Chapter 24

General Nakaido strode into a room brimming with numerous vials containing a diverse array of chemicals. At the center, a man meticulously scrutinized collected blood samples under a microscope.

"What's your analysis?" General Nakaido demanded.

"Perfection cannot be rushed, General," Stylish responded calmly. "Finding the answer you seek requires time and precision", he added.

With a deliberate gesture, Stylish extracted a vial of chemicals and carefully extracted a few drops, depositing them onto the blood samples. Intently, he observed the subsequent reactions between the chemicals and the blood samples.

After a brief moment of analysis, a smile graced Stylish's face, revealing his intrigue and excitement. "That's very interesting. Very interesting indeed."

General Nakaido's brow furrowed, his annoyance evident as he questioned, "Tell me, what did you find out?". He had little patience for the scientist's antics before him. If Stylish hadn't been one of the Empire's most brilliant minds, Nakaido would have hesitated to work with him to begin with. However, compelled by the orders of his Imperial Majesty, Nakaido was determined to obtain results swiftly, without delay.

This prompted him to work with such an annoying and eccentric scientist.

"I must admit, while I played a role in the initial creation of this drug years ago, the scientists working under Honest's right-hand man have made astonishing advancements. They have vastly improved upon my original creation, to the point where I can barely recognize it as my own. Impressive, indeed."

Stylish paused momentarily, locking eyes with the general, his face contorted into a creepy smile. "Do you now regret killing them? I certainly would have if I were in your place."

General Nakaido's scowl deepened, his anger simmering beneath the surface, tempting him to strike Stylish in the face. "Those scientists deserved no mercy," he seethed, his voice laced with disdain. "They callously took innocent children from the Empire and subjected them to horrifying experiments. Such individuals have no place in the new Empire that His Majesty envisions. Their fate, being burned by the Incineration Squad, was a punishment they unquestionably deserved."

"Oh, really?" Stylish taunted, showing no concern for Nakaido's response. "If I were among those scientists, would you have killed me too?"

Nakaido let out a contemptuous snort as he strode towards the nearest window. "You're lucky that your involvement with the drug was limited to its original creation," he remarked, his gaze piercing through Stylish. "Had any evidence of your participation emerged during the human testing phase, I would have ended your life right where you stand."

Stylish responded with mild amusement, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Scary," he retorted, seemingly unfazed by the young general's threats.

General Nakaido and Stylish currently found themselves situated a few dozen kilometers away from the Capital, within one of the Empire's highly classified military outposts. Through perusal of classified documents, it was discovered that during Prime Minister Honest's tenure, a substantial portion of the Empire's finances had been funneled into this specific outpost. Upon conducting an extensive investigation, General Nakaido and his lieutenants unearthed a startling truth—the outpost served as the clandestine birthplace of an assassination unit known as Dark Squad.

The arduous process of assembling Dark Squad took Honest several years to complete. Official records unveiled a distressing pattern: young individuals were forcefully abducted, subjected to rigorous training, and rigorously assessed. Those exhibiting exceptional talent were promptly extracted from the group, forming an elite assassination unit of their own, known as Elite Seven.

Over time, the Elite Seven ascended to the prestigious status of Honest's top-tier assassination unit. Conversely, the remaining youngsters underwent a different fate. Augmented with experimental drugs, they formed a comparatively less formidable faction within the assassination hierarchy— Dark Squad.

Dark Squad eventually became the main assassination unit of Honest when Elite Seven disbanded sometime in the past. A notable member of Elite Seven was Akame, now a current member of Night Raid. Before her defection from the Empire, she became the leader of Elite Seven for a time.

It is of paramount importance to note that each member of the Dark Squad had endured extensive brainwashing and manipulation. The mere notion of being cast aside due to their perceived inadequacy instilled an overwhelming sense of loathing within them. This deep-rooted feeling had been ingrained from the very moment they failed to make the cut for the coveted top-tier unit back when the Elite Seven was still intact. In their relentless pursuit of power and recognition, they willingly subjected themselves to the ingestion of multiple drugs aimed at augmenting their capabilities and proving themselves as worthy members of Dark Squad. These drugs required strict adherence to a scheduled regimen, demanding daily digestion to maintain their desired effects.

However, these drugs bore a host of severe side effects, prompting Dr. Stylish's current involvement.

General Nakaido's main concern was still determining the fate of Dark Squad but upon learning of the said drugs, he became interested in it and sought to immediately make it a secondary objective.

In the past, Saikyuu scientists had developed the said drugs but its results were highly aggressive to the human body and can cause addiction. Their focus was solely on the immediate benefits of the drugs and without considering the long-term effects.

Nakaido aimed to create an improved version of the enhancement drugs to be distributed among the Empire's ordinary soldiers. His goal was to develop drugs that could temporarily enhance the physical abilities of the recipients without causing any detrimental side effects to the body's constitution. The duration of the effects was not a major concern; even a momentary surge in strength could significantly impact battles.

Still unamused by Stylish's entire demeanor, General Nakaido fixed his gaze through the window. Although the outpost consisted of numerous buildings, Nakaido's focus was on the one located in the center. There was nothing particularly remarkable about the building itself; it was simply a large gathering hall. However, it was what could be observed outside the building that made it interesting.

In addition to a significant number of his soldiers, General Nakaido had temporary command over the Empire's Incineration Squad in order to help maintain control over Dark Squad. Among the members of the Incineration Squad was a skilled individual wielding an Imperial Arms, further bolstering their strength.

Strategically positioned around the perimeter of the building, the soldiers of both squads were tasked with preventing anyone from exiting the said building without Nakaido's explicit authorization. In recent days, the members of Dark Squad had been confined to the gathering hall, their movements restricted. Despite their captivity, Nakaido displayed a certain level of compassion, ensuring that their basic needs were adequately met. If any of them wished to communicate with him, they were required to convey their messages through the soldiers responsible for delivering their meals.

Suddenly, a soldier entered the room, interrupting Nakaido's thoughts. The soldier stood at attention and announced, "Sir, an individual from Dark Squad wishes to speak to you in person."

"Is it their boss, again?" Nakaido replied. During his investigation into the group, Nakaido had the opportunity to meet the current leader of Dark Squad over the past few days. With Saikyuu and Honest no longer alive, the group was now led by a man named Kylie. Despite holding this leadership position, Kylie was remarkably young, even younger than Nakaido himself. However, the prolonged doping had accelerated his physical aging, making him appear old enough to be Nakaido's father.

Learning this fact had saddened Nakaido. He disapproved of the way the Empire had recruited members for the assassination unit. It wasn't that he opposed the idea of the Empire having such a unit; he understood the necessity of protecting the Empire from its enemies. Rather, it was the unethical methods employed by the Empire to establish the unit that disgusted him. Nakaido believed that recruitment should have been voluntary. If Nakaido had made the Dark Squad he would have personally sought out skilled fighters within the military and if they agreed, only then would they be trained to become assassins. It was a humane and better option rather than forcibly abducting and training young children to become killers.

"Who was it?" Nakaido inquired.

"A woman by the name of Kurome, sir!" the soldier responded.

Upon hearing the name, Nakaido's eyebrow raised in interest. "Inform her that I will meet with her tonight. I am still awaiting a response from the Capital," Nakaido replied. In Nakaido's opinion, Kurome was undoubtedly the most intriguing member of Dark Squad. After reviewing her file, he had immediately sent a message to the Capital.