Chapter 161: Night of Chaos
The news of the complete annihilation of the Wild Hunt quickly spread throughout the Imperial City.
Every resident felt elated—these vile scoundrels who had committed heinous crimes had finally met their end!
Nearly everyone was singing praises of Mahiro's name, as if he were their savior.
For a time, Mahiro's reputation became unrivaled within the Imperial City.
Meanwhile, Esdeath had gone quiet after accepting the mission to pursue Night Raid.
Rumors suggested she was forming a special police unit codenamed "Jaegers"—meaning "Hunters"—a name perfectly suited to Esdeath's style.
In addition to Prime Minister Honest contributing his executioners, the Four Rakshasa Demons, Esdeath also committed her own subordinates, the Three Beasts.
Although she already had seven members, Esdeath remained unsatisfied and continued seeking more talented individuals.
However, due to the recent incident involving Syura, the capital remained uneasy—even though General Esdeath's reputation wasn't poor among the citizens.
During this period, another horrifying incident occurred in the Imperial City.
"A mysterious figure appearing deep in the night, severing victims' heads... Dozens have been killed so far, with over thirty percent being security force members. This is our target," Najenda stated, crossing her arms.
"Thirty percent security forces? That's formidable..." Tatsumi's expression turned grave.
During his time with Night Raid, Tatsumi had gained a rough understanding of the security forces' capabilities.
While not invincible, they represented the Imperial City's core strength, far surpassing ordinary soldiers.
"Given the decapitations, it must be that executioner from the Imperial Prison years ago—'Zanku the Beheader,' right?"
Zanku had originally served as the executioner in the empire's largest prison. Under the minister's tyrannical rule, he executed countless people, daily beheading those begging for mercy until he eventually went completely mad.
After killing the warden and stealing a Teigu, he escaped.
The empire once formed a subjugation squad to hunt him down, but Zanku disappeared.
No one expected him to reappear in the Imperial City now!
To this day, even the abilities of Zanku's Teigu remained a mystery.
"Regardless, you must exercise extreme caution on this mission. Night Raid cannot afford to lose any more members," Najenda stood up and declared solemnly.
"Zanku prefers operating late at night, targeting isolated individuals. You'll split into pairs, each team responsible for one area. But your safety comes first—then eliminate the target, Zanku the Beheader, and bring back his Teigu!"
"Leave it to me!" Leone clenched her fists, visibly excited.
For the pairing, Tatsumi and Lubbock formed one team as the two men, while Leone teamed up with Sheele. This left Akame alone.
She could have partnered with Bulat, but he was no longer here, and Najenda, as the leader, couldn't participate in combat.
"Akame, stay and guard the base with me this time. Going out alone would be too dangerous," Najenda proposed.
"No, Zanku the Beheader. I alone am enough to deal with him," Akame said solemnly.
Though she was no longer with the secret police force, and though she was still undercover on her mission, she still wanted to contribute to protecting the peace of the Imperial City.
Ever since joining Night Raid, this had always been her driving goal!
She wanted to support Lord Yotsuba in her own way!
"This is an order, Akame."
To be honest, Najenda was worried about Akame—not out of suspicion, but out of concern for a comrade.
Due to the assassination squad, even though she had recruited Akame as her trump card, unless they were short-handed, she didn't want Akame casually carrying out missions in the Imperial City, especially in the lower city district closest to the palace.
Because that was Mahiro's territory.
After the assassination department and the security team were unified, members of the assassination squad occasionally carried out patrol duties.
If Akame were to encounter her former teammates, it would be the last situation Najenda wanted to see.
It would be too cruel for Akame.
Under Najenda's insistence, Akame ultimately had no choice but to compromise and remain at the Night Raid base with Najenda, watching as the others departed.
...
As for the assassination squad Najenda mentioned, they had already gathered by now.
"These fools from the security team are truly useless. It's been several years, and they still haven't managed to capture Zanku the Beheader. It's only because Lord Yotsuba has a good temper—if it were anyone else, they would've lost their temper long ago."
In the security team's duty room, Nahashu and the other five were discussing matters regarding Zanku.
Because Zanku had emerged to commit crimes again, and the security team captains were unable to handle him, Mahiro had dispatched the elite group members to take over and was personally overseeing the matter.
"Yeah, they only know how to bully the weak and assist the wicked. If I were Lord Yotsuba, I would've fired all of them long ago."
Poney clasped the back of her head, puffing out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
"It's not that simple. Firing them might feel satisfying for a moment, but who would maintain the security team's public order then? We can't have Lord Yotsuba handling it personally. Besides, recruiting new members for the security team isn't an easy task."
