and only asked one thing, "Can it make me stronger?!"
"…Yes." Iori nodded solemnly. "I'll try to preserve your physical body without damaging your original strength, and then develop your soul's power… just like mine."
"Good!" Esdeath said confidently. "As long as there's a chance of success, there's no reason I can't do it, I want to become a 'Shinigami'!"
'This woman's pursuit of strength is really pure… If there's a chance, maybe I'll send her to Squad Eleven or Hueco Mundo.'
'The only problem is that bringing people across worlds is a bit troublesome. It seems they have to be "my personal property"?'
'Hmm… Her Majesty the Queen might need to make some sacrifices~'
"I also need a body double."
Iori turned to Chelsea. "A reliable body double with no flaws whatsoever, and who will never leak secrets!"
"..."
Chelsea ignored Iori's expectant gaze, pretending she hadn't understood the implication at all, lowered her head, and played dead.
But at that moment, Najenda blinked and pointed at Chelsea with a smile. "Isn't there a ready-made candidate right here? Don't you think Chelsea would work?"
"That's right, she really is perfect!" Iori suddenly realized. "What a coincidence!"
"..."
Chelsea shot Najenda a gloomy look. "We've known each other for so long. Why would you screw me over like this?"
"For the people's bright future, this is a necessary sacrifice, Chelsea~"
"And besides, I'm doing this for your own good!"
The one-eyed general said with a smile, "From the moment Iori chose to bring you here, he had already decided everything in his heart… and you should know what that means."
Chelsea fell silent. As the Revolutionary Army's ace assassin, she had seen it all and naturally understood one truth...
When someone opens up to you, even telling you secrets that cannot be revealed, it's not just trust, it's also laying their cards on the table and forcing you to make a choice.
With Iori's overwhelming force advantage, did Chelsea have any possibility of refusing? No.
"It's fine. You can completely refuse. And don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who says one thing and means another, or settles scores afterward."
"If you're unwilling, I'll erase your memory and treat this as if it never happened, then look for the next suitable body double, though one as outstanding as you is destined not to exist."
Iori looked straight at Chelsea. "So I still hope you'll agree."
"Why me, specifically?"
Chelsea was still confused. "Your face is hidden beneath the mask, and no one has ever seen it, in fact, they can't even see you at all. Wouldn't it be easy for someone else to impersonate you?"
"I believe there are plenty of people besides me who could do it!"
Her Imperial Arm, Gaea Foundation, allows her to transform into another person's appearance, regardless of gender or age, instantly. From voice to looks, it's a perfect replication, absolutely ideal for infiltration and assassination.
Impersonating anyone was easy for her. Being a body double posed no difficulty at all.
The reason she hesitated wasn't because the task was difficult… on the contrary, it was too easy, which made her uneasy.
She believed that serving as Iori's substitute didn't even require Imperial Arm support. Just have someone disguise themselves properly and maintain the "masked man" persona.
So Chelsea couldn't understand it, when other experienced professionals could also be found to act as the body double, why choose her, a Imperial Arm user?
She was a member of the Revolutionary Army, after all…
"Ordinary body doubles are usually temporary replacements when the original needs to attend certain occasions, meant to reduce assassination risk. As long as the image fits and they aren't exposed in a short time, just getting through the event is enough."
"But my requirements for a body double are much higher. Not only must the outward appearance match, but voice, movements, tone, habits… every detail must be flawless. During my absence from the Empire, you must perfectly recreate another 'Aizen Iori'!"
"To achieve this requires flawless acting. Among the people I know, only you can do it."
Iori said sincerely, "I chose you not to make use of your Imperial Arm, Gaea Foundation, but because I admire your masterful acting."
"I believe that as long as you're willing, you absolutely won't let anyone see through you!"
"Maybe so."
Chelsea couldn't help lifting her chin, feeling a bit proud.
In order to fully utilize Gaea Foundation, she had poured immense effort into acting, to the point of near perfection.
When she portrayed someone, she didn't just imitate their speech and behavior, she would even deeply explore their inner thoughts… as if she truly were that person.
That wasn't a special ability of the Imperial Arm.
"Someone who can do this… really is only me."
The orange-haired girl paused, still somewhat hesitant. After all, agreeing would mean completely betraying the Revolutionary Army and joining Iori's camp.
