Night had fallen on the Imperial Capital. In the mansion of a noble family—one of the city's wealthiest—Sayo's friend, Tatsumi, lay wide awake, too excited to sleep.
Earlier that morning, Tatsumi had gone to the Capital's military recruitment center, brimming with confidence.
Unlike Ieyasu, who was blind to his own shortcomings, Tatsumi genuinely had talent. He had trained under a retired military officer from his village since childhood and even picked up some basic blacksmithing skills.
He was sure that with his ability, he could easily earn the rank of a lower officer. He was far stronger than Ieyasu, and with enough hard work, even becoming a general wasn't out of reach. That way, he could return home and save his village.
But things didn't go as expected. The recruitment officer had demanded a bribe. Tatsumi, of course, had no money. When he argued his case, not only did he fail to enlist—he was outright barred from joining.
Still, fate wasn't done with him yet.
While wandering the streets that evening, unsure of where he'd eat or sleep, he happened to spot a notice posted on the gate of a noble's villa: Bodyguards wanted. Five gold coins a day. Meals and lodging included.
Those words stopped Tatsumi in his tracks.
After a round of fierce competition, Tatsumi managed to win the position. Tomorrow would be his first day on the job.
"Five gold coins a day, and they provide food and a place to stay. If I save up carefully, I can send money back and save the village within a few years. Alright, let's sleep for now. I'll find Ieyasu and Sayo tomorrow. They'll be thrilled for me."
With that happy thought, Tatsumi drifted off to sleep.
...
But some time later, he suddenly woke with a start. His instincts—sharpened by years of sensing bloodlust and danger—were screaming. The alarm bells in his mind were louder than when facing a Danger Beast.
Even though his shift didn't technically begin until the next day, Tatsumi's strong sense of justice wouldn't let him ignore it. He believed this family, especially the young lady Aria, had treated him well. He couldn't stand by and let anything happen to them.
His drowsiness vanished.
He threw on his shoes and clothes, slung his sword over his back, and bolted toward the part of the estate where the family lived.
...
Meanwhile, in the courtyard of Aria's mansion, six figures seemed to float in midair. But it was an illusion—for those with sharp enough senses, the fine, crisscrossing threads beneath their feet would be visible, revealing the true trick behind their aerial stance.
Everyone from Night Raid was present tonight—except for their leader Najenda, who had stayed behind. The team included Akame, Leone, Mine, Sheele, Lubbock, and Bulat.
With no moonlight tonight, and only those sensitive to bloodlust able to detect their presence, they remained hidden in the shadows.
The silent night quickly turned into a calculated slaughter.
Within moments, the noble family's guards—and Aria's parents—were dead.
Now, only Aria herself remained, fleeing in desperation under the protection of a few remaining guards with decent combat skills.
"I finally found you, Miss Aria!"
Tatsumi came running up from behind, panting heavily as he caught up with Aria and her guards.
"Tatsumi?"
Aria, visibly panicked, looked surprised to see him. She clearly hadn't expected that the country boy they had just hired earlier that day would still be alive—or more accurately, hadn't run off.
"You're just in time, kid. I'll take the young lady and retreat. You handle those damn assassins."
One of the guards barked at Tatsumi.
"What?!"
Tatsumi had seen those assassins with his own eyes. Some of the guards who had seemed powerful during his interview had been wiped out in a single blow—no match at all. Though Tatsumi had some confidence in his skills, he knew he wasn't at their level.
"I..."
He was just about to object, but the guard cut him off.
"It's fine. Just hold them off until the security team gets here. We'll be saved. I'm leaving this to you."
With that, the guard turned and fled with Aria, heading toward the warehouse.
But at that moment, a shadow flashed across from nearby.
With no way out, Tatsumi gritted his teeth, drew the sword slung across his back, and charged straight at the dark figure.
But he had still underestimated the gap between them.
There had been more than ten paces between them, but just as he closed in, the shadow suddenly accelerated. In the blink of an eye, the figure was right in front of him. Before Tatsumi could react, a gleaming blade was already slicing toward his neck.
"Akame, wait!"
Just as the blade was about to claim his life, a voice rang out and halted the attacker's movement. The sword stopped cold, resting right next to his throat.
Only then did Tatsumi snap out of it, his body drenched in cold sweat.
Following the blade with his eyes, he saw that the one who had nearly ended him was a striking girl with long black hair and piercing red eyes.
It was none other than Akame—the girl who had recently defected from the Empire.
At that moment, a golden-haired girl came running over from a short distance away. She wore a revealing outfit, had beast ears on her head, and claws on her hands.
As she ran, she called out,
"Ah! It's you again, you scammer...!"
Seeing her, Tatsumi immediately shouted in recognition.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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