While Kurome was single-handedly overwhelming the Night Raid, Gin and Cornelia were locked in intense battles of their own against the two operatives from Revolutionary Army headquarters.
Starting with Gin's side—
Her opponent was a tall, lean man in his thirties with neatly combed brown hair, his appearance marked by a sense of strict discipline. He wielded two katanas similar in length to Akame's Murasame, and the sharp focus in his eyes revealed the prowess of a seasoned swordmaster.
His name was Rock, one of the Revolutionary Army's most elite warriors. Normally kept in reserve, his primary duty was to guard the Revolution's core leadership. His strength commanded immense respect within the organization.
This time, the higher-ups had dispatched him personally after learning that Haruki possessed a Teigu capable of resurrecting the dead. Their choice to send Rock revealed not only the importance they placed on the mission but also their confidence in his ability to secure the objective.
"Little girl, I may have been some distance away earlier, but I saw your moves—fast and clean. For someone your age, that's impressive. Why not leave the Empire behind and join the Revolutionary Army?"
Rock spoke to Gin in a patronizing tone, like a senior advising a junior. He was so confident in himself—bolstered by the constant praise within the Revolutionary Army—that he failed to realize how grating his tone was. Even Haruki had never spoken down to her like that.
What Rock didn't understand was that Gin had barely used any real techniques against those bandits. Did a true master really need to go all-out against a bunch of thugs?
Gin didn't bother replying.
Instead, her right foot slammed into the ground in rapid succession, vanishing in an instant.
"Clang...!"
A sharp sonic burst rippled through the air, momentarily silencing the world around them.
Rock crossed his blades over his chest to block, his expression twisted into a bizarre mix of shock, tension, disbelief, and curiosity—all of it making him look oddly comical.
Gin's speed alone was stunning, but what truly rattled Rock was the punch she'd thrown moments earlier.
He had seen with his own eyes that she wasn't wearing any gear—just flesh and bone. So how could her fist produce a metallic ring when clashing with his blades? More than that, her punch had sent him flying nearly ten meters, and the deep gouges in the ground traced the path of his sliding feet. His blades and hands still trembled from the impact—he was clearly not unscathed.
If not for his refined instincts from years of sword training that allowed him to block at the last second, he might have been gravely injured on the spot.
But Gin didn't give him time to recover.
"Rankyaku!"
A wide, white air blade—like a flying scythe—swept across the air toward Rock, who was still recovering from being blasted back.
His reaction was sharp. Though Gin's Rankyaku had come with nearly teleport-level speed, he managed to narrowly evade it within the ten-meter gap.
"Shhhk!"
The attack didn't explode on impact—it simply sliced through the massive boulder behind him with eerie precision, splitting it cleanly in two like a blade through tofu. The inside was perfectly smooth.
Seeing that one casual kick from Gin could unleash such terrifying force, Rock's pupils shrank. He now understood—this opponent was no ordinary warrior. He couldn't grasp how a human body could achieve something so extreme, but there was no time to think.
To regain control of the fight, Rock went on the offensive.
Blades in both hands, sword aura surging around him, he launched himself at Gin with full force.
But Gin didn't flinch.
Channeling the full power of Rokushiki, she met him head-on. In the blink of an eye, the clash of blades and fists began.
Though Rock was strong, he quickly found himself overwhelmed. With raw technique and unmatched speed, Gin pressed the advantage—and began to suppress him completely through sheer physical prowess.
"Whoosh!"
Another white air blade slashed toward Rock. But this time, he wasn't as lucky—he was right next to Gin, and with his speed, there was no way he could dodge.
"Clang!"
Just as the Rankyaku sickle was about to strike, a thin, transparent membrane suddenly appeared over Rock's body. Though it looked fragile, it forcefully deflected the attack.
"Hm?"
Seeing the strange barrier appear, Gin quickly pulled back from Rock. Who knew what hidden offensive abilities it might have beyond that powerful defense?
"Not bad. You actually forced me to use my Teigu. How about it? My Teigu, the Genbu Ring, creates absolute defense. With it, I can ignore nearly any attack."
Noticing the wariness in Gin's eyes—the same Gin who had just been overwhelming him—Rock introduced his Teigu with a smug grin. His high rank in the Revolutionary Army wasn't just due to his swordsmanship; this Teigu played a major part.
Now that he'd deflected Gin's Rankyaku with his Teigu, Rock was brimming with confidence.
The thought that he'd just been outmatched by a woman didn't sit well with him. He wanted to humiliate Gin, so he laid out his Teigu's ability, eager to see her helpless expression when she realized she couldn't touch him.
But he didn't realize that this act of arrogance would only speed up his demise.
The moment she heard Rock's words, Gin's eyes lit up. She launched forward with another burst of Rankyaku. Mid-charge, two mismatched guns appeared in her hands—the treasured weapons Haruki had given her: the yellow Gáe Buidhe and the red Gáe Dearg.
Seeing her rush in, Rock stood firm, shield still up. He wanted to witness the moment she fell into despair, unable to harm him.
But what happened next was nothing like he expected.
"Thud! Thud!"
Two muffled blows shattered Rock's fantasy. With the red long gun in her left hand, Gin pierced through the so-called absolute defense of the Genbu Ring. Then, with the yellow short gun in her right, she drove it straight into Rock's chest.
After striking, Gin quickly retreated, standing at a distance with her gaze fixed on him.
"No… Impossible… How could you break my absolute defense?"
Rock clutched his bleeding chest, his face twisted in disbelief as he stared at her.
"Never let your guard down against an enemy. That's what my brother taught me."
Gin's voice was cold and unwavering.
It was Rock's blind faith in his Teigu and his arrogant ignorance that led to his defeat.
Gáe Dearg can bypass all non-physical defenses, and Gáe Buidhe inflicts wounds that never heal. And since the blow landed on his chest, Rock was already as good as dead...
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake