"Tatsumi's identity has been exposed? That's impossible. He's never been wanted by the Empire, and the nobles who saw him should have all been eliminated.
Could it be that Tatsumi slipped up during the competition, and Esdeath noticed something was off?"
Watching Esdeath steadily approach Tatsumi, Leone instinctively reached for her belt, preparing to use her Teigu and jump into action.
It was clear that if Tatsumi's identity had truly been compromised, there was no way he could escape Esdeath's clutches with his current strength.
At the root of Tatsumi's predicament were the decisions made by the group, so it was unthinkable for them to abandon him to face danger alone.
"Wood, if it comes to it, how confident are you in holding her off?" Leone asked.
Until now, Leone had never encountered Esdeath personally. Merely seeing her in person this time—without even engaging in combat—made Leone realize how right Najenda and Wood had been about her: Esdeath was a formidable and dangerous presence.
Thanks to her Teigu, Leone possessed instincts akin to a wild beast's. She could sense danger and analyze an opponent's strength intuitively.
Looking at the blue-haired warrior on the stage, Leone's instincts screamed with alarm. Every pore and cell in her body seemed to warn her that the woman before her was extraordinarily dangerous.
"Wait a moment, something seems off... I don't sense hostility from Esdeath. There might be more going on here," Wood said, pressing a hand on the shoulders of Leone and Mine to stop them from acting prematurely.
Leone and Mine, initially puzzled by Wood's restraint, soon saw a scene that left them nearly dumbfounded.
On the stage, Esdeath approached Tatsumi, but instead of attacking him as they had feared, she pulled out a collar with a chain attached and placed it around his neck.
She then, in true queenly fashion, publicly declared that Tatsumi was now her property.
Wood and his companions weren't the only ones shocked. Tatsumi himself stared in disbelief at the collar around his neck and the chain Esdeath held.
This wasn't what they had planned! Wood had assured him that winning the martial arts competition would allow him to infiltrate the Empire's "Jaegers."
As for becoming Esdeath's romantic partner to gather intelligence, Wood had told Tatsumi to simply do his best but not to stress over it.
After all, Wood's assessment as a self-proclaimed "romance expert" was that Tatsumi was a complete novice in matters of love. Meanwhile, Esdeath's character was that of an aloof queen—hardly someone easily wooed.
Wood had painted a picture where it would be challenging, if not impossible, for Tatsumi to gain her affection. This had greatly relieved Tatsumi at the time.
After all, asking a total novice like Tatsumi to court the enemy's top commander was an overwhelming task, one he felt utterly unqualified for.
But now, as he looked at the chain in Esdeath's hand and her commanding presence, Tatsumi was utterly stupefied.
This was entirely different from the script Wood had given him! What happened to Esdeath being a difficult-to-woo ice queen?
Tatsumi hadn't even made an effort yet, and somehow, the sadistic queen had "courted herself" and claimed him instead.
"General Esdeath, may I ask what this means?" Tatsumi asked, his voice trembling as he gestured to the chain around his neck.
"As I just said, you are now my property. Starting today, you and I will begin a relationship with the intent of marriage," Esdeath replied matter-of-factly, her tone as authoritative as ever. She paid no mind to the thousands of spectators as she made her announcement.
"A relationship... But wasn't the purpose of this martial arts competition to recruit subordinates for your command?" Tatsumi stammered, desperate to steer the situation back to his original goal.
He wanted to infiltrate the "Jaegers," not become Esdeath's romantic partner. The pressure was far too immense. This was a woman feared even by Wood and their boss. Simply standing near her made him feel crushed by her overwhelming presence.
He lacked the experience to act as an undercover agent, let alone coexist with such a dangerous individual without blowing his cover.
"The two goals aren't mutually exclusive. You can serve as both my subordinate and my lover. After all, my ideal partner must be someone I can easily control," Esdeath declared, her tone dripping with her characteristic domineering attitude.
Hearing her twisted view of romance and recalling Wood's description of Esdeath's sadistic tendencies, Tatsumi felt even more inclined to retreat. "But the competition isn't over yet. I haven't officially won," he argued weakly.
He had decided that, in his next match, he would deliberately lose.
The impression Esdeath gave him was simply too ominous. Looking at the collar around his neck, even a love novice like Tatsumi couldn't help but think: this wasn't a romantic pursuit—it was the acquisition of a pet.
The task was too overwhelming. Tatsumi felt he was in over his head.
Moreover, with his freedom restricted by the chain, how could he gather and relay information? His role as a spy would become meaningless.
"That's irrelevant. As the organizer of this competition, I decide the results. If I declare you the winner, then you're the winner. No one can challenge my judgment," Esdeath said firmly, quashing Tatsumi's hopes of escape.
Tatsumi's face sank into despair. While he had indeed succeeded in catching Esdeath's attention and infiltrating the enemy's ranks as planned, the result was far from what they had envisioned.
He had aimed to become a "Jaeger" but now found himself Esdeath's pet.
"What's your name?" Esdeath asked, tugging lightly on the chain as she gazed seriously at Tatsumi.
"Tatsumi," he replied instinctively, despite his internal turmoil.
"Good. Tatsumi, stay here for a moment. I need to deal with a few rats that have infiltrated this place, and then we'll leave together," Esdeath said, her tone calm but commanding.
Tatsumi was still trying to process her words when he noticed her gaze shift. Following her line of sight, he saw his companions among the spectators.
"I never thought I'd run into you again, Wood. How about finishing the fight we left unresolved last time?"
Esdeath's words and her gaze sent chills through Wood and the others. Despite the large crowd, she had somehow pinpointed their location.
"It must have been Leone's hostility and battle intent that she picked up on. An expert swordswoman like Esdeath would naturally be sensitive to such things," Wood deduced calmly.
Around them, the surrounding spectators had already started to scatter, creating a conspicuous gap around the trio and making them even more visible.
"What do we do? Should we fight here? If we act quickly, we might escape before the imperial guards and 'Jaegers' arrive," Leone asked, already activating her Teigu, "Lion King."
"Leone, take Mine and retreat. I'll hold her off. If the 'Jaegers' and imperial soldiers surround us, none of us will make it out alive. Mine's physical endurance is limited, so I'll leave her in your care. Once you've safely escaped, I'll find a way to leave," Wood said firmly.
Leone and Mine were reluctant to abandon him, but Wood's resolute tone left no room for argument.
"I've escaped from her before, remember? You staying here would only hinder me. If we're surrounded, we're all doomed. The best teamwork now is for you to leave and let me focus," Wood snapped, silencing their protests.
Though Mine wanted to argue further, Leone lifted her onto her shoulder and looked at Wood with determination. "Promise us you'll come back!"
"Don't jinx it, idiot!" Wood shouted back, even managing to crack a joke, which eased some of their tension.
Leone, carrying a struggling Mine, leaped away, leaving the competition grounds. Esdeath, however, made no move to pursue them. She simply stood there, observing Wood.
Likewise, Wood remained still, his focus entirely on Esdeath.
Both understood that the presence of so many civilians complicated matters. Esdeath's mercy for her subordinates and the Empire's people was well-known.
If they fought here, the collateral damage would be catastrophic, with countless casualties. Neither wanted that outcome, so they waited silently for the crowd to disperse.
Once the civilians cleared out, Wood and Esdeath moved simultaneously, charging at each other with incredible speed.
"Boom!"
In an instant, both disappeared from Tatsumi's sight. When they reappeared, they clashed in the center of the arena, their blades colliding with a force that sent a massive shockwave rippling through the air.