Chapter 36: Synchronized Goals (Fourth Update, Added for Alliance Leader 'Su Xiaochun~')
"Yesterday at noon, I encountered the Night Raid. We fought. I stabbed your sister in the heart. She didn't die. That's it."
Hei Tong nodded understandingly, continuing to crunch on her biscuits with a crisp sound.
"You're really strong, to be able to defeat my sister."
As Hei Tong spoke, two more people entered the room.
Ran, a warm-hearted blonde man, was once a teacher. By chance, he obtained the Imperial Armament: Myriad Miles Flight·Mastema, a pair of winged Imperial Arms that allow flight and the shooting of feathers.
The other person was Dr. Fashion, a scientist with homosexual tendencies who loved pursuing trends. His Imperial Armament was the Divine Hand·Perfector, which could amplify finger movements a hundredfold for precise actions.
Dr. Fashion was strong in scientific research but somewhat overconfident in combat. In the original story, his blind confidence led him to confront the entire Night Raid, resulting in a tragic death.
The meeting room had six seats, and now all six people had gathered.
The six were Su Xiao, Wei Er, Hei Tong, Bolus, Dr. Fashion, and Ran.
With the Three Beast Warriors dead, this was the new Dark Division of Esdeath's forces, established mainly to counter the Night Raid.
Once all six were present, Bolus stood up and walked out of the meeting room. After a short while, he returned carrying several cups of tea.
It was at this moment that Bolus revealed his personality. He first apologized to everyone, as the eldest among them, he had remained silent until now.
A cup of tea was placed in front of Su Xiao. Bolus nodded at him and said, "Please take care of me." Su Xiao nodded in return.
His gaze shifted toward the door. He sensed Esdeath's presence; the female general had been hiding there for quite some time.
Bang!
The door was roughly pushed open, and Esdeath, wearing a mask, entered the room.
"What are you all doing here!"
Esdeath growled. Of the six people present, five stood up. Su Xiao yawned. This was Esdeath's test for newcomers, and he wasn't one.
"Hey hey, we were called here to gather..."
Wei Er stepped forward first. The simple village boy was indeed straightforward.
Bang.
Esdeath lifted her leg and kicked Wei Er, sending him tumbling several times. Seeing this, Bolus also charged forward.
But Bolus didn't have his Imperial Armament with him, and unsurprisingly, he was knocked to the ground.
The remaining three didn't move. Ran had a steady personality and vaguely guessed what was happening.
Dr. Fashion and Hei Tong, however, recognized Esdeath. Both had served in units near the Imperial Capital.
They didn't engage Esdeath, but that didn't mean Esdeath wouldn't take the initiative.
Esdeath wasn't carrying any weapons and didn't use her Imperial Armament. She began a close-quarters brawl with these three.
In less than a minute, Ran followed in Wei Er's footsteps. Dr. Fashion, usually weaker in combat, was quickly taken down as well, leaving only Hei Tong.
"Aren't you going to make a move?"
Hei Tong looked at Su Xiao. This girl was quite sharp.
"You all handle it yourselves..."
Before Su Xiao could finish, Esdeath suddenly kicked at him.
Grabbing the Dragon-Slaying Flash from the meeting table with one hand, Su Xiao flipped backward to retreat.
"Heh~, slacking off is a good habit."
Esdeath made a move to charge at Su Xiao. At this moment, she carried no weapon and didn't use her ice abilities from her Imperial Armament.
Su Xiao raised the sheathed Dragon-Slaying Flash. Esdeath stopped in her tracks.
"Too serious. What a headache. This flaw in your character is a bit hard to correct for now."
Esdeath didn't charge again. She knew that if Su Xiao drew his blade, she wouldn't gain any advantage. Besides, she had just spoken, meaning for him to get serious, but Su Xiao was too serious, almost to the point of drawing his sword.
Looking around the room, Esdeath knew this level of testing was enough. These new subordinates weren't weak even without using their Imperial Armaments.
Esdeath took off her mask, her eyes smiling as she looked at the people in the meeting room.
"You all performed well."
The people in the room were startled when they saw Esdeath.
