"Three women?" Najenda and the others were somewhat surprised but didn't find it too unusual. Nobles often had multiple women accompanying them, though Rei Ao and his companions didn't seem to be dressed like nobles.
"As for what faction I represent," Rei Ao continued, "I don't represent any faction. I'm just here as an individual."
He pointed to Akame. "I came because I made a trade with Akame."
~~~
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Chapter 56: No Plan
"A trade?"
Najenda mulled over the word and glanced at Akame for confirmation.
Akame nodded. "Yes, I made a trade with Rei Ao. That's why he's helping us rescue Mine."
The Night Raid members had initially assumed that Rei Ao was a friend or an ally of Akame. They hadn't expected it to be purely transactional.
Najenda was curious about the terms of the trade, but asking such a direct question in front of Rei Ao seemed unwise. After a moment of contemplation, she spoke, "Could you perhaps share with us the nature of your abilities or the Teigu you possess? That way, we can better devise a strategy."
Najenda wanted to understand what kind of power or weaponry they had brought into the mix that made them so confident.
"A strategy?" Rei Ao waved his hand dismissively. "That won't be necessary. Let's just head straight to the Empire."
"No strategy? That's reckless!" Even Leone, who usually disliked detailed plans, found this hard to swallow.
Lubbock's face darkened. "Without a plan, are you trying to get us killed?"
Akame intervened. "Trust him."
""
Everyone fell silent, unsure of how to proceed. Najenda, after much thought, asked Akame again, "Akame, are you sure we can trust them?"
Akame nodded firmly. "Yes, because it's a trade."
Rei Ao raised an eyebrow, finding it amusing how much Akame valued the trade. Whether the Night Raid trusted him or not didn't matter. He could rescue Mine on his own, if necessary. For him, completing the trade was the priority.
""
After a long silence, Najenda made her decision. "Alright, Akame, I trust you. Let's move out to the Imperial Capital."
With the leader's decision made, the others had no choice but to follow, even if they still had doubts.
On the way, the group traveled by carriage. The conversation was sparse but mainly revolved around Najenda trying to learn more about Rei Ao and his companions. Unfortunately for her, Mai, Saeko, and Ayame couldn't divulge any information related to the chat group, nor could they discuss the specifics of their world. In front of others, they deferred entirely to Rei Ao.
However, through the conversations with the Night Raid members, it became clear just how corrupt the Empire was. Tales of murder, rape, human trafficking, and even cannibalistic nobles filled the air. These horrors were enough to make even someone as hardened as Saeko frown.
Ayame, in particular, sighed deeply, commenting, "An empire like this, which disregards its people, is destined for ruin."
The Night Raid members gave Ayame approving looks. If it weren't for the current circumstances, they might have even tried recruiting her.
Meanwhile, Mai nestled closer into Rei Ao's arms, visibly uncomfortable with the horrifying stories. As a former ordinary citizen, she had never encountered such atrocities.
"We're here," Lubbock called from the front of the carriage, pulling it to a stop.
In the distance, they could see the Imperial Capital, protected by tall walls. Even at night, the city was well-guarded, with soldiers patrolling in preparation for the public execution of a captured Night Raid memberMine.
"So, we'll charge in directly?" Leone asked, eager for action.
"That would be too dangerous," Sheele suggested. "A stealthy approach might be better."
"Let me sneak in and gather information," Bulat offered. His Teigu, "Incursio," allowed him to turn invisible, making him the ideal candidate for the job.
Incursio, a powerful armor-type Teigu made from the body of a dangerous dragon-like creature, was known for its defense and its ability to make its user invisible for short periods of time.
Though it sounded like a good plan, it wasn't foolproof.
"Stealth is essential," Najenda agreed. "There are plenty of Imperial Teigu users inside. We need to be careful."
But before she could finish her thoughts, Lubbock's eyes widened in shock. "Hey, what are you doing?!"
Everyone turned to see Rei Ao walking out of the forest and heading straight toward the gates of the capital.
He turned back, flashing a smile. "What else? I'm going to sneak in."
Behind him, massive crimson dragon wings made of flames unfurled, and with a powerful gust of wind, Rei Ao soared into the night sky, heading directly for the heart of the Imperial Capital.
"What the hell is he doing?!" Lubbock shouted angrily. "He's going to get us all exposed!"
But Najenda, her expression grim, murmured, "Is that a Teigu?"
