"Bang!"
A thunderous crash ripped through the night above the Imperial Capital as the ornate gates of the noble manor were kicked open. The heavy iron doors slammed into the courtyard, sending guards flying and plunging the grounds into chaos. Flames leapt skyward, illuminating what had once been a symbol of luxury and excess.
"Enemy attack!"
"Sound the alarm! Protect the Count!"
Fully armed guards poured in from every direction, muskets raised, swords drawn, their eyes locked on the dark figures striding calmly through the shattered entrance.
At the front was a silver-haired, one-eyed woman in a fitted suit.
Najenda—leader of Night Raid.
On the rooftops and walls behind her, killing intent surged as more figures appeared at once.
Akame, black hair flowing, red eyes cold, a tachi in hand.
Mine, pink twin-tails fluttering as she leveled her massive firearm.
Leone, golden-haired with beast ears, grinning fiercely.
Bulat, Lubbock, and the rest followed.
All members of Night Raid had arrived.
"My god… it's Night Raid!"
"Why would those assassins target our manor?!"
The guard captain went pale. His sword slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground.
In the Imperial Capital, Night Raid was synonymous with death.
"Prepare yourselves," Najenda said calmly, exhaling a thin stream of smoke.
"Target: Count Aria's family. No survivors."
"Understood!"
The battle ended almost as soon as it began.
Leone surged forward, laughing as she tore through the ranks like a golden blur. Mine fired from above, her weapon unleashing devastating blasts that erased all resistance. Bulat moved like a phantom through the chaos, his spear striking with flawless precision.
There was no suspense.
Against true Teigu users, the manor's private army stood no chance.
In less than three minutes, the courtyard fell silent.
Bodies littered the ground. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and blood.
"Bang."
The doors to the main building were kicked open.
Leone emerged, tossing two figures forward as if discarding trash. The Count and Countess tumbled onto the bloodstained stones, screaming in terror.
"P-please! Don't kill us!" the Count begged, shaking uncontrollably.
The Countess collapsed beside him, sobbing and pleading incoherently.
Najenda stepped forward and looked down at them.
"Imperial Capital Count," she said coldly.
"Using false recruitment to lure civilians into your manor. Imprisonment, abuse, poisonings. Hundreds dead in your cellar."
Her gaze was merciless.
"The evidence is undeniable. Any last words?"
"I'll pay!" the Count cried, grabbing at her leg. "Gold, jewels, land—everything! Just let me live!"
Disgust crossed the faces of Night Raid's members.
Najenda calmly pulled her leg free.
"Night Raid does not accept blood money."
She turned slightly.
"Akame."
"Understood."
Akame stepped forward, her expression empty of hesitation.
"Zheng."
The Demon Sword Murasame flashed from its sheath, a cold arc of steel cutting through the night.
In an instant, it was over.
Akame flicked the blade clean and sheathed it.
"Elimination complete."
Najenda crushed her cigarette beneath her heel and looked toward the depths of the manor.
"Intelligence says the Count's daughter, Aria, is the true mastermind. More depraved than her parents."
She glanced at Akame.
"Find her. End it."
Akame nodded and moved toward the underground warehouse.
…
Below ground.
The basement lay in silence.
Uchiha Tobirama slowly opened his eyes, the dark gleam of the Reincarnation Rinnegan fading as he sensed the chakra signatures above vanish one by one.
"So the insects have been dealt with already," he thought.
At his feet, Aria knelt motionless, her posture broken, her eyes empty of defiance. Whatever twisted pride she once possessed had long since been stripped away. Nearby, Sayo stood quietly, her expression complicated as she steadied herself.
"Get up," Tobirama said coolly. "Fix yourselves."
"Yes… Master…"
Aria obeyed mechanically, pulling together her torn dress. Sayo did the same, silently following behind him.
Tobirama glanced around the ruined basement once, then waved his hand.
"Hm."
The Four Violet Flames Formation dissolved into motes of purple light, vanishing into the air.
Hands in his pockets, Tobirama led the two women up the stairs toward the surface.
…
Above ground.
Akame pushed open the iron door to the underground passage. Dim light spilled over the corridor, the scent of blood lingering in the air.
She advanced cautiously, sword half-drawn.
Then—
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Measured footsteps echoed from the darkness ahead.
Someone was coming up.
Akame tensed instantly, Murasame angled for a killing strike.
A moment later, a tall figure emerged from the shadows.
White hair. Red eyes.
A calm, imposing presence that pressed down on her senses.
He wore only a simple black trench coat—nothing like a guard's uniform.
Behind him followed two disheveled young women.
One of them was unmistakable.
Aria.
Akame froze.
Who is this man?
That overwhelming pressure—
Even facing the Empire's strongest general, Esdeath, she had never felt danger like this.
Every instinct screamed a warning.
Don't strike.
If you do, you will die.
Suppressing the chill running through her spine, Akame forced herself to speak.
"You don't look like a guard of this manor," she said coldly.
"Who are you?"
——————Author——————
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