Who's the Prey, and Who's the Hunter? (5.1K) (Continued)

Wow... that's a typical line from a character who dies in a movie. Aren't these guys afraid of dying?

Chelsea looked at the group of mercenaries in front of her with a disappointed expression.

"But what do you do, grandma? Are you in the cookhouse?" After teasing Chesil and Taeko, the scarred man sometimes came up to the hunched old woman and asked with a smile.

"Who's the old lady? My name is Barbara." A sinister smile crept across her lips as the old woman slowly introduced herself.

"Wait... Barbara, could it be... Barbara Oarburgh?"

"The assassin society..."

Upon hearing the old woman's name, the mercenaries immediately panicked.

"Hmm... it's Oarburgh's turn to offer his opinion. How about we kill someone to prove it?" The old woman said, exuding an incredibly terrifying murderous aura.

"No, no need, this murderous aura is enough... I'm sorry. I didn't expect to meet you in person." The scarred man apologized with a smile, while Barbara snorted and pointed at Taeko standing behind her.

"That's Taeko over there, an assassin I've trained since she was an infant. It's fine if you mess with me, but don't mess with her."

The captain looked in the direction Barbara was pointing, and when he noticed the girl again, he couldn't help but swallow hard. The murderous aura she exuded was no less than that of the old woman in front of him.

They've really hit a brick wall now.

It's the thorny kind!

Just as the captain was thinking this, a vibrant, energetic girl's voice rang out again.

"Hello everyone, I'm Chelsea's training as an apprentice of that old lady over there!"

This sound immediately relieved the oppressive atmosphere created by Barbara and Taeko.

"Chelsea, you called me 'old lady' again!"

It was only then that the captain noticed this girl who was most easily overlooked.

Despite her seemingly carefree demeanor, which contrasts sharply with the sharp and assertive Barbara and Taeko, this girl exudes no murderous aura whatsoever, appearing just like an ordinary person.

But the captain understood that this was precisely what made the girl even more terrifying!

After Barbara and the others finished introducing themselves, the captain with the scar on his face cleared his throat and began to introduce himself.

"We are your helpers, we are..."

"Judging from their clothes and attire, they should be from the Tengu Party, a mercenary group, right?"

Barbara interrupted the man.

"Yes, even the legendary Obelk was invited... It seems our enemies have had really bad luck this time."

"Bad luck... I don't think so... Don't let your guard down."

Looking up at the clear sky, Barbara spoke meaningfully.

The minister of the Imperial Assassination Corps also serves as the minister of the Imperial Capital Guard Corps, holding two positions in one person, and is said to be the youngest bureaucrat in history.

Not only that, but rumors also say that he is extremely powerful. He was able to defeat General Esdeath, who struck fear into the hearts of other races, and single-handedly killed nearly a thousand cavalrymen.

Such an important person is definitely not simple...

"Yotsuba Clan, the White Wave River is just ahead."

Nahashu, who was riding in front as a sentry, turned to Yotsuba Mahiro and reported the situation.

As a river flowing from the west to the north of the empire, spanning hundreds of kilometers, the White Wave River was an essential passage for rebel armies seeking cooperation with foreign tribes in the northwest!

The intelligence Yotsuba Mahiro received stated that [the rebels were engaging in cooperative trade with foreign tribes as a source of funding], and they needed to intercept them.

Although he couldn't remember all the plot details, this kind of information was obviously problematic at first glance.

Since it's a source of funding, it must be of paramount importance within the Revolutionary Army; how could it possibly be exposed so easily?

Mahiro felt that this was most likely a trap, and probably set up specifically for them, just waiting for them to fall into it.

But this is for the best.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

It's still uncertain who the prey is and who the hunter is.

Thinking of this, a strange smile slowly crept onto Mahiro's lips.

The others, upon hearing Nahashu's report, were greatly invigorated.

Especially Little Silver, who stretched out her snow-white neck and gazed at the wide river hundreds of meters ahead, as if she could hear the continuous gurgling of the flowing water.

"According to intelligence, the target will begin crossing the river around six or Yotsuba Clan, we have plenty of time to make arrangements," Cornelia said happily.

"Hmm, that's a good suggestion. Let's rest here for a bit then."

"Yay!"

The crowd cheered, Nahashu, as always, found a quiet, shady spot under a tree and picked up a book to read.

Aside from training and killing, Nahashu's only interest seemed to be reading.

Pony, however, cheered excitedly.

"Oh, Yotsuba Clan- sama, can we go fishing in the river?!"

Just as she was asking, Akame had already changed into her swimsuit for the hot springs after crossing the river and jumped straight into the water.

The cool river water brought a touch of coolness to the girl, and her long, black hair was wet with the clear water.

As she stood up from the river, water droplets left winding trails on Akame's body.

The girl's skin wasn't particularly fair, but long-term exercise gave it a healthy, rosy hue. Her body, honed through years of training, looked incredibly elastic, concealing astonishing explosive power.

Water droplets rolled down Akame's chest. Akame's figure was full and well-proportioned, with a smooth curve in her silhouette that was both soft and sexy.

While Akame's development wasn't top-tier among the many girls, it was still remarkably firm and full, like a perfect semicircle clasped in front of her chest. Her waist was slender yet strong, with a slightly visible V-line extending downwards from her waist.