Teigu were limited in number, and Najenda was certain that this was not one of the known Teigu. The aura of those wings felt too real, too terrifying, as though they were made from the essence of a dangerous dragon itself.
"Najenda, what should we do?" Leone asked, growing anxious.
Before Najenda could respond, Akame spoke up, "Rei Ao said we should just watch."
"???"
Rei Ao had indeed sent a message through the chat group.
Rei Ao: "Akame, Maii, the rest of you just wait and watch."
Mai Sakurajima: "Alright."
Akame: "Understood. The chat group is asking if I should start a live stream. Should I?"
Stella: "Of course! I want to watch."
Frieren: "Grabbing popcorn."
Akame: "Alright then."
[Ding! Akame has started a live stream.]
[Ding! Stella has joined the live stream.]
~~~
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Chapter 57: A Massive Dragon above the Imperial Capital
Stella: "There's quite a crowd. I thought this was a rescue mission, why isn't anyone taking action?"
Saeko Busujima: "Rei Ao has already gone ahead."
Akame: "Yes, he's infiltrating the Imperial Capital."
At this moment, Rei Ao stood atop the center of the Imperial Palace, overlooking the city. With a surge of energy, he amplified his voice and shouted:
["Night Raid's Mine, your comrades sent me to rescue you. If you can hear this, shout out your location!"]
His voice roared like a dragon's cry, echoing throughout the entire Imperial Capital. In an instant, the city was roused from its slumber as lights flickered on and soldiers began shouting.
The members of Night Raid were left speechless, and even the chat group participants were taken aback.
Stella: "Is this... infiltration?"
Mai Sakurajima: "Uh, Rei Ao said it was an infiltration when he left."
Ayame Yomogawa: "This"
Everyone was stunned by Rei Ao's method of "infiltration," feeling both amused and shocked. Inside the Imperial Capital, from the lowliest soldiers to the Emperor himself, everyone was awakened. The city was soon ablaze with light as soldiers formed ranks, searching for the source of the noise. Unfortunately for them, no one thought to look up where Rei Ao hovered above the palace.
Inside a special prison cell in one of the palace's wings, a girl with pink twin-tails and a matching pink dress sat in the cornerMine, the captured member of Night Raid. She was filled with despair.
Captured by the Empire, Mine held onto the hope that her comrades would come for her. But the Empire had anticipated this, laying a trap to lure Night Raid out, setting a web of defenses all around the capital. Even the seemingly fragile girl guarding her cell was a powerful Teigu user.
"Hey, Night Raid member," the black-haired girl standing outside the bars said, her voice cold. "Have you seen my sister?"
"?"
Mine looked up in confusion. The slender girl in the sailor uniform, with a sword at her waist, stared at her intently. After realizing the girl was talking to her, Mine asked, "Your sister?"
"Her name is Akame," the black-haired girl said nonchalantly, mentioning a name Mine knew all too well.
"!!!"
Mine's eyes widened. "You're Akame's sister?!"
She had never heard Akame mention having a sister before. Waitif this girl was Akame's sister, maybe she'd show her some mercy?
Feeling a flicker of hope, Mine approached the bars. "If you're Akame's sister, what's your name? I'm Mine."
"Kurome," the girl replied flatly.
Mine's eyes brightened. She saw an opportunity for negotiation.
"Since you're Akame's sister, could you let me go? I can take you to see her!"
""
Kurome stayed silent for a moment before asking, "Are you and my sister close? Do you think she'll come to rescue you?"
"Yeah Akame will definitely come to save me," Mine replied, her voice tinged with sorrow. "But it's really dangerous, so you should let me go to protect your sister!"
However, what she saw next was Kurome's twisted smile.
"Hehe, so my sister will come, huh?"
"Great, I'll get to kill her with my own hands."
"?!"
Mine was dumbfounded. This wasn't the response she had expected. Why did Akame's sister harbor such a murderous intent toward her?
She felt her last shred of hope slip away. Falling from heaven to hell in an instant, Mine's despair deepened.
["Night Raid's Mine, your comrades sent me to rescue you. If you can hear this, shout out your location!"]
The deafening voice echoed through the palace, shaking the very ground.
"Was that an earthquake?!" Mine gripped the iron bars in shock. That voiceit was calling for her! Someone really had come to rescue her, but why were they being so loud? Weren't they just giving themselves away?
She turned to Kurome and asked, "Is this part of your plan too?"
