Chapter 436: The Final Members of the Jaegers

Just as Wood and his group received news of Dr. Stylish and Seryu's deaths, Tatsumi and the others, who had returned to their rundown hideout to rest after eliminating their targets, learned the next day about Bols assassination.

Since they were the only ones actively opposing the Jaegers in the capital, the fact that they weren't responsible for Bols death made the identity of the culprits quite obvious.

"Wood and the others are alive, as we suspected. And they're taking action in the shadows.

This is fantastic! Including bols, the Jaegers are now down to just three members. If we defeat them, even with Esdeath's strength, if we all fight together, there's no way we could lose!"

Having successfully eliminated Dr. Stylish and Seryu and now learning that Wood and Mine were still alive, Tatsumi and his comrades were overjoyed.

However, when they began planning their next move and identified the remaining Jaegers targets, Tatsumi and Akame both displayed uneasy expressions.

Unlike Dr. Stylish and Seryu, the remaining Jaegers members weren't entirely evil.

Kurome was a trained assassin, which was understandable. But Wave and Run were fundamentally good people, even by strict standards.

Wave, a man whose personality mirrored Tatsumi's, had a strong sense of justice and kindness.

Run, a former village teacher, had joined the Jaegers solely to investigate the truth and avenge his fallen students.

Moreover, Wave was someone Tatsumi considered a friend, and Kurome was Akame's younger sister. The thought of targeting such individuals for assassination understandably left them conflicted.

"If it's too difficult for you, you don't have to participate in the next mission. Once we regroup with Wood and the others, our combined strength should be enough to handle them."

In the world of assassins, it wasn't uncommon for targets to turn out to be acquaintances, friends, or even family members.

There was a saying among assassins: to become a true master, one must first erase all emotions.

Feelings were unnecessary distractions that slowed an assassin's blade. Only when free of hesitation could one strike decisively.

This was the empire's philosophy in training assassins, and it had cost Akame her childhood friends.

This harsh upbringing was also why both Akame and Kurome, trained by the empire, appeared emotionally detached.

Akame once believed the empire's methods were correct—until she met Najenda and the other Night Raid members.

Though Night Raid was also an assassination organization, it provided bonds and warmth she had never experienced within the empire's assassin group.

With comrades like the protective Bulat and Leone, the clumsy Sheele, the tsundere Mine, the perverted Lubbock, the sharp-tongued Tatsumi, the gentle Wood, and the ever-relaxed boss Najenda, Akame came to realize that assassins didn't need to suppress their emotions to complete their missions.

Fighting for one's comrades could make someone even stronger.

Akame had escaped the empire's clutches, but her sister Kurome remained trapped in its grip, standing on the opposing side. This weighed heavily on Akame's heart, far more than her companions realized.

"Let me take part in the next mission. I'll do everything in my power to convince her. But if persuasion fails, I won't hesitate to end her myself."

Akame's declaration stunned everyone. Leone, in particular, stepped forward and gently embraced her.

"Akame, you don't have to go that far. There are so many of us here—you don't need to push yourself..."

"No, I've made up my mind after careful consideration.

Kurome is no longer the sister I once knew. Rather than let her continue being a tool of the empire, it would be better to free her by ending her life."

Since reuniting with Kurome, Akame had fought her twice and each time had sensed her sister's intense hatred and determination to kill her.

Kurome was no longer the young girl who admired and relied on her older sister.

Rather than let Kurome remain under the empire's control, Akame decided it would be better to end her suffering herself.

Akame resolved to use her sword Murasame, which held a secret ultimate technique—Yako.

The ultimate technique of Murasame required the user to sacrifice something significant. This wasn't a physical transformation but rather a loss of humanity.

To activate Yako, the user had to kill their closest relative or dearest friend.

The technique involved slashing one's own body with Murasame, allowing its cursed poison to envelop them, dramatically enhancing all attributes.

However, this power came at a steep price. The user would either be permanently crippled or die shortly after the battle.

Najenda had known about this technique and once considered sacrificing herself to allow Akame to activate it against the invincible Esdeath. But with Wood's unexpected strength, the plan was abandoned.

Now, Akame had steeled herself. If she failed to persuade Kurome this time, she would use Murasame to end her life and activate Yako.

She would then wield its power, despite its severe side effects, to face Esdeath, aiding her comrades in overthrowing the empire before ending her own life.

If she had to kill her sister with Murasame, Akame felt she no longer deserved to live.

Her final act of devotion to her comrades and rebellion against the empire would be her ultimate redemption.

"In that case, don't leave me out. I'll show Wave what true justice is!"

Tatsumi, seeing Akame's determination, refused to back down.

Like Akame, Tatsumi decided that if he had to face a friend, it would be better to end things himself rather than leave it to someone else.

Unbeknownst to Tatsumi and his group, while they were making their plans, their other lost comrades had already encountered Kurome and the remaining Jaegers.

With the restraints of his "Imperial Arm" removed, Wood's strength had already recovered substantially. His next goal was naturally to reclaim his Imperial Arm, Winter Knight.

Although they knew Dr. Stylish and Seryu were dead, Wood and his group were unaware that Winter Knight had been taken by Dr. Stylish and was now in Tatsumi and the others' possession.

After learning from Chelsea, using Gaia Foundation's abilities, that Esdeath had left the capital, Wood and his group decided to openly attack the Jaegers' base.

The reasoning was simple: with only Wave and the remaining three Jaegers left, even without an Imperial Arm, Wood was confident that, using the power of his Heart of the Gods, he could easily take on all three of them.

Moreover, with Mine providing long-range support from the back, this was a situation where there was no need for complex strategies—just a straightforward confrontation would be enough.

Esdeath had just left the capital, and Wood's group was already attacking. At that moment, Wave and the others realized just how large the gap in their intelligence was.

But they couldn't be blamed. Night Raid had long operated in the capital and had established its own intelligence network. On the other hand, the Jaegers, including Esdeath, had been hastily formed from various military units, so it was no surprise that their intelligence was lacking.

"Based on the information I have, none of you are inherently evil. Return my Winter Knight to me, and then either join us in the light or leave the capital. I'll pretend I never saw you."

Though this was a bold and reckless approach, Wood's group had done their homework and had gathered some intelligence about Kurome and the others.

Wave and Run were among the rare few with a strong moral compass in this world, while Kurome, though twisted, was largely a victim of the empire's manipulation. Moreover, being Akame's younger sister, Wood felt that some leniency was in order.

"Tatsumi, Wood, why do you, who both have hearts full of justice, choose to rebel and bring chaos to the empire?"

Wave's expression was filled with emotion as he faced Wood. In the past, he had been deeply moved by Wood's selfless act of saving the children during the battle with Esdeath, a scene that had been engraved in his memory.

To be blunt, Wood had always been the hero Wave admired, powerful and yet gentle and handsome.

Yet because of this admiration, Wave struggled to understand why someone like Wood, who was a paragon of justice, would become a rebel and stand in opposition to the empire.

"It's simple," Wood replied. "The empire you speak of may not be as righteous as you believe.

When you were serving in the Imperial Navy, you couldn't see it, but now that you've been living in the capital, is this empire truly the one you once imagined?"

Wave was a young man with a strong sense of justice, but he was not foolish. The life in the capital had shown him many things he had never expected. Though the empire had once seemed righteous to him, the reality was far different.

Still, Wave had his own concerns and principles, which is why he countered Wood's words: "I understand that the empire has changed, but war isn't the only solution. If war breaks out, many people will die."

As a former member of the Imperial Navy, Wave understood the horror of war and how many lives were lost in its wake. That was why he had always tried to prevent it.

"How foolish!" Wood scoffed. "The empire is rotten to the core. Do you still expect it to change slowly?

This empire is like a sick tree, and it has reached the point where it's beyond saving. The only solution is to bring it down and allow something new to grow from its ashes.

As for your concern about war causing death—those are the people dying in the dark corners of the capital every day.

Should we sympathize with the soldiers dying on the battlefield, while those weak souls who die in the shadows of the empire remain unheard? Who will seek justice for them?"

Wave's expression wavered as he processed Wood's words, but before he could respond, Wood, unable to waste more time, suddenly charged forward. After all, if Esdeath returned, they could be in trouble.

As Wood rushed forward with his blade raised, Kurome, who had been caught off guard by the verbal exchange, quickly stepped in front of Wave, wielding her Eight Rooms weapon.

"Clang—!"

Wood's sword clashed with Kurome's Eight Rooms in mid-air, sparks flying from the impact.

Despite having been enhanced by the empire's drugs, Kurome's physical abilities were still no match for Wood's.

The force of the clash sent Kurome's small body flying backward like a cannonball. But just as Wood prepared to press the attack, Kurome summoned her remaining undead puppets to her aid.

During the earlier assault on Night Raid's hideout, some of her puppets had been damaged. Now, only four remained: her childhood friend Natara, the highly dangerous Ephman, Jaegers, a survivor of the ban tribe, and former Imperial General Locke.

Of these, Jaegers, a member of the ban tribe, was the strongest and considered Kurome's greatest masterpiece—someone she had killed in order to revive. His strength had even surpassed hers during his lifetime.

"Jaegers of the ban tribe, I've heard of you," Wood remarked. "You were said to have been on par with the Northern Tribe Prince.

But I've seen one of those so-called 'Prince of the Northern Tribes,' and he wasn't anything special. What are you really capable of? Let me see for myself!"

Wood boldly advanced as the four undead puppets appeared in front of him, a battle-ready expression on his face.

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