Chapter 115: Esdeath's Hunt

"Liva, that guy is yours; this little one is mine," the burly man laughed, brandishing his two axes.

"That leaves me with nothing to do. They aren't women, and I don't collect men's faces," the blonde cross-dresser said, sounding bored.

"Tatsumi, be careful. It’s best not to stray too far," Bulat said, performing a flourish with his spear before charging toward Liva.

...

"Big Sister, does it seem like there’s the aura of battle over the mountain?" Lubbock asked, his expression serious.

"I feel it too. Let’s go take a look." Leone transformed into her beast form and sprinted ahead toward the source of the aura.

But they had only run a few dozen yards when they encountered an unexpected figure.

"Esdeath? She’s actually here? If she's in this direction... our hideout might be exposed." Lubbock’s face turned grim, and he stopped alongside Leone.

"The aura she’s giving off... such a powerful, ominous bloodlust. My beast instincts are telling me we’ve been spotted—tracked by the most terrifying predator imaginable." Leone’s face also changed drastically. Because of her beastly transformation, her heightened intuition told her exactly how dangerous the woman smiling at them was—so dangerous that she didn’t even dare to make a sudden move, sweat already beading on her forehead.

"I just ran into two Night Raid members, and now two more? Did you lot just finish a mission?" Esdeath wore her signature sadistic grin before a battle.

"What? Could it be Mine and Sheele? Or Bulat and Tatsumi? Qi shouldn't be so quiet... did you kill them all?" Lubbock handled the situation better than Leone, largely because he didn't fully grasp the true extent of the woman's strength.

"They were two men, and I handed them over to my subordinates. But you two can serve as the appetizer before the main course," Esdeath said, stepping forward.

'Damn it, a direct confrontation with her isn't wise. I can only try to stall for time. The other comrades should be on their way back to the hideout, and with Qi, maybe we can surround Esdeath and eliminate this greatest threat right here.'

"Whoosh!" "Clang!" A long blade slicing through the air failed to land a surprise attack, blocked instead by an ice sword. The wielder of the blade didn't hesitate, continuously slashing, desperately trying to open a wound on the opponent.

...

"Akame! Where’s Qi?" Leone shouted in surprise. Sure enough, their comrades were already nearby.

The one who had just ambushed Esdeath was indeed Akame, who had arrived just in time. Seeing Esdeath, she hadn't hesitated to strike.

"He isn't following for the moment," Akame said, using Murasame to block a whip-kick from Esdeath before sliding to Leone’s side.

"The three of us against her alone... that's a bit risky, isn't it? Dealing with Qi last time was troublesome enough," Lubbock said, pulling out his Teigu with a grave expression.

"Wait, I remember now! Didn't Qi say to crush that crystal bead if we were in danger?" Leone pulled a diamond-like bead from her chest. She gave a small smile and squeezed it firmly until it shattered. "I hope he gets here soon."

"He seems to be occupied with something urgent and important; he probably won't make it. Prepare to fight," Akame said sternly.

"He's never reliable when it counts," Lubbock muttered.

"Are you finished chatting? You’ll have to play with me properly now. Especially you, red-eyes. You must be the famous Akame, right? I’ve heard that just a scratch from your blade is enough to kill. I hope you aren't just famous for nothing." After patiently waiting for them to finish talking, Esdeath spoke with an air of absolute authority.

Countless ice thorns coalesced around Esdeath before shooting out rapidly. As for such prey, one must, of course, fully enjoy the pleasure of the hunt.

After dodging the ice thorns with ease, Akame and Leone charged from left and right, while Lubbock began deploying his wires.

Esdeath tapped her toe, and sharp, massive ice pillars erupted from the ground. Both women agilely dodged the subterranean attacks. Closing the distance, Akame’s Murasame swung down, and Leone’s beast claws swiped out.

Esdeath parried the strike with her ice sword, lifted her right foot off the ground, and delivered a spinning kick, slamming her frost-encased heel into Leone’s crossed defensive arms. The immense force caused Leone’s expression to shift; she tumbled through the air several times before landing safely.

'It’s not just her ability to control ice. Even in close-quarters combat, her skill is no less than Bulat’s. As expected of General Esdeath, who was world-renowned even before acquiring her Teigu.' But there was no time to admire her. Leone charged forward again, joining the chaotic fray.

Facing the pincer attack, Esdeath appeared quite relaxed, moving with grace and precision, occasionally countering with ice. Her face remained fixed in a joyful expression of the hunt—the more the prey struggled, the happier the hunter became.

...

A large metal net descended from the sky, attempting to envelop Esdeath, but she didn't dodge or retreat. A moment before being caught, a massive ice pillar erupted toward the heavens, not only propping up the metal net but also striking toward Lubbock in the air.

Seemingly without leverage in the sky, he had already laid out numerous wires throughout the forest. With a flick of his fingers, he used the wires to leap away, while a defensive web of threads blocked the path of the ice pillar.

"Truly stunningly beautiful. If you weren't an enemy, I might have pursued you," Lubbock said with a smile.

"While I've been a bit interested in romance lately, you aren't my type. You think mere wires can stop my attack? Break for me!" Esdeath remained unmoved, smiling all the same.

Under Esdeath's command, the massive ice pillar paused only for a split second before continuing to extend. It didn't snap the wires, but instead, the surrounding trees were sliced down in a wide swath.

"As expected of Esdeath. Even my Cross Tail couldn't withstand your attack. But no one in the world has ever been able to snap it—not even you."

"So it really is a Teigu? If four Teigu users fight to the death with murderous intent, what happens to the iron laws of battle? I haven't encountered this many Teigu users at once before. I suppose you'll all die here, won't you?" Esdeath smiled with confident cruelty.

"No, we’re the ones who will keep you here today!" Akame raised her blade and attacked again.

"I intend to keep on living; there’s still plenty of good wine I haven't drunk yet," Leone growled, her fangs bared with bloodlust, charging forward like a cannonball.

"Same here. I still have many cute girls I haven't flirted with yet; how could I stop here?" As Lubbock’s nimble fingers danced, the wires quickly transformed into several flying blades, weaving together like a blade array, striking at Esdeath from behind.