The wind played with her black hair as she moved at great speed.
Seishan could have used one of the Memories they had to reach the city faster, but ever since she learned to ride a horse, it was something she had grown to quite enjoy.
'I need to get a similar Echo when we overcome the Nightmare.'
Right now, she was galloping at high speed, dodging holes and ravines, heading toward the Third Wall where she would meet up with Ceres and Dana, while Akame rode a few meters ahead of her on horseback.
They currently had a mission. Their target was one of the King's generals.
When she heard the crimes this man had committed, her blood ran completely cold. They were so atrocious that she didn't even want to think about them again.
Seishan took a deep breath and continued on her way toward the city.
They had already been inside the Nightmare for two weeks, and so far, they had no information about Sylvie and Siord. She had tried not to worry about it, telling herself that they would be fine—that they were strong enough.
But at the same time, a week ago, one of the kingdom's regular tournaments had taken place, and she hadn't been able to attend to check if her friends might have been there. Though, surely, they would have been.
This was pure deduction on Seishan's part. The colosseum was the only place they had no access to—no way to gather information through spies or without risking being discovered and enslaved afterward. So, knowing how the Spell worked, the other possibility was that Sylvie and Siord had taken the bodies of women inside the colosseum.
Which meant they had to participate in the tournament—and win it to survive.
The "good news" was that they had learned—through one of the spies inside the castle—that the tournament winners had been taken there. So Seishan and Ceres had been hoping that the winners were exactly Sylvie and Siord.
The possibility that they had died during the tournament also lingered in her mind, creating an uncomfortable unease—one she didn't even want to think about.
The castle spy hadn't been able to get any information about them either. These women had already been in the castle for a week, and the only thing known was that the General was personally training one of them.
That had struck the entire group as extremely strange. From what she had heard, the General had never shown interest in anyone in the past—and now she decided to take on an apprentice?
Furthermore, this added a layer of danger to the group's mission and, therefore, to their Nightmare. If the woman the General was training was strong enough, Seishan didn't see how they could defeat a Saint, her apprentice, and the King.
Their group was strong, but they would have no chance of achieving anything if they didn't get more people or the support of the citizens. For the first option, she had hoped to count on Sylvie and Siord's help, but they had had no luck.
With the citizens, however, it was a different story.
Just then, they arrived at the outskirts of the Third Wall, and she and Akame both left their horses hidden and secure. Then, they avoided a group of hunters heading toward the forest and began climbing the wall.
Once at the top, they hid behind some transport crates as a group of guards patrolled nearby.
The upper area of the wall was not smooth; it had rails for transporting supplies, and beside the rails were the supplies themselves in the form of wooden crates.
Waiting for the guards to pass, they emerged from their hiding spot and began descending the wall quickly. By now, they had done this several times, so Seishan's descent speed had increased dramatically.
Even so, no matter how fast she became, she would never match Akame. The latter stopped to wait for her, then grabbed her hand.
The next instant, they were already on the rooftops of the houses that hadn't collapsed.
Still, their target was inside the Second Wall, so they still had a way to go. Obviously, accessing the Second Wall was much harder than accessing the Third.
That was precisely why the mission was being carried out at night—to minimize the chances of being seen.
The journey to the Second Wall was not difficult at all. Taking advantage of the shadows cast by the few light sources and the darkness of the night itself, they arrived at the outskirts of the Second Wall and headed as far east as possible—the direction opposite the colosseum.
Minutes after traveling through the streets and seeing posters with the faces of their group members drawn on them, they arrived at one of the gates that would lead them inside.
Once there, they used Memories to change the color of their hair and eyes, and Akame began speaking with the lone guard present.
Obviously, neither of these things was pure coincidence or luck.
They had come to this gate because climbing the wall was impossible—it was completely watched.
Why come to the gate when they were being wanted throughout the kingdom? The answer was obvious: the guard "protecting" this entrance was on their side, so they could enter and exit through it.
This was because, a few months ago, his wife had fallen victim to one of the King's stupid decrees. Since that moment, he had focused on seeking revenge against the King and the rest, supporting the group whenever possible.