Her pert, rounded buttocks were incredibly elastic, and her long, slender, and firm legs were slightly parted, supporting her entire body.

With the passage of time, not only is her face exquisite, but her entire body is also very beautiful, retaining a touch of youthful innocence and healthy vitality. Long-term exercise has not only increased her fighting power, but also brought her a healthy and energetic figure.

At least in Mahiro's opinion, they were very pleasing to the eye.

"Ah, Akame! Damn it, you ran away! Wait for me!"

Pony followed closely behind.

"I want to come too!"

"Me too!"

Kurome and Little Silver followed.

Only Cornelia and Tsukushi remained by his side.

It's no wonder they were so excited; ever since they finished the training in concealing their auras, Mahiro had never taken them to the river to catch fish again.

For Mahiro, this might be a trivial matter, but for them, it is indeed their most precious memory.

In no time, the girls each caught a large number of fish and dragged them back to the shore.

"Hmph, Akame and Kurome, which one of you will lend me your sword? I'll show you the unparalleled swordsmanship I honed in the kitchen of Lelang City!"

Pony stood with her hands on her hips, looking extremely proud.

"Don't want."

"No."

Akame and Kurome both gave each other dead fish eyes and directly rejected Pony's request.

This immediately deflated Pony's spirits.

"W-why?!"

"Because it will smell fishy and be hard to clean off," Akame said, and Kurome nodded in agreement. "Yes, sister is right. Kiriichimonji was a graduation gift from the Yotsuba Clan, we can't use it for something like this."

"What the hell? How could this be...?"

Bonnie stared wide-eyed, but unfortunately no one spoke up for her, leaving her Mahiro out her cheeks in a pitiful manner, hoping to get help from Mahiro.

Unfortunately, Mahiro only returned her a faint smile.

Well, the plan to showcase unparalleled swordsmanship has completely fallen through...

After everyone finished dinner in a cheerful atmosphere, Cornelia, Pony, and the others began sparring to warm up.

Taking advantage of this time, Mahiro bought a large boat from a nearby village or town.

"Hey~ Everyone gather here, get ready to go!"

Upon hearing Mahiro's call, everyone rushed to the riverbank, but upon seeing the large boat moored there, they couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

"Wow, it's huge..."

It is 100 meters long, and the deck is about two stories high.

He bought it from a kind nobleman in a nearby village; it was said to be a boat that the nobleman used for river travel.

"Hey, Yotsuba Clan- sama, are we going to cross the river on this boat? Aren't we going to wait for the rebels?" Cornelia couldn't help but ask.

"Well, it's already past seven o'clock. Do you think those people will still show up?"

"Huh? So you mean..."

"It's simple. The intelligence from the Imperial Capital is flawed. These people are probably just waiting for us to cross the river, so they can launch a surprise attack. Why don't we just go for it?"

When the others heard what he said, they were a little confused, especially the dimwitted Pony, whose mind was completely blank.

However, Mahiro didn't expect them to understand, and simply took them onto the large ship.

Ultimately, it's just a game of strategy, and it all comes down to who has the better move.

To be honest, it's quite interesting; he's curious to see how the other party will appear.

However, shortly after they boarded the large ship and began drifting on the river, night fell.

The crimson sunset, reflecting the blood-red twilight, is gradually fading.

In the dim light of the night, on the other side of the White Wave River, a fleet of ships consisting of two large cargo ships and several smaller vessels appeared!

"As Yotsuba Clan- sama predicted..."

Cornelia stared intently at the large ships; they all seemed to have ill intentions, and they were heading straight for them!

However, not all the ships were heading towards them; at the rear of the fleet, a small boat was moving slowly forward.

The passengers inside were two young girls and an old woman— Barbara and her two apprentices from the Oarburgh Assassination Group!

"Chelsea, scout ahead."

OK!

Several makeup props emerged from her slender fingertips, and in the blink of an eye, Chelsea transformed from human form into a hawk, soaring through the night sky!

[Transformation Freedom Gaia Foundation] is the most unique cosmetic Teigu among all Teigu. It has no direct combat ability, but it allows the user to transform into anything according to their own will.

It was precisely because of this special Imperial Arm that Chelsea was able to successfully join the Oarburgh Assassination Group and become an assassin.

The reason the three of them followed at the back in this small boat was mainly to let the members of the Tengu Party test the waters and see what kind of strength this young man from the legendary Imperial Assassination Department really had.

Meanwhile, the vanguard of the Tengu Party had already made direct contact with Yotsuba Mahiro's ship.

"Haha, Imperial Assassination Department, you've been tricked!" A man with a red bandage wrapped around his forehead laughed loudly at the people on the opposite ship.

At this moment, their ships had completely surrounded Mahiro's ship.

The rebels were all gathered on the deck, roughly estimated to be over a hundred people, and each of them was carrying a firearm!

"Wow, there are a few pretty girls here. Looks like I'm in for a good time tonight."

The second-in-command beside him squinted at the six women with Akame.

"What a disgusting bunch," Cornelia said with disgust, and the other girls nodded in agreement.

"They're just a bunch of small fry, let's just take them down."

Nahashu spoke expressionlessly.

The very next second, under the watchful eyes of the person opposite, Nahashu's figure vanished!

"Varied..."