"Hmm, Cora-nee is right, Poney, you should say less. Let's quickly go carry out the mission Lord Yotsuba assigned us. Searching for one person in the vast Imperial City isn't something that can be easily accomplished."
Tsukushi agreed with Cornelia's point and stopped Poney from continuing to complain.
Though the Imperial City might not seem large, its actual area was incredibly expansive. Even when looking out from the palace, it was difficult to see the end at a glance, and this didn't even include the suburban areas.
Finding one person within it, while not quite like searching for a needle in a haystack, was still extremely challenging.
"In that case, we'll each lead a squad to take responsibility for one section of the Imperial City and coordinate with the security team members to divide our forces and operate separately."
After a moment of contemplation, Captain Nahashu proposed.
The others had no objections and immediately began to take action.
...
The night sky, which should have been clear with bright stars, was now shrouded in silent darkness.
The pale moonlight filtered through the clouds, gently spilling like silk over the desolate and silent Imperial City.
Tap, tap—
Silence.
The night breeze swept through, making Tatsumi instinctively tighten his collar, shrinking further into his shabby clothes.
The darkness before him stripped away the Imperial City's usual bustle, leaving only a deathly stillness in its wake.
Perhaps due to the reappearance of the serial killer Zanku the Beheader, the late-night streets were completely devoid of life—not even the usual night owls, gamblers, or drunkards were to be seen.
All the surrounding shops were tightly shut, leaving only the sound of Tatsumi's ragged breathing and footsteps echoing in the emptiness.
With each gust of wind, a chill ran down Tatsumi's spine. The oppressive atmosphere felt terrifyingly eerie, as if the entire world had abandoned him to solitude.
If not for his agreement with Lubbock to act as bait—trusting that his companion was lurking nearby, ready to strike—he would have fled long ago.
He forced himself to muster courage, inwardly bolstering his confidence by reminding himself of his own considerable strength. There was no need to fear a mere murderer.
But as he walked on, Tatsumi lost track of time, unsure of how long he had been wandering.
Finally, he heard footsteps—other than his own. Lifting his head in hopeful anticipation, he spotted a familiar figure.
"Sayo?!"
That sleek black hair, the white flower pinned to the side of her head, and the short-patterned kimono—he couldn't possibly mistake her!
It was undoubtedly Sayo, his companion from the same village!
He couldn't fathom why she wasn't with Ieyasu or why she would appear on these deserted streets at such an hour.
But Tatsumi had no time to dwell on it. Sayo seemed not to hear his call and was already turning toward a street corner!
Watching her about to vanish from sight, Tatsumi hurriedly quickened his pace, rushing forward in a few strides to grab her arm.
"Sayo, wait!"
"Oh my, it seems I've shown you someone you dearly miss!"
The moment Tatsumi seized her arm, the figure before him transformed. Now nearly two meters tall, the voice that emerged was no longer soft and feminine but deep and gruff!
The hem of a military uniform fluttered around him. Centered on his forehead was a grotesque green eye that seemed to roll about unnervingly!
"Good evening, young man."
"Whoa! Sayo turned into a suspicious old man!"
Tatsumi stumbled back in shock, utterly dumbfounded.
He could hardly believe his eyes—one moment, it was his companion Sayo; the next, a hulking man in military attire!
"Rather than 'old man,' why not address me with intimacy? Call me—Lord Zanku the Beheader!"
Two broad-bladed sleeve swords shot out from his cuffs. Seeing his prey ensnared, Zanku curled his lips into a cold, manic grin.
Another lunatic—one who, in the world of Hokuto, might even have become a magnetic force powerhouse.
"...Z-Zanku the Beheader?!"
Tatsumi stood frozen, utterly stunned. Was his luck really this abysmal?
In this vast Imperial City, had he truly run into the maniacal killer Zanku the Beheader?!
"Delightful, delightful! Young man, please offer up your head."
Two blades extending from his sleeves like sharp scissors swiftly sliced toward Tatsumi's neck.
Perhaps their encounter wasn't accidental—Tatsumi's innocence had drawn Zanku to him, choosing to deal with him first.
In his panic, Tatsumi drew the long sword from his back, barely blocking the lethal scissor-like strike in time.
Under the moonlight, their blades crossed, sparks flying and illuminating each other's faces.
"Oh? I see, you have companions behind you? It seems I must behead you quickly before they come to rescue you."
"What? He can see through all my thoughts?"
Hearing his opponent's words, Tatsumi's heart grew frantic again.
The young man who hadn't experienced the battlefield clearly lacked the maturity of his contemporaries.
"Of course! My Teigu can see through all your secrets, including your next move!"
Zanku laughed maniacally, revealing two rows of sharp teeth.