For this reason, the guard made sure to be alone during the time they needed to cross. Usually, the gates were covered by four guards—two on each side—but there was a brief gap between shift changes that left only one guard for a few seconds.
Using that window to enter, they arrived inside the Second Wall and began moving toward their target.
The contrast with the interior of the previous wall was very noticeable.
Even at the edge of the wall, the structures were not extremely beautiful, but their conditions were impeccable. The same could no longer be said of the structures closer to the main wall, as they grew more beautiful and extravagant the closer one got.
Even so, their target was located in one of the more central structures of the wall—not the wealthy zone, but not middle class either.
The structures in that area were made of good, impeccable materials. Their foundations were solid, and their colors were cheerful.
Mainly because that area was where all the kingdom's entertainment was located. Every shop, every middle-class restaurant had a presence there. It was where the population of the Kingdom of Mordrath could provide for themselves and buy things for their daily lives.
Each wall had a similar area inside, and the closer one was to the castle, the more luxurious everything became—creating a wide distinction between social classes within the kingdom.
The structure they needed to reach began to show itself at the end of the main street. This street was so crowded that identifying anyone was impossible, but they didn't lower their guard regardless.
This was obviously something that caught Seishan's attention. In the Waking World, most shops close at night, and there aren't many people on the streets. But in this kingdom, it was as if that didn't matter.
The shops remained open. People went out into the streets to buy things or simply hang out.
Another thing that caught her attention was that most of the people on the street were drinking a beverage she had never seen in her life…
'I think Akame called it "mate"?' She tried to remember as she continued walking a few meters behind her sister within the Nightmare.
In fact, she had already tried it and didn't find it bad at all. It had an energetic effect like coffee—even stronger than coffee, she recalled, since she hadn't slept all day after trying it. Mate was actually more similar to tea, made from yerba mate leaves.
Regardless, the building they needed to reach grew larger, and now Seishan could confirm that this was another thing nothing like the Waking World.
The building was actually a club—but not just any club. One where prostitution was accepted. In fact, it was so accepted that it had signs outside advertising it.
Seishan would love to take care of the building herself—blowing it up or setting it on fire—but reacting that way would only bring more complications. It would turn the people against them for carrying out an attack.
After a few minutes of walking while dodging people, she exchanged a glance with Akame, and the latter headed straight for the main entrance. Meanwhile, Seishan entered one of the nearby alleys and, after verifying through her senses that no one was following her or present, climbed to the roof of one of the nearby buildings.
The building was a three-story shop, and the shop belonged to another man who had recently switched to their side—in fact, just a few weeks ago, when some guards took his wife to the colosseum.
His goal was to see her again and hope she was alright. That was why he decided to help them, hoping that his wife—Lena—was still alive.
Seishan didn't know how to tell him that she most likely wasn't—in fact, they already knew she wasn't. The description of his wife didn't match either of the two tournament winners.
There was also the possibility that she might not have participated in the tournament, but the chances were very low.
Climbing onto the roof, she decided to return her appearance to normal, and at that moment, her hair turned black again, and her eyes took on the same color.
On the roof, there was absolutely no one—and that was the goal. However, if one looked north, they would notice another building similar to the one she was on, and on its roof.
A woman with yellow hair and barely contained energy could be found there. One of the group's members—Dana—was there.
Then her gaze shifted in the opposite direction, and following the same pattern, another woman could be found. She was Ceres.
Within the Nightmare, the woman had taken the body of someone with short black hair and green eyes—a rather noticeable change, considering that in reality she had sky-blue eyes and white hair. The only thing that remained the same was her height, which was quite average.
The three of them were creating a perimeter to ensure no unwanted visitors interrupted their mission. Meanwhile, Akame, inside the club, would take care of the rest.
Seishan wanted to accompany her and lend a hand, but for several reasons, she couldn't. The first was very basic—they didn't have much personnel…
Since the Nightmare began, several members of the group had already died, with more joining and then dying as well. Right now, there were only six members remaining. One of the members who had died was precisely Petra—the other woman present when the Nightmare started.
Although their number of members had decreased, their number of allies had increased abruptly. Only two weeks had passed, and already nearly a quarter of the population was on their side.
The people had realized that this couldn't continue—that a change needed to be made. And they had begun to make it by force.
