Before his death, Liver told Bulat about his past.
The rotten state of the Capital was laid bare before Spear and Chouri.
Chouri's expression was grave. Though he had long been mentally prepared, the reality far exceeded even his worst expectations.
Najenda looked at Liver's corpse with a complicated expression.
Liver had once been a good general, only to be driven to this by Honest's persecution.
As a former comrade, seeing this was truly painful. Najenda let out a soft sigh.
Seeing that the situation had stabilized, Spear bowed deeply to everyone.
"Everyone, thank you so much!"
Najenda crossed her arms over her chest and chuckled.
"Don't mention it. These villains were targets we intended to eliminate anyway."
A faint smile appeared on Akame's lips as she raised her head to look at the sky, white snowflakes drifting gently downward.
Bulat removed the dragon-shaped ring from Liver's hand.
Crouching beside the body, he remained silent for a long time.
Suddenly, a rumbling growl echoed through the air.
Spear turned toward the source.
It was Akame.
Spear smiled and said seriously,
"Are you hungry? As thanks, you absolutely have to try my cooking!"
Akame nodded vigorously, looking full of anticipation.
The heavy atmosphere eased somewhat.
Najenda turned to Chouri and advised him,
"The Capital is far too dangerous for your return right now, Mr. Chouri. It would be better to preserve yourself for a more useful time."
Spear was clearly tempted.
Previously, she had believed she could protect her father, so she had not been overly concerned.
Now, that confidence seemed like a cruel joke.
Even ten of her would not be able to defeat a single Teigu user.
"Father..."
Chouri frowned.
It sounded simple enough, but he was no longer young.
If he waited much longer, he might be buried before the Empire itself.
Najenda naturally saw his hesitation.
This was exactly the opportunity she had been waiting for.
"If you don't wish to waste your remaining years, Mr. Chouri, the doors of the Revolutionary Army will always be open to you!"
Chouri felt conflicted.
At his age, he had long since cast aside any fear of death.
But his daughter Spear was still young.
As a father, he did not want her following him into that hell.
Najenda did not press him further, leaving him some time to think.
Bulat handed the dragon-shaped ring to Najenda.
"We recovered three Teigu. The ring Liver wore should be Black Marlin."
Najenda nodded, some of the gloom in her heart lifting.
"The Revolutionary Army has grown stronger. Dawn is not far off."
After a moment of thought, Chouri let out a soft sigh.
It seemed he had made his decision.
Seeing her father's expression, Spear relaxed and revealed a bright smile.
Chouri parted his lips and said,
"Najenda, I..."
Akame suddenly glanced into the distance.
Something felt wrong.
Whoosh!
A slender crimson bullet tore through the air at incredible speed.
The instant it pierced Spear's forehead, the smile had not yet faded from her lips.
Through Spectator's vision, Uesugi Ryu clearly saw the spinning bullet rip through her skull.
The braid the young woman had so carefully woven maintained its arc in midair as her head exploded like a watermelon.
Blood and brain matter splattered directly across Chouri's face, the warm, sticky sensation spreading over his skin.
Chouri slowly turned his rusted neck.
All he saw was his daughter's headless corpse.
His aged pupils trembled uncontrollably, as if his mind had yet to comprehend what had happened.
"Six o'clock. Take cover!"
Akame instantly dove behind the nearby carriage while shouting.
Bulat and Susanoo reacted immediately, positioning themselves on either side of Chouri and Najenda.
Uesugi Ryu's finger tapped rhythmically against the trigger.
Enhanced by Spectator, the crimson bullets became the strings of death itself.
Five rounds shattered the air in rapid succession.
Bulat and Susanoo simultaneously spun their weapons, forming two impenetrable circles.
The fierce winds they generated scattered the surrounding snow.
Metal rang sharply as sparks erupted.
The bullets shattered under the violent impacts, dissolving into crimson crystal fragments.
Najenda grabbed Chouri by the collar and dragged him backward.
Spear's headless body collapsed heavily onto the ground.
Half an eyelid, still bearing its eyelashes, landed at Bulat's feet.
Uesugi Ryu blew the smoke from the rifle's muzzle.
The sniper barrel glowed dark red after the continuous firing.
Snowflakes landing on the weapon hissed and evaporated instantly, wisps of white steam flowing along its grooves.
Only after emptying the magazine did Uesugi Ryu stop.
Exhaling a cloud of warm breath, he put away the sniper rifle and stood up.
"Hatred is the finest fuel. Don't disappoint me..."
Uesugi Ryu's figure quickly vanished from the ridge.
Snow continued to fall, covering the human-shaped indentation he had left behind.
The attack had come swiftly and ended just as fast.
The stench of blood filled the air.
The young woman who had been smiling moments ago was now a mangled corpse.
Red and white fluids flowed across the ground, soon freezing into irregular crystals under the bitter cold.
Akame leaned against the wall, head lowered, her fingers gripping Murasame's sheath so tightly her knuckles whitened.
Less than a minute ago, Spear's smile had still been fresh in her mind.
Chouri held his daughter's body, tears of blood streaming down his cheeks.
He wanted to speak, but only a low, broken growl emerged from his throat.
Not far away, Tatsumi stood frozen.
His right hand dug deeply into the rough bark of a dead tree.
It had been a perfect victory.
How had it turned into this in an instant?
Everyone searched for the sniper, but found nothing.
They only had a rough direction.
They had not even caught a glimpse of their enemy.
Najenda wiped the blood from her face, confusion filling her heart.
What had the attacker's true objective been?
The first shot had killed Spear with flawless precision.
With marksmanship like that, killing Chouri would have been effortless.
The following five shots felt almost perfunctory, as if fired carelessly.
They had not inflicted even the slightest injury.