Boom!
With a deafening explosion, the ground beneath Babara's feet erupted, sending dust flying in all directions as her towering figure charged through the forest like a raging storm.
Crack!
A massive tree, thick enough that it would take ten people to encircle it, shattered under the force of Babara's powerful impact.
A figure was sent hurtling through the air, crashing into the trees, each one snapping like twigs upon impact. The blast from the collision uprooted the trees, scattering dirt and debris with a thunderous roar.
Then, silence.
"Hmph, kid, you think you can spout nonsense in front of me? You're not even worth my time. Bring Gozuki here if you want a fair fight!" Babara stood tall, her eyes gleaming with a savage light as she growled in frustration.
"Master!" Taeko barely had time to draw her sword.
"It's Babara-sama!"
"She's incredible! One strike and that imperial dog is down!"
"She's truly one of Oarburgh's top assassins!"
The Revolutionary Army soldiers who witnessed the scene murmured in awe. A squad leader quickly snapped back to his senses and ordered, "Go check the body!"
"Wait!" Babara's voice rang out, halting them. "There are still six of them hiding in the shadows."
Babara could sense the faint presence of the others, even though her strike hadn't fully connected. The golden-haired Najasho, the leader of the group, had definitely been hit by the shockwave—there was no way he could have escaped unscathed.
But the thick scent of blood in the air was muddling her senses, making it harder to track them. They must have killed some of the forest animals to mask their scent... she thought.
Suddenly, from the cloud of dust and smoke her punch had kicked up, a voice shouted, "Guy! Blow it!"
"Taeko!" Babara shouted.
At that moment, the forest exploded with fire.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of deafening explosions ripped through the air, each blast more powerful than the last. The ground trembled, dirt and stones flying everywhere as shockwaves tore through the surroundings.
When Babara opened her eyes again, the world was ablaze. Thick smoke filled the air, and all she could hear was the relentless ringing in her ears. Half of the Revolutionary Army soldiers had been swallowed by the inferno, the stench of burning flesh and wood choking the atmosphere.
Cough, cough... "Master!" Taeko coughed as she clung to Babara.
In the split second before the explosion, Babara had shielded Taeko with her own body, slamming her fist into the ground to create a crater. The makeshift pit, along with the wall of dirt it formed, had absorbed the brunt of the explosion, saving them from the worst of the blast.
"I'm fine... Taeko, stay focused. The enemy's coming."
Babara stood protectively in front of Taeko, her voice stern. "Let this be a lesson—trapped animals will always fight back. Never let your guard down."
She tore off the black robe that had been reduced to rags by the flames, revealing her muscular, bronzed arms, which rippled with power.
Cough, cough... "Die!" A figure emerged from the smoke.
Though his white-gold uniform was torn and covered in dust, and he was coughing up blood, Najasho, wielding his Shingu, the [Water-Dragon Sword], sprinted forward, eyes blazing with determination.
Shunk!
In the blink of an eye, his sword cleaved through a Revolutionary Army soldier, slicing the man clean in two. There was no sign that his injuries had slowed him down at all.
Is that from combat stimulants? Babara noted the injection marks on Najasho's arm, indicating the use of strength-enhancing drugs.
Babara slung her massive broadsword from her back with one hand, the wide blade gleaming in the firelight.
Clang!
The tip of the sword dragged across the ground as she advanced, carving a deep groove into the earth. The sound of metal scraping against stone filled the air, accompanied by the screech of rocks being ground to dust.
"Let's see how much of Gozuki's tricks you've learned, kid!" Babara snarled, her muscles tensing as she prepared for her attack.
In an instant, she closed the gap between them, her massive sword descending from above with a force that seemed capable of splitting the earth itself.
Najasho raised his sword to block, the size difference between their weapons making it look as though he was defending with a toothpick against a log. It seemed as though Babara's attack would shatter his blade.
But with a roar, Najasho unleashed the full power of his Shingu.
"[Water-Dragon Sword]—Full Release!"
Boom!
The impact was tremendous. Dust and debris froze in midair for a heartbeat before the ground beneath their feet shattered, splintering like a spider web across a radius of several meters. The surrounding trees shook violently, many of them uprooted, their roots exposed by the force of the clash.
"RAAAAHHH!" Najasho roared as his body transformed. His limbs thickened, his nails sharpened into claws, and his skin became covered in thick, scaly armor. His once-human eyes turned into slits, glowing a brilliant blue.
Shingu: [Water-Dragon Sword] granted him temporary dragon-like abilities, enhancing his strength and speed for three minutes.
"Now, Cornelia! Kill them all!" Najasho's voice, now guttural and animalistic, echoed through the forest.
In response, Cornelia, wearing the [Crushing King] gauntlets, was the first to charge out of the shadows. Her silver-gray armored hand struck the Revolutionary Army squad leader squarely in the face.
Thud!
The sound of the impact was soft, but the squad leader's body was flung backward like a ragdoll. Blood poured from his nose, mouth, and ears as his skull caved in from the force of Cornelia's strike.
"Captain Ruby!" Taeko, her heart filled with rage, lunged at Cornelia, her sword flashing in the firelight.
But unlike in the original story, this time Cornelia was fully prepared. She wasn't going to make the same mistake of underestimating her opponent.
"[Crushing King]—Impact Palm!"
Clash!
Their blades collided, both fighters moving with lethal precision.
Meanwhile, Akame and Guy joined forces to attack Babara, while Pony and Tsukushi ruthlessly cut down the remaining Revolutionary Army soldiers.
"[Yatsufusa]!" Pony, using the speed-enhancing powers of her Imperial Arms, darted through the forest like a phantom, leaping between the trees. She used the heads of the soldiers as stepping stones, each step crushing bones with brutal efficiency.
Whether it was a kick that snapped necks or a punch that caved in ribs, she moved through the enemy ranks like a hurricane of death.
Tsukushi, meanwhile, wielded her firearm Imperial Arms, [Prometheus], with deadly precision. Each shot was a death sentence, and Revolutionary Army soldiers fell one by one.
In no time at all, the entire squad of Revolutionary Army soldiers had been annihilated.
At that moment, the true dominance of those wielding Imperial Arms and even lower-level Relic weapons became painfully clear. Against normal soldiers, they were an unstoppable force.
In that instant, Najasho's heart surged with elation. Against the odds, they were actually turning the tables! If the entire Oarburgh Assassination Society had been sent after them, they wouldn't have stood a chance. But since only Babara and Taeko had been dispatched, Najasho saw this as his chance for a comeback.
We can win this!
He started to relax, thinking they might not even need the traps Green had set as a last resort. But just as that thought crossed his mind, a voice rang out—a sultry, languid voice filled with menace.
"I am the fangs of Death itself, Oarburgh's executioner..."