A Night of Chaos (5K)

[Oh, by the way, the remaining chests of gold were made from those thugs under Syura's command. If you don't believe me, you can open the chests and piece the gold together—you'll be surprised!]

[Chief of the Imperial Capital Secret Police - Yotsuba Mahiro.]

"Sheila... Syura... she's dead?!" Honest's face was ashen, his eyes bloodshot, and the paper in his hand was instantly torn to shreds. "My good son Syura is dead!!!"

"Damn you Yotsuba Mahiro!!! Not only did you kill my son, but you also turned him into a dish and sent it to me to eat!!! Unforgivable, unforgivable!!!"

"Ah!!! Syura!!!! You actually left first, leaving me all alone!!!"

Honest's wailing was heartbreaking, enough to bring tears to the eyes of all who heard it, and in his rage, his eyes bulged and bloodshot.

"Oh well. Since he's dead, there's nothing we can do about it."

Like a Sichuan opera face-changing act, Honest returned to normal in the next second, as if everything that had just happened was just an act.

It wasn't really acting; it was just that she was so heartbroken.

It's just the death of a son; at worst, I can just find another good mother to give birth to another one.

And at the very least, Syura did something of value after her death.

It allowed his elderly father to enjoy the ultimate delicious food.

"We can't waste it! We can't waste it! Wasting such delicious food will bring bad luck."

With that thought in mind, Honest sat back down at the table, picked up the remaining food, and began to eat again.

The way he looked made it seem like he wanted to chew up the bones and swallow them whole.

The maids were so frightened that they huddled together, trembling.

Chapter 161 A Night of Chaos (5K)

News of the entire Wild Hunt being killed spread quickly.

The people living in the Imperial Capital were all overjoyed; these wicked scoundrels were finally dead!

Almost everyone was praising Yotsuba Mahiro's name, as if it were their guiding light!

For a time, Yotsuba Mahiro's name was the most talked-about in the Imperial Capital.

After taking on the mission to pursue "Night Raid," Esdeath also went into seclusion.

It is said that she also plans to form a special police force codenamed "Jaegers," which means hunters, and is very much in line with Esdeath's style.

In addition to Minister Honest providing his own executioners Four Rakshasa Demons, Esdeath also staked out her Three Beasts.

However, even though she already had seven people, Esdeath was not satisfied and wanted to continue recruiting.

However, because of the previous incident involving Syura, there was a period of panic in the Imperial Capital, even though General Esdeath's reputation in the Imperial Capital was not bad.

Meanwhile, during this period, another shocking event occurred in the Imperial Capital.

"Appearing and disappearing in the dead of Yotsuba Miya, beheading their targets. So far, dozens have been killed, more than 30% of whom were members of the security force. That's our objective this time," Najenda said, arms crossed.

"Thirty percent of the guards? That's impressive..." Tatsumi's expression turned serious.

During his time with the Night Raid, Tatsumi had gained a rough understanding of the guard's strength.

While they might not be considered invincible, they were still a core force within the Imperial Capital, far superior to ordinary soldiers.

"If it was a decapitation, then we can be sure it was the same person who was beheaded in the Imperial Capital prison a few years ago— 'Zank the Beheader,' right?"

Zank the Beheader was originally an executioner in the largest prison in the empire. Due to the tyranny of the ministers, countless people were executed. Every day, he would behead those who begged for their lives, which eventually drove him completely insane.

They killed the warden, stole the Imperial Arms, and escaped.

The Empire once formed a task force to deal with him, and as a result Zank disappeared for a time.

I never expected it to appear in the Imperial Capital!

Not only now, but even to this day, the abilities of the Imperial Arms that Zank possesses remain a mystery.

"In short, you need to be extra careful on this mission. We can't afford to lose any more members in this Night Raid."