She assumed it was an Imperial ploy to lure out Night Raid. However, Kurome tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Huh?"
Kurome's expression didn't seem fake, leading Mine to wonder if her rescuers were actually real. She thought for a moment before taking a deep breath and shouting at the top of her lungs, "I'm here!!!"
"Oh, there you are," Rei Ao smirked as he locked onto Mine's location.
"Looks like I can complete the trade easily. Time to begin the 'infiltration.'"
"What the hell is that?!" Leone shouted as she saw a red dot in the sky rapidly growing larger.
In just the blink of an eye
"!!!"
a massive, nearly 100-meter-tall creature soared over the Imperial Capital. Its vast wings blocked out the sky, its long, muscular tail swayed menacingly, and its sharp claws gleamed with a deadly edge. Its massive body was covered in crimson, fire-like scales, and with each breath, flames flickered, casting the skies in a fiery glow. Atop this behemoth was a dragon's fearsome head, snarling as it exhaled waves of fire.
~~~
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Chapter 58: This is Infiltration
"That's... a dragon-type Danger Beast?!"
Najenda was shocked to see a dragon-type Danger Beast appear above the Imperial Capital. Even from outside the city, she could feel the intense heat rapidly rising in the air. The gusts of wind from the dragon's wings carried waves of scorching heat, pressing down on every corner of the capital. She could hardly imagine the kind of power this beast must possess.
Saeko and the others were equally astonished. But after her initial shock, Mai felt something within her resonate. With a sudden understanding, she spoke up:
"That's Rei Ao!"
All eyes turned toward her.
Lubbock, his legs trembling, swallowed hard.
"Y-you're saying that giant dragon... is Rei Ao, the guy who just went into the capital?!"
Leone also looked skeptical.
"A person turning into a dragon? You must be joking."
Mai, still gazing at the massive dragon's form as it descended into the Imperial Palace, replied firmly:
"I'm sure of it. That's Rei Ao."
In the chat group:
Kato Megumi: "Is that... Rei Ao?"
For the first time, Kato Megumi's usually calm expression showed a deep shock. But she wasn't the only one stunned.
Stella: "Yes, that's Rei Ao. Or more precisely... the Crimson Lotus Dragon God."
Frieren: "A human transforming into a dragon... Could Rei Ao have the blood of a dragon?"
Frieren observed with intense curiosity. This was the first time she found herself so interested in a humanalthough at the moment, Rei Ao didn't exactly appear to be just human.
The members of the sub-group were equally amazed.
"Is this truly the Rei Ao-sama whom Ayame-sama serves?"
"He looks like an actual god..."
The three people from the Iron Fortress were in awe of Rei Ao's divine-like power.
At Hagun Academy:
"That dragon... is it really Rei Ao?"
Shizuku Kurogane asked, stunned, as she looked toward Stella, who now shared her dorm.
"..."
Stella stared at the massive Crimson Lotus Dragon in a daze. Her heart and soul stirred with a sense of recognition, telling her clearly that this was indeed Rei Ao, the one who had given her the contractthe Crimson Lotus Dragon God.
In the headmistress's office at Hagun Academy:
"His powers go beyond ice and time?"
Kurono Shinguuji realized now how little she truly knew about Rei Ao. Despite their... rather intimate interactions, she still only had a superficial understanding of him. Even the world's number one Blazer wouldn't be a match for Rei Ao, not even for a single round.
She smiled, a bit thrilled that the man who had made her feel the joys of being a woman was so mysterious and powerful.
"..."
Sensing something, she looked down at her tight-fitting skirt.
It was... wet.
"Hiss! So, Saeko-senpai was handled by a dragon?!"
Takagi Saya gasped in disbelief.
If that were the case, it would certainly explain why Saeko had been so broken. Her partner wasn't even human!
Even though there was a misunderstanding, both Miyamoto Rei and Shizuka Marikawa were equally shocked.
"..."
In her room, Yumiko Miura was measuring the depth of her own belly. Then she glanced at the enormous dragon, realizing that just one of its scales was larger than her entire body.
"There's no way that would fit, right? No way at all!"
Unlike those who weren't enemies of Rei Ao, who were simply shocked, the soldiers and citizens of the Imperial Capital were filled with terror. To them, this enormous red dragon, its scorching winds sweeping over the city, was nothing less than a powerful, destructive beast attacking the capital.
