"Isn't that a pity?" Taeko asked, her brow furrowing. "Gozuki is high up in the Empire's Assassination Unit. If he makes it back and brings reinforcements, all this freedom we've enjoyed so far could disappear. We've only been able to move this openly because the Empire's local defense forces have been so useless..."
Babara scoffed, her hunched figure radiating a menacing air. "That strike won't kill him outright, but the slow-acting poison on the blade will ensure he suffers. Even with the Empire's advanced medicine, he'll be half-dead in a few months."
"Wooow, Master, you're amazing!" Taeko clapped in admiration.
Meanwhile, Chelsea, always quick to catch onto key details, grinned mischievously and teased, "Oh ho... Master, are you saying you didn't dare chase him because you were scared?"
"Wouldn't be, wouldn't be... After all, you're such a big shot in the Oarburgh Assassination Society..."
"Why, you little brat!" With lightning speed, Babara reached out her calloused hand and grabbed Chelsea by the collar, hoisting her up effortlessly.
"Ahhhh! Master, I was wrong..." Chelsea cried out, though her tone and expression made it clear she wasn't genuinely sorry.
"Hmph, like I'd believe you, you troublemaker!" Babara snorted before letting Chelsea drop to the ground with a thud.
"Oww... that hurt..." Chelsea rubbed her sore bottom, pouting.
"You never take training seriously! Your body's weak! It's embarrassing to call you my disciple," Babara scolded. She had a complicated relationship with Chelsea—though she wasn't thrilled with Chelsea's laziness and lack of combat talent, she also couldn't deny Chelsea's incredible success as an assassin, thanks to her Imperial Arms, [Gaia Foundation].
Had Chelsea lacked even one of those qualities—her suitability with [Gaia Foundation] or her unmatched success rate in assassination missions—Babara would never have tolerated her. Instead, she'd have forced Chelsea to undergo brutal training, regardless of her potential.
"Hehe... Master, come on, I'm still the top assassin in our organization, right? Gotta give me some credit," Chelsea said, trying to lighten the mood.
She wasn't wrong—Chelsea had the highest mission completion rate in the entire assassination society. Not even Babara or the society's leader, Merraid Oarburgh, could match her.
Chelsea's story began when she graduated from the Imperial Civil Academy and started working at the governor's office in her home province. There, she witnessed firsthand the cruelty of the governor, who oppressed and exploited the people. It was then that she realized the true cause of her hometown's suffering: the corrupt Empire.
Despite her strong sense of justice, Chelsea lacked combat ability or special talents, leaving her powerless in the face of such a grim reality.
But fate smiled upon her one night when she discovered the Imperial Arms, [Gaia Foundation], in a vault within the governor's mansion. The powerful artifact chose her, and with her strong affinity for it, she quickly mastered its use. Using its transformation abilities, Chelsea assassinated the corrupt governor and brought peace to her hometown.
Inspired by the change she had brought, Chelsea vowed to use her hands to correct the twisted world and reform the corrupt Empire.
Her skills and determination shone even brighter after she joined the Oarburgh Assassination Society. Despite her poor combat abilities, Chelsea relied on the powers of [Gaia Foundation] and her learned assassination techniques to quickly rise to the top of the assassin world. In the original story, only Akame herself had a comparable track record.
"Heh, you... the top assassin?" Babara shook her head.
Just then, Daniel, the stern overseer of the Oarburgh Assassination Society, emerged from the shadows. Seeing him approach, Chelsea instinctively gulped. She knew that her playful nature often got her into trouble with him.
"Chelsea, your attitude really needs to change," Daniel said in his usual grave tone. "You can't afford to be careless. The Empire's strength far exceeds what you might imagine."
"Yeah, yeah, I know... I'm not a fighter like you guys, so I'm always careful," Chelsea replied with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of her head. She wasn't lying—she fully understood her own limitations when it came to direct combat.
Daniel sighed, shaking his head. "I understand your ideals, Chelsea. I know you joined the Revolutionary Army because you wanted to change the world, to fix this brutal society. But don't die right when we're on the verge of victory..."
He gazed northward, his expression heavy. "The enemies we've faced so far are small ones."
"The real challenge lies ahead. Our true opponents aren't just corrupt ministers like Honest..."
Daniel's voice grew more solemn as he continued. "We still have to deal with the Empire's two Grand Generals, not to mention Esdeath and the commanders of the Imperial Guard. None of them will be easy to defeat."
When Daniel mentioned the two Grand Generals, Chelsea noticed something unusual—there was a slight tremble in his voice. It was rare to see Daniel, who was always so stoic and serious, showing even the slightest hint of fear.
"Is she really that powerful?" Chelsea asked, her curiosity piqued. She had joined the Revolutionary Army after its near destruction, so she hadn't yet faced the Empire's strongest forces. Still, the fear and caution with which her colleagues spoke of Selene, one of the two Grand Generals, only intrigued her more.
"Don't ask me," Daniel replied after a long pause. "Ask the ones who died."
He continued, his tone heavy with regret. "The southwestern tribes were nearly wiped out. It'll take them at least a century to recover. And then there's the Revolutionary Army headquarters—completely annihilated. Aside from a few people who were away on missions, everyone died, including the leader and the heads of every department."
"Chelsea, I know you're gifted in assassination and that [Gaia Foundation] is a perfect fit for you, but... don't confuse liveliness with recklessness, and don't mistake confidence for arrogance."
Before Daniel could continue his lecture, Babara interrupted with a sharp bark, "Enough with the preaching, Daniel! You're starting to sound like an old nag!"
