Imperial Capital. Outskirts
After arriving at the Imperial Capital yesterday, Esdeath's subordinates, the Three Beasts—Daidara, Liver, and Niou—moved idly through the forest.
"That bastard Minister... making us work right after we got back. Tsk. If it wasn't for Lady Esdeath, I wouldn't lift a finger for him."
Niou, walking at the front, said to Liver behind him, his face full of annoyance.
"I'm tellin' ya, Liver, it wouldn't matter if we delayed this a few days. Why'd we have to listen to that fat pig and set out the very next day?"
"Heh. This probably has to do with the faction struggle between Minister Honest and Great General Budo. But, that has nothing to do with us. Since Lady Esdeath already agreed, as her subordinates, we must naturally complete this mission perfectly."
"...You're so boring."
Glancing back at Liver, Niou looked at Daidara, already knowing what he was about to say.
"What're you lookin' at me for? The assassination target this time is some guy with status, right? If he has status, his bodyguards must be strong."
Daidara flashed a hearty grin.
"If I kill those guards, I'll get a ton of EXP, right? Just thinking about it is exciting!"
"If it's EXP you're after, Daidara, you might just get more than you ever imagined this time."
Liver, walking through the forest, said to the two:
"After we rendezvous with the man the Minister sent, we'll get Jouri's exact location. And right now, if Great General Budo is quick on the uptake, he might have already realized someone is out to kill Jouri."
"If I were on the General's side, I'd dispatch strong fighters to wait by Jouri and protect him."
"That's what I was thinking, but now..."
Liver looked in a certain direction in the forest, his gaze suddenly sharpening.
"Hah. It seems the fish are biting easier than expected. You two, I personally suggest you give up on the idea of ambushing us."
"After all, I've already sensed your positions. Under these circumstances, it's highly unlikely your ambush will succeed."
"Wow, he saw right through us."
Stepping out from the shadows, Aaron watched the three murderous Teigu users, pulling Kiana behind him.
"As expected of Esdeath's number one lapdog, I suppose? Your sense of smell is much sharper than the other hounds."
"Thank you for the compliment. It is my honor to be that lady's number one lapdog."
Giving a polite bow to the person before him, Liver chuckled.
"As for my 'sense of smell'... heheh. Surely you don't think the intel you received yesterday was something mere informants could easily get their hands on?"
"After receiving this mission, I happened to hear that someone was gathering intel on Esdeath's army. So I deliberately leaked that information, allowing... certain interested parties... to obtain it."
"And then you followed the route provided by that intel? Pretty bold of you."
"Well, you have to get in the water to catch a fish. And look, haven't I just reeled in a big one?"
Smiling as he gazed at the two for a second, Liver instantly saw through their identities.
"I heard yesterday. A month ago, someone defeated a Teigu user from the City Guard. After that Teigu user awoke, he provided descriptions of the two."
"A white-haired girl and a black-haired young man... Even with masks, you can't completely hide the tips of your hair under your cloaks."
"Combine that with the key in this gentleman's hand... Heh. To think Bulat would entrust his Teigu to someone else. He really has changed. It seems... he has high hopes for you, Night Raid's new recruit."
"...*Sigh*. All that deduction, and then... that last part. Whatever. We'll just go with that."
"But since you've said so much, let me add one more thing. This 'fishing' business... it's a dangerous game."
Taking out two pairs of earplugs and strengthening them into D-rank Noble Phantasms, Aaron tossed one to Kiana.
"Be careful of the short one. The others... well, just leave the others to me."
"Okay."
"Hoh. You mean the young lady only needs to be careful of Niou? Sir... are you planning to defeat the two of us by yourself?"
Watching Aaron instantly complete his transformation, Liver narrowed his eyes.
"You really are underestimating me and Daidara... Daidara, the usual!"
"Got it!"
Hearing Liver's command, Daidara used his monstrous strength to smash a fist into the ground.
His punch instantly created a large crater.
And after that strike, Liver, using his Teigu [Water Dragon's Possession: Black Marlin], immediately manipulated the groundwater to attack his enemies.
Facing these two, Aaron didn't plan on using Ittou Shura from the start.
In their month of sparring, he had gradually adapted to the terrible burden of Incursio.
Well, compared to Ittou Shura plus the Honkai Beast Meta-Morph Factor awakening, this burden wasn't actually so terrible.
In short, within this month, he could already ensure near-perfect control of Incursio in combat for short periods.
Under these conditions, Aaron felt he could be a bit bolder when facing enemies, and not just think about one-shotting them from the start.
Maybe if he activated Ittou Shura here, he would gain the power to defeat them in a short time.
And after defeating these three Teigu users, although he would be weakened, as long as Kiana could get him out of here, the tactic was sound.
But if he treated Ittou Shura as a 'win-button' cheat for fighting stronger opponents or one-shotting enemies, then the day that cheat failed, Aaron would expose his greatest weakness.
Aaron was an ordinary person, with no combat experience or sufficient fighting skill.
He had won his previous fights through surprise and by overpowering his opponents with sheer stats.
If, in the future, he faced Esdeath or Budo and failed to one-shot them with Ittou Shura, his complete lack of experience and skill would mean he probably couldn't even escape.
In Aaron's eyes, enemies like the Three Beasts, who were neither top-tier nor bottom-tier, were perfect for use as practice dummies.
And it wasn't just him; Kiana had this weakness too.
For the sake of the future, it was better not to use his ultimate move right away. He'd practice a bit first, then decide based on the situation.
...