What? Another one surrendered without a fight?
Honestly... How can they be so disloyal?
Well, the viceroys in remote regions
were those who were demoted for opposing the empire in the first place.
It's no surprise that they would betray us.
H-However, if this keeps up, the rebel army will reach the capital—
Stop panicking.
C-Commander-in-Chief Budou...
They say the military should keep their mouths shut about politics.
We've abided by that maxim for generations, but given the circumstances,
I can't sit back and watch, Prime Minister.
My, that's harsh.
"Protect this nation."
That is the mission that my family has been charged with for a thousand years.
I shall suppress whatever disturbs the empire's peace with my own two hands,
regardless of who or what it may be.
Oh, how terrifying.
But you need not worry.
Even if the masses should rise up, we have countermeasures in place.
Allow me to introduce you.
In order to maintain public order within the empire,
a new elite unit has been established!
Sorry to intrude.
He's not really cut out to be a commander,
but I've chosen my son, Syura, for the job.
Ah, so you're the famous Commander-in-Chief.
I heard that only General Esdeath can match your strength.
There's no need for someone of your rank to dirty his hands just because the peasants are revolting.
Leave it all to me.
Oh? Where are you going?
There are always a few rats that sniff around before the rest of the swarm arrives.
Jeez. Can't he just take it easy for a change?
Now, Syura...
I'll be watching to see what you can do.
Let's find out whether you're worthy to succeed me.
I'll be sure to put on a show for you.
Hunting rats, huh?
Sounds like the perfect warm-up.
A moon of festering crimson
kuchihateru you ni moyuru tsuki
disappears into the light of dawn
akatsuki ni shizumiyuku
I put on a mask of lies
tsukurareta kao de sotto chikazuite
and throw what I believe into the darkness
shinjiru mono wo yami ni otosu
Like prey trapped on the Earth
ito ni karamaru emono no you ni
I look to the sky with longing
tada hitasura ni sora wo aogu
Tragedy repeats
kurikaesareru higeki
Inside I laugh uneasily
bukimi ni warau ura no kao
I draw my sword so that I will never lose anything again
kore ijou nani hitotsu nakusanai you ni katana wo nuku
Here in the dark my smile is stained with nihilism
yami ni kyomu de yogoreta egao
My endless rage has no outlet
yariba no nai ikari hanate
No matter how much blood and tears I will have to shed,
dore dake no chi to namida wo nagashitemo
combat will be my religion
inoru you ni kirisaite
and I will drench the world in red
kyou mo akaku someageyou
Kill the Carnage
It feels a whole lot quieter here now.
Kurome, have you really recovered physically?
There are no issues.
Here you are.
Though I don't know if it's as good as what Bols used to make.
Did you know, Wave?
Supposedly, the prime minister has established an elite unit under his direct supervision.
So I've heard.
Captain Esdeath is away on an expedition.
And the Jaegers are down to half of what we started with.
But isn't that exactly why we should be the ones on the front lines?
Why would they put us on standby?
This must mean the capital has more than one central figure.
What the hell are the brass thinking?!
This is precisely when we should be uniting to stop the rebel army in their tracks!
Seconds.
So fast!
Man, your stomach's as bottomless as always.
Here you are.
Kurome!
Kurome?
Kurome!
Kurome?
Kurome!
Kurome?
Hey, Kurome!
Kurome!
They're dispatching the military again.
Yeah. It won't be long before the capital's a battle zone too.
We'll take advantage of that commotion, sneak into the palace,
and kill the prime minister.
You're prepared for what will come, right, Tatsumi?
Of course I am.
But I want as few civilian casualties as possible.
So the sooner we defeat the prime minister, the better.
Well said.
Now, then...
It's almost time to meet the resistance.
Let's go.
The aqueducts here sure are elaborate.
They must have grown bigger and bigger as the capital flourished.
And they were managed so poorly that there aren't any accurate maps.
But that carelessness is our gain.
Hey, Mine...
Huh? Where'd this come from?
How are things going with Tatsumi?
Huh?!
Did you think your big sis Leone wouldn't notice?
You two have been pretty cozy since getting back from Kyoroch!
