The Four Rakshasa Demons stepped forward to guard the Prime Minister, while General Budo moved immediately to shield the young Emperor.
As the royal family's loyal protector, Budo's sole duty was ensuring the safety of the Emperor, no matter the circumstances.
"Tch, who would've thought that fat Prime Minister wasn't just a pushover? Judging by his combat skills just now, he's at least on par with Leone.
"Other than me and Kurome, anyone else trying to take him down solo would be throwing their lives away."
Wood hadn't expected the Prime Minister to possess such formidable combat abilities. It was a development their team hadn't accounted for, despite all their planning.
The original strategy was simple: eliminate the Prime Minister—the root of the chaos—and then deal with the Emperor and General Budo at their leisure.
Now, things had taken a turn for the worse. In addition to General Budo, the Four Rakshasa Demons from the Temple of Fists had joined the fray.
On paper, the fight seemed evenly matched at five-on-five. But in practice, Wood's side was at a disadvantage.
Mine could only provide long-range support and couldn't engage directly. Chelsea and Run, meanwhile, were of little help—Chelsea lacked combat skills entirely, and Run was only good at flying and running.
"Kurome, how many of the Four Rakshasa Demons can you handle?" Wood asked, his tone calm but direct.
Though the numbers were equal, Wood knew that he and Kurome would bear the brunt of the battle. Allocating their opponents strategically was crucial.
"How many I can handle…" Kurome repeated, a wry smile tugging at her lips.
The Four Rakshasa Demons were not Teigu users, but Kurome had heard their names during her time in the Empire's assassination unit. Each of them possessed strength comparable to the Elite Seven and had even fought alongside Akame in the past.
Their strength was on par with members of Night Raid and the Jaegers, and they far surpassed ordinary Teigu users.
While Kurome was confident in her abilities, her March of the Dead: Eight-Room Teigu was no longer at full strength. After multiple battles with Night Raid, she was down to only two puppets: Natala and Hunter.
At best, Kurome estimated she was operating at fifty percent of her usual strength.
She wanted to say she could handle one opponent, but doing so felt humiliating. At the same time, if she only took on one, Wood would have to face three of the Four Rakshasa Demons plus General Budo alone.
"I think I can barely handle two…" Kurome said hesitantly after a moment of thought.
Even that felt like an overstatement. Against any one of the Rakshasa Demons, Kurome knew her odds of victory were slim.
Her Teigu didn't enhance her own physical abilities, and her swordsmanship—while proficient—paled compared to the Rakshasa Demons, whose bodies exceeded human limits and boasted supernatural powers.
Handling two of them would require everything she had, along with perfect support from Natala and Hunter.
"Then the remaining two Rakshasa Demons and General Budo are mine.
"No holding back. We need to take them down as fast as possible. If that fat bastard escapes the palace, finding him again won't be easy!"
Hearing Wood's plan, Kurome sighed internally. She was already at her limit taking on two Rakshasa Demons. Expecting her to defeat them quickly was asking the impossible.
The Four Rakshasa Demons—Ibara, Suzuka, Sten, and Mez—were a formidable group.
-Ibara (棘): A wiry man with an unnaturally flexible body. He could manipulate his limbs at will and derived sadistic pleasure from killing strong opponents he admired. The strongest of the group.
-Suzuka (玲鹿): A lean woman with the ability to manipulate her nails. Her masochistic tendencies left her body covered in scars, though her physical durability was exceptional.
-Sten (朱天): A hulking, bearded man with unmatched strength. Though slow, his Hundredfold Strike and near-indestructible body made him a fearsome force.
-Mez (马头): A petite, tan-skinned girl with incredible speed. She used weighted horseshoe ornaments on her head to limit her speed, only removing them against worthy opponents.
The battle began with chaotic intensity.
Kurome engaged Sten and Ibara. Natala and Hunter focused on Ibara in a two-on-one struggle, barely holding their ground against the strongest Rakshasa Demon.
Kurome's fight against Sten, however, was grim.
Sten's brute strength and honed martial arts skills gave him a significant edge. As Akame's former mentor and Gozuki's old comrade, his abilities were a testament to years of training and experience.
Sten's muscles were so well-developed that Kurome's Teigu, Eight-Room, couldn't even pierce his skin.
When Sten unleashed his Hundredfold Strike, the resulting shockwave created a vacuum in the air, carving a massive trench in the ground.
Meanwhile, Wood faced Suzuka and Mez.
Suzuka's masochistic resilience and Mez's unparalleled speed made for a deadly combination.
Mez removed her weighted ornaments, unleashing her true speed, which turned her into little more than a blur.
"Looks like I don't have the luxury of holding back," Wood muttered, his expression hardening as he prepared for the grueling fight ahead.
Without the Empire's life-sustaining drugs to enhance her resilience, Kurome would have likely died from a direct hit by Sten. Thankfully, her agility allowed her to evade his attacks, though just barely.
Sten's overdeveloped muscles slowed him down significantly, and with Mine's long-range support, Kurome managed to keep him at bay for the time being.
