"Isn't that a pity?"
"Gozuki was a senior officer in the Imperial Assassination Unit. If he made it back alive, won't he call for reinforcements? The only reason we've been able to operate so openly is because the local Defense Army isn't doing its job..." Taeko asked, her tone filled with concern.
"That strike might not have killed the old bastard, but the slow-acting poison on my blade will take its toll. Even with those fancy potions from the Imperial Science Bureau, he'll be crippled within a few months at best," Babara said with a cold snort, her hunched figure radiating menace.
"Wow, Master, you're amazing!" Taeko clapped her hands in admiration.
Chelsea, however, caught onto a key word in Babara's statement and grinned mischievously. "Heh heh... Master, why didn't you dare to chase him then? Don't tell me you were scared?"
"No way, no way... You're the great Babara Oarburgh, the pride of our assassination syndicate!"
"You insolent brat! How dare you mock your master!"
Before Chelsea could react, Babara flashed forward, her calloused, powerful hand grabbing Chelsea by the collar and hoisting her up effortlessly.
"Ahhh! Master, I was wrong!" Chelsea whined pitifully, sticking out her tongue. Her tone, however, betrayed her—she was clearly more cheeky than remorseful.
"Hah... you expect me to believe that, you little imp?" Babara scoffed, loosening her grip. Chelsea fell straight onto her backside with a thud.
"Uuuh... ow ow ow..." she groaned, rubbing her sore tailbone.
"If you'd just take your training seriously for once! You never listen, you lazy brat! Your physique is pathetic! To think someone like you is my disciple—utterly shameful!"
When it came to Chelsea, Babara herself wasn't entirely sure how she felt. The girl had never learned her combat techniques properly, skipped most of the physical training, and had zero talent for martial arts.
If not for the fact that Chelsea truly lacked aptitude in direct combat and possessed the Teigu, Phantasmagoria · Gaea Foundation, which allowed her to flawlessly complete missions even the other assassins of the Oarburgh syndicate couldn't handle, Babara would have trained her half to death.
"Eheh... but Master, I am the syndicate's top-ranked assassin, remember? Number one mission completion rate. You've got to give me some credit," Chelsea said smugly.
And she wasn't exaggerating—Chelsea's assassination completion rate really was 100%. Not even Babara or the syndicate's leader, Merraid Oarburgh, could match that record.
After graduating from the Provincial Academy of Governance, Chelsea had joined the local governor's office. There, she witnessed firsthand the cruelty of corrupt officials and the suffering of the common people. She realized that her homeland's misery stemmed directly from the Empire's rot.
Though she understood the greater good, Chelsea had neither the power nor the talent to change anything—she was just one young woman, helpless in the face of oppression.
That changed one night when she stumbled upon the governor's treasure vault... and discovered the Teigu: Phantasmagoria · Gaea Foundation.
Chosen by the Teigu itself, Chelsea's compatibility with it was exceptional. She quickly mastered its abilities—and used them to assassinate the corrupt governor who had been exploiting her people.
When she later saw the newly appointed governor governing the province justly, Chelsea found her purpose—to use her own hands to correct the Empire's twisted system and change the world.
After joining the Oarburgh syndicate, Chelsea's abilities truly flourished. Though physically weak, she used her Teigu's disguise abilities and assassination skills to rise rapidly through the ranks—becoming the most successful assassin in the Empire.
In the original records, only Akame's kill record could rival hers.
"Hah. You, number one?" Babara shook her head, amused.
"Chelsea..."
At that moment, a tall, solemn figure stepped out from the shadows—it was Daniel.
When the stern administrator of the Oarburgh assassination syndicate, Daniel, approached, Chelsea instinctively swallowed hard. Her impulsive nature had earned her more than a few scoldings in the past.
"...You really need to fix that personality of yours," Daniel said in his usual grave tone. "Don't be careless. Be cautious when you're out there—the Empire's strength is far beyond what you imagine."
