"What! Tatsumi was taken away by Esdeath?"
Inside the coffee shop, Leone, Lubbock, Akame, Bulat, Mine, and Sheele sat in their seats, their faces displaying expressions of utter disbelief. Meanwhile, Asahi looked dazed; even he felt that life had become too surreal.
"Before everyone says anything, please listen to me until the end."
Asahi raised his hand, and the clamoring members of Night Raid fell silent. However, no one could hide their tension; a member of Night Raid falling into the hands of Esdeath was a fate too grim to even contemplate.
Asahi began to recount the events in order, from the moment Esdeath entered the shop to enjoy coffee, to Tatsumi's scuffle with the ox-headed man, and finally, how Esdeath had stepped ahead of him, collared Tatsumi, and dragged him away.
"I swear I didn't mishear her. She told Tatsumi... 'From now on, you are mine.' Exactly like that. Her tone was completely different from capturing a prisoner; it sounded more like capturing a lover."
Their expressions shifted from fear and anger to the same dazed look as Asahi, especially at the mention of "capturing a lover." Now Night Raid understood why he had such a look on his face.
"And she also said—I only heard this vaguely, so no one should be shocked..."
"'Come to my room, just the two of us.'"
Everyone jumped in surprise, their faces stiffening. What on earth was this? Esdeath actually invited a boy into her room? Furthermore, just the two of them? What did she intend to do—torture him? Or was it...
That imagined image was immediately brushed aside; no one dared to think further in that direction.
Only one person reacted differently: Sheele. When Asahi repeated the words "Come to my room, just the two of us," her face flushed crimson, though she quickly and secretly hid it.
In summary, Tatsumi had been captured by Esdeath but fortunately had not had his identity exposed yet; now was the time for discussion.
"Akame, don't do anything foolish like charging into the Imperial Palace."
"I know, Mine... but..."
Akame gripped her sword tightly, lowering her face toward the table. She remembered the promise she made to Tatsumi that night. She couldn't just abandon him.
Everyone there wanted to save Tatsumi, but Esdeath wasn't the only problem. The Jaegers weren't just for show; to be summoned under her command meant their strength was no joke, at least at the level of the Three Beasts.
"It's late now. Everyone should head back and discuss this thoroughly. As for Tatsumi, since I bear part of the responsibility, I will do my best to bring him back."
"Asahi, please don't be too reckless..."
Sheele found an opportunity to approach him, speaking bashfully. Her bangs covered most of her glasses, so he couldn't see her expression clearly, but being cared for wasn't a bad feeling. He smiled gently and replied to her.
"Thank you, Sheele. I'll be careful."
Sheele smiled and turned away, pressing her hand lightly against her chest. She felt lucky that she had let her bangs cover her eyes, or else he would have seen her strange behavior.
"I still haven't managed... to thank him..."
Sheele had wanted to thank Asahi for a long time, but she could never gather enough courage.
"Next time... next time... I will..."
Night Raid left the coffee shop. On the way back to their base, Leone asked Akame and Bulat:
"The Boss isn't here. Have you two made a decision?"
"We will move the base deeper into the mountains. There's a high possibility the current base will be compromised."
"I guess so."
The formation of the Jaegers created a force capable of rivaling Night Raid. Once they attacked the base, dealing with them wouldn't be as simple as the assassins who had infiltrated before. Night Raid was no longer the side with absolute overwhelming power; any lapse in judgment could be paid for with death.
At the same time, the members of the Jaegers were standing at the foot of a hill. Above them was a fortress wall surrounded by thick torchlight.
"So, is this the bandits' base?"
"That's right. The Jaegers' first mission is to eliminate this group."
"Then, what's the plan?"
"Justice must strike valiantly! Straight ahead!"
"That's a bit too vague."
As for Tatsumi, he was sitting right next to Esdeath. It was just the two of them on a flat, cut-off rock ledge.
