Although these kids performed quite well, Sora was just casually watching. What he truly cared about was the performance of the girls.
The energetic girl, Poney, also began her task. Her opponents were only two, and their strength was decent. However, the girl seemed to be in a hurry, attacking as soon as she discovered her targets.
Although the enhancement from her Shingu, "Yocto-bottoms," wasn't significant, Poney's two little legs were quite powerful. Fast as a rabbit, she darted around with great strength, and with a few sweeping kicks, she sent the two poor guys flying.
A couple more kicks would have ended it, but at the critical moment, the girl started acting cute again. Gozuki knew the girl wasn't the brightest, so he specifically instructed her to use her brain. As a result, the girl grabbed the two half-dead guys and started banging their heads together with her own little head…
When her little head started smoking and the two poor criminals foamed at the mouth and died, Poney was filled with pride and satisfaction because she had followed Father's instructions and used her brain to defeat the enemy!
Although there were many oddities among his women, Sora couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. It seems his father-in-law was quite helpless with this girl, and he had a long road ahead…
Forget it, let's not worry about this girl for now. Let's see how the others are doing.
By the reed pond, Tsukushi, hiding in the grass, was discovered by her target—a seemingly kind old man.
It must be said, his father-in-law was indeed no good guy. Unlike the other criminals, this old man seemed to have a story, and assigning such a target to the pure and kind Tsukushi was more than just evil.
After a brief exchange, although the girl herself couldn't believe the old man was a heinous criminal harming the empire, years of brainwashing by Gozuki made her choose to believe Father over her own judgment.
In the end, the old man died under Tsukushi's gun-type Shingu, "Prometheus." Watching the girl kneeling in the pond, crying in fear but also feeling she had done something good that would bring happiness to someone, Sora couldn't help but feel a strange sensation.
Damn it, this feels messed up!
As the old man said before he died, "You're still so young, how pitiful…"
Well, Sora wasn't one to pity others. He would save Tsukushi from this tragic fate, and she would surely be "happy" in the future, hehehe…
Finally, everyone had completed their initial tasks, having undergone the baptism of blood. Only Akame remained!
Akame was a gentle-hearted girl who cared for everyone around he, cherishing her friends and companions. Although her combat ability was slightly inferior to Najasho, the No.1 among the seven, her talent was undeniable. Given time to grow, no one could overshadow her brilliance!
But indeed, compared to the mature and steady Night Raid's ace from the original story, the current Akame was still too naive!
The task Gozuki assigned to Akame was to erase her last trace of naivety!
Feeling a strange excitement, Sora was also full of anticipation. He wanted to witness firsthand how this girl, blessed with the world's fortune, would transform and be reborn through the baptism of blood!
…
When Akame read the contents of the task in the envelope given by Father, she was in utter disbelief. Martha, who had always cared for her in the village, was actually a spy for the rebels!
Unlike Poney and Tsukushi, who blindly trusted Gozuki, Akame was a girl with self-awareness and independent thinking. Her first reaction wasn't that Martha had been deceiving her all along, but that she wanted to go back and confirm with Father.
But the truth was cruel. This village and everyone in it were just a cage for the brainwashing education of Akame and the others.
In utter disbelief, Akame barely dodged Martha's attack from behind. When she heard Martha admit that she was indeed a spy and that her previous kindness had been a deception, Akame felt her heart ache terribly.
But she was still Akame, a strong and resilient Akame! She had reasons to live, she had to find her sister.
So, she had to complete the task and survive!
Since Martha had been deceiving her all along, she would bury her!
Cutting off her own naivety, for the first time, Akame uttered her catchphrase, "Bury."
Kneeling beside Martha, who had fallen in a pool of blood, Akame tightly pressed her hands against her chest, tears streaming down her face as she cried out in anguish.
Watching the girl's lonely and helpless figure, even Sora, in the distance, put away his smile, feeling a pang of pity.
She's just a delicate girl, yet she has to endure so much tragic fate. What a messed-up world!
But this is the world. If she doesn't become strong enough, she will experience this pain ten, a hundred times over!
So, Sora merely watched from the sidelines, watching how the girl would become strong through sorrow and pain, continuously evolving, transforming, and being reborn…
After crying for a long time, Akame herself had already lost track of how much time had passed. When she stood up again, there was no longer any trace of the sorrow and pain she had felt before. Instead, her entire being exuded a sharp, sword-like aura.
Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, she was reborn. The Akame who was once gentle on the inside but cold on the outside, no longer naive but mature and steady, had finally come into being.
Picking up her weapon, she sheathed her long sword and glanced at Martha lying on the ground. With a leap, Akame disappeared into the night…
The sky had completely darkened, and the seven of them had all completed their tasks, undergoing a transformation through the baptism of blood.
According to the original plan, Sora was supposed to immediately meet with Gozuki and take Akame and the other four girls, including Cornelia, away. However, he now had a new plan in mind.
This trip had not been in vain. Not only would he be able to take Akame and the others, but he had also stumbled upon an unexpected surprise. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he vanished into thin air…
A cool mountain breeze swept through, and the moon finally peeked out from behind the clouds, casting its light upon the earth.
The night was silent, with only the cold corpses and dried bloodstains left to tell the tale of what had transpired…