D-Don't be stupid!
Nothing's changed! In fact, it isn't like that at all!
You wanna die or something?
Stop getting so worked up.
It's written all over your face.
Like hell it is, you idiot!
If you keep denying it, I might snatch him for myself.
You can't!
Nice to see some honesty.
You know, I think I'll snatch him anyway.
Quit being stupid. We're here to work.
So get working!
All right, all right.
Understood.
You may resume your duty.
Yes, ma'am.
We've lost contact with the western race.
Eh? Then...
No, this was to be expected.
We'll carry out our mission as planned.
When we infiltrate the palace, you kill the advance guard.
I'm counting on you.
Understood.
I hope your mission goes smoothly, Tatsumi and Lubbock.
Hey, Tatsumi...
Huh?
After this battle, what will you do?
Uh, I've never really given it any thought.
What about you?
I'm gonna continue running my bookstore.
I'll make it bigger and bigger, and one day I'll turn it into a national franchise.
Wow.
Then I'll wait until the time is right and propose to Miss Najenda!
Oh, really? That's great.
And how are you going?
You know, with Mine?
There's nothing going on between us!
Don't play dumb.
Ever since we got back from Kyoroch,
things have totally changed between you.
Well? How far have you two gotten?
Have you at least kissed?
D-Don't be an idiot.
U-Um...
You're with Night Raid, right?
You're from the resistance?
Yes.
From here on, please keep your voices down.
Roger.
But this is unexpected.
I didn't think someone like you would be part of the resistance.
My father used to be in charge of the emperor's education.
But the prime minister framed him for treason,
and both he and my mother were incarcerated.
I see.
Then does that mean there are other Revolutionary Army members within the palace?
Yes.
The bureaucracy that opposes the prime minister
has been covertly in contact with the Revolutionary Army.
So our role is to work with these people and support the Revolutionary Army's invasion from within.
Oh, that's reassuring.
That's why we were chosen. You, with your invisibility, and me, with my espionage expertise.
We have to pull this off.
Right.
This is it.
What's up?
Something's wrong.
Normally, someone knocks from the inside to confirm.
Get back.
Th-This is...
This is bad. It means they found out about...
Get out of here! Now!
You're late.
I got tired of waiting.
Sorry to break it to you, but I've taken care of all the resistance members.
I, the great Syura!
You're Night Raid?
I hope you'll entertain me at least a little.
Hmm?
Oh?
You're the one who was with Esdeath when I transported her to that distant island.
That means you were responsible for those Danger Beasts.
Why did you do it?
Why do you think?
Because it was fun!
I despise boredom.
Thanks to them, I had a great time.
You bastard!
Tatsumi!
Wh-What is this?
So some rats snuck in, just as I expected.
Hey! You came at just the right time, Old Man Lightning.
I'll leave them to you.
I don't need you to tell me that.
My name is Budou.
I've been appointed Commander-in-Chief by our lord and master.
So this is the Commander-in-Chief.
You've wronged the empire with your treasonous acts.
Prepare to be judged by my Imperial Relic: the Thunder God's Rage, Adramelech!
Tatsumi!
Crap...
His blow didn't even connect, so how did it hit so hard?
Oh, so you dodged my attack.
You've got a good eye.
Incursio!
Tatsumi!
What the hell? How did you get there?
I'll be your opponent.
Don't any of you interfere!
This one's my prey.
That was fun.
Clearly, I am better suited to the battlefield than to guard duty.
We're heading back to the capital.
You had best prepare yourselves, Night Raid.
What?
Pay attention, Night Raid dog!
Oh?
A Relic made from wires?
That's pretty interesting.
Don't look so surprised. I'll tell you how mine works too.
My toy, Shambhala, can teleport me or anyone else...
just as long as I've marked the location first.
An Imperial Relic that controls time and space?
It's pretty damn exhausting, so I wasn't able to attack repeatedly before.
But I got hold of something awesome in the capital.
Now I can teleport as much as I want.
And as you can see, I've made a whole lot of markings all over the palace!
What's wrong? Not gonna run?
Hey, hey, is that all you've got?
