Leone scanned the dense forest below the cliff.
"Where is that masked lunatic?" she muttered, her tail twitching in irritation. It was unlike her to lose track of a teammate, especially one as strange as Bane.
Spotting signs of movement among the trees, she grinned. "Guess I'll just have to enjoy the hunt alone," she said, leaping off the cliff to take a side route down the rocky terrain.
---
Unbeknownst to Leone, Bane had already made his move. He emerged from the shadows near the infiltrators, his gauntlets gleaming ominously.
Without hesitation, he lunged at the nearest mercenary, ripping out the man's vocal cords with brutal precision.
The remaining enemies reacted instantly, launching a coordinated attack. But Bane moved like a predator, his body twisting and dodging with unnatural agility as he parried with his gauntlets.
Four bodies already lay motionless on the ground, their lifeless faces contorted in fear.
Leone arrived just in time to witness the carnage. "Seriously?" she called out as she punched a nearby mercenary in the face, sending him crashing into a tree.
She ducked a sword swing from another attacker and retaliated with a powerful kick to his gut. "How did you get here so fast?"
"Jumped off the cliff," Bane replied, driving his gauntlet into an enemy's temple, killing him instantly. "Dug my hands into the rock at the last second to slow my fall."
"....."
"....You're insane," Leone said, dodging another attacker. She leaped onto the shoulders of a large mercenary, snapping his neck with a twist. "But hey, that sounds like a fun trick to try next time!"
As she surveyed the scene, she noticed something odd. "Why are the guys you've killed so swollen? Did you overdo it, or is this your creepy belt's handiwork?"
Bane wiped blood off his gauntlet. "Poison," he replied simply.
Jörmungandr's ability allowed him to collect and store venom from danger beasts, which he could use to coat his attacks.
"It's tailored for each mission," he added, though he left out the detail that the poison was drawn directly from his own blood—a limit he had to manage carefully.
Leone crouched to inspect a swollen body. "Yeesh. Remind me to stay on your good side."
Bane glanced at the remaining corpses and deduced, "These mercenaries are from a southeastern tribe. Hired muscle. The Empire sent them to locate Night Raid's base."
"They're skilled," Leone agreed. "They slipped through our traps and made it this far. But Lubbock's probably spotted them by now. The rest of the team should be hunting the others."
BOOM!
An explosion echoed through the forest, sending birds scattering into the sky. Both assassins turned toward the sound.
"Mine with her Pumpkin," Leone said confidently. "She's probably showing off again."
Bane gave a small nod but tensed as his sharp eyes spotted three figures fleeing deeper into the forest. "I'll take care of them."
"Knock yourself out," Leone said, dashing off in the opposite direction. "Save some for me next time!"
Bane pursued the fleeing mercenaries, closing the gap.
One man turned to defend himself, but Bane ripped out his heart with a single thrust of his gauntlet.
The man collapsed with a muted scream, his life snuffed out instantly.
The remaining two stopped running, realizing escape was futile. One wielded a spear, the other a curved sword. They assumed combat stances, preparing to fight for their lives.
The clash was brutal. The sword-wielder's strikes were precise, while the spear-user lunged with deadly accuracy.
Bane deflected their blows, his movements efficient yet unrelenting.
But as the fight raged, he failed to notice the presence behind him.
A third mercenary, a woman armed with a poisoned dagger,seized the opportunity.
She grabbed Bane's head and sliced his neck in one swift motion.
Blood sprayed from the wound, and Bane fell to the ground, motionless.
The swordsman exhaled heavily. "What the hell? Are all Night Raid members monsters like this?"
The spear-wielder grunted. "At least he's dead now. If he were alive, I'd have—"
CRACK.
The two men froze. A sound like bones snapping echoed behind them. They turned slowly, only to see their female companion impaled by her own dagger.
Standing behind her, his head fully intact and no sign of injury, was Bane.
"How…?" the swordsman whispered, his face pale.
Bane said nothing. With one hand, he hurled the dying woman into the air, sending her body crashing into her comrades.
The men barely had time to react before Bane's gauntlets pierced their chests.
"You forfeited any honor when you attacked me from behind," Bane said naturally.
The paralyzed woman watched in horror as her companions died. Blood pooled around her as she struggled to speak. "P-please… d-don't… kill me…"
Bane knelt beside her, tilting his head as if considering her words. "You chose this path," he said after a moment. "You fought for the Empire knowing what they stand for and what will be your fate if you got caught."
The woman coughed violently, blood staining her lips. "I… did it… for my clan…"
Bane replied in return,"..I don't care."
With a swift motion, he retrieved the dagger lodged in her chest and raised it.
"Y-you'll… die… too… from the poison…" she managed to laugh weakly.
Bane's aquamarine eyes met hers, devoid of emotion. "Poison doesn't affect me," he said simply. "Especially not something this weak."
As despair filled her eyes, Bane slashed her throat, ending her life.
The forest grew quiet again. Bane stood amidst the bodies, the dagger still in his hand.
He dropped it beside the woman's corpse and raised his gauntlets, staring at the bloodstains.
"Deactivate, Jörmungandr," he muttered. The gauntlets dissolved into mist, revealing his pale, unblemished hands.
Despite their cleanliness, he could still see the blood, etched into his mind, an invisible stain that wouldn't fade.
He flexed his fingers, remembering a time when they used to tremble after a kill. Now, they were steady.
"doesn't tremble anymore, huh" he said quietly. "Guess I've grown used to it."
Suddenly he remembered Leone's words, or he should say Tatsumi's.
"Assassination and Justice, huh."
His words lingered in the air as he turned and began walking back toward the Night Raid members.