Chapter 131: Esdeath, You Lost Again
To ensure the elite training of the assassination unit could continue, Mahiro specifically separated the males and females.
Then he secretly conducted several highly scientific sex education classes for the six girls including Akame, teaching them about the basics of male and female anatomy!
When they first heard about it, aside from Poney who looked suddenly enlightened, everyone else was very embarrassed, especially Cornelia as the big sister of the group.
Without exception, they all cutely pricked up their ears to listen, then pretended to casually absorb those knowledge that had sparked their intense curiosity.
Unfortunately, there was an idiot among them who simply couldn't understand.
So during the explanation, he had no choice but to call forward Cornelia, who had the most mature development, take off all her clothes in front of everyone, and use her as a living teaching model.
Cornelia was so embarrassed she nearly buried her face in her chest, but she showed no resistance, allowing Mahiro to use her body as he saw fit.
This way, they finally understood just how bold their actions earlier had been.
Even someone as naturally airheaded as Akame couldn't help but blush slightly, her adorable cheeks tinged with pink as she shyly lowered her gaze.
Mahiro specifically added that girls shouldn't casually let boys see their bodies, worried that the single-minded Poney might not understand.
Unfortunately, this dummy seemed to genuinely not get it.
She kept pestering him about how to make babies.
Truly an idiot.
"Lord Yotsuba, what training will we do today?"
After completing the morning weighted cross-country run, Nahashu, ranked No.1 in assassination, stepped forward to ask.
Whether it was an illusion or not, this child seemed particularly enthusiastic about training and becoming stronger—he had been the most diligent in these past six months of training.
However...
"Today, or rather, the upcoming special training content is somewhat unique, so we need to separate by gender for training. Today will mainly be for Cornelia and the others. You and Green will have to wait until tomorrow."
So far, the basic training was nearly complete. At the very least, everyone had now grown accustomed to carrying thirty pounds of weight.
Thus, it was time for phased advanced training.
With luck, after completing this phase and refining their skills slightly with some practical combat training, they could graduate as excellent assassins.
But this process would likely take quite some time.
He felt somewhat sentimental, realizing he had been spending increasingly longer periods crossing between worlds...
"I understand, Lord Yotsuba."
Nahashu nodded seriously, then swiftly climbed up a tree branch and leaned against it, pulling out a book from his chest pocket to read quietly.
"Lord Yotsuba, does this mean... we two can only sit idle waiting for you to return? Is there any task you could assign us?"
The speaker was the other of the only two boys, the bespectacled Green.
While having free time to rest wasn't bad, there was truly nothing to do for relaxation in this dense forest—it would be quite boring.
"That's true."
If he let them remain idle like this, their skills might become rusty.
Just as Mahiro was about to assign them tasks, however, the sound of crunching dry branches suddenly came from the forest nearby.
Instantly, everyone's gaze turned toward the source of the sound, alert expressions appearing on their faces.
"Well now, what a rare guest."
Like the others, Mahiro looked toward the sound's origin, where four figures gradually became visible through the trees.
More precisely, three people following one.
The leader wore familiar military attire, familiar long boots, and a familiar military cap. Her ice-blue hair flowed gently in the breeze, while the familiar V-neck revealed generous amounts of snow-white skin at her chest.
It was Esdeath.
This time, however, Esdeath's aura felt different—she carried a faint chilling presence around her, and a strange mark had appeared on her chest.
"Finally found you. Long time no see, Mahiro."
Dangerous light flickered in Esdeath's eyes as her lips curved into that familiar, arrogant smile.
"Indeed, it has been quite some time, General Esdeath."
While Esdeath radiated an extremely ominous presence, Mahiro maintained his usual composure and calm.
"However... General Esdeath, I'm quite curious how you managed to find this place?"
Regarding this matter, we need to rewind to an hour earlier...
...
BANG—
The door was suddenly kicked open with such force that the entire room seemed to tremble slightly. Dr. Stylish, who had been conducting research experiments inside, was so startled her legs went weak!
The reagent in her hand nearly fell to the ground.
If this liquid were to spill, it would be disastrous—it contained the purest Gastrea Virus extracted from the reagents provided by Mahiro. One could say that if it dispersed into the air, it could trigger a biochemical crisis!
"Who... who's so rude? Don't you know how to knock?"
Carefully placing the reagent back on the experimental table, Dr. Stylish patted her plump chest to calm her racing heart, then turned an angry gaze toward the doorway.
However, when she saw the visitor, particularly meeting those icy eyes, her furious expression instantly deflated!
"Es... Esdeath, Deputy General, what brings you here?"
Before her stood the only person in the entire empire with such distinctive appearance—flowing azure hair reaching her waist, dressed in dashing white military uniform. This could only be Deputy General Esdeath!
Esdeath strode gracefully into her research lab in her high-heeled leather boots.
Her icy blue eyes, reminiscent of frozen glaciers, carefully scanned the spacious research laboratory. Finding no trace of her search target, her eyes showed a hint of disappointment!
"Mahiro, that man isn't here either..."