"I know, I know. I'm not like you guys—brawling isn't my thing. I'll be careful," Chelsea replied sheepishly, scratching the back of her head with a nervous laugh. In truth, she really was careful; she knew better than anyone how useless she was in direct combat.
"Chelsea... I know you once worked in the governor's office. You joined the Revolutionary Army because you wanted to change this cruel world. But don't throw your life away before victory even arrives."
Daniel turned toward the north, his voice lowering as he exhaled deeply. "All we've beaten so far are small fry. The real enemies still await us. Our true opponents were never just that bloated minister who exploits the people..."
"Forget the minister. Even among the Empire's high command—besides Najenda—there's Esdeath, the Imperial Guard commanders, and above all... the two Great Generals. Do you think any of them are easy to deal with?"
When he mentioned the two Great Generals, Chelsea noticed something unusual. For the first time, Daniel's always-calm voice trembled slightly.
"Are they really that strong?" Chelsea asked curiously.
Although she hadn't been part of the Revolutionary Army during its near-annihilation, every veteran she'd met spoke of Selene with dread. Both her master and Daniel treated Selene's name with such grave respect that Chelsea's curiosity only grew.
"Strong? That's not something you should ask me," Daniel said after a long silence. "Ask the dead instead."
He continued in a somber tone. "The southwestern tribes were almost wiped out. They won't recover for a hundred years. The Revolutionary Army's headquarters—completely annihilated. The leader, the division chiefs—every last one of them, gone. Only a handful of operatives on external missions survived."
"Chelsea, I know your assassination talent is exceptional, and your Teigu, Phantasmagoria · Gaea Foundation, suits you perfectly. But remember this—being lively isn't the same as being reckless, and confidence isn't the same as arrogance."
Before Daniel could continue, Babara cut him off with an impatient snarl. "Enough! Daniel, must you always nag like an old woman?"
Turning to Chelsea, Babara's face darkened. With her thick, scarred features, the glare was downright terrifying.
"Hmph! If you die out there, don't expect anyone to collect your corpse."
"Hahaha... I get it, I get it," Chelsea said quickly, forcing a smile. "Anyway, let's focus on the real task—let's hunt down those executioners from the Assassination Unit."
Still, in her heart, she scoffed. Is she really that terrifying? I don't believe it. One of these days, I'll take a mission to the north and see this Selene for myself. With Phantasmagoria · Gaea Foundation, I'll be fine.
Yes, that's the plan.
"Ahem..." Chelsea coughed lightly, picking up the papers she had set aside. "We may not have the precise location of the Imperial Assassination Unit's hideout, but based on their documented supply routes, we can estimate their general position."
"Since their outpost west of the White Wolf River has been destroyed, they've lost both food and medicine. The most logical move is to head south—into the forests. Plenty of prey there, and the terrain offers good cover."
Taeko clapped her hands in admiration. "Wow, Chelsea-chan, that's amazing!"
Basking in the praise, Chelsea puffed up proudly—until the door suddenly burst open.
"Report! Suspicious activity detected near an abandoned village on the midsection of the White Wolf River, close to the western frontier!"
"Uh... uh..." Chelsea's smile froze instantly. Wrong!?
Ahhh! How embarrassing! Just moments ago, she'd been so confident—and now she'd been completely proven wrong on the spot.
Babara quickly reacted, glancing at Chelsea with a look of exasperation—but she couldn't help laughing quietly. Good thing she hadn't listened to the girl's hasty deduction. Experience told her that Gozuki's disciples were most likely hiding right where the report had indicated.
"Hmph! Staying put, are they? The most dangerous place is often the safest. Gozuki's brats sure have guts!"
"Move out!"
...
Late that night, elsewhere.
In the forest, the Imperial Assassination Unit's Elite Seven moved swiftly through the darkness. The cries of nightingales mingled with the distant howls of carnivorous beasts, echoing across the trees. At some point, a pack of wolf-type Danger Beasts had begun stalking them.