Babara turned toward Chelsea, her expression darkening, the thick lines of her face adding to her menacing appearance. "Hmph, if you get yourself killed out there, no one's going to be around to pick up your body."
"Heh, I get it, I get it," Chelsea said, stifling her curiosity and hastily changing the subject. "Let's focus on the mission and take out those executioners from the Assassination Unit."
Still, she thought to herself, Is Selene really that terrifying? I don't believe it. I'll take a mission to the north soon and see for myself. With [Gaia Foundation] on my side, I'll definitely make it out in one piece.
"Right, back to business..." Chelsea picked up the files she had dropped earlier, clearing her throat. "We don't have an exact location for the Imperial Assassination Unit's hideout, but based on their supply routes, we can narrow it down."
"The base west of White Wolf River has been destroyed. They've got no food, no medicine, so they'll likely head south. That area's dense with forests, plenty of game to hunt, and good cover."
"Wow, Chelsea, you're amazing!" Taeko clapped her hands again, admiring Chelsea's deductions.
Basking in Taeko's admiration, Chelsea felt her confidence swell.
Suddenly, a soldier burst into the room. "Report! We've spotted suspicious activity near an abandoned village west of White Wolf River!"
Chelsea's triumphant smile froze instantly. Wait... did I guess wrong!?
Oh no, how embarrassing... I was so sure I had it right.
Babara shot Chelsea a withering look, though she couldn't help but laugh a little. "Good thing we didn't rely on your plan. My gut told me Gozuki's brats would be holed up there."
"Hmph! Staying put, huh? 'The most dangerous place is the safest place,' as they say. Those kids are brave."
"Let's move out!" Babara ordered.
...
Later that night, deep in the forest.
The "Elite Seven" of the Imperial Assassination Unit moved quickly through the woods. The calls of night birds and the howls of predators echoed in the distance. At some point, a pack of wolf-like Danger Beasts had begun trailing them.
Maybe it was the sound of their movement, or perhaps the scent of blood from their wounded comrades, but the beasts had set their sights on the group. They hadn't attacked yet, deterred by the deadly weapons the assassins carried, but they were clearly waiting for the right moment.
What made it worse was that these wolves were smart. After a few of them had been killed, they began using human hunting tactics, surrounding the group but staying just out of reach. They had been following for several miles now, clearly hoping to exhaust the group.
"Damn it! These bastards have us pegged as prey. If it weren't for... ugh... this damn wound, I'd have killed them all by now!" Guy cursed, clutching the wound on his chest.
Suddenly, boom!
An explosion lit up the night, casting long shadows across the forest. Najasho muttered under his breath, "Looks like the traps were triggered..."
But there was no time to celebrate. The fact that the traps had gone off meant the enemy was close. Their time was running out.
"What should we do?" Najasho wondered aloud.
They were caught between a rock and a hard place—dangerous beasts ahead, enemy forces closing in from behind.
He couldn't bear to leave the injured behind, but if they stayed, they would all die. And abandoning them wasn't an option either. That wasn't his style.
Maybe... we should make a stand?
Steeling himself, Najasho slowed his pace and came to a stop.
"Najasho, what's wrong?" Cornelia, noticing, stopped as well.
The rest of the group—Akame and the others—halted too, forming a circle and bracing themselves for a fight, their eyes on Najasho.
Looking up, Najasho made his decision. "We can't keep running like this. I say we make a stand and cause as much noise as possible."
"That'll either get the attention of the local defense forces... or give Father a signal to find us. Either way, it's our best shot."
"What do you think?" he asked the others.
"You're No. 1. We follow your lead!" Guy, despite his wounds, grinned through the pain. "I'd rather die taking some of these bastards with me than go down running."
The rest of the group nodded in agreement.
"Alright!" Najasho declared. "We've always said we'd live together and rise together. If it comes to it, we'll die together too."
Turning to each member of the team, he began assigning tasks.
"Akame, Cornelia—you two take out these damn wolves. Kill every last one of them."
"Poney, Tsukushi, you're with me. We're going to set up traps to lure those bastards right into our hands."
"Green, Guy—you've got the heaviest task. Set up a minefield. I don't care about collateral damage or instability—make it as big and deadly as possible. I want those rats to have no way out."
Najasho's eyes gleamed with a crazed intensity.
"Yes, sir!" the six responded in unison.
...
Meanwhile, back at their previous hideout, the village was now engulfed in flames. The charred remains of several bodies lay in the center of the fire, while two soldiers bandaged a comrade who had barely survived, his legs severed below the knees.
Fresh blood from a Danger Beast stained the ground, and Babara knelt to inspect it. She brought the blood-soaked earth to her nose and sniffed. As someone who had built up an immunity to over 600 types of poison, Babara's sense of smell was extraordinarily sharp.
Following the scent, Babara turned her gaze toward the forest in the distance. "I've found you, little rats. Let's go."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Hundreds of Revolutionary Army soldiers fanned out into the forest, guided by Babara's keen senses. She and her disciple Taeko followed closely behind, while Chelsea and Daniel remained at the village to tend to the wounded and provide backup.
After about ten minutes of marching through the woods, a sudden scream split the night.
"Ahhhh—!"
Shk!
The sound of flesh being pierced by a blade echoed through the forest, sending a wave of tension through the Revolutionary soldiers.
"What happened?!" someone shouted.
"It's a trap! One dead, one injured!"
"Be careful! Those executioners are nearby!" warned a squad leader.
Just then, a voice filled with refined arrogance echoed from the shadows. "Executioners? Killing you rats is doing the world a favor. You..."
Before the voice could finish its taunt, Babara's muscles tensed, her hulking form coiling like a spring.
"I've found you!" she growled.
Boom!