Several times already, buildings where future colosseum slaves were kept had been set on fire or completely looted. But none of these were actions of the group—all of it was done by the citizens.
And even with all this, there had been no movement from the castle. In fact, no one knew where the King was.
Some said he was outside the kingdom. Others said he was dead and the General was the killer. Others invented fanciful stories about Beast God giving him a mission and him fulfilling his goddess's wishes—obviously false, since the gods were dead.
But the rumor that terrified them the most came from one of the castle guards.
It said that the King had grown tired of the General's presence and had gone off to challenge the Third Nightmare on his own.
At first, Seishan found this very strange. Then, she truly understood the gravity of the matter.
If the King was challenging a Third Nightmare because he had grown tired of the General's presence, that meant that as soon as he emerged from it, a war would erupt between the King's loyalists and the General's followers.
Remembering the beginning of the Nightmare, she knew who would win if that happened—something that, for no reason, they should allow to happen.
Another reason she hadn't gone with Akame was that the latter had said she would need the essence from the kill for something. She didn't elaborate, and Seishan had decided not to push for an answer at the time—though she now slightly regretted it.
Then, a slight movement in the distance caught her attention, and she immediately went on alert. However, she quickly relaxed and returned to normal.
It seemed the other two members of the group had woken up and come to help. They were two tall men who shared a similar quality in everything. Same hair type and color, same face, same eye color. Everything was completely identical.
They were twins.
One was named Karl, while the other was Harl.
The twins arrived at Dana's building and began talking among themselves. Meanwhile, Seishan remembered the reason they were both part of the group.
It turned out that Karl had different preferences, and for that simple reason, he had been completely shunned by society. Because, to them, it made sense. In a society that judged a person's value based on their biological utility, someone with a different sexuality was excluded.
That was also the reason Harl was with them. He wasn't going to abandon his brother—and he didn't.
Seishan watched the scene with a smile, remembering her own sisters and how she would do exactly the same as Harl if she were in his situation.
Minutes passed until she felt something different—a different presence… though calling it different would be inaccurate. It was Akame's presence… but now it felt stronger, more oppressive.
'What did that woman do?'
She didn't know exactly what her sister inside the Nightmare had been doing, but whatever it was, it had succeeded.
The next instant, she noticed movement on the club's roof, and there Akame was, kneeling. Yet there wasn't a single wound on her body. Observing her closely, Seishan realized something and froze.
She knew perfectly well the presence of a Master when she saw it. Her clan had many—she had sisters who were Masters—and mainly, one could tell at a glance the difference between an Awakened and a Master.
Definitely, Akame had Ascended.
"How the hell did she ascend?" she asked herself under her breath.
"It's really easy if you know how."
"Huh? How?"
Then Seishan froze even more, and a shiver ran down her spine.
There shouldn't have been anyone else on the same building as her, and her senses hadn't detected anyone—until that moment.
From one second to the next, two new presences were two buildings away. One of the presences even seemed familiar—however, the second was so oppressive that it overshadowed the first. The latter sent a sensation of terror coursing through her entire body. It was the presence of a Saint.
Seishan turned around painfully slowly, and her eyes widened.
Two buildings away, with her arms crossed, stood a woman with sky-blue hair and eyes of the same color. She wore a completely white outfit and emanated an aura of death.
She recognized her immediately, even though it was the first time she had seen her. It was the General—Isceth.
Beside her stood another woman with her hands behind her back, wearing a black outfit matching the color of her eyes, with slightly brownish hair. Seishan didn't know who she was, but the way she stood and carried herself reminded her of someone.
Then she heard slight explosions behind her, and the wind they caused made her hair cover her face.
When the wind stopped and she brushed the hair from her face, she saw the rest of the members with armor and swords forming a circle around her, protecting her. All weapons were pointed in the direction of the General and her apprentice—Seishan assumed.
Right in front of her was Akame, who had been the first to arrive. Having Ascended made her speed even more ridiculously high.
Yet the General made no move to summon anything. She stood with her arms crossed, a slight smile on her face.
"Isceth," said Akame through clenched teeth.
