Summon the Twelve Kizuki at the Start!

Dōma, who had originally been blasted apart at the torso, had somehow already recovered.

Even as Mine pushed Sheele away, Dōma had already seized her.

Sheele's eyes filled with shock and disbelief. It was too late to reach Mine.

"Sheele! Come on!"

Mine hurled the now-burning Pumpkin in Sheele's direction.

She knew there was no hope of rescue now—not in these final moments.

At the very least, Sheele could escape. The Imperial Arms needed to reach the Revolutionary Army.

Half of Mine's body had already been consumed by Dōma.

She had no strength left. Her consciousness faded, as if she were about to drift off into sleep.

"Don't be afraid. There will be no pain."

"I will grant you eternal life. Eternal life with me…"

"Join us… the Twelve Kizuki… live eternally together…"

Dōma wrapped his arms around the weakening Mine. A bitter cold radiated from his body.

Sheele didn't scream or charge forward.

Anger burned in her eyes, rare and sharp.

But even then, the last trace of reason as an assassin kept her grounded.

She grabbed two Imperial Arms and turned toward the window behind her.

Without a single word between them, the two parted.

Mine smiled faintly and slowly closed her eyes.

"So obedient… You chose escape so easily."

"You're all such sweet girls. Don't worry. You won't be lonely…"

Dōma gently stroked Mine's head, speaking in a gentle, loving tone.

He misunderstood Sheele's escape as wisdom.

He couldn't see the bond the two shared.

"Not be lonely? Stop spouting shit, you monster!"

"You're going to die too! I'll wait for you in hell, bastard!"

Mine's eyes widened with fury, her face twisting into a mad grin.

All that mattered to her now was that Sheele could escape and deliver the warning.

The rest didn't matter anymore.

"So soft… but I won't die…"

Dōma smiled, the same sunlit expression still painted across his face.

Devoid of true emotions, he wasn't moved by mere words.

And Mine no longer had time to speak.

"What a beautiful taste…"

Dōma's smile darkened into something sick and twisted as he finished consuming her.

He was so pleased he didn't even care that the church around him lay in ruins.

"Looks like I'll have to find another place."

"I wonder if the master will be angry…"

He picked up a piece of Mine's tattered clothes and draped it over himself.

He glanced toward the palace in the distance.

Although this was near the Path of Peace, east of the Imperial Capital, the guards rarely patrolled here.

But the Empire's eyes weren't blind.

If they found out, it would impact Elysium Dawn.

Their base would have to be relocated again.

…

On the other side, Sheele had fled nonstop from the Path of Peace all the way back to the Night Raid base.

She collapsed at the entrance, unable to stand any longer.

By chance, Akame was the one who caught her and helped her inside.

Only a few members were out on mission that night—Leone, Sheele, and Mine.

Leone had returned earlier.

They thought the pairing of Sheele and Mine would be enough for such a minor mission.

But when Sheele returned alone, everyone understood the truth.

"There are no external wounds… but her lungs are frostbitten."

"What kind of injury is this…? As if she inhaled ice itself."

Akame examined Sheele's condition and looked to the others.

Sheele, lying on the bed, slowly opened her eyes.

The fact she was even conscious was thanks to her body being far more durable than most.

While she suffered no visible wounds, the intense freezing aura had ravaged her insides—especially her lungs.

"Sheele, I'm sorry… I know you're still suffering."

"But I have to ask… what happened to Mine?"

Najenda, commander of the Night Raid, sighed and lit a cigarette.

She feared the worst. But she needed confirmation.

"We encountered… the Twelve Kizuki…"

A flicker of regret flashed through Sheele's eyes as she began recounting the mission in full.

It had started as a simple task—eliminate a cult leader who pretended to offer faith to the poor but was secretly trafficking girls.

It was something Night Raid had seen countless times before.

But this time, the cost was too high.

"How is that possible…? How can someone regenerate endlessly…?"

Tatsumi, new to the organization, looked horrified.

He couldn't comprehend how a human could survive what Dōma had.

Not just him—even seasoned fighters wouldn't believe it without witnessing it firsthand.

But this had already happened multiple times.

The Daki Incident. The Elysium Dawn base. And the Ogre encounter Bulat reported not long ago.

All of them tied to the Twelve Kizuki.

But who were they? How many were there?

No one knew.

"Shut up, Tatsumi. Let the boss speak."

Bulat gripped Tatsumi's shoulder and turned back to Najenda.

He had seen one of them up close—how impossibly strong and unkillable they were.

He knew now: these demons were enemies.

That made gathering intelligence critical.

Night Raid's role was never more vital.

"And so far… we've encountered three Kizuki."

"The first was Daki, the one Akame and Leone fought. She had the kanji for 'Upper Rank Six' in her eyes."

"The one I faced… was Upper Rank Three…"