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 member—Mine.

"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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