"Not bad. You all said earlier that the companion who infiltrated Esdeath's mansion was a rookie and clumsy, but from the looks of it now, they're actually quite clever.
Even though Esdeath has left the mansion, there are still other members of the 'Jaegers' here. If he had shouted just now and attracted their attention, the plan would have been difficult to execute."
Looking at Leone in front of him, Tatsumi was about to ask something when the girl he had bumped into earlier spoke up.
Before Tatsumi could ask who this unfamiliar girl was, she transformed in front of his astonished gaze—from a petite girl less than 150 cm tall into a red-haired beauty about the same height as him.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Chelsea, and I'm the newest member of Night Raid…"
Hearing Chelsea's introduction, Tatsumi stared blankly at Leone, who nodded in confirmation.
Leone had risked coming with Chelsea to act as a witness, ensuring Tatsumi would believe she was an ally.
After all, if Chelsea had come alone and claimed to be a new member of Night Raid, Tatsumi might not have fully trusted her.
This timing was no coincidence; they had carefully calculated that Esdeath would visit the palace today, choosing this moment to act.
Over the past few days, Leone and the others had fully acknowledged Chelsea's skills and abilities.
Although she, like Tatsumi, was a newcomer to Night Raid, excluding combat strength, her experience and capability were far beyond Tatsumi's.
Due to the Empire's sensitive state and the fact that most Night Raid members were on wanted lists, Chelsea had been their main source of intelligence regarding the capital.
Even the knowledge that Esdeath would leave the mansion today came from Chelsea, who had disguised herself as a guard and spent several days gathering intelligence while standing watch.
Chelsea had thoroughly demonstrated her abilities to Leone, proving that brute force isn't everything. Sometimes, intelligence and clever use of one's abilities yield greater results.
In just a few minutes, Leone explained the plan to Tatsumi.
During this brief explanation, Chelsea finished her preparations and asked the wide-eyed Tatsumi, "How do I look? Compared to the real Esdeath, do I look different?"
Seeing the blue-haired, mature figure in front of him, Tatsumi was momentarily startled. His first instinct was genuine surprise, thinking it might be the real Esdeath. But when he noticed the smile on her face and heard her words, he realized this was a fake—an ally disguised using an Imperial Arm.
"Esdeath would never show such a smile. Her demeanor is much colder, more aloof, like a queen's.
Also… um… her uniform buttons should be undone a bit more, and her, uh… chest should be… bigger…"
The last part of his sentence was spoken with a red face, causing Leone and Chelsea to burst into laughter and tease him.
"Well, well, Tatsumi, your observation skills are really sharp, noticing even such details."
Leone and Chelsea, both older and more experienced, had no trouble making fun of him. Tatsumi, a naive country boy, was no match for their teasing. If Wood were here instead, ignoring Leone (who didn't see herself as a typical woman), he might have even embarrassed Chelsea.
"Are you sure there are only four members of the Jaegers in the mansion?" Chelsea, now disguised as Esdeath, walked alongside Tatsumi, asking about the enemy's forces.
Tatsumi, still amazed at the flawless transformation achieved by the Imperial Arm Gaia Foundation, quickly replied.
"The Jaegers have six members. Seryu, obsessed with justice, continues her duties with the Imperial Guard even after joining the Jaegers. She should be out patrolling at this time.
Dr. Stylish is a research fanatic. Since the mansion lacks the facilities he needs, he's rarely here unless there's a team operation.
The remaining four members are in the mansion, but I'm not entirely sure of their combat abilities."
Tatsumi had spent the past few days observing the Jaegers' personalities and habits. However, without seeing them fight firsthand, he couldn't accurately gauge their strength.
For this operation, aside from Chelsea, Night Raid had deployed their strongest remaining combatants—Akame, Susanoo, and Leone. If a fight broke out, Tatsumi's role would be to delay Esdeath.
Chelsea lacked combat strength, so Akame, Susanoo, and Leone would face the four Jaegers on their own.
Akame was a top-tier assassin, and Chelsea had heard of her skills. Susanoo, a biological Imperial Arm, could even suppress Akame in close combat, a testament to his strength.
Although outnumbered, Chelsea was confident in their abilities.
"Actually, I think the Jaegers are more dangerous than we realize, especially the girl named Kurome. She feels eerily similar to Akame…"
Tatsumi, sensing danger, felt the operation might have been rushed. Adding another member like Lubbock or Mine could have greatly improved their odds.
After all, if Esdeath, Seryu, and Dr. Stylish joined the battle, their team would face overwhelming odds.
"Did you forget?" Chelsea reminded him. "We have another ally—the one who's imprisoned. Once we free him, do you still think we'll lack firepower?"
Realizing she meant Wood, Tatsumi's face lit up. If Wood were freed, he alone could likely take on the entire Jaegers team in Esdeath's absence.
This wasn't a desperate gamble; from the start, they were at an advantage.
Najenda's plan was not only to rescue Wood but to cripple the Jaegers in one fell swoop.
The mission's success hinged on Chelsea and Tatsumi freeing Wood before the battle erupted.
As they neared the mansion, Chelsea seamlessly adopted Esdeath's demeanor. While Gaia Foundation could replicate appearances, it couldn't mimic personalities, so her acting skills were critical.
Seeing Chelsea's transformation, Tatsumi was stunned. If he hadn't known the truth, he might have believed she really was Esdeath.
Upon entering the mansion, the guards, though puzzled by Esdeath's sudden return, dared not question her, bowing respectfully as she passed.
Led by Tatsumi, "Esdeath" walked straight to Wood's holding area.
The Jaegers had increased security—Will, Kurome, Run, and Bols were all present.
Seeing "Esdeath" arrive with Tatsumi, they were puzzled, as she'd earlier instructed them to guard Wood strictly while she was away.
"I want the cage opened. I have something to discuss with him," Chelsea ordered, perfectly imitating Esdeath's commanding tone.
Though skeptical, the Jaegers obeyed. But as the cage was unlocked, Chelsea realized Wood was heavily chained—far more than she'd anticipated.
"Remove his chains as well. I wish to spar with him again."
Chelsea's request raised suspicion. Bols and the others began closing in.
"Drop the act. You're not Esdeath, are you? The keys to Wood's chains are with her. We only have the cage keys."
Chelsea froze. The jig was up.
Surrounded and without combat strength, Chelsea was in danger of being killed before her allies could act. Reacting swiftly, Tatsumi drew his sword and stood protectively in front of her.
"Foolish Tatsumi," Will said, assuming Tatsumi was deceived. "That's not the real Esdeath. It's a fake, likely using an Imperial Arm."