"I will handle whatever it is you need. It's a big sister job to care for her brother"
— Shizuru Hoshino, Princess Connect Re:Dive
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They were positioned at least five kilometers away from Iokal's mansion.
Ordinary sniper rifles couldn't reach that distance.
Even if they could, accuracy would be a major issue.
This was a challenging sniping mission.
The Night Raid members waited in silence.
"There he is!" Mine spotted Iokal through the scope of her Teigu, "Pumpkin."
She pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang!
The gunshot echoed through the night.
Iokal, inside the mansion, was instantly killed with a headshot.
"Excellent shot," Roy praised.
"Hmph! Of course," Mine replied, puffing out her chest with a proud smirk.
"But the Wild Hunt assassins must have heard the gunshot. We should hide," Roy suggested.
Mine nodded in agreement.
They concealed themselves in a nearby tree.
As expected, one of the Wild Hunt assassins soon arrived.
"Damn it, they escaped! How am I supposed to explain this?" the assassin cursed, seeing no one around.
"No need to explain anything."
Bang!
A voice rang out from behind the assassin, and a bullet pierced his back.
However, the assassin reacted with incredible agility, dodging the bullet.
Even Mine was surprised.
But she didn't stop. She fired again and again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The assassin, however, dodged every shot with impressive reflexes.
Just as he was about to close in on Mine, another gunshot rang out.
A bullet forced the assassin back.
Roy had fired the shot.
He held a black Light Gun, smoke curling from its barrel.
Mine stared at Roy in surprise.
She looked at his black Light Gun, then at her own white one.
The matching colors reminded her of couple items, and she blushed.
"Don't just stand there. Take him down," Roy urged.
Mine snapped out of her daze.
They both opened fire on the assassin, turning him into a target practice dummy.
Roy wasn't serious, of course. He was just playing a shooting game with Mine.
The assassin, unable to approach them under their relentless barrage, jumped and dodged frantically.
Soon, he was riddled with bullets.
"Target eliminated. Mission accomplished!" Mine declared, twirling her Light Gun and holstering it, imitating Roy's earlier actions.
"Let's head back then," Roy said with a smile.
They regrouped with Akame and the others and returned to the Night Raid headquarters.
...
Life as an assassin wasn't all about missions. For the next few days, they all took a break.
Early one morning, Roy saw Bulat, shirtless and drenched in sweat, training in the courtyard.
"Yo, Roy! Want to join me for a workout?" Bulat greeted him with a cheerful grin.
"Uh... no, thanks. I have something to do," Roy declined awkwardly.
Bulat was known for his... tendencies, and Roy wasn't interested in getting too close to him.
"Roy, it's time to prepare breakfast," Akame said, approaching him.
"Oh, okay. Let's go then," Roy replied with a smile.
Although Akame was partnered with Saeko, she often sought out Roy to cook together.
This wasn't because Roy was a better cook than Saeko. It was because she craved the delicious food he stored in his spatial magic.
"Saeko, come join us for breakfast preparations," Roy invited, seeing her approach.
"Sure," Saeko agreed with a smile.
Soon, a delicious breakfast was ready.
"Eh? Are Mine and Sheele still asleep?" Roy asked, noticing their empty seats.
"It's not unusual," Akame replied casually.
As assassins, they often fought at night, so it was normal for them to sleep in.
But they hadn't had any missions yesterday, had they?
"I'll go wake them up. You guys start eating," Roy offered, getting up to rouse the two sleepyheads.
He knocked on Sheele's door. "Hey, Sheele, wake up! Breakfast is ready!"
"Mmm..." A faint groan was the only response.
Roy, with his enhanced hearing as a Devil, could barely make out the sound.
He opened the door.
Sheele, clad in a loose-fitting nightgown, lay fast asleep, her curvaceous figure outlined beneath the thin fabric.
"Sheele, Sheele, wake up," Roy said, gently shaking her shoulder.
"Mmm... is that Roy?" Sheele mumbled, her eyes fluttering open.
However, she seemed disoriented, her gaze directed at the wall.
Roy sighed inwardly.
Nearsighted and airheaded... what a combination, he thought with amusement.
"My glasses... where are my glasses?" Sheele sat up, fumbling around blindly.
"Here." Roy picked up her glasses from the nightstand and handed them to her.
"Thank you," Sheele said gratefully, putting on her glasses, oblivious to the fact that her nightgown had shifted, revealing more than she intended.
Roy helped her adjust her clothes. "Sheele, get up. Breakfast is ready. I'll go wake up Mine now."
"Okay," Sheele replied with a dazed nod.
Roy then went to Mine's room and knocked.
"Mine, wake up! It's time for breakfast!"
Knock, knock, knock.
"Let me sleep a bit longer... zzz..." Mine's muffled voice came from inside.
Roy sighed and opened the door.
Seeing Mine sprawled across the bed, he couldn't resist teasing her. He gently pulled her cheeks.
"Mine, wake up!"
"Ow!" Mine woke up with a yelp, her cheeks stinging.
"Roy, you idiot..." She glared at him and instinctively bit his arm.
"Haha, you missed!" Roy quickly pulled his arm away with a playful grin.
"I'll bite you to death!" Mine growled.
"You should get dressed first. I'll be waiting in the dining room," Roy said, glancing at Mine's exposed figure, then quickly left the room.
Mine looked down and realized her nightgown had ridden up, exposing her.
Her face flushed crimson, and she let out a scream.
She wanted to blast Roy with "Pumpkin," but he had already escaped.
...
