Fear coursed through Kurome's veins, but it wasn't the terror of facing death that plagued her. As a seasoned assassin and a dedicated member of the Dark Squad, the fear of mortality had long been eradicated from her psyche. Instead, it was the chilling dread of becoming expendable that gnawed at her core. The haunting notion that she was deemed utterly worthless, destined to be discarded like insignificant waste, sent shivers down her spine. This nightmare didn't just haunt Kurome; it gripped each and every member of the Dark Squad. It was this same fear that drove them to willingly subject themselves to enhancement drugs, despite the lingering and destructive side effects they wrought upon their bodies.

Even their leader, Kylie, persisted in taking the enhancement drugs, despite the accelerated aging they inflicted upon him. None of the members cared about the toll it exacted on their bodies; their sole focus remained on serving the Empire to the best of their abilities, for as long as they could. They firmly believed that it was better to meet their end on the battlefield than to be cast aside, a sentiment shared unanimously by every member of the Dark Squad.

"Sir, Kurome is here to see you," a soldier announced upon opening the door before him.

Within the span of a month, series of developments unfolded that threatened the very existence of the Dark Squad, and Kurome keenly discerned the ominous signs. In one moment, they were abruptly summoned back from their missions, ordered to return to the military outpost without delay. Some were even on the precipice of eliminating key members of the revolutionary army when the unexpected directive reached them. Yet despite the strangeness of the situation, they obediently followed the directive, although perplexed by its inexplicable nature.

However, their arrival at the base took an unexpected turn. The Empire's formidable Incineration Squad, accompanied by Imperial soldiers, swiftly encircled them, with a man wielding an Imperial arm standing at the forefront. With an authoritative command, they demanded the surrender of their weapons.

Before they knew it, the members of the Dark Squad found themselves confined within a building, surrounded by troops stationed outside to prevent their escape. It became increasingly evident that this dire situation could potentially spell the end for the Dark Squad.

Even Kylie, the leader, concurred with Kurome's assessment. Having recently met with General Nakaido, he discerned the General's true intentions. Nakaido's inquiries into the inner workings of the Dark Squad—its structure, chain of command, logistics, addiction to enhancement drugs, historical background, and more—hinted at a deeper scheme. Though Nakaido remained tight-lipped, Kylie could easily see through his intentions.

As the General lifted his head from the document he was reading, his piercing gaze fixated on the young woman before him. The scars etched across his face lent a ferocious air to his presence, intensifying the gravity of the moment as Kurome became the recipient of his dangerous scrutiny.

"Unshackle her hands," General Nakaido commanded the soldiers who had escorted Kurome into his office.

To her surprise, Kurome had not anticipated this gesture. Over the past few days, the members of the Dark Squad had been treated as little more than criminals. Even Kylie had not received such a special treatment when he had met with General Nakaido in the past.

Gradually, the soldiers exited the room, leaving only Kurome, General Nakaido, and Bols—the last remaining member of the escort, wielding a Teigu specifically assigned to eliminate her if a conflict were to arise. Although it had never been explicitly stated to Kurome, she was not naive. Given the Empire's hostility towards them, it was a potential outcome she had considered.

Had she not surrendered her own teigu upon arriving at the outpost, Bols would have undoubtedly engaged her in combat to ensure her elimination.

"You possess an impressive record of kills, Miss Kurome. In fact, even if you had not requested this meeting, I would have ordered you to see me instead," Nakaido remarked, rising from his seat and opening a chest located in the corner of the room.

Kurome furrowed her brow as she observed her teigu, the Yatsufusa blade, resting inside the chest. "Thank you. I am merely fulfilling the Empire's desires," she responded.

"Do you now?" General Nakaido remarked as he returned to his seat, placing the Yatsufusa blade on his table.

Kurome spoke up, seeking clarification. "I don't understand."

For a brief moment, General Nakaido simply studied the young woman before him. His intense gaze created an oppressive tension in the room, leaving Kurome unsettled.

"Tell me, do you know why the Dark Squad was originally created?" the General asked, causing Kurome to feel instant relief. The silence emanating from the General had become unbearable for her.

"It was made to fight for the Empire," Kurome stated with pride.

