Akame, Green, Natala, and Gin were traveling towards the east side of the mountain. When they were just a few kilometers from the village...
"?! Everyone jump away!" Green who was leading the group suddenly shouted with a commanding and stern tone while jumping to the back with all his might.
Everyone immediately followed his warning and jumped back with all their might.
"What is going on, Green?" Natala asked with furrowed brows while trying to find anything suspicious but he couldn't see anything out of place around them.
Akame on the other hand already noticed what is the problem when she looked ahead with narrowed eyes. Gin, on the other hand, could feel danger but couldn't pinpoint the source of it.
"Maaan, you were able to avoid my trap? You are pretty good, care to tell me what sold my trap out?" Suddenly a cloaked figure showed itself, standing on one of the many branches of the trees, numerous meters away from the group. From the voice it was apparent that it was a man and he was also quite playful, judging from his tone.
"?!" Gin and Natala tensed up when they saw the cloaked figure and heard his words.
'Trap? I can't see nor sense anything! ...The select team is really something else.' Both Gin and Natala thought with ashamed expressions while also looking at Green and Akame with a bit of envy in their eyes.
Akame just narrowed her eyes and put her hand on the hilt of her Kiriichimonji, her shingu.
"Sorry, this location is indeed good for setting up a trap and maybe if we wouldn't have traveled during the daylight, we would have fallen into it. The luck isn't on your side since your strings reflected sunlight, making them even more visible." Green replied with a smile while adjusting his glasses but there was a bead of sweat pouring down his forehead since what he just said was the truth. If they have traveled during the night, they might have ended up dead already.
"Oh, I see...but even then, it takes a good amount of observation skills to notice that detail. *sigh* What to do now...it's 4 versus 1. How about we just talk? ha-ha" The cloaked man said with a slightly embarrassed tone.
"You want us to talk when you actually att-" Green's sentence was cut short when the loud sound of gunfire resounded in the vicinity.
*Bang!* A shot of concentrated shockwave traveled at an incredible speed towards Green's head from the side.
*Shatter* After the sound of gunfire disappeared, only the sound of glasses breaking could be heard.
"Green! Are you alright?!" Akame instantly asked while looking at Green with his arched back backward.
"...Yes, that was close, too close." He replied after taking a deep breath. The smoke was still coming out of his hair and some strands were even burnt.
"No way!" The man exclaimed with a genuinely shocked tone.
"Well, at least we can be sure that these kids are truly Imperial assassins. They fit the description and their skill is truly remarkable. Truly monsters, the Empire created." A woman walked out of the hiding while resting the unique looking gun on her shoulder and said with a pitying tone as if she was feeling bad for Akame's group. She has short silver hair and purple eyes. It was Najenda herself who was carrying the Teigu named Pumpkin. And she wasn't alone, another person showed himself behind Najenda fully clad in armor.
"As I thought, you were only playing to be a distraction. There was no need for you to show yourself when we discovered your trap. And you should have targeted others since it was too obvious that you will come for the leader of the group himself." Green said with narrowed eyes while cautiously measuring the newcomers.
'These two are strong...Will we be able to take them on with only 4 of us? Despite us having a number advantage, father told us that Gin and Natala rely on drugs to enhance their fighting strength.' Green thought while trying his best to hide his uneasy expression behind a confident smile.
"Hm? Looks like we found your match!" Najenda shouted at the cloaked man who was responsible for the trap and distracting enemy. She was quite surprised to see someone of the same age as her subordinate who was also a strategist type of person. Tending to make several moves ahead of the enemy, however, this time, it looks like they were done by this black haired four eyes.
"W-What do you mean?! I would have won if we weren't so limited." The cloaked man shouted back with an embarrassed tone.
"Gin, Natala, take your enhancing drugs, this will be a long fight!" Green used this chance while they were talking to each other and gave out instructions for his team.
Both of them nodded and quickly gulped down the pills.
'It would be good if we could buy some time for those drugs to take effect...' Green was thinking about the strategy he should use against this unknown enemy.
'Drugs, huh? As expected of the Empire...' Najenda thought with a disgusted expression.
"Hey kids, why are you working for the Empire when they only make people of the same age as you suffer through poverty. And not only poverty...it would have been great if it was only poverty but they even dare to take that little they still have left, justifying it that they will die anyway so they don't need it." Najenda asked with a curious expression.
When Akame who was already prepared to attack any time heard the woman's words, her body tensed up a bit. It wasn't the first time she has heard those words, no, it has been numerous times already. She also heard numerous times "changing the world" as the last words of those she cut down.
Green was quite grateful that they decided to talk instead of rushing into battle but he frowned down when he heard next words of the cloaked man.
"Boss, is it alright for us to wait while their drugs take effect?"
