" ": You talking

' ': You thinking

* *: Narrator/Voice-off

3rd Person POV:

Messenger: We have an emergency message from the Capital ! Where is General Esdeath ?!

Soldier: You seem to be in quite the hurry. Err... Where would the General be tonight ?

Soldier: I believe she's with Jasche's squad.

Soldier: This way, then. Follow me.
Messenger: She's not in her tent ? Our general eats her meals with the other soldiers

Messenger: Ooh...

Soldier: Our unit is mostly made up of men who love to fight, so our talks with her are always great.

Messenger: 'I've been told that there are deaths even in training... But being able to relax like this is another reason why her army is so strong... !'

Esdeath: Well this is unexpected. An order to return to the Capital... But Budo's already there, isn't he ?

Messenger: It appears that there is unrest in the Northeast as well, so they wanted you to return, General... They believe that you've already sufficiently weakened the western foreign tribe invasion.

Esdeath: Another rebellion ? The battles never end.
Soldier: 'She looks so happy...'

Esdeath: I feel nostalgic coming back to this region... But I suppose it's time to return to the Capital... 'After all, without coming here the first time, I probably never would've met him... Tao... I have a feeling that we'll meet again soon...'

Your POV:

Lubbock: Hey, you goddamn lovebirds ! I hate myself for saying this, but I need your help !!

Tatsumi: What do you want, Lubbock ?

Mine: What are you barging in for all of a sudden ? It's our precious day off, and we're baking !

Tatsumi: hey ! Don't stick so close ot me in front of other people !

Lubbock: ... ... I WANNA BE ALL ROMANTIC AND MUSHY LIKE YOU ARE ! YOU GOTTA HELP ME !!

Tatsumi: Uh huh. I see. So you haven't been able to confess to the boss.

Mine: Pathetic. Just grow a pair and do it !

Lubbock: But... If she rejects me... And the relationship we have already is ruined, then...

Mine: Stop being so lame ! And you call yourself a man ?! Just get rejected already !

Lubbock: Can you not just assume that I'll get rejected ?! THIS IS A LOVE THAT I'VE BEEN BOTTLING UP INSIDE ME FOR YEARS ! HOW COULD SOMEONE WHO JUST HOOKED UP IN THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT LIKE YOU UNDERSTAND ?!

Tatsumi: Why are you saying that to me ?!

Najenda: 'We can hear everything...'

Leone: You're so popular, boss.

"Can you believe he tried asking me for advice first ?"

Leone: And what did you say ?

"That a guy like me, with no idea what a healthy relationship feels like, could only get him kicked in the groin."

Leone: Heh. What-cha gonna do, boss ?

Najenda: heh... I've always been popular... But now is not the right time to fall in love. i'm actually the type to be very committed.

Leone: It must be nice to be so young and full of love... Let's go be lonely somewhere else.

"When it's only you in a room with me, I feel like i'm not lonely enough..."

Najenda: ... ... Well. Maybe after the revolution succeeds... That might be... Nice...

Shura: How is Cosmina ?

Dorothea: No matter how many times I look at it, her chest is great. It's infuriating.

Shura: That's not what i'm asking. Is she still useful ?

Dorothea: Yes. It's impressive. Even with my help, to think that she would recover from being so close to death... She was branded as a "Witch" because her voice could manipulate people. Ignorant people fearing those with special powers is the same everywhere, isn't it ?

Dorothea: So, she survived even when her house was set on fire. Her entire family was killed and she went completely insane, though. Incredible vitality, she'll make a great subject for my alchemy. By the way, the other two are completely dead. You'll just have to give up on them.

Shura: Enshin and Champ, right ? I don't need someone who got defeated even when he had the advantage with the full moon.

Dorothea: 'I thought Shura got along well with Enshin, but... His ability to move on quickly is one of his strength, I suppose.' Well ! I don't want this workshop that was built just for me to go to waste. I'll do my best for you.

Dorothea: Oh, right, she has some brain damage from when her heart stopped for a while.

Shura: As long as she's useful in battle, I don't care if she's completely retarded. 'If I don't have anything good to tell Pops, he'll be disappointed in me again.'

Honest: Aha, I see. That woman is very resilient. But with your numbers now, eliminating Night Raid will prove to be very difficult.

Shura: As long as I have Izou, I can make up for any losses.

Honest: On that note, I have a present for you, son.

Suzuka: You called ?

Honest: This is Suzuka, one of the four Rakshasa demons. She's all yours, Shura.

Shura: ... Four demons, my ass. There's only one left, and she's the one who came back humiliated, right ? I don't need some Kouken Temple weakling.

Suzuka: 'He's already putting me down ! He'll make a great commander~ !'

Honest: Yes, I couldn't forgive her either, so I sent her to the torture chamber, but that only made her happier.

Shura: ... Let's just kill her.

Honest: However, she came back with some interesting information, so I let her live.

Suzuka: I saw the face of Tatsumi, one of Night Raid's members, and he doesn't have a wanted poster yet. And this... Is the face of the snow-cloaked death. Even though he made sure not to let me catch his name.

Shura: ... ... ...

Suzuka: as for Tatsumi, his Teigu is Incursio, which has a stealth ability. It's very possible that they're investigating around the Capital right now, thinking we can't recognize them.

Shura: ...' That's the snow-cloaked death... ? He looks like that guy who was with Esdeath in the mountains. Could that be who he is... ?'

