With his daughter dying before his eyes, Chouri naturally placed the blame squarely on Honest and Esdeath.
The Three Beasts were Esdeath's subordinates, and that suddenly appearing sniper could not possibly be unrelated.
After gathering his daughter's remains with the few guards he had left, Chouri looked toward Najenda.
His expression was dark, his eyes filled with hatred.
"Thank you for your help, but..."
Najenda sighed softly. Under these circumstances, there was no way Chouri would choose to endure in silence.
"I understand. If you can truly gain General Budo's attention..."
"Then please protect the officials of the conscience faction. That will be the best repayment."
Chouri nodded and said firmly,
"That is something I must do!"
Afterward, Najenda and Night Raid escorted Chouri to the outskirts of the Capital.
....
Inside a luxurious palace.
Uesugi Ryu slowly walked in carrying a severed head, the cloth wrapped around it stained dark red with blood.
Thick blood seeped through the fabric and dripped onto the courtyard floor.
Faced with the murderous-looking Uesugi Ryu carrying a head, the guards along the way acted as if they saw nothing.
A severed head was nothing special. This was small stuff.
Two maids quickly rushed over with mops and cleaned away the blood.
Inside the room, Esdeath rested one hand against her chin.
She was idly flipping through a book in her hand, Atlas of Human Pain Receptors.
The door was open. After knocking, Uesugi Ryu walked straight in.
A faint scent of blood drifted through the air.
Esdeath raised her head and looked at him.
Uesugi Ryu tossed the blood-soaked bundle onto the long table. Dark red liquid dripped down the edge.
The cloth fell open, revealing a severed head frozen in terror, its hollow lifeless eyes staring directly at Esdeath.
"The mission is complete."
Esdeath snapped her book shut and revealed a satisfied expression.
After glancing at the clock on the wall, she said,
"Efficient. I didn't expect you to be skilled at assassination too."
A slight smile curled at Uesugi Ryu's lips.
"If it hadn't been an assassination, it would have been even faster."
Esdeath naturally understood the implication.
Having someone of Uesugi Ryu's caliber perform assassinations was a waste, perhaps even an insult.
Esdeath chuckled and adjusted her cap before walking to his side.
Bone-chilling cold froze the severed head into an icy specimen.
With a casual wave, it shattered into countless sparkling fragments.
"There won't be assignments like that again."
She raised her head, looking at Uesugi Ryu's profile.
"By the way, are you a Teigu user?"
Uesugi Ryu shook his head, already guessing where this was going.
Their shadows overlapped on the cold stone wall, forming the shape of a twisted beast.
When Esdeath heard his answer, anticipation flashed across her face.
To possess such strength without a Teigu, Uesugi Ryu's potential was enormous.
"Is that so? Then come with me."
Esdeath grabbed his arm and started walking outside, the setting sun illuminating her pale face.
Uesugi Ryu tried to pull free, but Esdeath held on tightly.
He frowned.
"Esdeath, let go."
Esdeath stopped and placed one hand on her hip, looking at him curiously.
"According to my investigation, you don't seem to be married. What's wrong?"
The more Uesugi Ryu resisted, the more excited Esdeath seemed.
"She's not in the Capital. That's all."
Uesugi Ryu turned his head away, avoiding her gaze as he answered calmly.
Esdeath's icy blue lashes trembled slightly, and a trace of cold light flashed in her eyes.
"I don't like subordinates lying to me. You'd better really have one."
She released his arm and crossed her arms, waiting for his response.
Uesugi Ryu brushed the wrinkles from his sleeve, looking somewhat speechless.
"Of course it's true. Besides, whether I'm married or not has nothing to do with you."
Uesugi Ryu had been wearing his wedding ring before. Esdeath had merely wanted confirmation.
After hearing him admit it, curiosity flickered in her eyes.
"Really? What kind of woman could capture your heart?"
Uesugi Ryu did not answer. Instead, he changed the subject.
"Where are we going?"
Seeing this, Esdeath did not press further. She was in no hurry.
"Just follow me."
Esdeath led Uesugi Ryu out of the palace and toward the Imperial Palace.
As they walked, Esdeath suddenly glanced at the distant sky.
She thought to herself, "The Three Beasts still haven't completed their mission?"
The palace was heavily guarded by the Imperial Guard under General Budo's command.
With Esdeath leading the way, they passed through without obstruction.
Uesugi Ryu curiously observed the magnificent palace.
The towering structures, dozens and even hundreds of meters high, were truly grand.
The Capital was roughly circular, with the terrain rising steadily from the outer districts inward.
The Imperial Palace stood at the highest point.
In addition, layer upon layer of massive walls divided the entire Capital into several separate districts.
The closer one lived to the palace, the higher one's status.
Esdeath soon brought Uesugi Ryu before another palace hall, and the guards immediately allowed them through.
Footsteps approached.
The obese Minister, chewing continuously on a strip of meat, turned around.
He looked curiously at Uesugi Ryu standing beside Esdeath.
"General Esdeath, and who might this be?"
Esdeath introduced him.
"This is my new subordinate, Uesugi Ryu."
"He doesn't have a Teigu yet. If I remember correctly, there are still a few left in the treasury."
Esdeath was not the slightest bit polite.
Of course, with the royal treasury effectively under Honest's control, it was practically hers as well.
"Uesugi Ryu? That name sounds familiar."
The Minister thought for a moment but failed to recall exactly where he had heard it.
Still, if Esdeath valued him, then his strength must be considerable.
A broad smile spread across the Minister's face, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth.
"No problem. Let's go right now."
The Minister did not waste time chatting with Uesugi Ryu.
He immediately led the two of them toward the treasury.