"So that was it."
"That wealthy man ran a gambling house, destroying countless families."
Upon hearing Yorii Tsugikuni's words, Chelsea suddenly understood. Her mistake had been making the transformation too perfect.
Even the difference of a single whisker had been noticed. Being able to control such details was enough to prove that the young man before her was far from ordinary.
"Deciding who lives and dies based on your own preferences, deciding whether others deserve to keep living according to your own standards of justice..."
"I cannot agree with that."
Yorii Tsugikuni slowly sat up.
Yorii Tsugikuni had lived for decades and saw many things in this world clearly.
Thus, when judging whether something was right or wrong, he did not simply view it from his own subjective perspective.
That wealthy man was indeed an evil person. There was no doubt about that.
But again, deciding another person's life so easily...
Night Raid, which defined whether others deserved to live by its own standards, was nothing more than a band of thugs dressed in a glamorous, high-sounding coat.
Stance, and Aria's Hysterics
Instead, he would be more objective.
From his two recent encounters with Night Raid, Yorii Tsugikuni had gained a deeper understanding of how its members operated.
They were more like a group of people who judged matters according to their own preferences, similar to the samurai or wandering heroes of his homeland.
Just as he would not judge anyone subjectively, Yorii Tsugikuni neither disliked nor liked these people at present.
"The foundations of the Empire have already rotted away."
"There is no future in remaining on the Empire's side, Mr. Yorii Tsugikuni. I came today only to tell you that if you do not become enemies with Night Raid, perhaps we can be friends."
Chelsea did not pay much attention to Yorii Tsugikuni's words.
After considering it for a moment, she looked at Yorii Tsugikuni and stated the purpose of her visit.
According to their investigations over the past few days, Yorii Tsugikuni was merely an outsider who had only recently arrived in the Imperial Capital.
Someone like him had not yet become deeply entangled in the Imperial Capital's web of interests.
Moreover, because he was indeed very strong, after Night Raid's members discussed it, they decided to show Yorii Tsugikuni some goodwill first.
If they could recruit him into Night Raid, that would be ideal.
"There is no need. I am only staying in the Imperial Capital temporarily."
"I have no interest in your organization."
Yorii Tsugikuni directly rejected Chelsea's olive branch. In his plans, once he found information about his homeland, he would soon leave the Imperial Capital and begin his journey home.
He had no interest in the grudges and conflicts here.
Chelsea said nothing. Yorii Tsugikuni's attitude had been within their expectations.
In fact, it was considerably better than expected.
Furthermore, her probing visit had yielded useful intelligence.
Yorii Tsugikuni would not remain in the Imperial Capital for long.
That was undoubtedly good news.
No matter how powerful Night Raid's members were, they would not actively provoke unnecessary enemies when they could avoid doing so.
The Imperial Capital truly is a quagmire.
But before I leave, I must make proper arrangements for Sayo and the others.
Sensing Chelsea disappear, Yorii Tsugikuni sighed quietly to himself.
Although he had not been in the Imperial Capital for long, he could clearly sense the turbulent undercurrents beneath its seemingly peaceful surface.
Though he had not spent much time with Sayo and the others, Yorii Tsugikuni had formed a rather deep bond with them.
Yorii Tsugikuni did not usually like to speak, but deep down, he was someone who valued feelings greatly.
So even if he were leaving, he would make proper arrangements for them.
Tap, tap, tap...
In the pitch-black prison, a rat cautiously poked its head out from a sewer pipe.
But just as it emerged, sudden footsteps startled it into withdrawing its head.
"It's here."
"The innermost cell."
Aria huddled in the corner. Having been thrown into prison for two days, she had thought of nothing but escaping every moment.
On her first day inside, she had already bribed a minor prison guard to deliver a message asking her distant relative for help.
Yet in the past two days, no news had come.
Hearing voices outside, she hurriedly rushed forward. At the same time, her expression instantly became pitiful, and tears began gathering in her eyes.
"Save me, I'm... Why are you here?"
With tear-filled eyes, Aria rushed to the cell door, intending to burst into tears. Yet her tears were forcibly held in her eye sockets.
