"Wood, Mine, and Chelsea—did they manage to break through as well?"
Seeing only Akame and a few others in the room, Tatsumi couldn't help but ask worriedly.
"I've left plenty of signs around the old base's vicinity, but as you can see, only these people have made it here." Leone sighed as she replied to Tatsumi's inquiry.
In truth, among the current members of Night Raid, everyone was most concerned about Wood and the others.
The battle at their previous base had been intense, with nearly all members of the Jaegers deployed, along with henchmen who were either Danger Beasts or former Imperial generals.
The ferocity of that battle had left Tatsumi and the others with no time to worry about the rest of their comrades.
Under normal circumstances, given Wood's strength, no one would need to worry about him. However, his situation was far from ordinary—he had just been rescued and was still bound by the Teigu Kongou Iron Bind. Without his own Teigu, his strength was nearly nonexistent.
As for Mine and Chelsea, their conditions were equally unfavorable. While Mine's output was among the top in Night Raid, her strength relied on a secure environment. Trapped in an encirclement, fighting a breakout battle was no simple task for a sniper like her.
Chelsea, on the other hand, was almost entirely useless in direct combat. If Mine still had a shred of resistance, Chelsea would be utterly helpless against even the weakest soldiers under Dr. Stylish. Escaping on her own was virtually impossible.
"I saw Mine and Chelsea retreating with Wood," Lubbock suddenly spoke. Earlier, Wood had thrown him into the fray as a distraction, so he distinctly remembered the trio moving together.
"That makes it even worse… Chelsea, who's defenseless; Mine, who's only useful at range; and Wood, who's barely capable of running..." Tatsumi's unease deepened at Lubbock's words.
In his view, if Wood had fled alone, there might have been some hope for survival. After all, speed was Wood's forte, and no one could easily catch him if he ran at full throttle. But would Wood abandon his companions?
No way! Tatsumi knew Wood would never leave them behind. This was the same guy who had twice risked his life to cover his comrades' escape. Yet, carrying Mine and Chelsea with him drastically lowered his chances of breaking through.
It wasn't that Tatsumi held any grudge against Mine or Chelsea. If he were in Wood's shoes, he would have made the same decisions. Still, the trio's current predicament left everyone deeply worried. As cruel as it sounded, the group believed it would be better if at least one of them survived—even if it was just Wood.
"If Mine and your new companion were with Wood, as you said, then they should be fine. Wood's abilities far exceed your imagination. As long as he's not completely dead, I'm confident he'll make it," came a sudden male voice.
Tatsumi turned to Lubbock in surprise, but the latter hadn't spoken. He was puzzled—among the Night Raid members present, Lubbock was the only other male. Who else could it be?
The voice, emanating from behind him, felt incredibly familiar, stirring memories within Tatsumi. Yet, the owner of that voice should already be...
"Bulat! It's really you! You're alive? Am I dreaming? Or are you Bulat's twin brother?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Tatsumi spun around, disbelief etched on his face. Standing before him was the man he admired so deeply, with his unmistakable spiked hairstyle.
"Twin brother? Looks like Wood's antics have left you traumatized." Bulat laughed. "It's been a while, Tatsumi. I'm sorry for deceiving you earlier, but it seems the result was worth it—you look much more like a real man now."
Tatsumi, tears brimming in his eyes, threw himself into Bulat's arms. "Bulat, what's going on? Weren't you fatally poisoned before? Even the guy who poisoned you died—how did you survive?"
Back then, Mine had confirmed Bulat's condition through her sniper scope, leaving no doubt. So how had Bulat survived a poison even its creator couldn't counter?
"It was Wood who saved me. Besides being an incredible fighter, he also has extraordinary healing powers," Bulat explained. "That's why I said he's hard to kill. Even with his body weakened, he can unleash a life-burning technique akin to a Teigu secret skill. With that, he should be able to help Mine and Chelsea break through."
Lubbock nodded in agreement. "Wood's always been cautious and full of surprises. As long as he's not facing Esdeath, I'm not worried about him."
Their faith in Wood's abilities was unshaken. In fact, while the others fretted over his safety, Wood might be enjoying himself elsewhere.
"Then why hasn't Wood regrouped with us?" Tatsumi asked, still uneasy despite Bulat and Lubbock's reassurances.
"Maybe they didn't find Leone's signals, or perhaps they're recovering from injuries. They might even have their own plans," Lubbock speculated.