Esdeath casually seated herself before Dr. Stylish, crossing her long, elegant legs. Her slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the cold metal operating table, as if urging her to speak faster.
"Vice Minister Yotsuba... should be training newcomers right now," Dr. Stylish replied truthfully.
"Hmph, don't lie to me! I've already checked with the security team—he's not there! There's only some young girl handling his duties in his office!"
Esdeath slammed the table forcefully, her cold eyebrows furrowing as she glared, nearly causing Dr. Stylish to collapse to the floor.
Originally, after pacifying the southern tribes, she had been promoted to General, recruited the three most excellent soldiers as her personal guards, and selected her desired Teigu.
With four blessings coming together, she wanted to strike while the iron was hot and challenge Mahiro one more time. If she won this time, she planned to bring him under her command.
As the fourth member of the Three Beasts, completing the set of four lion-dance balls.
But to her frustration, she couldn't find any trace of him since early morning.
"Um... what I meant was, he's helping train the new squad for the assassination department..." Dr. Stylish said weakly.
"What did you say? Mahiro is helping train the assassination department's new squad?"
"Correct. The assassination minister specifically appointed him as the instructor. Deputy Minister Yotsuba accidentally killed the original instructor, Gozuki, so the task fell to him. Speaking of which, he often asks me to help make equipment for training purposes."
"Oh?"
Unlike Dr. Stylish, a sharp glint flashed in Esdeath's eyes as if she detected something more beneath the surface. A dangerous curve slowly formed on her cold, beautiful lips.
"So where is he now? What's his current location?"
"In the eastern forest, thirty kilometers outside the Imperial City."
And so, relying on the information provided by Dr. Stylish, Esdeath came knocking.
...
"So you went through all this trouble just to have another fight with me?"
Mahiro looked strangely at the cold, beautiful woman before him.
Aren't you being a bit too persistent?
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed three figures following not far behind Esdeath.
A boy as petite as a young girl—Nyau. He waved at Mahiro with a slight smile.
Next to him was an older-looking man who gave Mahiro a slight nod.
Finally, a burly man with messy, earth-yellow hair and rugged features, carrying two giant axes on his back.
The moment he saw Nyau, Mahiro knew these were undoubtedly the Three Beasts under Esdeath's command.
Even though she already had such excellent subordinates, she still insisted on pursuing him...
"Are you scared?"
Esdeath's voice carried a hint of mockery. "If you're scared, then come with me obediently and be my pet. I'll treat you well."
"Scared?"
Mahiro shook his head. "Forget it. Since you want to play, let's play. But if you lose this time, what then?"
"Haha, that's the Mahiro I know."
Esdeath laughed charmingly, looking quite pleased. "Same rules as last time. If you lose, resign from your position and come with me. If I lose, I'm still at your disposal."
"Fine. I happen to be short of an instructor right now. If you lose, help me take care of those two kids and train them properly."
Mahiro pointed at Nahashu and Green.
"How about it?"
"Promising seedlings, acceptable."
Esdeath glanced at the two. Though her subordinate Green seemed somewhat weak, Nahashu in the tree satisfied her greatly.
He was moldable talent with promising prospects.
However, their duel shocked everyone.
Liver, one of the Three Beasts, showed little reaction. Before his imprisonment, he'd heard about Mahiro—only that he was strong, reportedly capable of defeating Esdeath.
Upon meeting him, aside from his handsome appearance, nothing else stood out.
Slightly doubtful.
Meanwhile, Daidara, another of the Three Beasts, was deeply displeased.
How dare he refuse General Esdeath's appreciation? He immediately wanted to grab his axe for a royal capital PK with Mahiro.
Thankfully, Nyau stopped him in time.
After all, even General Esdeath couldn't last more than a few rounds against Mahiro before. If this guy went up, he'd probably be killed on the spot!
As for the girls from the assassination group, they were utterly shocked.
Only Poney foolishly asked, "Who's that woman? She actually wants to duel Lord Yotsuba!"
"Shut up, idiot! That's General Esdeath!" Gin immediately scolded in a hushed tone.
"Esdeath? Who's that?" Poney clasped her head, showing no recognition.
"She's one of the Empire's strongest generals, said to have never lost a battle since she started campaigning, winning hundreds of fights," Cornelia explained, her gaze turning grave as she looked between their instructor and Esdeath.
Not just her—the others felt the same.
Though they were assassination group members who rarely went out, they'd still heard of Esdeath's exploits.
Now, Esdeath specifically came to duel Lord Yotsuba... Would Lord Yotsuba really be okay?
"Hey, you all better watch carefully next. This is a rare live combat demonstration. Observing properly will benefit you greatly."
Mahiro's voice suddenly drifted over, making everyone jolt.
They quickly responded loudly: "Yes, Lord Yotsuba!"
"Oh? Seems you care quite a bit about them."
Esdeath examined the girls briefly before turning back to him.
"Of course. I went through great trouble to gather these girls. What do you think? Not bad, right?"
"There are some promising seedlings, but the quality is uneven."
"That's true..."
Mahiro admitted this.
However, after his training, he could definitely make these girls' abilities exceed Esdeath's expectations!