On the other side of the battlefield, Wood was facing Mez and Suzuka. Unlike Kurome's struggle, his situation was the opposite—an overwhelming display of dominance.
Initially, Wood had planned to pursue the fleeing Prime Minister, but Mez struck first. With incredible speed and coordination, the petite girl suddenly appeared above him and unleashed a powerful spinning kick aimed directly at his head.
However, no matter how fast Mez was, Wood's heightened Observation Haki predicted her movements. As her kick descended, Wood calmly raised one hand and caught her ankle mid-air.
"Not bad, girl. I'd give your kick a passing grade. As for your outfit, though, you get full marks.
"But let me give you some advice. Ever heard of the saying, 'The less clothing, the stronger the fighter'?
"Do you know why your attack failed? It's because you're wearing too much on your lower half compared to your upper half."
Mez wore a revealing top paired with loose pants. When Wood caught her ankle, he was clearly disappointed by the lack of a "view," his tone filled with mockery.
"I'll smash your head in soon enough! Then you can stare all you want!" Mez snarled, her fury evident. Despite her focus on martial arts, she was still a young girl and quickly caught on to Wood's insinuation.
Furious, she lashed out with her other foot, aiming another kick at Wood's head.
Unfortunately for her, with a sharp crack of displaced air, Wood raised his other arm and effortlessly blocked her second attack as well.
As Wood prepared to taunt her again, his Observation Haki suddenly detected an incoming threat from behind.
"Tekkai (Iron Body)!"
At the same moment, Suzuka, clad in an elegant dress and exuding a regal demeanor, appeared behind Wood. Using her ability to extend her nails into sharp, durable weapons, she attempted a sneak attack on him, aiming for his heart.
However… CLANG!
To Suzuka and Mez's astonishment, her reinforced nails—capable of piercing stone and metal—struck Wood's back and emitted a sound like steel on steel.
Instead of flesh, it felt like her nails had struck forged iron. The resulting shock reverberated painfully through her hand.
Realizing her attack had failed, Suzuka immediately leapt back to create distance, landing gracefully.
Mez, taking advantage of the distraction, freed herself from Wood's grip and retreated to stand beside Suzuka, her eyes cautious and locked on their opponent.
"What's with this guy? Even if I hadn't used full power, that attack should've pierced him. Are you holding back?" Mez asked, her suspicion clear.
"We know each other's abilities well," Suzuka replied. "And I assure you, I didn't hold back. His body feels… unnatural, like I was stabbing steel."
"A steel body? Could he be… a cyborg?" Mez wondered aloud.
Cyborgs were not uncommon in the Empire, with figures like Dr. Stylish being renowned for their expertise in such modifications. Mez's speculation wasn't far-fetched.
In response, Wood glanced at his torn shirt from Suzuka's attack. He tore off the remains, revealing a physique that was muscular yet perfectly balanced.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm no cyborg. I'm as human as they come.
"You Rakshasa Demons are said to be martial artists whose bodies surpass human limits, right? Well, let me tell you something: surpassing human limits isn't your exclusive privilege.
"The Tekkai technique pushes the body to its absolute peak, hardening the skin and muscles to the point of being steel-like. It's not some shallow trick like modification."
Suzuka and Mez exchanged a glance, realizing that their opponent might be in the same league as Sten—a martial artist whose mastery rivaled their own.
Before they could act further, Wood continued, "Oh, and by the way, surpassing human limits isn't just about toughness. It's about speed too. For example… Soru (Shave)!"
In an instant, Wood disappeared from their view, reappearing directly behind them at a speed that left only a blur.
Simultaneously, he launched an attack while continuing his explanation:
"Surpassing normal human movement speed—this is the technique of Soru! It's a fundamental step toward absolute mastery."
Despite their sharp instincts as assassins, Suzuka and Mez couldn't react in time to Wood's sudden appearance behind them.
Mez, being a speed-type fighter, managed to evade just barely. Suzuka, however, had no chance. Her only option was to extend her nails again and launch a desperate counterattack.
"Surpassing human attack speed—speed is power! This is the technique of Shigan (Finger Gun)!"
Wood met Suzuka's flurry of nail strikes with nothing but a single finger. With incredible precision and rapid movements, he intercepted every one of her attacks.
The air filled with the sharp clang of metal on metal as Wood's finger effortlessly deflected Suzuka's strikes.
As Wood's speed increased, Suzuka found herself overwhelmed. In mere moments, her defenses broke, and she screamed as two finger-sized punctures appeared in her shoulder, sending her flying backward like a broken kite.
Oddly, though, as Suzuka fell, Wood couldn't help but notice the expression on her face. Despite the blood and pain, there was a faint blush—an unsettling mix of pain and… pleasure?
Wood quickly shook off the thought and turned his attention to Mez.
Using her incredible speed, Mez had escaped Wood's reach and was now darting between the palace's stone pillars, carefully watching for an opening.
"Still running, huh? Let's see if you can keep it up," Wood muttered, his eyes locking onto her.