What to Do When a Child Won't Listen? (Has the Villain Arc Ended? There's Nothing Left to Read!)

No way!

Mine stared wide-eyed at the scene before her, feeling as if she were dreaming.

The Emperor was dead?

Minister Honest was dead too?

General Bud was dead as well?

Just like that?

It was completely different from what Mine had imagined. They had been killed so easily, right before everyone's eyes, that it all felt unreal to her.

"Are you all right, Mine?"

Just then, a voice rang out. Mine turned her head and saw Akame standing beside her in a cloak, watching her. The guards who had been assigned to watch Mine and Hill seemed to have completely lost their senses. Their weapons had fallen to the ground, and each of them stared at the figure on the platform as if witnessing a terrifying nightmare. They had not even noticed Akame approach them.

Akame paid no attention to the guards. She drew Murasame, and with a flash of steel, the chains binding Mine and Hill were severed.

"Thanks. Whew... but it still gives me the creeps."

Rolling her wrists, Mine looked at the Murasame in Akame's hand. Even though she knew Murasame's curse had been "killed," years of ingrained impressions could not be changed so quickly.

"It's all right."

"I know. It's just a habit... Hill, are you okay?"

"Mm... I'm fine."

At Mine's question, Hill nodded. At that moment, the nearby guards finally realized something was wrong. They turned toward Akame and the other two, but to Mine's surprise, they did not charge into battle. Instead, after standing there blankly for a moment, the guards screamed and turned to flee.

"Uh..."

Mine stood frozen, watching the guards flee in panic, unsure how to react.

"My, my, aren't they panicking?"

At the same time, another voice sounded. Turning around, they saw Chelsea had somehow arrived beside them,