Chapter 119: The Frozen Severed Head and the Sorrowful Night Raid

"I could already hear the commotion; I just didn't expect Esdeath to arrive so quickly. A sneak attack in the dead of night?" Najenda took a deep drag from her cigarette, her eyes suddenly narrowing.

"Bulat..."

"Big Brother, he... it’s all my fault for being too weak. I couldn't help him; instead, I held him back. In the end, he perished along with Liver." Tears welled up in Tatsumi's eyes once again.

Najenda looked deeply at Tatsumi and Bulat. "What about Sheele and Mine? ...They aren't...?" Najenda asked, her voice heavy as she closed her eyes.

"I saw Qi carry back Sheele's... corpse. Mine is nowhere to be found." Akame’s tears fell once more.

The group fell into a heavy silence. Having just experienced the grief of losing a comrade, hearing this new nightmare made their hearts tremble again.

"Sheele..."

Leone’s gaze grew vacant. In the span of a single day—in just a few short moments—they had lost two companions they saw every day, and another’s fate remained unknown.

"How was our base exposed? Why did the enemy manage to intercept every one of our pairs so coincidentally?" Lubbock gritted his teeth, trying to calm himself enough to pose the question.

"Now is not the time for grief, nor is it the time to debate these issues." Hearing the faint sounds of movement from afar, Najenda waved her hand firmly. "Move out. We must evacuate the base first. We can discuss the rest once we reach a safe location."

"Yes."

Indeed, this was no time for speculation. They didn't know how much longer Qi could hold off Esdeath.

"Boss!" A voice suddenly called out from the distance.

Hearing the familiar tone, the group, who had already turned to leave, whipped back around. The sorrow that had gripped them was momentarily diluted by a glimmer of relief.

Mine was seen stumbling toward them, clutching her left arm.

The group rushed forward to support her. Mine bowed her head in sorrow. "Sheele... Sheele... she is already..." Her pained voice trailed off, as she collapsed into unconsciousness in Akame’s arms.

"At least she's still alive. Tatsumi, come here for a moment." Najenda exhaled in relief and spoke to Tatsumi.

Tatsumi handed Bulat over to Lubbock and approached Najenda.

"Lean in."

Tatsumi complied. The next moment, he felt a sharp, heavy blow to the back of his neck, and his vision went black as he fainted.

"Boss... what are you doing?"

"Tatsumi is too exhausted. I’m letting him get some proper rest. We need to evacuate now; the sounds of battle over there have quieted down significantly." Supporting Tatsumi, Najenda turned and sprinted in a specific direction.

Lubbock carried Bulat, and Akame cradled Mine, both following closely behind. Within a few breaths, they had vanished into the dense forest.

Several cups of tea later, Esdeath, led by a sleazy-looking middle-aged man, arrived at the scene.

"Looking at the tracks, they must have fled in this direction. General, should we give chase?" the man asked.

"They are professional assassins; they won't leave any traces behind. We won't catch them. Killing this boy today is already a decent harvest." Esdeath smiled and raised her right hand. Held in her grip was a frozen head. Judging by its features, it was indeed the head of Qi.

"The General is truly formidable. To turn defeat into victory at such a critical moment—you are worthy of being called the Empire’s strongest," the man fawned.

"If not for the information you provided, he might have feigned death and waited for me to leave. It’s fascinating that someone could survive even after being decapitated. If I had the time to interrogate and torment him, he probably could have lasted quite a while. It’s a pity to waste such good material," Esdeath said with a hint of regret.

At that critical moment, the diamond dagger had failed to pierce Esdeath’s neck; it had only broken the skin before being blocked.

"Just as he said, I still have many ways to refine my ice control. Thanks to his reminder, I froze my own muscles, bones, and blood into 'Black Ice.' Otherwise, it would have been troublesome." Esdeath gave a thoughtful smile. "But the weak are the weak, regardless. What I look forward to most now is Akame. I wonder how strong her true power really is?"

"It is a pity about the Three Beasts, though. To have fallen here..."

"Ultimately, they were just too weak. Those who are weak must be eliminated. I will avenge them. You have performed well in providing this intelligence; I will reward you when we return. But tell me—how exactly did you find out the location of the Night Raid base and the secrets of this boy?" Esdeath’s gaze pierced the man.

"This... it is a matter of our survival, a secret of our trade. I hope the General will not press the issue."

"Hmph. I won't force you." Esdeath looked toward the direction where Night Raid had vanished, then raised her hand and hurled the frozen head with all her might. "Listen, Night Raid! The boy who stood in my way has fallen. If you want revenge, come and find me."

...

"What? Qi has fallen? That’s impossible. Even if he couldn't beat Esdeath, he should have been able to escape!" Leone exclaimed in disbelief.

"Steady yourselves. Don't fall into chaos. This could be a trick by the enemy. Getting out of here is the priority," Najenda said in a low, stern voice.

"...Yes."

Suddenly, a black speck appeared on the horizon, accompanied by a piercing whistle through the air. Everyone looked up.

"That... what is that?" Leone, stunned, leaped up to catch the object.

Upon seeing what it was, the group fell into silence again. Qi’s head was encased in ice, his expression captured in the moment he spat out the diamond dagger—looking eerily lifelike.

If this were all, they might have held onto a sliver of hope, for Qi had once said that even if his head were severed, he could regenerate, provided his brain remained intact.

But on the frozen head, two thick, jagged ice spikes had been driven through his ears and skull, obliterating his life force entirely.

"Qi... how could this be? Even after being decapitated, why would he continue to attack? He wasn't the type to throw his life away for the sake of pride," Lubbock gritted his teeth. This was the third time he had lost a comrade today. Although he hadn't known him for long and they had constantly bickered, he had truly come to see this impossibly strong boy as a friend.

"There must have been a reason he was forced to do so. Perhaps the enemy attacked his head after decapitation." Judging by his expression and movements, these experts could easily deduce that Qi had launched his attack after being decapitated, only to be frozen in the process.

"Damn it! Could the enemy have known about his weakness? But only we knew about that... how could it have leaked?" Lubbock’s curse trailed off. He slowly turned his head to look at Tatsumi, who was being carried in Najenda’s right arm.