Simultaneously, the two sleeve blades grew heavier, and just as Tatsumi seemed about to buckle, Zanku suddenly swung both swords, easily cleaving through Tatsumi's defending long sword and kicking him against the wall.
Tatsumi felt his stomach churn, nearly vomiting his dinner. He struggled desperately, but Zanku's foot pinned him to the wall like a nail.
"Haha, boy, scream and beg for mercy all you want, but I'll be taking your head now!"
Zanku extended his twin blades toward Tatsumi's neck, but just as they were about to strike, they suddenly stopped.
No, more precisely, they were blocked.
Like an invisible wall.
But under the moonlight, this invisible wall revealed its true form—numerous slender threads!
"Seems I arrived just in time, Tatsumi!"
"Ugh, Lubbock!!"
Seeing his companion appear, Tatsumi nearly burst into tears, as if seeing a hero!
Just a moment later, and his young life would have been over!
Unfortunately, Lubbock was still standing on the building, striking a cool pose.
"My, my, so this is your companion? I see, a Teigu user who manipulates threads. Delightful, delightful!"
Zanku had already escaped the thread's range and was charging toward the building at incredible speed, defying gravity as he rushed upward toward Lubbock.
"What?!"
Seeing Zanku already within striking distance, Lubbock's pupils contracted, but just as the enemy's blades approached, his expression suddenly shifted to a smile.
"Just kidding."
Rip—
Countless threads converged from all directions, attempting to tightly bind the person before him.
But when the threads actually constricted, they caught nothing but an outer coat!
"Delightful, delightful! I already predicted your prediction—my foresight surpasses yours!!"
Clang—
Lubbock watched as the twin blades closed in on his throat, the distance so close he could clearly see Zanku's insane, twisted face, and the eerie green eye on his forehead!
"Ah, target spotted."
At this critical moment, a massive fist suddenly struck from the side, hitting Zanku squarely and sending him flying away.
Seeing the danger resolved, Lubbock immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
But then, a huge shadow enveloped him from behind. Turning around, he saw a giant beast standing beside him, with a girl snacking on its back!
The moonlight illuminated the girl's face.
It bore some resemblance to Akame's, but the differences were her black pupils instead of red and her short hairstyle.
She also carried two swords at her waist.
She looked just like a short-haired Akame!
"Th-this is really bad..."
Lubbock forced an awkward smile and swallowed hard.
He never expected to encounter a member of the Imperial City assassination squad here, and of all people, Akame's younger sister, Kurome!
"Hm? Who are you? A civilian? A curfew has been issued, so why are you here?"
Kurome jumped down from Death Tagool and landed right in front of Lubbock.
The intimidating aura from her deep, tranquil eyes was so overwhelming that Lubbock couldn't even pay attention to her fluttering skirt.
"Haha! First Night Raid, and now the assassination squad! How delightful! I've been wanting to see your skills for a long time!!"
Zanku laughed maniacally.
The sharp, piercing laughter made Kurome frown slightly as she said displeasedly:
"You're too noisy, Apeman. Kill him."
"Roar—!"
With a roar, a massive gorilla suddenly charged out of the darkness, swinging a fist toward Zanku.
It was exactly like the previous punch!
Bam!
Zanku was sent flying backward, spitting blood.
"How is this possible?!"
He had been careless and failed to activate his future vision in time.
But what shocked Zanku even more was that he couldn't read the opponent's mind!
"That's only natural, Mr. Zanku. Do you think a corpse would have any thoughts?"
Zanku barely steadied himself when he heard a voice from behind, as if it had read his mind!
Moreover, despite the calm tone, it sent chills down his spine!
It felt as if something extremely terrifying had appeared behind him!
"Why have you stopped talking? Are you naturally quiet?"
Swish!
Zanku swung his blade backward but hit nothing.
However, it allowed him to see who was standing behind him—a youth around seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a black coat with long tails fluttering unnaturally in the wind.
"Lord Yotsuba!"
Kurome, on the rooftop, exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Mahiro.
"Oh, Kurome. You've worked hard tonight. But I'll need you to do a little more—capture that green-haired guy beside you and the young man below. They're members of Night Raid."
"Hm? So they're from the organization my sister joined."
Kurome shifted her gaze to Lubbock.
Her calm stare immediately sent shivers down Lubbock's spine.
The thing he least wanted to happen had finally occurred!
Now, there was only one thing he could do. Lubbock took a deep breath and shouted:
"Tatsumi! Run!!!"
"You can't escape."
The corner of her mouth lifted slightly, revealing a calm yet terrifying smile. "Wall, catch the one below."
From the darkness, another figure charged out, lunging straight at Tatsumi!