The aforementioned focused her sky-blue eyes on Akame. "Akame, it's a pleasure to see you again," she said, her smile widening. Then she uncrossed her arms and began to applaud. "Congratulations on becoming an Ascended. Maybe this will end up being more interesting after all."
Akame didn't reply and unsummoned her sword.
"What brings you here, Isceth? If you wanted us dead, you would have killed us already without having to speak to us."
"Not even a thank you for congratulating you?" she replied, feigning sadness.
Akame shook her head. "Get to the point."
"How rude…" she said, shrugging. "You're mistaken about something. It's not that I don't want to kill you—it's that doing so would be boring." Then she laughed, and a shiver ran through everyone's bodies.
When she finished laughing, she continued, "You see, Akame, you've been playing at this because I've allowed it. You ascended because I permitted it." Then she turned and stared directly at Seishan. "This one here is still alive because I permitted it. It wouldn't have cost me anything to kill her without her even realizing I was behind her."
"Then you're more naive than I thought," said Akame. "I think you've already realized you've been making a mistake by letting us live. The people are already turning, and soon you won't have power over anyone. Even if you kill us now, the movement has already started." With a slight tilt of her lips, she finished, "You would only be turning us into martyrs."
The General laughed again and began walking in circles as she did so. Then she stopped and replied in a provocative tone, "Ah, Akame! You have no idea how wrong you are!" She smiled widely. "You think I care what happens in the kingdom? That I care if the people are against me or if change has already begun?" She shook her head. "No, no. I don't care in the slightest."
Akame closed her eyes slightly as she stared fixedly at her.
"Then if you don't care about anything, you should let us go without fighting us."
Isceth shrugged. "Maybe I should, maybe I shouldn't. Who knows? But—" She paused. "There is one thing I am sure of, and that is that a master cannot show weakness in front of their student… So choose. Choose which one of you I'm going to kill on this beautiful night."
Everyone took a step back the moment she said those words, because they knew there was no escape.
Akame summoned her sword again and positioned herself. "You will not kil—"
Two hands on her shoulders stopped her.
Turning around, she saw that the twins had walked up beside her, and their eyes reflected pure determination, along with a decision already made.
"What are you doing?" she asked quickly.
Karl smiled at her while taking another step forward without answering. Seconds later, Harl did the same, and both stood in front of the General.
"We will fight you," they said simultaneously.
The General smiled with pure malice. Beside her, her apprentice took a step back.
"Why?" asked Akame.
Karl replied, looking forward. "You are very important to the mission, Akame. Besides, everything we've had is thanks to you letting us join the group."
Harl continued, "You guys were the first real family we both ever had. And that's why we are willing to give our hearts if it means yours will keep beating."
Finally, they both turned slightly and looked at the group, smiling. "Now get out of here. Continue with the mission."
Seishan felt her eyes begin to form small tears. However, the next moment, she heard a noise, and following the sound, she saw the General covering her mouth with one hand as she yawned.
Rage and disgust began to rise through her body, and immediately, the apprentice's eyes focused on hers.
Seishan understood the meaning of the gaze: Don't do anything stupid.
Then she felt a hand grabbing her shoulder, and turning around, she saw that it was Ceres, who gave her a nod. Turning to the other side, Dana conveyed the same signal.
Finally, Akame took a few steps back, and from one moment to the next, the four of them were already running across the rooftops of nearby buildings, avoiding being detected by the guards.
She buried the feelings of powerlessness deep in her heart to avoid thinking about the fate the twins would suffer. The power difference was so great that it was less a fight and more an execution—something everyone present knew, and yet, they could do nothing.
The journey back was the complete opposite of the emotions and feelings Seishan had constantly tried to bury and avoid. They reached the Third Wall without having to fight any guards and without being detected.
Then they retrieved their horses and began their return to the hideout once they confirmed that no one was following them. A few minutes later, they arrived, and each went off on their own to deal with their feelings and emotions.
However, they all failed to notice something—something only one person could do. Every one of them who was Awakened returned to the hideout carrying a mark.
It wasn't a mark visible to the naked eye, nor was it in the form of a wound. It was a completely invisible mark.
It was Sylvie's Awakened ability, allowing her to mark people with Mana without them realizing it. Making their hideout no longer safe the moment the General gave a simple command.