Ten minutes ago.
Under the night sky, above the southern bank of the White Wolf River, Arisa floated in the heavens with Gozuki beside her.
"Gozuki, your students didn't head south? Why haven't we found them yet... don't tell me they're already dead?"
"They can't be, Lady Arisa. It's only been two short days. I have faith in my disciples..." Gozuki replied confidently.
"From what I know, my disciples might still be on the western bank of the White Wolf River..."
After escaping from Merraid's grasp, he spent half a day fleeing to the border between the northern and western provinces, where Selene's Imperial Guard Legion was stationed. There, after brief treatment and borrowing a tamed flying Super-class Danger Beast, he flew back to the Imperial Capital within a day. Then, after seeking aid from Selene, reinforcements were dispatched under Arisa's command, and within a few hours, they arrived at the White Wolf River.
If not for concerns about Gozuki's physical condition, their pace could have been even faster.
Given such speed, having been separated for only two days, Gozuki's confidence was well-founded. If it had been a week, even he wouldn't have been so sure.
"Hmm... the western bank, plenty of water, rich in wildlife. There's also an abandoned village there—perhaps that's where they're hiding..." Arisa murmured, sorting through her thoughts as she spread open the Complete Book of the World · Rongo Rongo to search.
After confirming the search target, she signaled for the large group of Bat Khan soldiers behind her to investigate.
Suddenly, from the northwest forest, a faint rumbling echoed, followed by a burst of firelight. In the silent, dark woods, it was impossible to miss.
"Ha! Lady Arisa, we've found them! That fire must be my disciple Green's handiwork. He was equipped with the Imperial Science Bureau's high-energy incendiary bombs, specially issued to the Assassination Unit."
"Excellent! We've finally found them! Let's go—this is the first mission entrusted to me by the Great General, and I'll make sure it's completed perfectly!"
"Bat Khan, move out! Eliminate all enemies!"
Arisa tilted her head slightly. For her, this task was almost too simple. The only thing that mattered was completing it flawlessly.
...
Meanwhile, in the Revolutionary Army's camp.
This position was closer to the blast site. Chelsea clearly heard the thunderous rumble from the forest, followed by a wave of scorching heat from the raging wildfire.
Her gaze turned toward the distance—toward the direction where her mentor Babara and senior Taeko were stationed.
"Did something happen over there? Should I go check...?"
...
Guiding Gozuki to the air above the blast site, Arisa looked down at Green and Tsukushi, who were emerging from a makeshift blast shelter, and asked softly,
"Gozuki, those two are your disciples, correct? Including the three life signals I sense inside the shelter, that makes five people. What about the other two?"
"..." Hearing that, Gozuki's expression darkened. A sense of dread washed over him—it seemed someone had died...
And just then, a voice rang out directly in their ears, causing Arisa's brow to twitch slightly.
"How unfortunate... you almost killed me. This time, I'll show no mercy. You both... will die!"
So arrogant? And daring to threaten her mission targets? Arisa, of course, couldn't let that slide.
Looking down at the naked woman below, Arisa said indifferently, "No, I don't think you will."
Her tone was calm, not loud, yet in the silence of the ashen wasteland, her words spread like ripples across still water.
"Who's there!?"
Bringing Gozuki down with her, Arisa gently descended to the ground. Ignoring the wary gaze of the purple-eyed woman, she walked calmly to stand before Green and Tsukushi.
"Hello there. My name is Arisa Benares, sent by Great General Selene to assist you."
"..." Green and Tsukushi stood frozen, speechless. Their eyes were drawn not to Arisa, but to the figure behind her.
Seeing Gozuki walking toward them unharmed, Tsukushi rubbed her eyes in disbelief. Based on their earlier calculations, even at best, Gozuki should've needed at least five days to bring reinforcements!
"Green, Tsukushi... where are the others?"
That familiar voice immediately shattered Tsukushi's composure.
"Father! Akame, Cornelia, and Poney are inside—badly injured and unconscious. Guy and Najasho... they sacrificed themselves so we could escape!"
Even with the stranger Arisa present, Tsukushi couldn't help but choke up as she saw her father arrive to rescue them.
