The Imperial Capital arena.
The oval-shaped arena was packed with spectators who had come to watch.
No matter the era or the time, there were always plenty of people who loved watching the excitement.
The little Emperor gave a brief speech to warm up the atmosphere.
After that, he returned to his seat.
Honest sliced a piece of ham with a small knife as he spoke.
"Your Majesty, leave the rest to General Budo."
Honest slowly placed the thick slice of ham into his mouth.
"So as not to dirty Your Majesty's eyes. It will take quite a while, and that sort of scene can easily ruin one's appetite."
The little Emperor nodded. He knew what death by slow slicing was.
Ordinary punishments were one thing, but something that gruesome truly was not suitable for a young boy like him to watch.
Budo also said nothing more. A battle would most likely break out afterward, so leaving the Emperor here really was unsafe.
Honest looked toward Izou, who stood nearby with a sword at his waist.
The Three Rakshasa Demons were already protecting them from the shadows, but bringing Izou along as well would only increase safety.
"Izou, come. Escort His Majesty and me back to the palace."
Izou frowned.
He was looking forward to the coming slaughter and did not want to continue acting as Honest's bodyguard.
Seeing this, Honest cursed inwardly and could only settle for the next best thing.
"The execution hasn't begun yet. Escort His Majesty and me back to the palace, then you can return afterward."
Izou bit down on the foxtail grass in his mouth. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded.
The little Emperor and the others left the area, leaving only Budo seated at the highest viewing platform.
At the center of the arena stood three crosses arranged in a triangular formation.
Najenda, as Night Raid's leader, was tied to the foremost cross. Her complexion looked somewhat haggard.
Although the time had been short and she had not suffered much torture, her treatment had definitely not been good either.
At noon, the sunlight was somewhat blinding. Najenda narrowed her eyes and thought to herself.
"The time for release is finally close."
Six executioners stood before them.
In their hands were containers for flesh and blood along with various tools used for the execution.
Sheele lowered her head. Without her glasses, she could not even clearly see what was about to happen.
She could only silently think in her heart, "Everyone, please don't do anything reckless..."
Leone gritted her teeth, her expression twisted fiercely.
"Damn it, damn it! I haven't personally killed that bastard Honest yet. How can I die in a place like this!"
On the second-tier viewing platform, the Jaegers and Wild Hunt stood on opposite sides, clearly divided.
Enshin leaned over the railing, staring at the three people below.
His face was filled with regret as he complained.
"What a waste. They won't even let me make use of them before they die."
"But speaking of which, that white-haired one is pretty damn beautiful!"
Enshin lightly rubbed his chin and revealed a grin.
"Though she doesn't really seem feminine at all!"
Cosmina, dressed in a bunny girl outfit, nodded.
"Agreed, agreed. But she looks really cool. She definitely seems fun to play with! Haha!"
Between the two clearly divided groups, only Stylish and Dorothea stood together.
Dorothea turned toward Stylish beside her and curiously asked,
"Stylish, what have you been up to lately?"
Stylish rested his chin on his hand, feeling somewhat emotional.
He adjusted his reflective glasses and replied,
"Nothing much. I recently got some new equipment. I simply can't put it down."
Dorothea puffed up her lips and placed her hands on her waist in dissatisfaction.
"If there's nothing important, then hurry over and help out. If the Empire falls later, things will become troublesome."
A trace of amusement flashed through Stylish's eyes while his other hand remained tucked in his pocket the entire time.
He nodded obediently.
"No problem."
Budo walked to the speaking platform and waved his hand.
"The execution begins!"
Budo's deep and imposing voice spread through the microphone.
The only response he received was a violent series of explosions.
Boom! Boom!
The center of the arena rapidly collapsed as massive clouds of dust rose along with the explosions.
The civilians in the audience instantly fell into panic, all rushing toward the nearby exits.
Lan's expression turned serious as he looked toward Seryu beside him.
"Seryu, go evacuate and protect the civilians. Leave the rest to us."
Seryu hesitated. Night Raid were her enemies, and she wanted to deal with those villains herself.
(Uesugi Ryu had not specifically explained the cooperation with Night Raid, so they were deliberately sending Seryu away here.)
Seeing this, Wave persuaded her.
"Seryu, your Teigu is suited for protection. Only you can do this. Please."
Faced with everyone's trust, Seryu could no longer refuse.
A blush flashed across her face as she nodded forcefully.
"Leave it to me. Everyone, be careful!"
Already expecting this, Budo immediately moved.
Two highly condensed plasma spheres appeared in his hands.
Bright yellow lightning flashed through the air as they shot toward the center.
However, directly along the plasma spheres' path, an orange-yellow laser suddenly fired out.
The two attacks instantly collided, setting off another burst of yellow-black fireworks in midair.
Mine smirked proudly and said in a mocking tone,
"I won't let you have your way, General Budo~"
Budo remained expressionless as he leapt forward.
Clapping his arms together, two bolts of lightning shot toward Mine's location.
"Obstructive rebels. Since you've come, then die together!"
"Jaegers, Wild Hunt, attack!"
Stylish instantly pulled a compact pistol from his pocket and fired at Dorothea beside him.
Dorothea reacted extremely quickly.
The needle-shaped bullet shot out and pierced Dorothea's thin arm.
Dark green poison was injected into her body in the blink of an eye.
"Stylish!!"
Dorothea's face darkened. She instantly used her fingers like blades and sliced away the injured flesh.
Stylish gave a wicked grin and immediately retreated backward.
Enshin and Champ also reacted.
Azure sword energy and explosive magatama instantly swept toward Stylish.
Wave rushed forward in a few quick steps, drawing his sword as he shouted,
"Grand Chariot!!"
After the armor fused onto him, he became like an impregnable line of defense, blocking all the attacks.
Cosmina revealed a surprised expression.
"The Jaegers betrayed the Empire too? This is really getting interesting!"
Lan spread his wings and flew into the air, his gaze locked firmly onto Champ.
White feathers shot outward, officially beginning this massive chaotic battle.
Budo immediately noticed the abnormal situation on the Jaegers' side, and a bad feeling instantly rose in his heart.
However, he had no time to think further.
The raging anger surging through his heart became the driving force behind his Teigu, Demon's Extract: Adramelech.
"It doesn't matter. After I kill all of you, I'll deal with those traitors!"
With a loud boom, he smashed down into the arena. At this point, the dust was already beginning to disperse.
Bulat stood before the already freed Najenda and the others.
He raised the spear in his hand and pointed it at Budo before him.
"It's been a long time, General Budo!"
Budo was currently burning with fury and had no interest in reminiscing with him. Battle was about to erupt at any moment.