Trouble.
The sultry, seductive female voice approaching from afar sent shivers down Najasho's spine. Any delusions of victory or a potential counterattack vanished in an instant, replaced by a chilling sense of dread.
The Oarburgh Assassination Group was named after the mythical figure "Oarburgh," the god of death in ancient legends. Its history was steeped in countless infamous assassinations, and its motto was simple: they accepted any job, regardless of morality, as long as the price was right. In recent decades, however, rumors had surfaced that some within the guild had allied with the southern rebels.
Each of the key members of the guild had their own unique incantation before engaging in combat. The chilling voice belonged to none other than Merraid Oarburgh, the current leader of the guild.
It was Merraid who had gravely injured Najasho's father and forced the retreat of the Imperial Assassination Unit, leading to the destruction of their base in the western province.
"Damn it! Akame, Cornelia, Poney, Guy, Tsukushi—prepare to retreat!" Najasho's voice was sharp with urgency.
"Running? It's too late for that," came the mocking response.
Just as Najasho shouted the retreat order, Babara took advantage of his brief distraction. Ignoring the combined attacks from Akame and Guy, she used her immense physical strength to block the Water Dragon Sword with one arm. With a swift pivot, she delivered a devastating kick straight to Najasho's chest.
BAM!
Najasho braced the Water-Dragon Sword against the ground to steady himself, but the sheer force of Babara's blow dragged him back, carving a trench through the dirt. Even with the dragonization effect of his weapon, his insides churned violently.
"Najasho!" Guy shouted in alarm.
"Murasame!" Akame yelled, rushing in to cover Najasho, her Katana, Murasame aimed at Babara.
"Hmph!" Babara grunted, deciding not to pursue Najasho further. She pivoted to block Akame's attack, swinging her massive sword horizontally.
Babara had already sustained several cuts from Akame's blade, which had left cursed wounds that couldn't easily heal. Although she had been able to use her extraordinary body control to minimize the bleeding, she couldn't afford to keep tanking Akame's strikes.
"You're first, little girl!" Babara growled, her sword clashing with Akame's in a series of violent, spark-filled strikes.
"Akame, don't get bogged down! We need to retreat!" Najasho wheezed as he struggled to stand.
Just then, the sound of faint footsteps echoed from the shadows.
Two figures stepped into the light—both dressed as maids, but one of them possessed four arms.
Najasho's bloodshot, dragon-like eyes scanned the area, his gaze locking onto a shadowy figure standing just beyond the burning wreckage.
"I am the Fangs of Death, Oarburgh's Executioner... The blade that will guide you to the eternal peace of the underworld."
The figure in the shadows seemed completely unconcerned about her prey escaping or her subordinates being killed. Her voice was slow and deliberate as she finished reciting her incantation.
From the perimeter, the sound of slow clapping echoed, and then a tall, alluring woman with lilac hair stepped into view, accompanied by a man in a black suit.
"Merraid Oarburgh." Najasho's eyes filled with cold fury as he gritted his teeth.
Merraid Oarburgh, the head of the Oarburgh Assassination Guild, was the most dangerous foe the Imperial Assassination Unit had faced in the past century. She possessed the terrifying ability to control insect-type danger beasts with her will alone.
Merraid barely spared a glance at Najasho before giving a dismissive wave of her hand. "Gilberda, Cassandra, go fetch Taeko."
The two maids, responding to her command, moved swiftly, darting toward Cornelia, who had been engaging Taeko in combat. With near-impossible speed, they snatched Taeko from Cornelia's grasp and brought her back to Merraid's side.
Babara, meanwhile, broke away from her battle with Akame, retreating to stand beside Merraid. "Boss, what's your plan? You... uh..." She trailed off, noticing the slightly flushed look on Merraid's face and the delicate sheen of sweat forming on her skin.
Oh no... she's getting that look again, Babara thought, her expression twitching slightly.
Turning to the remaining Imperial Assassination Unit members, Babara finally understood. Among them were four young women, each with her own charm.
After all, Merraid Oarburgh was a notorious lesbian.
As the leader of the guild, Merraid wasn't driven by power or wealth. The only thing she truly loved—her only passion—was girls. Cute girls. Beautiful girls. She believed that girls were the most precious treasure in the world, and that the only true love was between girls. In her mind, men existed solely for procreation, while true romance could only be found between women.
Anyone familiar with Merraid knew this all too well. It wasn't even surprising anymore, not to the team members, nor to the female subordinates like Gilbert and Cassandra, who had long since become part of her "inner circle."
In fact, many of the newer recruits in the Oarburgh Assassination Guild had been influenced by Merraid's... peculiar views.
If Selene had been here in her past life, she might have jokingly thought, "Ah, yuri really is the best... shame about biology!"
But now? Bah! What nonsense! Forget it! Who has time for this? Better to handle military affairs or deal with those annoying schemers back at court!
"You all back off—don't interfere. These are my prey!"
With heavy, lustful breaths, Merraid handed her parasol to her maid, Gilbert, her face flushed red with desire.
She locked eyes with the remaining members of the Imperial Assassination Unit, her sultry voice filled with a hunger that went far beyond the battlefield.
"I hope you're ready... because I'm coming for you..." Merraid's voice dripped with seduction, as if the fight to come was a game of pleasure rather than life and death.