"General Esdeath!"
Hearing this title, Wei Er, still lying on the ground, was devastated. His superior wasn't exactly normal either.
"All of you change into formal attire. I'll take you to see the Emperor, and then we'll have a party."
Esdeath tossed aside the mask in her hand.
"General, I might not be able to see the Emperor for now."
Su Xiao spoke up. Esdeath looked at him with confusion.
"Last night's incident. I killed one of the Minister's men."
Esdeath understood.
"Mm, indeed. But that was a job well done. Come to the party afterward."
"Mm."
Su Xiao sat in the meeting room, watching the six people walk away.
Now he could freely enter and leave the Imperial Palace, but the timing for completing the main mission wasn't right. The situation wasn't chaotic enough yet.
He needed to stir the waters first before taking action. The contractors on the Empire's side and those from the Night Raid were both quiet, which required caution.
Su Xiao began to meticulously plan in his mind. Perhaps he needed to leave the Imperial Palace for a few days. This would both stir the waters and gather the Imperial Armaments needed for the design drawings. If the plan went smoothly, both could proceed simultaneously.
After Esdeath took the other five to meet the young Emperor, a small party was held at Esdeath's home that evening. Calling it a party, it was really just a meal where the new members got to know each other. The ingredients were fish brought by Wei Er, which were exceptionally delicious.
During the meal, Su Xiao witnessed Hei Tong's possessiveness over food. If she liked a dish and someone else dared to eat it, she would stare at them with her big, watery eyes.
The Hunter Unit was officially established today, with seven members and Esdeath as the leader. Its main target was the Night Raid.
The Hunter Unit had just been formed, so Esdeath didn't immediately assign tasks. Instead, she gave all members a few days off to familiarize themselves with the Imperial Capital, which would facilitate future operations.
After the meal, Su Xiao went to the Third Dark Division. With the Three Beast Warriors dead, he had unexpectedly become the commander here. This was a pleasant surprise.
Of course, the people of the Third Dark Division weren't exactly submissive to Su Xiao, but he didn't care. He only needed some information.
...
Around eight o'clock that evening, Su Xiao arrived at a restaurant, casually ordered some food and alcohol, and sat down, looking like he was drinking alone in melancholy.
His target was the owner of the general store across the street. He wasn't there to kill him, but to keep watch.
A long surveillance began. Su Xiao keenly sensed every customer the general store owner interacted with. Just before closing time, the owner received a middle-aged woman.
"Mrs. An Qi, what do you need?"
"I've run out of salt at home."
"I see. The store just got in some good salt..."
They were chatting casually, but Su Xiao's focus wasn't on the conversation. The subtle hand gestures between Mrs. An Qi and the store owner were what he was paying attention to.
Five minutes later, Mrs. An Qi left, and Su Xiao also left the restaurant.
With Su Xiao's tracking skills, the ordinary Mrs. An Qi couldn't possibly detect him.
Mrs. An Qi was a housewife. After returning home, she cooked for her husband and son. Su Xiao observed this from the rooftop across the street.
Around one in the morning, Mrs. An Qi left her house, looking hurried.
From the rooftop, a smile appeared on Su Xiao's lips. His luck was good. He had only tracked four targets before choosing the right one.
Mrs. An Qi walked along the street, occasionally glancing around. After confirming no one was following, she headed out of the Imperial Capital.
Su Xiao followed Mrs. An Qi at a moderate distance. This target of his wasn't simple; he needed to be cautious.
Mrs. An Qi met with a man in black on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital. They exchanged a few hurried words before parting ways. The man in black quickly ran into the forest.
Su Xiao abandoned tracking Mrs. An Qi and instead followed the man in black.
Thus, Su Xiao began patient tracking. The man in black met with others, and Su Xiao changed his tracking target one after another.
After spending two days and switching nine targets, Su Xiao reached his destination: a massive ancient castle hidden deep in the mountains and forests.
This was very likely the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army!
It seemed Su Xiao had easily found the Revolutionary Army's headquarters, but in the world of "Akame ga Kill!", his tracking abilities were undoubtedly top-tier.