"What?! How could this be..." Casualties were inevitable, but Gozuki hadn't expected the fallen to be the two strongest of the Elite Seven—No.1 and No.2.
When Arisa mentioned she could sense only five life signatures, Gozuki had assumed the casualties would be those at the bottom of the assassination ranking, perhaps Akame...
Seeing the father and daughter reunited, Arisa decided not to interrupt.
"Well then... let's deal with the enemy first."
Silently reciting her intent, Arisa stepped forward until she stood fifty paces from Merraid, who once again donned her purple-black insect armor.
The Crawling Things—this was the collective name for the insect-type Danger Beasts passed down through generations of the Oarburgh Assassination Syndicate's leaders.
Rumor had it they were alchemical creations from a thousand years ago, crafted by alchemists summoned from around the world by the Empire's first emperor.
Using the living insect armor to cover her bare body, Merraid glared warily at Arisa, making no move to strike.
In Merraid's perception, the woman standing before her was a being that evoked a primal, instinctive terror. It wasn't fear born of reason or experience—it came from the soul, from the very bloodline itself. Every cell in her body, every insect on her skin, shrieked in horror as if bowing to a higher life form.
Merraid couldn't comprehend why she felt this way, but the suffocating dread wrapping around her was undeniable. Her breath grew shallow, her chest tightening as despair coiled around her like a serpent.
"Who... exactly are you?" After a tense pause, Merraid finally spoke, her voice low and cautious. "You're not one of the Assassination Unit, are you? Why—"
"What does that have to do with you?" Arisa cut her off coldly before she could finish. "Rebels should have the awareness of what they are. I owe you no explanations. Perhaps your Death God in hell will enlighten you."
"Target confirmed—Merraid Oarburgh." Matching the face in her records, Arisa slowly closed the Complete Book of the World · Rongo Rongo.
The moment the words left her lips, Arisa moved.
In the blink of an eye, the fifty-step distance vanished as if she had teleported.
Crackle~
Lightning flashed. Arisa appeared right beside Merraid and swung her fist like thunder, arcs of electricity dancing along her knuckles as she drove it straight toward Merraid's chest.
"Crawling Sword!"
Merraid's reflexes were equally impressive. Almost the instant Arisa moved, her modified dynamic vision—enhanced by specialized body-control techniques—caught a faint blur of movement.
Her fingers curled into a fist, summoning countless purple-black beetles that merged together to form a sharp, spear-like point thrusting forward.
Yet, even as she countered, her heart trembled. That faint blur—was that truly the limit of her vision? This was impossible. Even Esdeath's speed, she could still track!
How fast was this woman? Who was she? The intelligence networks of both the Revolutionary Army and Oarburgh had never mentioned such a person!
But that was only the beginning.
Before Merraid could recover from her astonishment, Arisa showed her what true despair felt like.
The lightning-wreathed fist collided lightly against the spearpoint of merged beetles.
Blue-white arcs surged outward, spreading through layer upon layer of hardened insects. Within seconds, the entire mass was cooked alive—smoke and the scent of burnt flesh filling the air as the charred beetles fell away in clumps.
She's not just fast—her strength is monstrous! Merraid's mind reeled. From the sensory feedback of her dying insects, she realized with horror that her spear had actually touched Arisa's skin—soft, elastic, and smooth—yet it hadn't even left a mark!
To think that these hardened beetle mandibles—sharp enough to pierce even the scales of Super-class Danger Beasts—couldn't break through her skin!
Impossible. She's not human. I need to retreat... now! Merraid thought in terror. But she was no novice assassin; after countless battles, her instincts for survival were honed to perfection.
As she was blown backward by the recoil, Merraid twisted her body midair, adjusting her position even as she fell.
However, the moment Merraid touched the ground, Arisa had already flashed to her landing point, arcs of electricity dancing across her body as she swung a backhanded punch.
The speed of that strike was once again suffocating, yet Merraid showed why she was the leader of the Oarburgh Assassination Syndicate—her battlefield instincts were razor-sharp.
She knew full well that she couldn't block it. If that punch landed on a vital point, she would die instantly!