"Even though there's plenty of filth within the Revolutionary Army, it's still an organization that my comrades and I paid a huge price to maintain together. I don't want to do anything that would harm it…"
"If I become the new emperor but am often absent, then many governmental affairs will inevitably fall to the body double. You could act according to your own ideas and bring benefits to the people of this country, isn't that what you've always dreamed of?"
"The Revolutionary Army promises to treat the people well, but do you trust yourself more, or do you trust others?"
Chelsea was clearly shaken. "That…"
The corners of Iori's mouth curved slightly as he added an offer she couldn't refuse. "Also, as a Shinigami, I have no material desires. Royal jewelry, rare treasures, things like fist-sized diamonds or pearls… I don't care either way. Whoever wants to use them can use them."
"!!!"
Chelsea's eyes reddened. She clenched her teeth and glared at Iori. "You're tempting me with that? What kind of person do you think I am?"
"You don't want it?"
"I'm saying you've got a damn good eye!"
———
After laying everything bare before the four of them, the subsequent battle for the Imperial Capital was rather unremarkable.
Iori didn't directly send anyone to assassinate Budo, but he kept his promise and used Shambhala to divide the Revolutionary Army's suicide squads into four batches, transferring them into the city one after another.
As a result, the decisive battle was immediately ignited. The Revolutionary Army's elites concentrated their forces and attacked the northern gate at all costs. When Budo, stationed at the eastern gate, tried to rush to their aid, he was stopped by the Revolutionary Army's Imperial Arm users.
The chaos lasted for some time. Will under Iori's command and Bulat of Night Raid, each wearing Imperial Arm armor, launched their attack at the appointed time.
Coordinating from inside and out, they broke through the western gate, which had originally been under the least pressure.
Iori's subordinates quickly seized control of the barbican. But considering that using such elite troops for street fighting would be a waste, Iori simply ordered them to firmly control the western gate and stay stationed there.
Soon after, the Revolutionary Army, having received confirmation, sent its vanguard into the Imperial Capital. They advanced like a hot knife through butter and quickly defeated the defending troops rushing to reinforce.
After confirming that this wasn't a trap, they clearly didn't fully trust Iori, the Revolutionary Army's high command finally ordered a full-scale assault. Several legions, each numbering ten thousand, surged in all at once, like muddy, unstoppable floodwaters.
The Military Police, garrison troops, the Imperial Guard, the Revolutionary Army, noble private soldiers… so many forces clashed together that even for the Imperial Capital, it was far too crowded.
Within the vast and tangled streets, attackers and defenders quickly became intermixed. Even officers couldn't maintain control, turning the battlefield into a horrific quagmire.
At this moment, Will, observing the battle from the city walls, couldn't help admiring Iori's foresight.
Though the several hundred men under their command were elite, even the sharpest blade couldn't cut through sticky taffy. Once caught in such a tangled battlefield, they would surely be unable to advance an inch.
"The Imperial Army is about to collapse," Syura also observed the battlefield. Though he was a scumbag, he had indeed received elite education and quickly made an accurate assessment of the situation.
Just as he said, although the battle looked extremely intense, anyone with insight could tell that once the city was breached, the Imperial Army's morale had already shattered.
The reason it hadn't fully turned into a one-sided rout was simply because things were too chaotic, many soldiers didn't even know where to run if they wanted to flee.
Budo could barely keep his subordinates in check, but trying to turn the tide under these circumstances was nothing more than wishful thinking.
He forcibly broke away from the Revolutionary Army's Imperial Arm user and, relying on his lightning-controlling armor, charged all the way to the palace with his men, intending to take the young emperor and escape the capital. If they could get out, there might still be a chance to rise again.
Iori watched this coldly, knowing the time had come. He turned around and waved Syura over to his side.
"My lord, do you have any orders?"
The dark-skinned, white-haired young man waited respectfully, while Iori looked somewhat sentimental.
Compared to how Syura used to be, he was truly a different person now… it even made Iori feel a bit regretful.
But Iori was not someone who hesitated over such things. He patted Syura on the shoulder, and just as the young man was flattered, Iori extended a finger and lightly tapped his forehead.
Whoosh~
It was as if the sound of water echoed in Syura's ears. His mind fell into chaos, his thoughts being washed over again and again by some invisible force…
Gradually, his blank expression became animated, his pupils suddenly constricting, trembling slightly with unease…