"Commander Esdeath, I... I am deeply sorry..."
Esdeath sat in her chair, gazing coldly at Wave, who was kneeling on a thick, angular wooden plank. He was stripped down to nothing but his undergarments, and his thighs were bearing the weight of three heavy, hewn stone blocks.
As a soldier, he had naturally undergone many grueling training sessions, but enduring this for so long brought tears even to the eyes of a man of the sea.
"Letting Tatsumi escape was a major blunder. Letting Night Raid slip away is even worse."
"Kurome, add more stone."
Kurome stepped forward, carrying a stone block identical to the three already crushing Wave's thighs. His pleading gaze had no effect; Kurome heartlessly dropped the stone.
Crack!
"Aaaaa!!!!"
Wave screamed in agony, his face a mess of tears and snot.
"Wave, you have the strength, but your mind is still too soft. Reflect on your failures."
"Yes..."
"If this happens again... I will punish you personally."
Wave looked into Esdeath's deep, hollow eyes and trembled with fear, stammering his obedience.
"Understood."
Afterward, Seryu entered to report that she and Coro had found no traces. Along with that, there was another piece of information: Dr. Stylist had vanished. Esdeath didn't pay much mind to this.
"Commander, if Tatsumi joins the Revolutionary Army... must we handle him like the others when we meet?"
Run, standing nearby, asked the question. Esdeath pondered for a moment before giving her answer. Even so, a rare look of bewilderment appeared on her face.
"It is true that I still love Tatsumi. Now that he has fled, the feeling is even more intense."
"However, the lives of my subordinates take priority. Capture him alive if possible; if not, kill him."
"Understood."
"If Tatsumi sides with evil, then we have no other choice."
The meeting ended; Wave was released and dragged away by Kurome. The others dispersed. Esdeath walked alone down a vast corridor, the setting sun casting a lonely silhouette behind her.
"If you are killed, it only proves you were a man of that caliber. But you are not such a weakling. You have a powerful will to survive."
"It's strange... but I have a feeling we will meet again soon, Tatsumi."
"If not, I will be the one to ensure we cross paths once more."
"When that time comes, I will make it so you can no longer resist these feelings. Prepare yourself, Tatsumi."
Asahi was in the kitchen with Bols, quietly witnessing everything that unfolded, his mind already sketching out a series of next moves. Now that Tatsumi had successfully escaped, his own movements could be more flexible.
"Bols, let me handle the cooking for that dish."
"Mm, I'll leave it to you, Asahi."
Asahi smiled at Bols. He never used a fake smile; he truly felt sympathy for this man. Perhaps that was why he had managed to gain a bit of his trust.
...
"And that is the strength I saw from the Jaegers."
Everyone in Night Raid gathered to listen as Tatsumi relayed the information he had gathered. Leone let out a long sigh, leaning back.
"Damn it, so all of them are Teigu users. This is going to be a tough nut to crack."
"And Kurome is among them..."
"Then why didn't you bring her back with you?"
"I asked, but she wouldn't accept. She even considers me a traitor."
Akame grew somber, her hands clenching tightly. Sheele, sitting beside her, patted her shoulder.
Bulat stroked his chin and asked:
"So, what is their specific level of strength?"
"As for their specific strength... in my view, they are quite close to us. But who wins or loses can only be known in a real fight."
"As for Esdeath... I don't know how to put it... but I feel like we would die if we faced her directly."
Tatsumi spoke with great seriousness. Night Raid wasn't intimidated by the Jaegers, but Esdeath was a problem too difficult to solve. At this moment, he felt he might have underestimated Asahi's strength. To be able to fight a fierce battle and then escape from Esdeath—that was absolutely not normal strength.
Everyone frowned; they felt the same way he did. Even the prideful Mine remained silent. Only Akame...
Akame looked at Tatsumi's expression and could roughly guess what he was thinking. She suddenly stood up, holding her sword horizontally before her.
"Esdeath is indeed very strong! But she is still a living human with a beating heart and flowing blood! Murasame can still kill her with a single cut, even if she is the strongest in the capital!"
Akame's powerful voice woke everyone up. Esdeath was strong—strong enough to drive one to despair. But no one is truly invincible forever.
...
As night fell and everything sank into silence, a figure quietly glided through the corridors. Not a single sound was made, like a ghost.
Dressed in a dark windbreaker, his entire form was shrouded in black.
Asahi was not out for a stroll, of course; no one goes sightseeing at this hour. This was reconnaissance.
Unfortunately, although he was within the palace, this area was quite far from the central palace where the Emperor and the Prime Minister resided. The paths here were equally labyrinthine. He still hadn't found an opportunity to "strike."
Whish!
Asahi suddenly ducked, dodging a knife that swept across the space above him. He spun, using his leg to sweep his attacker off their feet, followed immediately by a direct punch to the man's nose.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bone echoed as the attacker was knocked rolling onto the ground. Only then did Asahi get a clear look at him—a man with pale skin, disheveled clothes and hair, and a gaunt face. He looked no different from an addict.
"Not a soldier."
The blow had broken the strange man's bridge, but he stood up as if nothing had happened, playing with the knife in his hand. An ordinary person would have been dazed for quite some time.
"Lord Stylist truly is divinely prescient; a small mouse really did slip through. Rest assured, my Lord, your knight will complete the mission!!"
"Knight? You don't look the part."
Asahi's response was met with a direct thrust from the strange man. He didn't fully dodge, but instead tilted his body to let the knife slide past, then firmly seized the man's wrist.
Having lost his only chance at a sneak attack, this man stood no chance in close-quarters combat against Asahi. His knife hand was pinned far away, neutralizing his only weapon, while Asahi's other hand and knees rained down blows.
In this manner, the commotion was kept to a minimum. Though this man seemed to have endurance far beyond a normal person, even that had its limits.
By the third knee strike, the man collapsed, and the knife slipped from his hand. Asahi tied and gagged the bizarre individual, found a random spot outside the palace walls, and dumped him there.
"That's enough for today."
Asahi thought as he walked. The man had mentioned Lord Stylist. This meant the man was one of Stylist's soldiers, lying in wait here. Regardless of whether they were truly targeting him or someone else, this was a bad sign.
The only opening Asahi thought Stylist could have caught was his conversation with Tatsumi in the hallway this morning. Even though he had checked, there was still a possibility of a slip-up.