Soon, their duel began.
The chosen location was the clearing by the waterfall.
Besides the assassination group as observers, Liver and Nyau from the Three Beasts served as referees.
"Begin!"
Thud—
The moment the word was spoken, Esdeath violently stomped the ground and charged forward like a female leopard!
Her explosive speed made the girls gasp in astonishment.
Even Poney, who specialized in footwork and bursts, couldn't help but gape. Compared to Esdeath's speed, her instant acceleration was turtle-slow.
No comparison at all.
"General Esdeath, after all this time, you haven't improved one bit..."
Mahiro shook his head and sidestepped slightly, effortlessly dodging the woman's flying kick.
However, as they passed each other, Esdeath's lips curled into an eerie smile.
"Really now?"
Swish—
Without warning, a crystalline blue ice scythe appeared in Esdeath's hand, trailing behind her. The biting cold air swirling around it was like the harsh winter wind of December, stirring Mahiro's black-tipped strands of hair.
The scythe's blade was aimed directly at his neck!
"As if... I'd fall for that~"
Mahiro first feigned shock, then just as the blade was about to reach him, suddenly grinned and swung his fist fiercely to the side.
Crack!
The sharp scythe blade was instantly shattered by the punch, transforming into scattered ice fragments that danced through the air like stardust under the sunlight.
"Then how about this!"
Esdeath, who had slid several meters away, adjusted her military cap as an icy gale condensed around her.
Blizzard General!
The sky began to shed pure white snow.
A biting gale swept across the land, instantly coating everything in silver.
In mere moments, the snow transformed into a blizzard, dyeing the surroundings in winter's colors.
It had to be admitted—Esdeath was truly formidable in both strength and tactical strategy, to an unprecedented degree!
Despite having obtained her Teigu only recently, she could completely control its power and had developed numerous techniques.
She even used this power to alter the terrain to her advantage.
However...
"Utterly useless."
"Heh."
Esdeath merely chuckled with delight before waving her hand.
Heaven's Descent—Giant Hailstone!!!
Instantly, the sky darkened.
Not because the sun had set, but because some shadow had enveloped the earth.
Looking up, they saw a massive ice block, resembling a meteor, descending from the sky!
The women huddled together for warmth were thoroughly frightened by the sight.
"And this time?"
"Not impressive."
Mahiro shook his head, then extended his hand as the Nightmare materialized in his grasp.
Raising the barrel, he aimed at the colossal ice in the sky.
Heavy Metal Burst!
Hum—
The muzzle flickered before unleashing a particle beam that instantly vaporized the ice mass.
The dazzling light shot straight into the sky, dispersing the dark clouds.
Even the pervasive blizzard was wiped away in an instant.
This technique naturally originated from Angelina's strategic-level magic, though the deployment of Heavy Metal Burst differed from other strategic spells—it wasn't limited to a single form.
Typically released as a magic that disperses metal particles, it could transform when necessary, firing a particle stream akin to a focused beam.
Simply put, it was similar to Planet Godzilla's Proton Beam.
That said, such exchanges of techniques were merely probing appetizers in their duel.
Esdeath had likely anticipated this outcome, for the moment the blizzard vanished, she was already before Mahiro, her fist wreathed in frigid ice energy swinging directly at him.
Slap!
The punch was caught firmly.
The spreading frost instantly evaporated against the psionic waves enveloping Mahiro.
The two engaged once more, launching into another fierce bout of hand-to-hand combat.
The intensity of this battle had left an indelible mark on both the assassination squad and the Three Beasts.
Not only had General Esdeath grown stronger, but what truly astonished the Three Beasts was how Mahiro's strength seemed bottomless—no matter what level of power Lord Esdeath displayed, he always managed to prevail.
However, Mahiro had also noticed Esdeath's improvement.
Perhaps due to consuming the Demon God Manifestation: Demon's Extract, Esdeath's physical prowess had clearly elevated by an entire tier!
Just a bit more, and she would have reached parity with him!
Yet in terms of technique, he still held a slight advantage. Even when Esdeath combined her Teigu in her assaults, they remained utterly ineffective against him.
"It's time to end this."
Mahiro abruptly retreated, creating distance from Esdeath, then charged forward again, simultaneously pulling his fist back to his waist.
It's coming!
Esdeath instantly understood his intent.
She immediately conjured several massive ice shields before her.
Each shield was so thick that even a first-class Danger Beast would struggle to breach it!
But Esdeath felt it wasn't enough—she erected six layers in succession!
"Heh."
At this sight, Mahiro grinned and threw a punch—
"Tendo Style Martial Arts, First Form, Eighth Stance—"
"Blazing Fan!!!"
BOOM!!!
His fist seemed to ignite with actual flames, instantly shattering all the ice shields. Amid a shower of ice fragments, it struck Esdeath squarely in the abdomen.
"Ugh..."
The proud Queen of Ice staggered back several steps before collapsing with a thud, her disheveled ice-blue hair splayed out as she fell to one knee.
Mahiro looked down at her, adopting the posture of a victor. He bent down, lifted her chin, and murmured:
"You've lost again, General Esdeath."