She looked helplessly at Sayo, Yorii Tsugikuni, and the others before her. Not knowing what expression to make, her face gradually twisted.
"We've come to take you to trial."
Sayo did not waste words. Because Aria's family were nobles, her trial was much more complicated than that of an ordinary commoner.
As the Security Force members who had arrested Aria, they also needed to participate in the trial.
"Where is my uncle? Why hasn't he come?"
"I'm not going. I'll wait for him. I'll wait for him to come take me out."
Aria frantically shook her head and began backing away. When she could retreat no further, she crouched in the corner and screamed loudly.
She looked like a rabid dog.
"Yesterday, your uncle took over your family's estate."
"At the same time, he exposed even more of your family's crimes to our Security Force."
Looking at Aria before her—covered in filth, with bloodshot eyes and disheveled hair—Sayo calmly informed her of the news.
After their investigation, Aria's family's crimes had continued for at least ten years.
This counted as a major case even within the Imperial Capital. When her master, Oka, learned of it, he was furious.
He personally organized another investigation into the matter.
"Those people were nothing but lowly commoners. It was their honor to receive our special care."
"Why did they deserve bigger eyes than mine? Why did they deserve slimmer legs than mine?"
"So I had to gouge out their eyes and break their legs..."
Upon hearing Sayo's words, Aria completely lost her mind. She roared loudly, her voice filled with madness. Looking at Sayo nearby, she suddenly lunged at her. "And you! A lowly outsider! Why do you have such soft, smooth, long hair?"
"If not for him, I would have pulled out your hair, strand by strand, long ago."
Aria's screams filled the entire prison.
Having completely lost both her support and hope, she howled in despair.
She looked at Sayo with envy, her tone brimming with malice.
"Drag her out."
Yorii Tsugikuni said nothing more.
Only now did he truly see just how hypocritical and ugly Aria's family was.
They laid bare the ugliest side of human nature.
Compared to the man-eating demons of his homeland, driven by their hunting instincts, people like Aria's family were undoubtedly even more twisted and terrifying.
They no longer deserved to be called human. They were things even more horrifying than demons.
What Aria's family had revealed also made Yorii Tsugikuni realize that in this unfamiliar place, this seemingly safe place without demons...
There were things more dangerous and hateful than demons: the wicked people here.
"I don't want to..."
Hearing Yorii Tsugikuni's nearly emotionless words, Aria screamed madly.
But it was useless.
Tatsumi knocked her unconscious with a chop to the neck.
She was dragged from the prison like a dead dog.
A Head Falls, and Yorii's Dark Expression
The trial proceeded quickly.
From beginning to end, it took no more than half a morning.
Crack!
At the execution grounds outside the city, a tall executioner received the order and swung the broad blade in his hand down without hesitation. Aria's head flew off.
"That really was satisfying."
"If I weren't a Security Force member, I'd really want to chop her down myself."
Beside the execution grounds, Ieyasu watched Aria's severed head crash heavily onto the ground.
The anger that had built up in his heart because of Aria's vicious words toward his companion Sayo yesterday finally dissipated.
"Let's go."
"We still need to continue investigating today."
Sayo withdrew her gaze. Aria's family's matter could now be declared finished.
Next, she naturally needed to focus her attention on the latest crazed beheader.
"Have we investigated this execution ground?"
As they slowly walked away, Yorii Tsugikuni casually asked.
He still vividly remembered the fleeting expression of excitement on the executioner's face.
"Of course we checked here."
"We found nothing unusual."
Sayo turned back and answered Yorii Tsugikuni's question.
Over the past few days, they had inspected most areas of the Imperial Capital.
In another day, they would be finished investigating.
After squeezing out of the crowd watching the execution, the five of them headed toward the next area that had not yet been investigated.
Have they come too?
Yorii Tsugikuni's gaze passed through the crowd before finally settling on a group of people wearing hats and hiding in a secluded corner.
Even from so far away, he could sense several Night Raid members among them whom he had encountered before.
After fighting them, Yorii Tsugikuni had become very familiar with the characteristics of their blood flow.
No matter how well someone disguised themselves, the characteristics of their blood flow could not be concealed.
Before you continue