"It's exactly right; they are a bunch of rotten scum! Unforgivable!"
Tatsumi tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. Leone's expression remained ice-cold.
"The girl who was just beaten... I recognize her from the slums..."
"They've truly disgusted me now!"
Both stood up. Leone's beastly hands slammed together, accompanied by the sharp sound of a blade being drawn from its scabbard.
"Eliminate the targets!"
"Understood!"
In a nearby room, the one-eyed boss had returned, sitting arrogantly in the seat of honor with his subordinate standing behind him. Arranged around them in two rows were bodyguards dressed in black suits, kneeling at dining tables while serving girls poured wine for them.
The one-eyed boss had a girl by his side as well; he casually slid his hand under her clothes to grope her chest while continuing his conversation with his subordinate.
"Boss, expanding our drug territory is only a matter of time, isn't it?"
"Indeed. We should meet with Tybil to discuss the details further."
Boom!!
A section of the ceiling collapsed, sending dust and debris flying from the attic. As the smoke cleared, Tatsumi and Leone landed, radiating a murderous aura.
"The only place you two are going is straight to hell!!"
"Intruders! Kill them!!"
The subordinate screamed as the bodyguards stood up and rushed to attack. Two men swung their swords at Tatsumi, but he cut through their midsections, killing them instantly. He didn't stop, charging straight toward the one-eyed boss, blood spilling with every swing of his blade.
Meanwhile, Leone was surrounded by a group of guards. Facing a flurry of swords pointed at her, she didn't show fear; instead, she let out a low snarl.
"Our target is the drug trafficking ring. But since you are all accomplices... you can all die together!"
The bodyguards surged forward in unison, but their movements were far too slow for Leone, whose physical attributes were fully enhanced by her belt. She dodged the sweeping blades and delivered devastating punches to their stomachs, chests, and heads. Each man was sent flying several meters, losing their will to fight as the encirclement quickly crumbled.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Tatsumi cleaved another man in two. Compared to when he first met Akame, his sword strokes had lost their amateurism; they were faster, stronger, and more powerful. Most importantly, they possessed the lethality of a user's killing intent. Since he still lacked the surgical precision of Akame's blade, Tatsumi chose to aim for the torso.
Crash!
Leone kicked three men at once, shattering their bones and slamming them into the wall, leaving a massive crater.
"Are you kidding me! I don't deserve this!"
The subordinate pulled out a gun, but before he could pull the trigger, Tatsumi severed his arm. The blade spun, cutting diagonally through the man's body and severing his spine.
"Go beg the devil for forgiveness."
Tatsumi sheathed his sword and delivered a sharp blow to the one-eyed boss's stomach, sending him rolling across the floor. Leone, having finished off the last bodyguard, stepped forward and seized the man by the throat, lifting him off the ground.
"What... what do you want? Money? Drugs? I'll give you everything, so please just spare—"
"Save it."
Leone cut him off, her knuckles cracking. Her face was cold and devoid of emotion.
"Who the hell are you two!"
"Like you said... just a bunch of useless wretches."
Bang!!!
Her punch to his stomach was so powerful it created a shockwave that swept through the room, completely obliterating his internal organs from the inside out.
"That's exactly why cleaning up the scum of this world suits us perfectly."
…
"What about those girls?"
"That isn't our responsibility, is it?"
Tatsumi and Leone had escaped the building and were now wandering down a stone-paved street under the glow of the streetlights. Tatsumi knew she was right, but he still couldn't accept it.
"But..."
"There's a retired old doctor in the slums. He's still got his skills. I'll explain everything and ask him to lend a hand."
"He has a soft spot for young girls, so he won't refuse."
"You..."
Tatsumi smiled. Leone seemed like a careless person on the surface, but she was actually quite thoughtful and kind-hearted.
"I didn't expect you to be the 'cold outside, warm inside' type."
"It's just because I know someone there. There's no other reason."
"The reason doesn't matter, as long as there's a ray of hope left. That's what's important."
Leone stopped and watched Tatsumi walk ahead. Her face flushed slightly.
"Tatsumi, I've been thinking about it for a while now..."
"Huh?"
He turned around, only to have Leone suddenly close the gap, leaning in right against his ear. Tatsumi could even feel her breath on his skin.
"... but I didn't expect you to be so cute."
She whispered into his ear, adding a light lick at the end. Tatsumi's skin crawled, and he immediately jumped back five meters. He covered his ear, his face turning bright red, while Leone returned to her usual mischievous self.
"What—what—what are you doing!!!"
"Hehehe, that's called marking you. Literally. I've taken a liking to you. If you grow up to be a good man, you're mine!"
"Anyway, I wonder if the others are doing okay."
This mission had been split into two groups. Tatsumi and Leone's group raided the main den, while Mine and Sheele were tasked with taking down the leader of the drug organization, Tybil.
The reason for this assignment was that the guards around Tybil were much stronger. With nearly fifty guards equipped with guns, it was deemed easier for a long-range Teigu user like Mine to eliminate them, with Sheele acting as protection and support.
However, Night Raid was unaware that Asahi had accidentally intercepted them, killing Tybil and leaving only minutes before Mine and Sheele arrived. All the two girls found were bodies scattered everywhere.
Tybil, their target, was already dead with a crushed head.
"Lucky for that Tybil guy, getting killed before we could settle the score with him."
"Mine, that doesn't sound like luck; it sounds like a misfortune."
The two ran through a deserted area, pleased that the mission had been resolved so easily. They were blissfully unaware that their movements were being watched.
Suddenly, both Mine and Sheele sensed something. They split in opposite directions as a dark silhouette pounced from above, smashing a large crater into the road.
If Tatsumi were there, he would have recognized the person who just landed as Seryu. But she no longer wore the friendly, pleasant smile from that afternoon. She was smiling, yes, but it was a look of pure madness.
"An enemy?"
"What is she? Sheele, be careful, I couldn't sense her at all!"
Mine steadied herself, feeling skeptical. Sheele felt the same. Both were top-tier assassins, yet for them to only sense danger when the enemy was practically on top of them was incredibly strange.
"She's completely different from those guards who just walk around acting tough."
Sheele switched into serious mode, staring intently at Seryu. The girl stood up from the damaged pavement and held up a wanted poster—it was a picture of Sheele.
"Just as I thought. Her face is identical to the one on the poster. No, this is the wanted criminal! Night Raid's Sheele, confirmed!"
"And based on the Teigu, that other girl is also a member of Night Raid."
"An ambush at night truly is the best strategy! Finally... finally, we meet, Night Raid!"
Seryu tossed the wanted poster aside, erupting with a crazed aura. Her pupils constricted and became terrifyingly vacant.
"I am Seryu Ubiquitous of the Imperial Guard! In the name of absolute justice, I will annihilate evil right here and right now!!!!"