It was only a while after being captured that Tatsumi realized this was Esdeath—the master of the Three Beasts and the one who had beaten Asahi senseless. She was one of the most dangerous enemies Night Raid had to face. By the time he realized the severity of the situation, it was already too late to run.
Tatsumi looked at Esdeath's exquisite face and swallowed hard. Not out of infatuation, but out of extreme tension.
"Excuse me, why did you bring me out here?"
"Because you are a reserve member of the Jaegers. Observing the battle will be very beneficial for you."
Both Esdeath and Tatsumi looked down toward a distant spot where the Jaegers were advancing, gradually approaching the bandits' headquarters.
"I need to get out of here."
Tatsumi thought of a strategy. But when Esdeath placed her hand on his, all his plans vanished. How on earth was he supposed to escape like this?
Down below, the battle had begun.
"Coro, Number 5."
The demonic beast enlarged, using its massive, tooth-filled mouth to bite down on Seryu's mechanical arm. It wasn't biting it off but rather replacing parts stored within Coro's stomach.
This was a new fighting style for Seryu. After being thoroughly defeated by Asahi, where Coro's core was nearly crushed, Seryu realized she herself was a major obstacle for Coro. Thus, she made improvements to enhance her own combat power. Now, Seryu fought in coordination with the beast rather than just standing back and giving orders.
The bandits swarmed to attack. Seryu grinned ferociously as Coro released her arm, revealing that the replaced part was a giant drill.
"Judgment of the Ten Kings: Enma's Drill of Justice!"
The bandits were crushed by the giant drill, limbs flying everywhere. But Seryu's attack wasn't over. Coro enlarged again and swallowed the drill; when it shrunk back and pulled away, it had been replaced by a cannon barrel about five meters long.
"Taizan Cannon of Justice!"
BOOM!!
The fortress gate exploded. Behind her, Dr. Stylist spoke arrogantly.
"Heh, do you know that I am the one who created those weapons?"
He revealed a pair of metallic gloves, performing a series of bizarre, showy dance moves.
"God's Hands: Perfector. They increase accuracy and speed by a hundredfold. The most stylish Teigu!"
Clearly, his Teigu was a pure support type with no combat power of its own, but its effect was terrifyingly formidable in the hands of a scientist like Stylist—creating the modified warrior Seryu was a prime example.
The gate was breached. From within the black smoke of the explosives, Kurome dashed out, taking lives with single sword strikes. By the time she sheathed her sword, the ground behind her was littered with corpses.
"When this is over, I will assemble and play with you all. My lovely dolls."
A bandit was about to snipe Kurome from a blind spot when there was movement behind him. Wave leaped and kicked the bandit in the back, sending him crashing to the ground and his gun flying away. Wave landed right behind Kurome.
"No need to thank me. We are a team, after all."
"I already knew he was there."
"Are you kidding me?!"
On another side, the bandits tried to hide behind their comrades who were screaming in agony, for they were all being burned alive. Standing in the distance, Bols held a massive gun, with a fuel tank strapped to his back. The nozzle was wide, and intense flames continuously spewed forth, incinerating not only people but buildings as well.
"Purgatory's Invitation: Rubicante. The Flamethrower Teigu."
The bandits fled as they realized their defeat was certain, but someone was already blocking their path.
Run appeared in the air, a pair of white wings shaped like a bird's behind him. A few feathers fell from them, and with a swing of his arm, they turned into deadly weapons, moving so fast they created blue afterimages that looked like threads under the moonlight, piercing the skulls of the fugitives.
Under the ethereal moonlight, Run's face, combined with his white outfit and the wings on his back, made him look exactly like an angel.
"Thousand-Mile Flight: Mastema, a wing-type Teigu."
"I won't let a single soul escape."
All the bandits were dead, and their headquarters had been burned to the ground. Tatsumi looked on grimly as the members of the Jaegers stepped out from the ashes. These were the enemies Night Raid had to face.