"People exist to save themselves. You will understand that at the moment of your death."
— Oda Sakunosuke, Bungou Stray Dogs
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The next day, Roy continued to work alongside Akame, their partnership proving to be quite effective. As night fell, Najenda summoned them both.
"There's been a report of a sadistic noble family in the Imperial Capital," she began, her voice serious. "They lure in travelers with false promises of hospitality, then subject them to horrific torture for their own amusement."
"Leone has investigated and confirmed the report. Your mission is to eliminate this family."
Roy felt a sense of familiarity. Luring travelers and torturing them? Wasn't this the mission Night Raid undertook in the beginning of the story?
However, there was a slight difference. This time, it was just the two of them.
But then again, the targets were just ordinary humans. It didn't require the entire Night Raid team to handle them.
"Understood, Boss!" Akame acknowledged the mission.
"Roy, this is your first mission, so Akame, please look after him," Najenda instructed.
"Yes, Boss!" Akame nodded, glancing at Roy.
With the mission accepted, they set off under the cover of night.
...
The moon hung high in the sky as Roy and Akame arrived at the mansion of the sadistic noble family.
The mansion was brightly lit, with figures moving about and guards patrolling the grounds.
"Let the mission commence. Be careful," Akame reminded him, her expression serious and focused, a stark contrast to her usual carefree demeanor.
"Understood," Roy replied with a smile.
Akame vanished into the shadows.
They had planned their approach on the way here. They would infiltrate the mansion from both sides, ensuring no one escaped.
As Akame disappeared, Roy stretched casually and walked towards the main entrance. He had no intention of hiding.
"Who's there?" The guards at the gate noticed Roy approaching and challenged him.
Roy remained silent, continuing his advance.
"Halt! Or we'll shoot!" The guards raised their weapons, aiming at him.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Seeing that Roy still didn't respond, they opened fire.
Roy drew his sword and effortlessly deflected the bullets.
In a flash, he appeared before the guards and swung his blade.
Thwack!
Heads flew, blood spraying like a fountain.
With one hand in his pocket and the other holding his sword, Roy stepped over the headless bodies without a change in his expression.
The lights in the mansion flickered on, alerted to the commotion.
A wave of guards charged towards him, shouting and brandishing their weapons.
Roy smirked.
"Ice Breathing, First Form: Flocking Ice Blades!"
He swung his sword, unleashing a barrage of ice projectiles that flew towards the guards like a flock of birds.
"AAAAAGH!" The guards panicked, turning to flee.
But it was too late. The ice projectiles pierced their bodies.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of ice piercing flesh filled the air.
Dozens of guards were instantly killed, leaving a bloody scene.
Roy continued his advance without pause.
Inside the mansion, Aria, the young noblewoman, and her parents witnessed the carnage, their faces pale with terror.
They screamed and fled towards the back door.
However, another grim reaper awaited them there.
Akame intercepted Aria's parents.
"Eliminate!" she declared coldly, swiftly ending their lives.
"Yo, Akame, are you done?" Roy called out, having caught up to her.
Akame glanced at the dead nobles and frowned. "There should be one more, the young noblewoman."
"She must have run that way," Roy said, pointing towards a lone warehouse in the distance.
They had come from opposite directions. If anyone tried to escape, they would naturally run towards either side.
"Let's finish this," Akame said, heading towards the warehouse.
Roy followed closely behind.
They were incredibly fast. They caught up to Aria and her remaining guards before they could reach the warehouse.
"Eliminate!" Akame declared, swiftly cutting down the guards.
Roy appeared before Aria, blocking her path.
Aria stumbled and fell, her eyes wide with fear.
"Please don't kill me! I'll give you anything you want..." she pleaded.
"Unfortunately, you don't have the right to beg for mercy after what you've done," Roy said coldly.
Thwack!
Blood splattered as Aria's head rolled on the ground. Roy had executed her without hesitation.
"Well done. You didn't hesitate even when facing such a 'cute' girl," Akame commented with a rare smile.
If Roy didn't know her better, he would have thought she was mocking him.
"She wasn't cute at all. Just a devil in human form," Roy retorted.
"Indeed," Akame agreed with a nod.
"This warehouse must be where they tortured their victims," Roy said, observing the building. It looked similar to the one in the original story.
He approached the warehouse and sliced open the door with his sword.
They entered.
The scene inside was like a gruesome depiction of hell. People were bound, suspended, and subjected to horrific torture.
The stench of blood and decay filled the air, making Roy nauseous.
He knew this world was dark and cruel, but he had underestimated its depravity.
Akame, however, remained unfazed by the horrific scene.
Her eyes were calm, but a hint of killing intent flickered within them.
Roy didn't want to stay here a moment longer.
But as he turned to leave, a voice called out from a cage deep within the warehouse.
"Let us out!"
The rattling of chains echoed through the room.
Roy turned back and saw a young man and woman bound by chains inside the cage.
There are still survivors?
Roy hadn't expected anyone to be alive in this hellish place.
He approached the cage, effortlessly cutting through the bars and the chains that bound the two captives.
"Come out," he said, then turned to leave.
He couldn't stand to be in this place any longer.
"You must have been tricked by that noblewoman," Akame said to the two survivors.
