[179] : Mika’s Delight and Insight, The Battle’s End!

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"This isn't good!" Bulat muttered, observing the enemy forces.

With Kurome unleashing the full power of her Teigu, March of the Dead: Yatsufusa, their numbers had swelled from two to nine.

This put Night Raid at a severe disadvantage.

After all, only five members of Night Raid were present:

Akame, Bulat, Sheele, Leone, and Lubbock.

They were outnumbered almost two to one.

"It's a difficult situation, but their leader isn't here. We still have a chance to escape," Najenda said, emerging from the forest, her fists clenched.

"Boss!" Night Raid's spirits lifted at her arrival.

"The leader of Night Raid has joined the fray?" Tatsumi's expression hardened. He knew Night Raid would now be fighting with everything they had.

Nothing boosted morale like their leader joining the battle.

"Then let's begin!" Lightning crackled around Tatsumi as he spoke, his excitement growing.

The stronger the enemy, the more thrilled he became. Only formidable opponents could push him to improve.

"Attack!" With a clash of wills, the two sides collided once more.

"Leone, with me!" Bulat shouted, gripping his spear tightly.

He knew he was no match for Tatsumi alone.

Without the lightning, he could hold his own, but Tatsumi's lightning attacks forced him into a defensive position.

This was why Tatsumi had been able to simultaneously fight him and provide support to the others.

To counter Tatsumi's lightning, Bulat needed help.

Leone, with her enhanced physique and regenerative abilities granted by her Teigu, Lionelle, was the best choice.

"I'm here!" Responding to Bulat's call, Leone charged toward Tatsumi.

This time, her attack wasn't ineffective. Bulat attacked simultaneously, forcing Tatsumi to focus on defense.

But there were no complaints on his face.

"Yes! That's it! Come on!" he shouted excitedly, relishing the challenge.

Meanwhile, with Bulat and Leone occupied, Akame, Sheele, Lubbock, and Najenda faced Kurome and her seven puppets.

"Just so we're clear, I can't handle two opponents at once like you all. I can only hold off one," Najenda said seriously.

Akame and Lubbock nodded; they knew Najenda wasn't as strong as she once was.

When she left the Empire, Esdeath's attack had cost her an eye and an arm, leaving lasting injuries.

Holding off a single opponent was already a significant contribution.

"Are you sure, Boss?" Lubbock asked, concerned.

"Don't worry. I might struggle against others, but if it's General Rokugou, I can handle him." Najenda's gaze was fixed on the red-haired puppet among Kurome's group.

Rokugou, once a general of the Empire, had been Najenda's colleague. They had fought side-by-side countless times, so she was intimately familiar with his fighting style.

"General Rokugou? Understood." Akame and Lubbock nodded.

"Have you finished your discussion?" Kurome taunted. "Because I'm ready!"

As soon as she finished speaking, six of her puppets charged toward Night Raid.

Yatsufusa placed a heavy burden on its user, weakening their overall abilities. The more puppets summoned, the greater the strain.

However, Kurome, having received Falna, could now withstand the burden of three puppets without hindering her own combat abilities.

This was her strongest form in individual combat, and the form she had used against Akame earlier.

But now, she was facing a group battle. And for that, she needed to unleash Yatsufusa's full power.

However, she couldn't summon all eight puppets at once.

She needed to maintain some of her own strength to avoid being caught off guard.

Therefore, she kept Wall, the renowned bodyguard, by her side for protection.

"They're coming!" Najenda stepped forward, intercepting General Rokugou.

Lubbock engaged Syura and Mez, shouting to Akame, "We'll hold off as many as we can! You focus on the leader!"

"That's right! Leave this to us!" Sheele added, wielding her Teigu, Extase (Scissor Blade), as she engaged Apeman and Hent.

This left only Doya, the assassin from the northern tribes, for Akame to deal with. Her primary targets were Kurome and her bodyguard, Wall.

"Kurome!" Akame deflected Doya's bullets with her blade and charged toward her sister.

Kurome grinned and met her attack. "Let's continue our earlier battle, Sister!"

…

"Boom!" Two iron fists collided, sending shockwaves rippling through the forest.

It was just one of countless blows exchanged between Mika and Susanoo.

"Clang!" Mika blocked Susanoo's spirit sword with the gauntlet on his left arm, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Impressive."