Maybe it was the noise of their movement—or perhaps the blood scent from their wounded comrades—but the beasts trailed them relentlessly. Only the glint of their dripping blades kept the wolves at bay.
Yet the green-eyed beasts were cunning. After losing a few of their packmates, they switched to a more human-like hunting tactic—surrounding without striking, shadowing their prey over several miles, waiting for the right moment to close in.
"Damn it! These mangy beasts are treating us like prey! If it weren't for... cough cough! I'd have gutted them all by now!" Guy cursed, clutching the wound in his chest.
Suddenly—BOOM! A fiery explosion illuminated the forest. Under the pale moonlight, Najasho muttered, "So... the traps have been triggered."
But this was no time for relief. The activation of their traps meant only one thing—the enemy had arrived. Their time was running out.
"What do we do now?" Najasho said under his breath.
There were enemies ahead and pursuers behind.
They couldn't keep running forever. Dragging the wounded along would slow them down until they were wiped out. But abandoning them wasn't an option either—Najasho would never allow it.
Still, if they kept fleeing like this, they'd only die tired.
Maybe... it's time to fight.
His expression hardened. He stopped walking.
"Huh? Najasho... what's wrong?" Cornelia asked, halting beside him.
Hearing her, the rest of the group—Akame, Green, Poney, Tsukushi, and the others—stopped as well, forming a loose circle as they looked to their leader.
Najasho raised his head, eyes sharp. "Running blindly won't get us anywhere. I say we make a stand—and make it loud."
"If we stir up enough chaos, the local garrisons might notice—or Father might find us. It's the only sliver of hope we've got."
"What about the rest of you?" he asked.
"You're No.1. We follow your lead!" Guy said boldly, pressing a hand to his chest wound. "Better to die fighting than to crawl away like rats!"
The others nodded in unison.
"Good! We're a team. We live together, we die together!" Najasho's tone was grim yet resolute. "If we fall, we fall with pride!"
He then began issuing orders.
"Akame, Cornelia—you two take care of those damn beasts first."
"Poney, Tsukushi—you're with me. We'll set up traps and lure the rebels this way."
"Green, Guy—you've got the toughest job. Set up a minefield. I don't care how unstable it is—make it big enough to turn this forest into hell itself. If those rats want to come after us, let's make sure none of them leave alive!"
His eyes gleamed with a fierce, almost manic determination.
"Yes, sir!" ×6
...
The small village they had used as a hideout was now engulfed in flames. In the center, several charred corpses were laid side by side. Two Revolutionary soldiers tended to a comrade who had survived, though his legs had been blown clean off.
"Fresh Danger Beast blood... Looks like they really were here. They can't have gone far," Babara muttered as she knelt down, scooping up a handful of blood-soaked soil and sniffing it.
Her senses were terrifyingly sharp—honed from surviving over six hundred types of poison. The faintest scent was enough for her to track her prey.
Following the trail, she slowly turned her gaze toward the dense forest ahead. "Found you, little brats. Let's finish this."
"Move out!"
Hundreds of Revolutionary soldiers fanned out into the woods under Babara's command. She and her disciple Taeko advanced close behind them.
Chelsea and Daniel remained at the abandoned village, tending to the wounded and holding the line, ready to provide backup if needed.
After about ten minutes—
"AAAHHHHH—!"
Shhk! The sound of steel slicing through flesh followed immediately after. Panic swept through the ranks.
"What happened?!" someone shouted.
"It's a trap! One dead, one badly wounded!"
"Stay alert! Those executioners are nearby!" barked a squad leader, his voice taut with tension.
Then, out of the shadows, a calm, mocking voice echoed.
"Heh... Executioners? Killing sewer rats like you is nothing less than a public service. You—"
Before the man could finish, Babara's massive frame tensed like a coiled spring.
"Found you!"
BOOM!!!