Entering the Fray

With [Murasame] swirling in her hand, Akame slowly advanced toward Bulat and the others.

"I will bury all of you!"

As soon as she spoke, an overwhelming killing intent erupted from Akame, radiating outward from her like a tidal wave.

Not far away, Mine, who had been watching the scene unfold from the start, felt her heart clench in terror. She took an involuntary step back and whispered in disbelief, "This can't be happening... Less than half a minute, and Lubbock..."

Boom!

Crossing his arms in front of him to block Cornelia's [Crusher King], the Deputy used the impact to pull back, his internal organs churning violently from the blow. Forcing down the nausea, he shouted, "Mine! Snap out of it! Get to a distance and provide cover!"

As he spoke, the Deputy reached into his waist pouch and pulled out a white metal mask, securing it over his face.

Imperial Arm Power Surging: Balzac, a mask-type Imperial Arm that allows its user to unlock 100% of their latent potential.

"Leone, you better not slack off. Get back here and provide support as soon as you hear the noise!" With the Imperial Arm activated, a series of mechanical clicks echoed, and the mask adhered to his face. His eyes instantly turned blood-red with a cross-shaped pattern.

"Bulat, you can turn invisible. Stay by Mine's side and be ready to retreat at any moment."

"But... Captain Tennyson, Lubbock..." Mine hesitated. She didn't want to leave a comrade behind.

"No buts! We're in the upper district! Don't engage in a drawn-out fight! Quick and decisive!" With that, the former Imperial military officer known as Tennyson disappeared from sight.

Boom!

Enhanced by [Balzac], Tennyson's physical capabilities increased exponentially, and with a thunderous blow, he quickly overpowered Cornelia in their contest of strength, sending her flying.

After briefly disengaging from Cornelia, Tennyson flexed his arms, his blade gauntlets snapping into place. He lunged at Akame with a powerful slash, fully aware that a direct clash with [Murasame] would be foolish.

Clang!

Steel met steel, and sparks flew into the air from the intense collision.

Ding!

Akame parried Tennyson's horizontal slash with her left gauntlet blade while simultaneously redirecting it. Her right blade lashed out immediately.

Clang!

The blade gauntlet and [Murasame] clashed, sparks flying and a piercing sound echoing far into the night.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Though Mine's shots weren't at full power due to the rapid pace of Akame's fight with Tennyson, her well-aimed orange laser beams constantly interrupted Akame's attempts to press her advantage. It was becoming increasingly frustrating for Akame, who felt her momentum repeatedly stifled, as if she couldn't fully unleash her strength.

Taking advantage of a brief lull, Akame flipped backward and looked toward Mine, who had been harassing her from afar. The killing intent in her eyes deepened.

I'll bury you soon enough!

Suddenly, "Assassins! It's Night Raid! Fire the signal flares! Inform Captain Oka and the Imperial Guard immediately!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The Imperial Capital's police force had finally noticed the chaos. With the sound of hurried, clattering footsteps and the crisp clanging of armor, squads of soldiers began flooding into the area like a tide.

"Kill—!"

Countless signal flares shot into the sky. Amid the deafening shouts of battle, the bells of the upper and middle districts rang out, their echoes spreading through every corner of the capital.

In an instant, the entire capital seemed to come alive. Every light in the city flickered on, illuminating the Imperial Capital as if it were broad daylight. From a bird's-eye view, the capital's central palace swung its gates wide open. Even the Imperial Guard stationed at the South Lake Barracks outside the city rushed out in full force, surging like an army of ants across the bridge leading straight to the palace.

"Damn it!" Tennyson's face darkened with frustration as his worst fears came true.

This mission was supposed to be swift and decisive. Even though they were near the outskirts of the upper district, once trouble arose here, it was like poking a hornet's nest.

The Imperial Capital's police were nothing like the lazy, slow forces elsewhere in the city. Here, they pursued criminals with a vengeance, as if they were chasing down mortal enemies!

Opening!

A seasoned warrior, Akame seized a split second of distraction, lashing out with a kick aimed straight at Tennyson's lower body.

However, Tennyson was still under the influence of [Balzac], his enhanced dynamic vision and reflexes allowing him to react in time. He blocked the kick with a powerful punch.

Boom!

"Crusher King!"

Taking advantage of the moment, Cornelia launched herself from behind Tennyson, aiming a devastating punch at his waist.

"Akame, let's finish—ugh!"

But just as Cornelia's fist was about to connect, a furry beast claw swatted her away. It was Leone.

"Captain Tennyson! What the hell happened here? I was gone for one minute, and you've already caused such a huge commotion!"

Kneeling on one knee, Leone glared at Tennyson, her expression sour. Behind her, Sayo and Ieyasu wore similarly troubled expressions.

Without saying much, Tennyson nodded to them, "Leone, you're just in time. We need to retreat!"

"What about Lubbock?" Leone asked.