Najenda stood up and said seriously:

"Zank the Beheader prefers to strike at Yotsuba Miya, specifically targeting lone individuals. You must work in pairs, each group responsible for a specific area. But your first priority is your own safety, then you must eliminate your target— Zank the Beheader —and bring back his Imperial Arms!"

"Leave it to me!"

Leone clenched his fists, looking extremely excited.

As for the group assignments, Tatsumi and Lubbock, two big men, were in one group, then Leone and Sheele formed another team, leaving only Akame in the end.

She could have teamed up with Bulat, but Bulat is no longer with us, and Najenda, as the boss, is unable to participate.

"Akame, why don't you stay here with me and guard the base this time? It's too dangerous for you to go out alone," Najenda suggested.

"No, Zank the Beheader is something I can handle alone," Akame said seriously.

Although she is no longer in the secret police force and is still on an undercover mission, she still wants to contribute to protecting the peace of the Imperial Capital.

Since joining Night Raid, this goal has always been my driving force!

She wanted to help Yotsuba Clan- sama in her own way!

"This is an order, Akame."

To be honest, Najenda was very worried about Akame, not out of suspicion, but out of concern as a companion.

Because of the assassination squad, even though she had poached Akame as her trump card, she still didn't want Akame to go to the Imperial Capital, especially the lower city closest to the palace, to carry out missions unless there was a shortage of manpower.

Because that's Yotsuba Mahiro's territory.

After the Assassination Department and the security force were unified, members of the assassination squad would occasionally carry out patrol missions.

If Akame were to run into any of her former teammates, that would be the situation she least wanted to see.

It was too cruel for Akame.

Under Najenda's insistence, Akame finally had no choice but to compromise and stayed at the Night Raid base with Najenda, watching everyone leave.

As for the assassination squad that Najenda mentioned, they have already gathered.

"Those idiots in the guard are really useless. It's been years, and they still haven't been able to capture the Zank the Beheader. It's only because Lord Yotsuba Clan has a good temper that he's like this; if it were anyone else, they probably would have lost their temper long ago."

Inside the guard unit's duty room, Nahashu and his six companions were discussing Zank.

Because Zank had committed another crime, and the captains of the security team were unable to handle him, Mahiro transferred members of the Elite Group and took charge of the matter himself.

"That's right, they're just accomplices to bully the young. If I were Lady Yotsuba Clan, I would have kicked them all out long ago."

Pony held the back of his head, pouting in dissatisfaction.

"Things aren't that simple. Dismissing them might feel good in the short term, but who will maintain order in the security force then? We can't expect Yotsuba Clan to do it herself, can we? Besides, recruiting new people for the security force isn't an easy task."

"Yes, Sister Cole is right. Pony, you should say less. Hurry up and go out to carry out the task that Lady Yotsuba Clan gave us. Finding someone in such a large Imperial Capital is not an easy task."

Tsukushi agreed with Cornelia's statement and stopped Pony from continuing to complain.

Although the Imperial Capital may not seem large, its actual area is enormous. Even from the imperial palace, it is difficult to see the end of the city at a glance, and this does not even include the suburbs.

Finding one person from among them, while not quite like finding a needle in a haystack, is still extremely difficult.

"In that case, we can only lead our own squads to take charge of a section of the Imperial Capital, and then coordinate with the garrison to divide our forces for combat."

Captain Nahashu pondered for a moment before making a suggestion.

The others had no objections and immediately began to take action.

The night sky, which should have been bright with a few stars, was now shrouded in silent darkness.

The bright moonlight shone through the clouds, like silk gently spilling over the desolate and silent Imperial Capital.

Tap, tap--

As the evening breeze blew by, Tatsumi couldn't help but tighten the collar of his coat, trying to shrink himself as much as possible into his somewhat shabby clothes.

The darkness before him stripped away the Imperial Capital's bustling atmosphere, leaving only deathly silence.

Perhaps because the killer Zank the Beheader reappeared, the streets are deserted in the Yotsuba Miya; even the gamblers and alcoholics who often stay up all night are nowhere to be seen.