Honest: I haven't told this to anyone else yet. i'm leaving it to you, Shura. I'll lend you my troops. Without a doubt, there isn't a single man among them with ties to the revolutionary army. Use them well and make a name for yourself.

Shura: Thanks, Pops !

Honest: ... This is your father's love, which I have taken great pains to give to you. I will be angry if you end up wasting it, Shura.

Shura: ... of course. I'll get it done !!

Esdeath: I thought I didn't see Ran... So that's what happened... Wild hunt... Don't think you can get away with something like this...

Wave: I'm not sure if it's because they were shocked at losing half their members, but they've been laying low. That and getting beaten down by the snow-cloak, too...

Esdeath: I heard about that... To think they'd take more actions then us...

Kurome: But they must be up to something. A weird workshop just popped up recently, too.

Esdeath: Either way, now that i'm back... I won't let them do as they please.

Wave: How is the invasion of the western tribe nation going ?

Esdeath: they still haven't lost the will to fight. I just left my army there and came back by myself.

Kurome: And you came back to prepare for the revolution's next move...

Esdeath: You're sharp, Kurome. Once we've eliminated the revolutionary army in the South with the Imperial Guard, our victory is assured.

Kurome: We can win, right ?

Esdeath: Of course. i'm here, and so is Budo. However, once the Imperial guard is dispatched, the palace's security will be thin. It'd be best if we could do something about Night Raid before then.

Lubbock: So, how was the Capital ?

"... ... ... I understand the disguise, but why... That ? You know there aren't any poster of you, right ?"

Lubbock: Even if there aren't any, I'm still too scared to go into the Capital. You get it, don't you ?

"Yuuup. With Esdeath back, I feel less endangered with this on... And about Wild Hunt, no new leads. They're still laying low."

Lubbock: Same here, nothing in the nearby villages, either. they're just holing up in the palace 24/7. haven't snuck out or taken any trips outside. What can we even do ?

"Nothing for now, i'm afraid... At this point, it's like waiting for them to fall from the sk-"

"... I hate being right."

Shura: SHAMBHALA !!

"Hey, I recognize this place !"

Lubbock: Wha ?! This is... !!

Shura: this is the Palace. You fell for my trap !!

Lubbock: Seriously ?! 'How did our covers get blown ?! No, that doesn't matter anymore ! All we can do is fight.'

Izou: i'm sorry it was only a sheath strike, Kousetsu.

"Lubo ! Gh ?!"

Suzuka: I've been waiting for you ! Hi there !

"Wait, you ?! Again ?!"

Suzuka: Don't think that something like that would be enough to kill one of the four Rakshasa demons.

Dorothea: Quick, cover his mouth before he can do that thing again ! Hot-blooded ones like you, need to be drained and pacified !

*Chomp*

Dorothea: Gh... ?! Ack ! *Cough cough* !

"Hrrg... Get... LOST !!"

Suzuka: Wha !!

Dorothea: Tch... ! What kind of blood is that ?! It's so heavy...

"A blood that carries many sins. But none of it will spills tonight. 'Take Lubbock, and make a run for it. If it's just these guys, it's ea-'."

Esdeath: ... Tao... It's you...

"... ... ... Why do I keep getting screwed over like that... ?"

Budo: ... This murderous intent... Who is messing around in the palace ?

'That was NOT AN INVITATION, dammit !!'

Shura: Wild Hunt's ambush, plus the security that will gather once a little noise is made. This is checkmate. And the credits, all goes to yours truly, Shura !! Hey, you two ! These guys are from Night Raid ! And i'm sure you recognize this one's getup, he's none other than the Snow-cloaked death itself ! They were captured alive to make 'em spit out info about the other members ! We'll kill them later !!

'... Enemies left right and center, the Palace, both generals, Lubbock's down... Not ideal...'

Shura: I still haven't gotten over that number you played on us last time, you know ? So unless you come quietly, I'm gonna get a bit rough with ya.

"... I'll have to decline. I beat you guys to death, and I'll do it again. Trump card... release !"

Shura: What ?!

"Let's go... INCURSIOOOOOO !!"

*Holy retriever's Trump card: Release of the Lost Arms. A last-ditch technique letting the wielder use any Teigu they managed to retrieve for a few seconds*

"This is an anti-teigus weapon, after all. It gets stronger the more of them it eats !"

Izou: So your objective was to escape all along... How boorish.

'I've only got a few seconds like that... Time to make the most out of it !'

Esdeath: Tao... i'm not letting you escape again.

"When did- ?!"

*SHBRLANG*

Budo: Those who act violently around the Imperial palace, will be judged by my teigu. Adramelech !

"Gh... GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHhhhhh... !!"

Shura: oww, that hurts... bastard. He almost managed to run away. But with this, the great Shura scored a big prize.

Budo: Hey. No matter what kind of plan you have, never let enemies into the Imperial palace again. What would you do if something happened to the Emperor ?

Shura: Ain't taking care of that the Imperial guard's job ? I mean, I can trust your speed to come rushing to the scene-

"Hehe... Urk..."

Budo: Do that again, and I'll execute you.

Dorothea: Heeey, are you alive, Shura ? Oh, so you are alive.

Shura: Damn... Damn that lightning old man, fucking with me... 'Well, whatever. I caught some of Night Raid ! I'll keep catching the other bastards just like this !'

Tatsumi: ... Tao and Lubbock still haven't come back from the Capital ?

Mine: They haven't...

Leone: maybe the found Wild Hunt and started fighting them ?

Najenda: I wonder what happened...

Akame: Tao... Lubbock...