"Yes... I will be completely honest with you, kids, we are here to kill you just because you keep endangering the lives of the common people. However, if you decide to help the good cause, your past crimes will be forgotten. You are strong and smart, why are you using that power for the corrupted Empire?!" Najenda shouted at Akame's group while extending her arm towards them as an invitation.
Akame looked at the ground with a complicated expression while Gin and Natala gritted their teeth before holding their heads in pain without anyone noticing since they were standing behind Green and Akame.
'..."Never believe in words of your enemy" I still remember father's words clearly up to this day and I am quite aware that some things he told us were lies but...There is no way we can just say it aloud or try something because we will be most likely killed. Akame...you are truly blessed that father chose me to keep an eye on you, unfortunately, you are still a bit naive and think that you can just say that the Empire is corrupted aloud.' Green was thinking about what he should do but either way, he can't just believe any enemy therefore he still wanted to drag the conversation for as long as he could.
Gozuki actually thought that Green is the best person to keep an eye on Akame because he was aware of Green's feelings towards Akame, therefore, he wouldn't let her do anything dangerous as speaking to an enemy but he missed one crucial point and that was Green's awareness of corrupted Empire. Green has always been cautious and had even cowardly nature, but thanks to these traits, he could be said to be very intelligent. Despite having some familial bond with Gozuki since he raised them and cared for them for more than 8 years, he was aware that he would perhaps be killed by him if he showed any signs of rebellion.
Unfortunately, the battle is most likely unavoidable due to Gin and Natala's presence. If Akame and Green were alone, he might agree to a little talk with his enemy but he can't risk the other two reporting this to Gozuki.
'Those 2 look like they are in pain...is this side-effect of those drugs they just took or is it something else?' Najenda noticed Gin and Natala's pained expressions and she thought while holding her chin.
Nobody has yet to reply to Najenda's invitation since Akame's group was cautiously watching them, however, Najenda didn't mind it at all and let them have their time to think it through. That just shows how much confident she was, not even caring for those 2 drugged people.
"I can say the same...where is any evidence that what we are doing is bad? Unless you bring me solid evidence, I have no intention even thinking about the words of my enemy." Green replied in such a way that surprised his entire group. He also made a few hand gestures to Akame.
"Green! What do you mean?!" Gin immediately exclaimed with an angered tone.
'...Green, is this your way of saying that you actually also have doubts about the entire Empire?!' Akame was both shocked and touched that she wasn't the only one thinking so. She also understood his hand gestures which were telling her to be careful of Gin and Natala's presence.
"*Tell me once you are ready*" Green whispered under his nose without breaking eye contact with Najenda.
"?!" Only now, Natala and Gin realized that this was just to buy some time for them so they just lightly nodded their head without saying anything.
'This seems like a bad joke...We have to fight someone who actually doesn't really want to fight us unless necessary. If it wasn't for Gin and Natala's presence, I would definitely like to evade this fight. Anyway, should I send a signal that we need help? ...No, I have no idea about the situation on the other side, if they will also send the signal for help, Gozuki won't know where to go first plus we still have a number advantage here. I just don't know how strong these guys are but that sniper-like gun in that woman's hands is definitely dangerous.' Green was having a hard time deciding whether he should send the signal to others or not.
"*sigh* I know that look, it looks like we will fight in the end. Don't hate us for being rough, kids, we gave you a chance." Najenda released a disappointed sigh before she said something that surprised Green.
He didn't think that she would be able to read his mind so accurately.
"Wait, if you are saying that we are doing bad things then why are you killing our spies in such a gruesome manner?!" Natala shouted and pointed his spear at the woman's head in front of them with a slightly angered and cold expression. This was also a signal for Green that drugs finally took effect.
"? Ah, I have heard about that situation but we aren't the ones doing so. We, people of the Revolutionary Army never make our enemies suffer no matter how evil they are. We always do our best to deliver a quick death. However, I have heard that there is another group that recently started causing trouble around here. Nevermind, you don't really care about that since you are about to attack us, right?" Najenda explained before she got into position behind the armored figure.
Everyone was slightly surprised after hearing that the group in front of them isn't responsible for it but they started to worry when they heard that there is another group running around causing trouble.
'Najasho, Poney, Tsukushi...' Everyone thought at the same time with wide-open eyes.
"Hm?" Najenda who was ready for their attack suddenly looked up with a slightly confused expression. Green immediately followed the direction where she was looking.
'?! Red smoke, fuck! We are in no position to go help them! So everything depends on Gozuki which also means that we are unable to send the signal unless we want to confuse him. What a fucked up situation!' Green thought with an annoyed expression but he was aware that there was no going back from this group and one group had to be annihilated since he doubts that they will just let them retreat.