All the surrounding shops were closed, and only Tatsumi's disordered breathing and footsteps could be heard.

Whenever the night wind blew, Tatsumi felt a chill run down his spine, as if the atmosphere around him was terrifying and chilling, as if he were the only person left in the world.

If he hadn't made a pact with Lubbock to act as bait, believing that Lubbock would be lurking around him waiting for an opportunity, he probably would have escaped long ago.

He forced himself to muster his courage, secretly encouraging himself that he possessed great strength and shouldn't be afraid of any murderers.

However, once he started walking, Tatsumi lost track of time and didn't know how long he had been gone.

Finally, he heard the footsteps of others. Tatsumi looked up with delight and saw a familiar figure.

"Sayo?!"

He couldn't mistake that long, flowing black hair, the white flower on the side of her head, or the short kimono she was wearing!

It was definitely Sayo, his companion who came from the same village as him!

I just don't know why she wasn't with Ieyasu, and I don't know why she was on this deserted street at night.

But Tatsumi couldn't care less about that now, because Sayo seemed not to hear his call and was turning to walk towards the street corner!

Seeing that Sayo was about to disappear from his sight, Tatsumi quickened his pace and rushed behind her in two or three steps, grabbing Yusa's arm.

"Sayo, wait a minute!"

"Oh dear, it seems I've shown you the person you've been missing!"

The moment Tatsumi grabbed her arm, Sayo suddenly changed. She was nearly two meters tall, and her voice was no longer the soft tone of a girl, but rather very deep and rough!

The hem of his military uniform was fluttering. A green eye, seemingly rolling around erratically, was mounted right in the center of his forehead—it looked disgusting!

Good evening, buddy.

"Wow, Sayo's turned into a suspicious old man!"

Tatsumi took a few steps back in a panic, stunned and speechless.

He could hardly believe his eyes. He had clearly seen his companion Sayo, but in the blink of an eye, she had transformed into a Great Han in military uniform!

"Rather than 'Uncle,' please call me by this more intimate name— Zank the Beheader!"

Two broadswords suddenly shot out from his sleeve. Seeing his prey take the bait, Zank's lips curled into a cold and crazed smile.

Another lunatic. In the Sea Tiger World, he'd probably be considered a lunatic with a strong magnetic field.

"... Zank the Beheader?!"

Tatsumi was completely stunned; he couldn't believe his luck.

In this vast Imperial Capital, I've actually encountered the murderous Zank the Beheader?!

"Enjoy! Young man, offer up your head now!"

Two knives, like sharp scissors, emerged from his sleeve and swiftly slashed towards Tatsumi's neck.

Perhaps their encounter was not accidental; Tatsumi's innocence drew Zank to him, leading him to choose to deal with him first.

In the chaos, Tatsumi drew his longsword from his back and just in time blocked the fatal blow from the two scissors.

Under the moonlight, the blades clashed, sparks flying that illuminated their faces.

"Oh? I see. Are your companions behind you? Looks like I need to take you down before they come to our rescue."

"What? You've read my mind completely?"

Upon hearing the other party's words, Tatsumi's heart began to race again.

Teenagers who haven't experienced the harsh realities of life are noticeably less mature than their peers.

"Of course! My Imperial Arm can see through all your secrets, including your next move!"

Zank was laughing maniacally, revealing two rows of sharp teeth.

At the same time, the two hidden blades became even heavier. Just as Tatsumi was about to give up, the swords suddenly swung, easily cleaving the longsword blocking Tatsumi's path, and then stomped him against the wall behind him.

Tatsumi felt his stomach churn and almost vomited up his dinner. He struggled desperately, but Zank's feet seemed to pin him to the wall.

"Haha, kid, go ahead and wail and beg for mercy, but I'll be taking your head!"

Zank raised his twin swords toward Tatsumi's neck, but just as they were about to strike, the swords suddenly stopped.