They looked weak but hadn't been tortured yet. It seemed they had just been captured.
"Yes," the young man replied, his voice filled with fear. "We thought they were kind enough to offer us shelter, but after dinner, we lost consciousness and woke up here."
The horrors within the warehouse filled him with terror.
If they hadn't been rescued, their fate would have been unimaginable.
"You mean her?" Roy pointed at Aria's corpse.
The young man's eyes widened in horror.
"Yes, that's her!"
"They lure travelers with false promises, then torture them to death for their own amusement," Akame explained. "That's the true nature of this family. You're lucky to be alive."
Roy recognized the two survivors.
They were Ieyasu and Sayo, Tatsumi's friends from the original story.
He hadn't expected to encounter them here. It seemed they had just been captured and hadn't been subjected to any torture yet.
They were indeed fortunate.
"Take this money and return to your village. The Imperial Capital isn't a place for you," Roy said, tossing them a bag of coins. He then turned to leave.
"Mission accomplished. Let's go," he said to Akame, and they vanished.
"Thank you for saving us!" Ieyasu called out, watching them disappear.
He picked up the bag of coins and helped Sayo to her feet.
He decided that once they found Tatsumi, they would leave the Imperial Capital, this monstrous city that devoured people.
❁❁❁❁
Back at Night Raid headquarters, Najenda praised them for completing their mission.
"Well done on your first mission, newbie!" Leone exclaimed, slinging an arm around Roy's neck and giving him a thumbs up.
Roy, momentarily blinded by her cleavage, could only endure the warm embrace.
"Roy, you'll be partnered with Leone next," Najenda announced with a smile.
"Haha! I'll take good care of you, kid!" Leone declared, beaming.
Only Akame seemed disappointed by this arrangement.
"Leone, report on your mission," Najenda instructed, folding her arms.
"Yes!" Leone's playful demeanor vanished as she turned to business.
She released Roy and presented two portraits. "Our targets are Ogre from the Imperial Guard and the oil merchant, Gamal."
"According to the client, Ogre has accepted numerous bribes from Gamal."
"Whenever Gamal commits a crime, Ogre finds scapegoats for him. Many innocent people have been imprisoned because of them."
"Have you confirmed the information?" Najenda asked, lighting a cigarette.
"I've seen and heard it with my own eyes and ears. It's definitely true," Leone affirmed.
"Alright, we'll accept this request," Najenda decided.
"We'll punish these criminals."
"Although eliminating Gamal will be easy, dealing with Ogre won't be so simple," Leone continued. "When he's not on duty, he spends his time drinking in the entertainment district near the palace. Security is tight around there."
"It's too dangerous to send someone who's wanted."
Leone, as the intelligence gatherer, was well-versed in the Capital's situation.
"Then who should we send?" Najenda asked.
"I..." Leone raised her hand. "I'm not wanted."
"I don't think I'm wanted either," Roy said with a smile. "How about I take care of Ogre?"
"Should we wait for Mine and the others to return?" Akame suggested with concern.
"But we don't know when they'll be back," Leone countered.
Najenda extinguished her cigarette and looked at Roy. "Can you handle it?"
Roy smirked confidently. "I have complete confidence."
"Overconfidence can be fatal," Akame warned.
"Don't worry, Akame. There's no one in this world who can kill me," Roy reassured her, patting her head.
"Then it's decided. Roy will eliminate Ogre, and Akame and Leone will deal with Gamal."
"No problem!"
"Yes!"
They accepted their missions without hesitation and set off immediately.
...
In the entertainment district outside the Imperial Palace, Leone carefully explained the layout and the locations where Ogre could be found.
"Got it?" she asked, patting Roy's shoulder.
"Yes, don't worry," Roy assured her.
"Then I'll leave it to you. Akame and I will handle the oil merchant," Leone said before running off.
Roy sighed and strolled through the bustling streets.
He, a Maou-Class Devil, was reduced to doing such trivial tasks.
But Akame's affection for him seemed to be growing, and Leone also treated him differently.
He was confident he could win over Sheele, who was about to meet her demise in the original story.
Roy spent some time exploring the entertainment district until he finally found Ogre in a tavern, drinking with some companions.
It wasn't a good time to strike. Although Roy could easily overpower them all, he wanted to maintain a low profile.
After all, he was supposed to be an assassin.
Roy decided to wait for a better opportunity. He entered the tavern, found a seat, and ordered some food and drinks.
...
Meanwhile, Akame and Leone had infiltrated the oil merchant's mansion.
Gamal, was swiftly eliminated.
"That was easy. I wonder how Roy is doing," Leone said, stretching.
"Let's go check on him," Akame suggested.
"Eh? You're worried about that kid? Alright, let's go then," Leone teased, amused by Akame's concern.
They headed towards the entertainment district.
Since Akame was wanted, they couldn't get too close.
They observed the area from a nearby rooftop.
They saw Roy exiting the tavern.
"Roy's out. I wonder if he succeeded," Leone said, focusing her attention.
Roy walked down the street casually.
Just then, a group of Imperial Guards approached him.
"Oh no, it's the Imperial Guard! Was Roy discovered?" Leone frowned, worried.
"No," Akame said calmly.
As if to confirm her words, the guards simply walked past Roy, not recognizing him.
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