There's no point in trying to run away.
No matter where I go, he can reach me in an instant!
But...
He won't be able to get to me in an area he hasn't marked.
Sucks to be you, huh?
You can even leave marks in the air?
Got it in one.
There was nowhere for you to run from the very start.
Not a single damn place.
He may be strong, but his attacks leave openings.
I can do this!
Young man, what are you called?
Huh?
Your name.
Unless assassins don't have names.
It's Tatsumi.
Tatsumi?
How earnest.
How honest.
He hasn't faltered once in his swordsmanship.
How much discipline does one need to become this skilled?
However...
Those who wrong the empire or His Majesty
must be destroyed!
Tatsumi!
You?!
I'm sorry.
What—
If I don't do this,
Hey! Let go of me!
my father and mother...
Huh?
Didn't I say not to interfere?
A toy like you has some goddamn nerve butting in on my fight.
A toy?
That's right!
This capital and everyone in it... They're all my toys!
And one day, I'll surpass my father and the very throne will be mine.
Hey, don't tell me you're giving up.
Our game's not over yet.
No, it's over.
You lose.
Huh?
Commander Syura!
Don't move.
Or I'll cut off more than just his hand.
You...
What's this?
I spread my wires out over the area.
It was close, but I just barely had enough to cover it all.
You did this while you were running around?
I figured out where most of the marks were while you were busy showing off.
You bastard...
Now, everyone drop their weapons!
I have a lot of questions I'd like to ask you, Syura.
Y-You...
M-Master Syura, please take this into account.
And let my father... and my mother... go...
Too bad! Your parents were killed a long time ago!
Thanks for the entertainment, Night Raid dog.
But I think it's about time we ended this.
I'll let you have a taste of my hidden ability.
Disappear off the face of the world!
No one's ever come back from there.
Crumble into dust in the abyss, Night Raid dog!
Huh?
A wire?
Don't tell me...
That son of a bitch!
No one can cut these wires, no matter who they are.
Not even Relic-wielders who can manipulate time and space!
So we meet again.
You...
You're not getting away!
Don't look at me like that.
Let's travel to the other side together, my good Syura.
To hell with that!
I can't die here.
I need the throne so I can change this boring world!
It's not like I don't get where you're coming from.
Damn it! I can't die here!
I'm going to rule the empire!
You want to change the world, huh?
I understand. Everyone feels that way.
But that doesn't give you the right to treat other people like toys.
You can't just destroy whatever you want!
We've been through a lot together,
Cross Tail.
I'm sorry, Miss Najenda.
Seems like this is it for me.
I'll leave the rest to you, Tatsumi.
Lu...
Lubb...
Lubb!
D-D-Dead?
No, Syura!
How could you leave me behind?
Oh, well.
These things happen, you know.
At least he took one of Night Raid's members with him.
We've placed the other one in the dungeon.
Good work.
Now, then.
We need to make an example out of him
so the Revolutionary Army knows to back down.
I wonder what awful things we should do to him.
You're as mean-spirited as ever, I see.
It would likely be effective in discouraging traitors, though.
I heard what happened, Budou.
Allow me to take care of this.
Oh?
Tatsumi...
I won't let anyone else have you.
A public execution?
Tatsumi...
furikaeru kako wa nai
There is no past to look back on
kono te hanashita hi kara
since I let go of it
ushinau mono wa nai to
I kept telling myself the entire time
kurikaeshi iikikaseteta
that I would have nothing to lose anymore
seijaku ni tadayou tsuki
The moon drifts through the silence
donna yami mo terashiteyukeru
It can shine a light on any darkness
tsuyoi hikari mirai he kazasu
I will carry the strength of its light into the future
maketaku wa nai kara
because I don't want to lose
owaranai yume ga
My immortal dream
mune no zawameki ga
and the budding love inside me
karada wo megutte
keep me alive
itami sae ima tsuyosa ni naru yo
Even pain now drives me onward
shinjita michi wo yuku
on the path of my conviction
watashi wo tsukiugokasu netsu
Passion fuels me,
egakitsuzuketeita sekai he michibiku
and guides me towards the promised land
Kill the Despair