He wasn't wrong. Wood and the others were safe—not only that, but Wood's days had been surprisingly comfortable. Bound by the Teigu, he relied on Mine and Chelsea for his daily needs. Initially, Mine had been too shy to help, but Chelsea's nonchalant attitude spurred her into action. As a result, Wood found himself tended to by not one but two girls.
Their absence from the rendezvous point wasn't intentional. They had missed Leone's signals and had since reentered the Imperial capital, aiming to retrieve the key to Wood's restraints. Although the key had been under Esdeath's control, she had deemed it unnecessary after Wood's escape and passed it to the Jaegers. Today, the key was in Bols' possession.
The plan to retrieve the key was now in motion.
"Bols, a former soldier of the Imperial Burning Troops, joined the Jaegers due to the Empire's summons.
His Teigu, Purgatory Summon: Rubicante, is a flamethrower capable of spewing extremely high-temperature flames.
He was once ordered by the Empire to burn down several villages with his Teigu, including those affected by plagues or suspected of harboring Revolutionary Army members.
Bols is someone who views obedience to orders as his duty. Even though he knew that many innocent lives were lost in those villages, he felt guilty but ultimately carried out the orders."
This was the information Chelsea had gathered both during her work with the Revolutionary Army and recently within the Imperial capital.
Although the three of them were now wanted fugitives, the bounty notices meant nothing to Chelsea, who possessed the Teigu Gaea Foundation. With just a slight change in appearance, she could easily infiltrate the homes of important officials in the capital and obtain the intelligence she needed.
"According to the information I've gathered, Bols has a wife and daughter. They are the two people he values the most.
If we want to assassinate him and obtain the key, targeting them would be the most reliable approach."
Chelsea was a true assassin, and for her, concepts like "honor" or "dishonor" were irrelevant. As long as the goal could be achieved, the means didn't matter.
"That being said, Bols doesn't seem like someone who's completely rotten to the core. Isn't it a bit despicable to involve his family?"
Upon hearing Chelsea's suggestion, Wood immediately expressed his disapproval. He didn't consider himself a good person, but at the very least, he adhered to the principle of not harming innocents.
Everyone needed a bottom line in life. If that bottom line was crossed too easily, could one still truly be called human?
"Not completely rotten to the core? Following the Empire's orders to burn down entire villages—such a person doesn't deserve to die?
Cherishing his wife and daughter above all else—it's laughable. Did he ever think about how many wives and daughters were in those villages he burned down?"
Hearing Wood's words, Mine showed clear disdain. What she hated most was hypocrites like Bols.
It was ridiculous to feel remorse after the fact. What good was an apology when the slaughter was already done? Who was it meant for—the innocent souls that had perished?
"I'm not saying we shouldn't take down Bols; I just don't want to threaten him by targeting his wife and daughter," Wood explained.
Wood wasn't trying to play the hero. Even if Bols hadn't committed any atrocities, their opposing allegiances would still make them enemies. If necessary, Wood wouldn't hesitate to act.
But targeting innocent women and children was a line he couldn't cross. His decision to set sail from Red Leaf Island was driven by witnessing pirates commit such heinous acts.
If he were to do the same now, how would he be any different from the pirates he despised?
"Of course, I wouldn't stoop to that level. Otherwise, how would I be any different from Bols, who feels guilty but keeps killing?
What I mean is that we could disguise ourselves as his wife or daughter to get close to him. That's why I need to gather some information about his family first."
Hearing Chelsea's explanation, Wood realized he had misunderstood her. He nodded, agreeing to her plan.
He needed to get rid of the restraints binding his body as soon as possible. It wasn't just a hindrance in battle—his daily life had also been greatly affected.
Although being taken care of by two beautiful young women was enjoyable to some extent, Wood was still human. He had personal needs, and every time those needs arose, even someone as thick-skinned as Wood found it incredibly awkward.
Mine was one thing. Although she was a bit tsundere and sharp-tongued, she was still a pure-hearted girl. She would blush and look away, making things a little easier for him.
Chelsea, on the other hand, was a complete tease. Not only did she show no intention of avoiding such situations, but she would also watch with great interest, making it so awkward for Wood that he couldn't even relax enough to "relieve himself."
The Jaegers were allowed a great deal of freedom in the capital when they weren't on missions. Their superior, Esdeath, had given them considerable autonomy, including regular days off every week.
On those rest days, Bols' wife and daughter would either come to the capital to visit him, or Bols would bring gifts home to them.
Today happened to be one of Bols' rest days. Having just received his salary, he splurged for once, heading to the noble district in the capital and spending most of his wages on a large, extravagant cake.
A few days later would be his daughter's birthday, and Bols planned to celebrate it in advance today.