Cough, cough... "I'm here, Boss... cough." From under the rubble, Lubbock slowly emerged, shaking off the debris. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

"Luckily, I wove myself a set of steel wire armor with [Cross Tail] earlier. If I hadn't, I'd be dead for sure after that punch." Clutching his chest, Lubbock made his way over to Leone, forcing a smile.

"Captain Tennyson, we need to retreat now. The enemies are closing in!" Lubbock urged.

Splat!

Meanwhile, Bulat, clad in his steel-grey armor, was holding the front gate, his Redback Shrike whirling through the air as he fought to keep the Imperial police at bay. The only sounds were those of blades cutting through flesh and the agonized cries of the police. One by one, their bodies fell at his feet.

Whoosh!

With a sharp hiss, an orange beam of energy shot through the air, striking down a police officer who had been climbing over the walls. From her position, Mine grumbled, "Lubbock's alive? Well, that's great, now I can stop worrying."

Lubbock winced at her words. "Thanks for your concern, Mine. Really."

Despite the sarcastic exchange, Lubbock's hands worked quickly. His gloved fingers flickered, releasing a web of silver threads into the air.

Reacting instantly to the feedback from the wires, Lubbock swiftly retracted the lines. Within seconds, the estate's main gate was sealed off by a web of razor-sharp wires.

Several police officers who charged too recklessly were sliced to pieces, armor and all, as they crossed the wires.

The horrifying sight caused the rest of the soldiers outside the estate to hesitate, their earlier determination wavering.

"Alright, it's time to pull out," Lubbock said, dusting his hands off.

"You think you can escape, you Imperial traitors!"

Cornelia, who had been struck hard by Leone's beast claw, was now kneeling on the ground, clutching her bleeding waist. Despite the excruciating pain and the loss of most of her combat strength, she forced herself to her feet, her voice filled with hatred.

As she spoke, Cornelia reached for a small syringe...

"Cornelia..."

Reacting quickly, Akame snatched the syringe away. She gently supported Cornelia, whose face was twisted in pain, and said somberly, "I've already lost everyone else. I can't lose you too."

"We won't be able to finish them off this time. Let's wait for another chance." Akame sighed.

"But... I can't accept this!" Cornelia growled through clenched teeth.

Pointing at Tennyson in the distance, she rasped, "That man, I would never mistake him. He's Najenda's traitorous deputy!"

"You bastard! How dare you insult Najenda!"

Although Cornelia's words rang somewhat true, Night Raid didn't see it that way, especially Mine, who had inherited Najenda's Imperial Arm.

"Mine, you—"

As Night Raid's group prepared to retreat with Lubbock's [Cross Tail] pulling them to safety, Mine shook off the wires and leaped down.

"Give me a second. I'll finish these two!"

Ignoring her comrades' protests, Mine raised Pumpkin once again. This time, without the need to hold back, her fury fueled the weapon's power, converting her mental energy into a massive blast as she charged up her strongest attack.

"Hmph! Acting as if we're the real villains here. You're the butchers!" Cornelia spat, glaring back.

"Akame, go! Don't worry about me!" Cornelia urged as she saw the orange energy orb growing larger.

"No, I won't leave you!" Akame responded firmly, gripping her [Murasame] tightly. She crouched down next to Cornelia, eyes darting between Mine and Cornelia's severely injured waist.

"We've already lost everyone else. I'm not losing you too."

In Cornelia's eyes, Akame could see the resolve of someone who had lost too much already, and the strength of will to carry out her mission no matter the cost.

"We might not be able to take them all down today," Akame muttered, her eyes darkening with determination. Her hand reached into a hidden pocket, pulling out a small, purple-red diamond-shaped crystal.

"What is that?" Cornelia asked, her voice weak but curious.

"This... is a Honkai crystal. A powerful tool gifted to us by Lady Selene," Akame replied, holding it up as it glimmered ominously in the low light. "But... it's dangerous. I shouldn't use it recklessly..."

Akame paused, the weight of the decision settling over her. But just as she considered activating it, a faint, metallic voice called out to her from above, interrupting her thoughts.

"Get down!"

Akame's eyes widened as she instinctively looked up. In the sky above them, a large, black silhouette was hurtling toward them, plummeting down from above.

Boom!

A massive, black-armored figure landed between them and the incoming attack, causing the ground beneath them to tremble violently. Dust and debris flew in all directions, but the figure stood tall, unaffected by the chaos.

The bright, orange beam of Mine's energy blast shot toward them, expanding in diameter as it neared, but the armored giant didn't flinch.

"Feeble!" the giant muttered in disdain.

With a single, powerful swing of the golden-winged longsword, the giant effortlessly cleaved the enormous energy blast in two. The split beams veered off in opposite directions, tearing through the estate and leaving a trail of destruction behind, but not a single speck of damage touched the giant or Akame and Cornelia behind him.

"Who... who is that?" Cornelia gasped, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared at the towering figure in disbelief.

The black-armored giant stood firm, his sword raised high, glowing with purple-red Honkai energy particles swirling around it.

"Astartes Warriors!" The giant's voice boomed across the battlefield. "By Lady Selene's command, advance and crush the enemy!"