"There aren't many in the Empire who can fight me like this."

As he spoke, Mika swiftly kicked at Susanoo, who blocked the blow with his arm.

Though forced back by the immense power, he remained unharmed.

"I must say, these biological-type Teigu are the most interesting."

"In a way, aren't they a form of immortality?"

"I'm suddenly quite intrigued by you." Mika chuckled, observing Susanoo as he regained his stance.

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Deep within the forest, Mika and Susanoo faced each other.

Susanoo, empowered by Najenda's life force, was brimming with power.

He stood silently, conserving his energy, unwilling to waste even a fraction of his master's life force.

"What a loyal Teigu," Mika remarked, sensing Susanoo's intent.

"In that case, let's continue."

As soon as Mika finished speaking, Susanoo appeared before him, his spirit sword slicing through the air.

Mika grinned, raising his gauntlet-clad left hand to meet the attack.

The gauntlet served as both shield and spear, capable of both offense and defense.

"Clang!" A deafening clash echoed through the forest.

Mika pressed his advantage, his bare right hand transforming into a fist as he punched forward with a sonic boom.

Susanoo swiftly blocked the blow with his arm, but the impact sent shockwaves through the forest, like two fighter jets colliding.

Both Mika and Susanoo possessed incredible durability; there was no sign of either giving way.

However, the force of their clash devastated the surrounding forest.

The small wooded area outside the palace couldn't contain their destructive power. They were like bulldozers, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.

The forest's inhabitants fled in terror.

"Exhilarating!" Mika roared with laughter, reveling in the thrill of the battle. He loved this feeling of power.

In this world, only Esdeath and Susanoo could provide such a challenge.

But Esdeath was currently stationed in the north, overseeing the newly conquered territories and awaiting the completion of the railway.

Therefore, only Susanoo could provide him with this exhilarating experience.

But it was temporary. Knowing this, Mika savored every moment, unleashing the battle lust he had suppressed for so long.

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Meanwhile, the battle between Night Raid and Tatsumi's group intensified. Despite being outnumbered two to six, Tatsumi and Kurome held the advantage.

Tatsumi, empowered by his skills, grew stronger with each passing moment, easily handling both Leone and Bulat.

As for Kurome, her advantage was even more pronounced.

She was still suppressing Night Raid.

The reason? Her Falna ability, of course!

After receiving Falna, she had gained her first skill, Puppeteer, which significantly enhanced the power of her puppets.

This allowed her controlled corpses, summoned by Yatsufusa, to overpower Night Raid.

Observing the battle from the shadows, Chelsea grew increasingly anxious.

She had accompanied Mika to the compound. Despite her new title as Imperial Consort, her duties remained unchanged.

Mika hadn't even visited her private chambers since her appointment, likely due to his two Empresses.

This relieved Chelsea; she wasn't ready to sacrifice her body for the mission. Though if the target were Mika, she wouldn't resist.

She was here because she had begged Mika to bring her along.

Seeing Tatsumi arrive earlier, she had grown concerned.

As captain of the Capital Guard, Tatsumi's mission was to apprehend Night Raid. His presence here clearly indicated trouble.

After he left, she cautiously inquired, and Mika, without hesitation, told her about the impending attack.

This news alarmed Chelsea. Fearing for Night Raid's safety, she had begged Mika to bring her along.

Now, concealed by the invisibility cloak Mika had provided (one of the Teigu he had crafted), she watched the battle unfold.

"What do I do? Kurome and Tatsumi are too strong! Night Raid can't escape."

The situation seemed hopeless.

Her first thought was to assassinate Kurome. With her disguise and Mika's Teigu, she was confident she could succeed.

But she quickly dismissed the idea. She knew Mika valued his companions deeply.

Assassinating Kurome would undoubtedly enrage him, and neither she, Night Raid, nor the Revolutionary Army could withstand his wrath.

Her time in the palace had made one thing clear: the Revolutionary Army had no chance of victory.

They only existed because Mika hadn't decided to eliminate them yet.

As for Night Raid, the fact that Mika knew about their planned attack spoke volumes.

Assassination was out of the question.

"But what other options do I have?"

Just as Chelsea's worry intensified, the sounds of battle in the distance suddenly ceased.

"Damn it! Mika and Susanoo's fight is over!"

The thought of Mika's imminent return filled Chelsea with resolve.

It was time to act.

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