After a while, Sheele and Mine finally arrived at the dining room, fully dressed.
Mine glared at Roy, but there was nothing she could do.
"I want milk!" she declared, slamming her hand on the table.
She couldn't fight him, so she demanded milk as compensation.
Roy was surprised by her request but readily agreed. He had plenty of milk.
"Here you go." He placed a small bottle of milk on the table before her.
"Hmph!" Mine turned away, taking the milk and drinking it.
Everyone stared at Roy expectantly.
"This is for Akame..." Roy said, realizing he had inadvertently triggered a chain reaction. He quickly gave everyone a bottle of milk.
"Roy is being awfully nice to Mine. Does he have a thing for her?" Chelsea teased, taking a sip of her milk.
"W-What are you talking about?!" Mine retorted, her face flushed.
"It's true," Chelsea shrugged.
"Hmph! If anything, he's nicer to Akame," Mine countered.
Everyone thought about it and realized she was right.
Roy always gave Akame whatever food she requested.
Akame, who had been enjoying her breakfast, paused, her cheeks reddening slightly. She quickly resumed eating.
"Ahem, it's only natural to be nice to everyone," Roy explained awkwardly. He then swiftly snatched the lollipop from Chelsea's mouth.
"Too much candy will rot your teeth," he said, popping the lollipop into his mouth and biting it.
"Eh?" Chelsea was stunned, then blushed.
"Haha, well done, Roy! Are you planning to build a harem?" Leone laughed, slapping Roy's shoulder.
Roy's lips twitched.
'Leone, although that is my plan, you don't have to announce it to everyone!' he thought, exasperated.
"Don't worry, Leone. I won't forget about you either," Roy said, gritting his teeth playfully.
"Eh?" Even Leone, with her bold personality, was taken aback.
But then, her smile vanished.
"If we can all survive until the end, perhaps I'll agree," she said quietly.
Her words brought a somber silence over the room.
They were assassins, living a dangerous life.
They could die at any moment. Romance seemed like a distant dream.
Roy sighed.
'Leone, you really know how to kill the mood.'
He stood up and clapped his hands.
"Don't worry, everyone. As long as I'm here, no one will die. I promise."
His confidence seemed to reassure them.
Bulat also stood up. "Well said! No one will die!"
"Hmph! Such arrogance. But I won't die so easily either!" Mine declared with a tsundere huff.
The atmosphere lightened up again.
"Ouch! Roy, you hit me quite hard," Leone complained, rubbing her shoulder.
"Hmph! Serves you right for ruining the mood," Mine said with a smug grin.
...
After breakfast, they gathered in the courtyard.
Saeko had challenged Akame to a spar, and Akame had accepted.
They were both skilled swordswomen with similar fighting styles.
Everyone knew how strong Akame was, but they were curious about Saeko's true strength.
They were all interested in this match, even Najenda.
"Akame, please."
"Likewise."
Saeko initiated the duel.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash - Eightfold!"
Saeko went all out from the start. She could sense Akame's strength.
Akame was a High-Class.
However, since this was a spar, they were using wooden swords.
Without her Teigu, Akame's strength was significantly reduced.
Saeko, on the other hand, had no weapon restrictions. But she was only at the peak of Middle-Class Devil.
Their strength was roughly equal in this situation.
Saeko's form blurred with lightning, and she appeared before Akame in an instant.
Clash! Clash! Clash!
Their movements were incredibly fast.
The intense and evenly matched battle thrilled the Night Raid members.
"Go, Akame!"
"Go, Saeko-san!"
"Saeko-san is so strong!"
"Yeah, Akame has always been our ace, but Saeko-san is just as powerful."
"But Akame is at a disadvantage without her Teigu."
"Is that lightning Saeko-san's Teigu?"
...
The Night Raid members discussed the match excitedly.
Both girls were exceptionally talented. Although Akame couldn't use her Teigu, her years of experience in life-or-death battles gave her an edge.
However, Saeko had the advantage of speed and the versatility of Thunder Breathing.
Teigu users, on the other hand, relied heavily on their Teigu for their special abilities.
Akame struggled to keep up with Saeko's diverse techniques.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash - Godspeed!"
This technique drastically increased Saeko's speed and attack power.
A flash of lightning, and Saeko appeared behind Akame.
Akame's wooden sword was cleanly sliced in two.
"I lost," Akame admitted, turning to face Saeko.
"Akame, you couldn't use your Teigu. I had the advantage. If you had used your Teigu, I might not have won," Saeko said modestly.
Before mastering the One-Cut Killer: Murasame, Akame's strength was only at the early stage of High-Class Devil.
But Saeko also had a trump card: the Demon Slayer Mark.
Activating the Mark would significantly enhance her physical abilities, allowing her to bridge the gap in strength.
She could even fight a High-Class Devil with the Mark activated. In the end, their strength was roughly equal.
"Clap, clap, clap!"
"That was an amazing fight!" Najenda praised, clapping her hands.
"It's reassuring to have a comrade like Saeko-san. Unlike someone..." Mine glanced at Roy with a hint of disdain.
"Roy is very strong!" Akame defended him.
"Yes, Roy is far stronger than me," Saeko added.
The Night Raid members looked at Roy in disbelief.
"Ahem, keep it down, keep it down. Just know that as long as I'm here, no one will die," Roy assured them with a wave of his hand.
"That would be ideal," Najenda agreed.
"Hmph!!" Mine scoffed, though she couldn't help but feel reassured by his words.
Chelsea and the others were curious about Roy.
If he was incredibly powerful, why had they never heard of him before?
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