If she couldn't block it, she would have to sacrifice something.
Quickly extending her left arm, Merraid endured the paralyzing current coursing through her body. Layers upon layers of insect-type Danger Beasts reinforced her arm as she redirected the overwhelming force outward.
Crack—snap!
In an instant, the sound of bone breaking echoed. Her left arm twisted grotesquely, the bone splintering through the skin in jagged white spikes.
Merraid grunted, her left arm falling limp. The pain was excruciating—ten fingers are connected to the heart, let alone an entire arm shattered to pieces—but she forced herself to act, thrusting out her remaining right arm with a hoarse cry.
"Crawl—Thorns!"
"Hm?"
Arisa tilted her head slightly, a faint sound of surprise escaping her lips. This woman was surprisingly tenacious. Even in such dire straits, she could still counterattack.
Unfortunately, such attacks were meaningless in Arisa's eyes. Facing the incoming dozen purple-black spear-like blades, she didn't even bother to dodge.
Bzzzz—!
A surge of violent lightning erupted outward, forming a tangible shockwave centered on Arisa's body. The ground trembled and dust flew as waves of electric power rippled through the air.
This time, the beetle-forged spears didn't just burn—they melted into nothing under the sheer intensity of the lightning.
"An electric-type Teigu?"
"Unfortunately... no." The soft voice in Merraid's ear made her instinctively attempt to defend, but it was futile.
Her body was drained of blood, nerves consumed by pain. This time, not only could her body not react, even her vaunted dynamic vision couldn't catch a shadow.
Bang!
A terrifying force exploded against her abdomen.
Arisa's punch landed squarely in Merraid's stomach. Her internal organs churned violently; her once-alluring face twisted in agony.
"Cough—!"
A mouthful of blood burst forth. Her vision spun as her body was lifted into the air, then whoosh!—she shot away like a fired cannonball.
Moments later—boom!
Merraid's body smashed into the rocky ground with bone-shattering force, leaving a sprawling web of cracks across the already scarred terrain. Pebbles and dust rose and fell with a clatter-clatter.
"Lady Merraid!" cries rang out from the edge of the explosion as five figures charged forward from the smoke.
Hearing the voices, Arisa's lips curved upward. "So they've all gathered. Perfect."
Flipping open her notebook, Arisa took out the bounty list Selene had given her and read aloud, matching each face in turn. "Daniel, Babara, Gilberda, Cassandra, Taeko... and this one, Merraid."
"It seems the main members of the Oarburgh Assassination Syndicate are all here."
"Gozuki! Is this girl the reinforcements you brought?"
Seeing their leader's condition, Babara's expression tightened with fear, though her sharp tongue remained. She even considered sending Taeko away while sneering at her long-time rival.
"Hmph! Babara, save your breath. You won't be jumping around much longer."
Leading Green and Tsukushi, Gozuki stepped beside Arisa. "Lady Arisa, let's join forces—"
"No need." Arisa cut him off before he could finish.
"Join forces to... huh? Lady Arisa, why—? Don't be fooled by my injuries earlier. I was only overwhelmed because—"
"You're too weak," Arisa said simply, stepping forward and raising one hand toward the sky. "Just now, I was only testing my current ability level. I've gathered enough data."
"You're all too weak to serve as proper tests. Since that's the case... there's no need to drag this out any longer."
We're... too weak? Green and Tsukushi exchanged stunned glances, hardly believing what they'd heard.
The next moment, Arisa unfurled her violet-blue, lightning-covered wings. Massive electromagnetic forces gathered around her, condensing into several enormous spheres of crackling energy.
"It's over. Void · Electromagnetic Orbs!"
Bzzzz—KRA-KOOM!
Endless white light exploded outward, thunder roaring across the battlefield in an unbroken symphony.
...
When the light faded, the ground was charred black, the air thick with the acrid scent of ozone.
There was no doubt about it—the Oarburgh Assassination Syndicate had been annihilated.
Like crushing a nest of ants, Arisa brushed her hands together lightly and said, "Mission complete. Let's go wake your comrades."
"The Great General... wants to see you."