"Well, technically you are correct, but that's also wrong," Nakaido replied.

"What do you mean?" Kurome stated in confusion. "The Dark Squad has performed countless missions for the benefit of the Empire," Kurome added.

"Whose Empire? The Empire of the now deceased Prime Minister Honest or the Empire of His Imperial Majesty, Makoto?" General Nakaido asked.

Finally grasping the truth that confirmed Kylie and her suspicions, Kurome exclaimed, "The Emperor truly doesn't trust us."

General Nakaido acknowledged Kurome's suspicions and responded, "It appears you have deduced the reason for my presence here. Did you know that the creation of the Dark Squad was largely unknown to His Majesty? Every mission conducted, every life taken, fell not under the Emperor's authority, but rather under the control of the late Prime Minister Honest—a man whom the Emperor no longer trusts, and whose remains have long been devoured by vultures."

Kurome bit her lower lip, her gaze unwavering as she faced the General. "Are you planning to exterminate every member of the Dark Squad?". For a brief moment she paused, a clear sign of pain marked her face as she uttered, "Will you kill us all?"

"For the time being, that is yet to be determined," Nakaido replied, his tone measured. He didn't want to act hastily. Though Dark Squad's origins were ethically questionable, borne from Honest's whims, but Nakaido couldn't deny the tremendous value the current Dark Squad held for the Empire.

At present, he would treat them the same way his Majesty had treated General Hemi and him. If Dark Squad could prove their loyalty in the coming weeks, their lives would be spared. In fact, Nakaido might even assist them in finding remedies for the lasting effects inflicted by the enhancement drugs.

All these benefits were contingent upon their unwavering loyalty, in which they need to prove.

"There must be something I can do to ensure that Dark Squad isn't discarded?" Kurome asked, her face crumbling with sorrow.

Upon seeing this, Nakaido could only sigh inwardly. For Dark Squad, they saw their potential elimination as the Empire throwing them away. It played completely into the brainwashing and manipulation that Saikyuu had done on them in the past.

"There is a way for you to help your fellow members," Nakaido stated as he handed Kurome the document he had been reading before she entered his office.

Trembling, Kurome took the letter and began reading it.

"The Emperor personally wishes for me to join a group he is forming?" Kurome asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Not just you," Nakaido replied, his gaze shifting towards Bols, the other person in the room. "His Majesty also wishes for you to join. It is a group that will work directly under him."

Bols nodded solemnly. "It would be an honor," he stated.

"Aside from me, there is another individual who can decide the fate of Dark Squad, and that is the Emperor himself, Emperor Makoto. Show him how valuable and loyal you are, and perhaps he will begin to see Dark Squad in a different light," Nakaido stated back to Kurome.

As Kurome heard Nakaido's words, she clenched her fist with determination. She vowed to use every ounce of her power and skills to ensure that the Emperor would perceive her and the Dark Squad in a new and favorable way.

"You and Bols will depart tomorrow," Nakaido commanded.

***********

MEANWHILE AT NIGHT RAID CAMP:

Leone entered Najenda's room and couldn't help but notice her packing belongings into her bag. "Are you leaving tomorrow?" she asked, curious about Najenda's actions.

Najenda continued packing without stopping and replied, "Yeah. I sent a message to headquarters a few weeks ago, but they haven't given me a clear reply. It seems they are struggling to decide on the next course of action. And recently, I received a message from the Captain of the regional team informing me that they have all returned to HQ."

"The regional team?" Leone inquired, intrigued.

The regional team, like Night Raid, was a group of assassins assigned to carry out missions within the Empire. While Night Raid was the tier-1 assassination unit of the Revolutionary army the only other difference between the two was their operating locations. Night Raid focused on the Capital, while the regional team traveled across the entire Empire, eliminating targets for the revolutionary army. The fact that the entire regional team had returned to the Revolutionary Headquarters indicated that something significant had occurred, prompting Najenda to go back as well.

"While I'm gone, Akame, you're in charge," Najenda stated plainly.

Leone turned around and noticed Akame standing at the door as soon as her name was mentioned.

"Damn, I didn't even notice you were there," Leone exclaimed, amazed at Akame's ability to silently approach people.