Base of the Night Raid, 5 days later.
All the members of the Night Raid gathered for a meeting. Najenda had summoned them to inform them of important information. Lubbock was the last to enter the room.
Najenda: Good! Now that everyone is here, I have good and very bad news. The good news is that the revolutionary army has started to march towards the Capital!
Tatsumi: Yosh! We will finally be able to end this mess.
Leone: No wonder, the jaegers have suffered heavy losses in recent times.
Akame: What's the bad news?
Najenda: Always so direct Akame. The bad news is that General Anárion was recalled to the Imperial Capital. He will arrive at his destination today with two legions.
This declaration made lose the good humor which reigned in the room.
Lubbock: T-Two legions? It's at least 40,000 soldiers! How can we face this?
Mine: Forget these soldiers, the real problem is their leader. In addition to the Ice Queen, we now have to face the Ash Pheonix.
Tatsumi: E-Excuse me, who is the Ash Pheonix?
Everyone in the room looked at Tatsumi, as if he were a lost cause.
Mine: Pff !! You're really a peasant fool who comes out of his countryside!
Tatsumi: Shut up, flat chest!
Mine: Repeat if you dare!
Najenda: Shut up, both of you !!!
The two young assassins were too afraid of their commander to continue to quarrel.
Najenda: To answer your question Tatsumi. Anárion is one of the most powerful commander of the Empire. Son Teigu is the only one, along with General Budo, who can oppose Esdeath. In addition, his knowledge of military strategy is terrifying. I have only one advice to give you if you face it, make sure that it is alone, that you are at least four Teigu users and that you are ready to sacrifice your lives. If these elements are not met ... run away !
...
Imperial capital
It was a day of celebration for the inhabitants of the capital. The famous general Ash pheonix was returning with part of his army to put an end to the terrorists who had been spreading fear in the city for several months. The terrorists attacks made the inhabitants of the capital anxious, the arrival of the general relieved their accumulating tension and they represented this feeling with a great welcome.
For the reception, the population gathered on the main road leading to the palace. Seeing the hundreds of soldiers from the vanguard entering the city, the residents applauded their approach. Several young girls were throwing flower petals, the young men felt their blood boiling and the children asked their parents to wear them to see better.
Many soldiers wore large banners representing the Empire. All the soldiers marched in orderly and synchronized steps, showing little attention to the people who greeted them. It was obvious that all of these soldiers were veterans of many conflicts.
Tatsumi murmured: This general and his army make a flashy arrival
Leone murmured: This is the official treatment for the generals who are summoned to the capital. This did not happen for Esdeath because she left its army in the North.
Among the two legions, there were many battalions with particular characteristics. Some carried spears, others carried swords, ... But there were some which left regular troops, like the Guns squadrons, the war beasts, and the personal guards of the general.
Seeing these, the crowd showed an admiring face. This troop wore heavy black armor that covered their entire body, as well as their mounts. The only part of their body that could be seen was their eyes, the rest were covered by their uniforms. They all carried three weapons: a spear, a shield in the shape of a scales and a long two-handed sword. They were known as: Black Numenoreans.
This squadron has been known in recent years for its brutality and strength. Their armor could absorb a large amount of physical and elemental damage, even a Teigu wearer would have great difficulty in getting out of it alive in one-on-one. However, today 200 of these soldiers had come to protect the Imperial Capital. How could the citizens of the city not feel happy about it?
The members of the Night Raid, who had hidden in the crowd, felt great pressure from these soldiers. Although weaker than the Jaegers, they could compensate for their lack of power with their overwhelming numbers. In addition, it was evident that they all possessed great martial skill and that they would be difficult to eliminate.
Finally, at the center of this military parade was the man everyone had come to see. Riding on a big wolf with white fur, General Anárion greeted the crowd who had come to greet him. Although a Danger Beast special class, the wolf did not show any aggressive act towards the crowd, proof that its owner had trained him well. Anárion wore a slight smile on his face, which only made him more popular with the crowd. If you paid attention, you could see his eyes gloriole with flames.
Akame thought: This man is dangerous.
...
Imperial palace, throne room, a few minutes later.
Emperor: General Anárion, I am happy to return to the Capital, I have prepared a reward of 5000 gold for your effectiveness in defending the imperial borders over the past three years. I hope that your premature return did not cause you any worries?
Anárion: I am honored your majesty. You don't need to worry about my well being, just being able to be of service to you is a blessing and fills me with an indescribable feeling of triumph.
Anárion was presently kneeling before the young Emperor. Beside the young boy was Prime Minister Honest, who was eating pieces of meat with his hands.
Emperor: I am delighted to see your level of loyalty, it is for this reason that I am convinced that you will succeed in the task that we have entrusted to you. May you defend the Empire against all its infamous enemies who want to destroy our nation.
Anárion: You can be reassured your majesty, I will personally make sure that no enemy enters the imperial palace.
Seeing this scene most people would think that Anárion was a faithful general who would willingly give his life for his country, but Honest was not like most people. Honest was normally someone who could quickly judge a person's personality. Budo wanted to protect the Empire and the imperial family, as his family had done for a thousand years and Esdeath is a conqueror, she only wanted to destroy powerful opponents and recently sought love. But the man in front of him seemed to be an enigma.
Sometimes ambitious, sometimes loyal, he couldn't figure out what he wanted and that's what bothered him. If at this moment, they were not back to the wall with a massive rebel army that could land at their door at any time, he would never bring this man back to his city.
Honest: You don't have to worry about the palace, general. My son, Shura takes care of our protection personally. You can fully dedicate yourself to the protection of exterior walls.
Anárion: It is reassuring to know that his majesty is safe. So I'm going to get down to my new tasks. I wish you a good day your Majesty, Prime Minister.
From start to finish, the faint smile of the Ash pheonix never left his face. He got up and left with four of his loyal soldiers. Seeing him leave the Emperor discussed with his adviser.
Emperor: He looks nice, don't you think?
Honest did not respond and continue to monitor the general. A strange discomfort germinated in his body when he saw him leave.